Should We Have Informed LBA?

[^woody^]

but obviously you know different.

I know you've never come to the Midlands on your World Tour 1656-2020.

 

[RonnyRaygun]

Nothing to do with the loadings either then? Just a policy that all 6x4 are OK up to 3m and that's it, not much of a policy then. Perhaps you could show me one of these proper "policies", or is this just another case of making something up, again? None of the authorities I've worked seen to have heard about it or for that matter was it ever raised at any of the county policy meetings I attended/chaired for the 7 authorities within the county I worked a few years back, but obviously you know different.

I know you've never come to the Midlands on your World Tour 1656-2020.

Will you two please put down your MRICS handbags!

 

[^woody^]

Spoil sport

 

[thomp1983]

Well that didn't go well, rang the lba to ask about a regulisation certificate for the work done, they got the bco to call around today and after I removed a small piece of coving and plaster to inspect he's said the concrete lintel the builders installed is inadequate.

He said he will do the calcs back at the office but experience says it will need to be removed and replaced with an rsj, he had a good look around before making this decision and said the wall above the lintel is there to support the roof purlin and essentially the roofs weight so what's been done isn't good enough.

Rather disappointing, only saving grace is the searches for the house will take 6 weeks as the local council are massively behind so I've enough time to redo the job and get the paperwork in place before the buyers get funny.

 

[DevilDamo]

Instead of a steel, a timber (flitch) beam may be adequate. If the BCO is going to tell you what’s needed then great. If not, it should not cost the earth to appoint a structural engineer to calculate the loadings, beam and end supports.

 

[Mottie]

I did something similar to our kitchen with an RSJ in 1999/2000. No builder, just had a mate help me. No cracks or anything. Would I have problems if I decided to sell?

 

[sxturbo]

I did something similar to our kitchen with an RSJ in 1999/2000. No builder, just had a mate help me. No cracks or anything. Would I have problems if I decided to sell?

Chances are slim it's been 20 years,

I think this case is different as it was only done 5 years ago

 

[wessex101]

Well that didn't go well, rang the lba to ask about a regulisation certificate for the work done, they got the bco to call around today and after I removed a small piece of coving and plaster to inspect he's said the concrete lintel the builders installed is inadequate.

He said he will do the calcs back at the office but experience says it will need to be removed and replaced with an rsj, he had a good look around before making this decision and said the wall above the lintel is there to support the roof purlin and essentially the roofs weight so what's been done isn't good enough.

Rather disappointing, only saving grace is the searches for the house will take 6 weeks as the local council are massively behind so I've enough time to redo the job and get the paperwork in place before the buyers get funny.

OK, so contacting the Council wasn't the best idea however you are where you are.

You might have struck lucky and found one of the few BCO's who are actually helpful. The fact he said he would go back to the office and do the calculations is a good sign (and rather surprising).

However, if they come back and say the concrete lintel needs to be taken out and replaced with a steel I would get you own structural engineer to do some calculations to see if the concrete lintel can be saved. If the wall above is only taking a roof purlin the load may not be all that great and a big concrete lintel can span 3 metres if installed properly.

 

[Nakajo]

Still, maybe the thing won't collapse and kill everyone now, so swings and roundabouts.

 

[blup]

Check the loft, a structural wall probably supports ceiling joists as well as purlin struts.

Blup

 

[thomp1983]

The bco did check the loft he had a good look round everything to be fair to him.

He rang this morning, lintel has nowhere near enough load bearing rating for the job, he's specced an rsj but I have to buy the calcs from the lba for £156 which I don't thinks too bad

According to the bco the biggest concrete lintel that could be in there would be rated at 6kn, he calculates the roof load at 24kn at the purlin support above the lintel.

 

[wessex101]

BCO's doing structural calculations and charging for them? This is all new to me.

If you are happy to rip out the concrete lintel and install a steel and make good the ceilings then fine. I'd still want to get a structural engineer to look at it before I forked out for all that work and destroyed my kitchen.

 

[thomp1983]

The bco is a qualified for this, there's nothing about this I'm happy with but if it's not signed of there isn't going to be a house sale so if that means redecorating 2 rooms and sinking a grand into the rsj work then that's what needs to happen, I've not got time to go backwards and forwards between another se and the bco arguing about it to end up having to possibly do it anyway, I've a house sale to protect

 

[Keithmac]

Would the original builder have any liability for your current predicament or is it always down to the homeowner to make sure all certificates/ inspections are in order?.

 

[blup]

Homeowner is responsible for building regulation approvals, not builder; but builder may be liable for breach of contract. Builder's defence will be - I was asked to put up a lintel and that's what I did, so back to householder. Arguably law should be changed so builders are obliged to advise client of relevant building regulations.

Blup