Loft conversion - insulation and fireboard not as architect

[buryboy]

Hi there

Having my loft converted and 4 new dormers put in.
The architcet notes on the loft flooring includes teh following

" 150mm rockwool insulation between joists on chicken wire stapled to joists. 12mm fireline board and skim to first floor ceiling fixed to new floor joists."

Now the builder has put the new joists( 8 in) above the existing (4in) which is OK by me.
But while there was shed loads of insulation up there , he threw roughly half of the insulation down the side of the house ( its still sat there getting wet !) ( presumably to improve accessibililty for the steels , new joists etc , but he started putting the floor down yesterday and just put them on top of the new joist with no further insulation added - all that was left after what was thrown out was about 100mm ( ie about height of existing
joists ) , I have seen no chicken wire ( not that I am quite sure what that does ) and am sure he does not intend to put fireline board up.

I left a note with my concerns this morning ( when about half teh floor was done ) , telling him to ring me , and my wife said I was unhappy about it. But we went to work , no calls and now pretty much the whole floor boarded - he has bought just one roll of 100mm insulation - which would only cover the area that had no coverage at all before - and just puffed up / put more in round the edges where it can still be seen.

Don't want to fall out with him , but want the loft OK , the rooms downstairs warm without big bills , and to be OK from a fire perspective.

so do I

1) Do nothing - 100mm is OK - , but insist the roof insulation is definitely the same as ( or better ) than the architect notes ( this is Kingspan which I believe is expensive)
2) Get him to rip up the boards he has put down , put in more rockwool and chicken wire ( What does chicken wire do in theses circumstances - is it just to hold the insulation in place in case of fire ? ) and reboard ?
3) If he does 2) , can he use the insulation that is outside and will no doubt be soaking ( can it be brought in to dry out ?)
4) is the fireline board an essential thing that needs to be done or just a nice extra that the architect has put in for good measure - and is there an alternative fire measure ?

Any suggestions / alternatives gatefully appreciated !

 

[JohnD]

did he quote his price, for work to be in conformity with the architects specification?

If so, then that is what you are entitled to get. You should point this out to him. I think he already knows though, so perhaps he is hoping to get round you in some way, e.g. by soft soap, browbeating, or saying it's too late now so you will have to pay extra.

Although he might pretend othewise, I am sure he is used to "snagging" and being required to put right work he has done that is not correct.

Is the BCO likely to come round and have a look?

Have you paid the builder already?

 

[buryboy]

Hi John

His quote says "insulation and ventilation as per drawing"

The BCO came round on Friday apparently at which point the floor was not laid , but the insulation that was there would have been visible. The builder said the inspection went fine. I don't want the BCO crawling all over the job ( or do I ? I'm new to this , is he really a fella I should have on my side or the builders side ?) .

I have paid the builder for about one third of the total price - next instalment he expects on Friday.

I have just noticed another section on the architects notes saying "install 270mm fibreglass insulation to roof void in two layers in opposing directions" - not sure if this is a standard section the architect put into all his work ( ie not really relevant for loft converions) - any more help ?

is 100mm any good ? Obviously normally would have more but then again normally you don't live in the loft - is it not more important to have the real good stuff in the roof not on the loft floor ? - but of course in a normal unconverted house , could just add more - but once under floorboards , much more difficult

Thanks for anything you can add

 

[JohnD]

my perspective:

firstly:

the BCOs objective is to see that it is built properly.

that is what you want too.

his office will have reviewed and approved the architects plans, and have said (in essence) that if it is built according to plan, that will be OK. If it is not built according to plan, he might agree that an alternative is acceptable. In the absence of his agreement, an alteration is not acceptable.

The builder might (will) have an alternative objective, to build it cheap/easy/quick.

that is not what you want and not what you are paying for.

the builder will not/should not want to fall out with the BCO

secondly:

if you engage someone to do a job according to a specification, and he is charging you for building to that specification, then you are entitled to receive it.

If you contracted with a decorator to paint your ceilings white and your walls pink, and he left the ceilings in bare plaster and painted the walls blue, that would not be good enough and you would not pay him.

The trouble and expense of rectifing something after build is far greater than doing it correctly in the first place.

 

[SFK]

In answer to your comment: "I have seen no chicken wire (not that I am quite sure what that does)".

FYI, my understanding is that the Rockwood suspended in chickenwire between the new beams provides some fire protection to the loft space from a fire below. (It also provides noise and thermal insulation). My understanding was also that if it was not there, for my house I would have required overboarding or red plasterboard on the rooms directly below the loft. Again, this is only my understanding and for my house (these specs seem to change with location and time), but my loft fitters said this is what they always did.

SFK

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

In answer to your comment: "I have seen no chicken wire (not that I am quite sure what that does)".

FYI, my understanding is that the Rockwood suspended in chickenwire between the new beams provides some fire protection to the loft space from a fire below. (It also provides noise and thermal insulation). My understanding was also that if it was not there, for my house I would have required overboarding or red plasterboard on the rooms directly below the loft. Again, this is only my understanding and for my house (these specs seem to change with location and time), but my loft fitters said this is what they always did.

SFK

Why are you digging up this 7 year old thread?

In anycase its a mystery why chicken wire was specified if the ceiling was being overboarded, you would only ever fit chicken wire if the ceiling was lath and plaster and so could fail in the event of a fire, hence the chicken wire to retain the insulation.

 

[SFK]

Dooohhh.
I must have clicked on an item in 'Similar Topics' without considering its age. Sorry to everyone who is now looking.