Conservatory base and foundation

[elevonic]

Hi all, my first post!
I've just had a conservatory built by a local respected company. I watched the process throughout (not minute by minute though,lol) and took photos of key stages.
I would like peoples opinions of the following bits I'm concerned about.

1/ The foundation is 1 metre deep, going through 2 of the foundation strips at about 45 degrees is a pipe connected to a downpipe which I believe must go to a garden soakaway. This has just been surrounded by the concrete of the foundation, no lintel (I asked the groundwork chaps about this). There is also an armoured cable supplying my garage which again is just buried in the concrete.
2/ One side of the dwarf wall of the conservatory is built flush with one foundation strip, ie, the dwarf wall is not centered on the 450 wide foundation.
3/ The dampcourse consists of a painted on bitumous product which was applied to the slab and then covered by approx 75mm of finishing screed mix.
4/ there is no insulation in the base slab.
5/ the existing weep vents above the patio door lintel have just been plastered over, there is no cavity tray fitted above the conservatory roof (although, there is only 3 courses of bricks between the conservatory flat roof and the undrside of the next opening above it)

All opinions and advice welcomed.

Thanks

 

[advancemaintenance1]

im not a builder but on any jobs i have been on that involve any new build i know that no pipes or anything can go through foundations when ive known pipes to go underground dumpy blocks and a lintel have been used as to the damp proof is the bitumen the only source of damp proofing or is there a roll of dpc above ground level if not its either a new way of doing it or a really big bodge id appreciate any replies for this as i would like to know myself for definate

 

[elevonic]

The dwarf walls have conventional dpc fitted, its the base that has been covered with the bitumous material.

 

[noseall]

Connies are b.c. exempt.

That said, a code of quality should be observed for all structures.

Pipes passing through foundations should be either surrounded with compressible material or lintelled over. It is no great shakes that the armoured cable is buried but good practice would be to sleeve the cable first. This is usually done with r.w.p that is slit and passed over the cable, taped and bunged.


All walls should be centered on the concrete foundation with a minimum of 100mm 'toe' each side of the wall. Eccentric location of the wall on the footings can be allowed for but this entails a wider and deeper foundation. that said it is only a connie.

Are you saying they did not lay a dpm? You would normally oversite using a 1200 gauge polythene membrane. There may be other suitable paint-on products though.

Insulation in the slab will be a token gesture but a relevant one. Admittedly, the connie will leak heat like a sieve, but it would have done no harm to include insulation in the sub base.

As for weep vents, they are probably not even worthy of being called a token gesture. I certainly would not lose sleep over this point.

All in all, you have a glorified shed, because that is what a connie is. Ours is only used between April and October, too cold otherwise. Heating a connie is ok for one-off functions, when that extra bit of space is useful, but don't expect too much from a connie.

 

[elevonic]

Hi, I am definate about the dpc. They built up to dpc level with the dwarf walls then laid down a normal dpc to both skins of the wall. The floor slab was then laid directly onto the subsoil, no sand, no plastic sheet type dpc. The slab was laid to approx 75mm of finished floor level. I was there whilst all this was being done. A few days later the 'screeder' arrived and painted the floor slab with a bitumous type product. On to this the actual floor screed was laid up to finished floor level. I had questioned this with the company and their response was that they do 700 conservatories a year and this was a perfectly adequate way of achieving a dpc.

 

[Shytalkz]

1/ The foundation is 1 metre deep, going through 2 of the foundation strips at about 45 degrees is a pipe connected to a downpipe which I believe must go to a garden soakaway. This has just been surrounded by the concrete of the foundation, no lintel (I asked the groundwork chaps about this). There is also an armoured cable supplying my garage which again is just buried in the concrete.
If it's trenchfill, then it's not really a problem, although the cable should be in a sleeve and the pipes should have flexi joints either side of the footing.

2/ One side of the dwarf wall of the conservatory is built flush with one foundation strip, ie, the dwarf wall is not centered on the 450 wide foundation.
Won't make any difference with the loads being applied.

3/ The dampcourse consists of a painted on bitumous product which was applied to the slab and then covered by approx 75mm of finishing screed mix.
That's the slab dpm and it will/should link with the wall dpc material.

4/ there is no insulation in the base slab.
Doesn't have to be, this work is generally outside the scope of BRegs. God knows why, it just is.

5/ the existing weep vents above the patio door lintel have just been plastered over, there is no cavity tray fitted above the conservatory roof (although, there is only 3 courses of bricks between the conservatory flat roof and the undrside of the next opening above it)
Wouldn't worry about it