Loft stairs not right!

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22 Mar 2011
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Hi, we're having a loft conversion built currently and yesterday the stairs went in. unfortunately, it doesnt look right and tomorrow i'm going to have to speak to the builder to see if he can fix it (we were out when they fitted it yesterday so couldnt broach it then)
The problem is that the new steps up protrude over one of the bedroom door frames (by about
3 inches in the top righthand corner) and so it just looks wrong. There is also not much headroom at all as you go down the original stairs and anyone 6 foot or more would bang their heads on it. This makes it feel crammed in and simply doesnt feel like it belongs to the house

I dont want to fall out with our builder, he has done a cracking job until now and this could throw a spanner in the works. however it is major and its not him that would cringe every time they looked at it. But after all, he has only gone by the architects drawings which I suspect were incorrect in the first place.

where would we stand if the drawings are incorrect? Is it unrealistic to expect the architect to pay some if not all costs to put it right?

Would these issues even meet with building regs?

many thanks in anticipation
 
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you may find there is nothing that can be done about the stairs all tided down to what angle etc http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/AD_K_wm.pdf
Just from a diy is it possible to move the stair case along the wall, i see the bottom winder is against a wall so that would need removing, this would give a bit more head possibly depending on where the stairs the lay
or move the door frame over, narrower door
 
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The chippy doing my daughters conversion set the bottom step sticking out across a door and frame, and the door opens out, he couldn't think of a way to open the door and was resigned to ripping it out, I was there yesterday so cut the top off the hinge pins and knocked them out, opened the door so my daughter could access my grand-daughters bedroom.Apparently they were working to drawings, not sure who's to blame , the stair manufacturer, architect or chippies. :?:
 
Def get builders take on it, if he is reasonable he probably will be expecting a query on it.

My folks had a extension done and a similar thing happened, long story short they couldn't address it at the time as they had bigger things on their plates, two or three years on they got the builder back as a crack opens and closes each winter - builder says he followed architects drawings. Architect says the builder got it wrong. Back and forth, back and forth. If we were in the middle of the build as you are now, would be easier to deal with.
 
has the building inspector said anything about the restricted headroom over the existing stairs?
 
Move the frame and door left by 100 mm?

For some reason I have a 2.2m minimum height for stair head height thoughts, I might be wrong through.

That smoke detector might need moving, building control inspection should give best advice. Without there sanction no cert, no final payment from you to builder.

I take it the builder will board and mess wire the stairs and plaster?
 
I was going to say the same as chri5, It may be easier and quicker to move the door frame left by a few inches rather than the huge ordeal of ammending the stairs. Where does the quote stand "the customer is always right" stand?

hope you get it sorted ;)
 

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