Can a timber beam be built into brickwork

[noseall]

Try explaining that to a BC official...
Just easier to make them feel important and do what they want.

Nonsense. If builders abide by the rules and actually engage with BCO's, then they will get along better.

A BCO likes nothing more than a competent trades-person going about their business whilst adhering to the Reg's. Their heart sinks when visiting DIY'ers or wannabee builders or site brickies that have decided to build extensions, and discover that they have missed a couple of inspections whilst attacking the roof without a drawing or plan in sight.

 

[^woody^]

Any requirement for padstones or plates is not because of the beam, but because of the wall it is sitting on.

No BCO can insist on a padstones, and that's purely because they don't have the authority to do so. They are checkers not designers, and I've never subscribed to the nonsense of "doing what the BCO wants", as if you know how to build then you should be telling the BCO what you are doing, not them telling you how to do it.

As to the OP any beam can be built into any masonry wall. If need be you run some mastic around it if it's a cavity wall - and that's just good practice.

 

[noseall]

So, rather than build and then argue, I ask them what they expect and I follow their lead.

Lol.

A BCO's remit is to check that what you have done satisfies the Reg's and not babysit DIY'ers through the entire building process of an extension. They can offer advice if they so wish.

EDIT: Woody posted at the same time.^^^^

 

[23vc]

Their heart sinks when visiting DIY'ers

they’re pretty good with competent DIYers/self builders. Every inspection at mine, they took a real interest and chatted away slating other jobs they’d been to. literally all the complaints I’ve ever heard about building control have been hard done by “builders” out of their depth/deciding they can build extensions when they’re roofers etc

 

[Charlie George]

Nonsense. If builders abide by the rules and actually engage with BCO's, then they will get along better.

A BCO likes nothing more than a competent trades-person going about their business whilst adhering to the Reg's. Their heart sinks when visiting DIY'ers or wannabee builders or site brickies that have decided to build extensions, and discover that they have missed a couple of inspections whilst attacking the roof without a drawing or plan in sight.

Im a site bricky at the moment, are you saying i'm incapable of building extensions?, bit of a generalisation isn't it.
Built hundeds of extensions for all types of builders/homeowners, and some of the worst for cutting corners are long standing firms with good reputations.
Working on sites now i see a building inspector almost daily,that doesn't happen on extensions where he will come in total 4 times.
None of the brickies working with me will do any private work,as they earn more than enough during the week,and small builders/homeowners won't pay £350+ a day, so maybe the real problem is pay peanuts get monkeys(crap brickies).

 

[noseall]

Im a site bricky at the moment, are you saying i'm incapable of building extensions?

I'm generalising, yes. When things are lean on site, brickies migrate into the private sector and the (B'regs) inexperienced ones do come unstuck.

Built hundeds of extensions for all types of builders/homeowners

You should be familiar with the reg's by now. It's not just being chummy with the building site inspector that is missing with site brickies however. Experienced builders have a rapport with structural engineers and architects, with much back and forth betwixt them. There is consultation both ways and advice given and received in both directions, both before and during the build.

None of the brickies working with me will do any private work

Not presently no. Times are certainly better than they were 2008/09.

 

[frutbunn]

As a matter of interest, are you:

(a) LABC, or

(b) private, or

(c) should I mind my own business?

LABC or was until recently, back on the drawing board (privately) as far as working on anything construction related, although I've got a brick repair and re pointing job to do.
Otherwise I repair/restore scooters/outboard motors, buy/restore/sell old tools, fishing tackle, its easier and less responsibility.

 

[frutbunn]

In my experience every BC has different interpretations of regs.
So, rather than build and then argue, I ask them what they expect and I follow their lead.
No arguments once all is completed.
Said that, I also dealt with BCOs who were not only very knowledgeable about latest technology and materials, but not at all set in their own ways and open to alternative acceptable solutions.

Thats the approach most builders follow. In my experience if you try to offer an alternative approach to what they want to hear they ain't interested. Prime example is insulation, I'm always asked what insulation do I need in the cavity, to which I reply which insulation, block type etc would you prefer, or would you like to trade off insulation in the roof or floor, more often than not the reply I get if I just use 100mm Dritherm will that be OK.

 

[johnny2007]

They are checkers not designers, and I've never subscribed to the nonsense of "doing what the BCO wants", as if you know how to build then you should be telling the BCO what you are doing, not them telling you how to do it.

Then at the end of the project they tell you that they won't sign it off.
You'd have to start writing complaints to departments that take weeks to reply, etc.
Eventually you'll have confirmation that what you've done is correct.
In the mean time the customer has not paid you because as far as they're concerned, they haven't got a completion certificate, so your work is not of acceptable standard.
Is it not easier to just go along with what the BCO wants? (Unless completely wrong of course)
One thing I've always done when quoting is make clear that the quote was as per project.
Anything that BC asks to change is subject to price review.
99% of the time price doesn't change, so happy days.

 

[noseall]

Then at the end of the project they tell you that they won't sign it off.

Utter nonsense.

 

[stuart45]

Im a site bricky at the moment, are you saying i'm incapable of building extensions?, bit of a generalisation isn't it.

What I found when I was younger and first started doing extensions, garden walls etc in the private sector was that I was underestimating how long the job would take compared to being on site where all the materials were there and cleaning up takes a lot longer.

 

[Charlie George]

What I found when I was younger and first started doing extensions, garden walls etc in the private sector was that I was underestimating how long the job would take compared to being on site where all the materials were there and cleaning up takes a lot longer.

Agree even now with experience some small jobs take longer than thought, on some extensions iv'e struggled all day to build 200 brick,yet on sites can build over 1000 and feel less exhausted,and some people expect the rate for sitework to apply to private work.

 

[stuart45]

Good tradesmen are often not good businessmen and visa versa. Some real bodgers get away with charging high prices because they have got plenty of bunny, and convince people what a great job they have done.

 

[cdbe]

Agree even now with experience some small jobs take longer than thought, on some extensions iv'e struggled all day to build 200 brick,yet on sites can build over 1000 and feel less exhausted,and some people expect the rate for sitework to apply to private work.

That's music to my ears. I'm DIYing my extension and sometimes struggle to lay 100 in a day, even less now I'm doing the first floor off a plank. I'm more than happy if I'm approaching half or even a third of what a pro could do.