Standard expected

[Ian H]

So it needs £50 of slate lat or even better some stair infill (the stuff that spaces your spindles)?

https://www.jastimber.co.uk/41mm-infill-strip-pine-moulding-tm619

 

[^woody^]

Issue is customer intended to board the loft for storage but the insulation specified is taller than the joists. The contractor didn't plan to pack up the joists to allow for boarding but the customer expected that to be included.

Perhaps you should deal with the OP's builder instead as you know whats going on. I bet the builder does not.

Anyway, it looks like the builder was not boarding the floor nor told it was even going to be done, so how is he to be aware of the need to reduce the insulation thickness?

In my simple mind, I would be grateful if I paid for 90mm of insualtion but the builder gave me 10% more with better efficiently. Then, when I came to board the loft, I'd just put a little strip of wood down on the joists. No fuss. But that's just me.

 

[Doggit]

Actually, the spec said 90mm, and the builder bought 100 instead, but didn't bother to increase the height of the joists.

 

[Ian H]

With 100mm he can't walk accross the joists.

 

[Keithmac]

Sometimes you have to apply a bit of common sense, if 90mm insulation was specified and 100mm fitted (for what ever reason), shimming the joists to the correct height should have been a given surely?.

 

[John D v2.0]

the spec said 90mm

Not according to the OP

that was what was specified

...

90 mm joists and 100 mm insulation

shimming the joists to the correct height

The issue isn't about whether they should be shimmied to the correct height, it's about what the correct height is (which in turn is about whether it is common ground that the loft should be ready for boarding as storage)

There are too many assumptions flying around, the difference is simply the builder assumed the loft storage creation was entirely someone else's job as it wasn't explicitly specified as being partly his job.

 

[Footsoldier888]

Surely a builder should know a loft is going to be walked on and should have the sense to batten the joists???

What are things coming to???!!!

 

[Doggit]

Not according to the OP

Sorry, you're right; misread one of the posts.

 

[^woody^]

Surely a builder should know a loft is going to be walked on and should have the sense to batten the joists???

What are things coming to???!!!

No. Lofts are not designed to be walked in.

The current requirement for quilt insulation is 300mm with about 200mm over the joists, for instance. No mention of walking on them.

 

[Footsoldier888]

It just shows how important it is to clarify the job at the start. I think most lay people would expect there to be walking access in a loft but I can see the builders view is a different one.

A good reminder to anyone to get their general living requirements down at the head of the brief.

 

[noseall]

I think most lay people would expect there to be walking access in a loft

Eh, WTF? Why?
Drawings state: "lay 100mm quilt between joists and 200mm across joists...."

They don't state "the client may want to store the fake Christmas tree and the silver and red baubles in the middle of the loft so be sure to contravene the heat loss Building Regulations and pi$$ of the building inspector so this can happen...."

A walking platform would be deemed structural and thermal design and considered an extra or be listed as a deliberate specific item.

 

[Ian H]

It's not quilt though it's boards. So you can't move up there without standing on the insulation.

 

[Footsoldier888]

noseall the point you have just made is what 99% of us do in real life! I have never lived in a house with an unboarded loft and I doubt many have. I think it's fair to say most lay people want some boards in their loft.

I get the point it wasn't in the spec and would be an extra but I think the point Ian H is making is that the client has now been prevented from boarding his loft. By his builder!

 

[Ian H]

But at the same time he could easily sort it with some bits of wood.

 

[^woody^]

but I think the point Ian H is making is that the client has now been prevented from boarding his loft. By his builder!

I doubt that the builder is standing below the hatch with a hammer in hand every time the OP tries to take some lath up into the loft.