My builder's plumber - should I be concerned about this?

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Berkshire
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We have the builders back in at the moment and the builder's plumber has been doing first fix..... I am noticing things that don't seem 100% to me and am wondering if I am just being anal or if I need to start making a fuss.
For example:- running pipes in the floor to ceiling void meant going through the 170mm joists... these have been drilled through close to the wall and bunched together, so for example 6 (22mm) pipes go through the joist about 30mm each apart in their own hole. Aren't there rules on where you can drill joists and how close together you can place holes? He has also drilled a 60mm hole through a joist for a waste and connected a boss onto the soil stack at floor level just above the foot bend (I thought you had a no connection zone of 450mm here?). None of his plastic CH pipes are clipped in the floor to ceiling void, they just lay loose through the holes in the joists etc.
The mains water supply, soft water and hot water loop are to run in the floor screed - this has all be done in a continuous run in Hep which looks fine, but all four pipes run right next to eachother. The hot pipes have 12 or 19mm (can't remember) Climaflex lagging on, the cold pipes have that hairy lagging on plastic stuff on - should there be a gap between all these? i.e. am I likely to get heat transfer from the hot to the cold water pipes, despite the lagging once it is all covered in screed?
Yesterday I notice they have laid out for a radiator and the pipes for that have been done in copper, there are quite a few joins and corners and they run perpendciular over the top (touching) the hot and cold water pipes and are only sleeved with that hairy plastic stuff - they are going to be covered in screed. I thought it best practice to minimise joints in copper pipes laid under floors and wrap in Denso tape, or is that hairy stuff Denso tape? Does that sound right? Would I be better to ask him to re-do that in one run of plastic and get the pipes away from the cold feeds?
 
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Not had time to read fully by their are a few faults ie 60mm hole through a 150mm joist.
Have a read of this it should help you.

joist.jpg
 
We have the builders back in at the moment and the builder's plumber has been doing first fix..... ?

A lot of what you said sounds like corners have be cut and bodges made. Can you post some pics on here? Are you project managing the work or just telling the builder to get on with it?
 
Hmmm.... well the holes in the joists are certainly not within the specs on that guide :mad:
No, I am not project managing.... have told the builder to get on with it. However I have had to get quite involved trying to sort out cock-ups and keep steering in the right direction.
I don't have any pics on me.
There isn't much I can do about the joists now... they have been drilled already. How will that stand with Building Regs then?
My concerns at present revolve around the pipes that are about to be screeded over.... I could still just do something about these.
 
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Have you or your builder made a Building Regulations submission for what I assume is a new extension? Compliance with B Regs is ultimately your responsibility but it's always best to make compliance, building notice submission & responsibility for LABC inspections a part of your contract with the builder. Otherwise they can just bodge it up, walk away & leave you holding the can with no compliance or completion certificates which effectively makes it worthless when you come to sell.

What's been done will not be passed by a BI! :cry:
 
Yes, Architect made a Building Regs submission and drawings etc., I know these have been approved and we have had a number of inspections (organised by builder at stages like pouring the footings, roof timbers in etc). I have checked with Building Control and they aren't scheduled for an inspection until completion.....

To be honest, a lot of the questions I had this morning are academic now as they have pressed ahead and screeded today, screeding over all the pipes and stuff anyway :rolleyes: I guess we will find out in the months to come whether we have any problems....
 
The copper pipes in the floor screed should have been protected in some way, normally by using plastic-coated pipes and taping up the joints where the coating has to be cut away for soldering. If screed is in contact with the copper you'll be digging the floor up in a few years to repair all the leaks. Plastic pipework should be in a duct, normally using the pre-ducted pipe.

If you're concerned about the joists, you could get Building Control to come out and look, be prepared for a lot of extra work though, as they could ask that all the incorrectly-drilled joists are replaced. What is in your contract with the builder would determine who has to pay for this. Alternatively, say nothing and hope they don't turn up until completion, by which time it'll all be covered over anyway. Just be prepared for your ceilings to start cracking in a few months if the incorrect drilling has caused the joists to become springy
 
sounds like your builder plumber has a cowboy hat, your building control office may well pick up on the joists drilled incorrectly and will con dem them, that means all the joist will need changing and the carcass will have to come out. the pipes in the floor screed all should be in plastic and sleeved in plastic as need to be able to withdraw them, ends are normally teminate in plastic box with lid and fixed so that the screed comes up to the top. u access them to bring the ends up to rads and what ever. you need space between pipe and insulation maybe to stop heat transfer between hot and cold pipes. hair felt laggin is not allowed.
 
sounds like your builder plumber has a cowboy hat, your building control office may well pick up on the joists drilled incorrectly and will con dem them, that means all the joist will need changing and the carcass will have to come out.

hair felt laggin is not allowed.
Good call. I wonder if the OP got references for this builder before signing him up or was it the cheapest quote out there?
 
I wouldn't just leave it - chopping over a third out of the joists because it's the easiest way to run the waste is dangerous - are you having a bath in your bathroom, filled with water?
I did the wastes in our bathroom, and following the regs on notching meant using about 10 metres of 40mm pipe instead of 3.
You'll have to dig the floor up when the copper pipes fail too - as above.
Speak to the BCO - your builder needs to pay to put it all right if he's employing the 'plumber'.
 
the pipes in the floor screed all should be in plastic and sleeved in plastic as need to be able to withdraw them
This must be new regulations.
Please point me in the right direction so that I may catch up!
 
the pipes in the floor screed all should be in plastic and sleeved in plastic as need to be able to withdraw them
This must be new regulations.
Please point me in the right direction so that I may catch up!
No idea if that meets regs or not, but sound like a very good idea. Pottering on with our extension, and it will have a screeded floor, with pipes feeding a wc/sink/shower. Are there any downsides to plastic pipe sleeved in more plastic pipe? Other than the whole 'plastic pipe and fittings are rubbish' argument?
 
Haven't read more than half the post, and already it sounds like a complete cowboy job. I'd strongly recommend you stop all work, until what has been done so far had been verified by an independent ( reliable ) expert.
 
:( this does not sound good..... :evil: Seems like I may have been right to have concerns.
Right, how do I get a second opinion and pronto? :?:
 

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