Steel design change - advice please

[Karen Paffey]

We agreed a flush ceiling from existing house into the new lean to extension. Apparently architect changed this / builder did not point it out; everything has gone ahead / been approved on this basis. We still want the flush ceiling; builder is saying that recommends that we leave steel as designed.

If we insist on flush ceiling he says that he has to knock holes through the wall and put steels through the wall at every 500 to 600 centers all the way along the back of the house and then using ackrows to support the back of the house. He says the steel itself that goes across the back is deeper than our floor joists, meaning the steel will have to go further up into the wall and going even higher up the wall into the rooms above .......

I'd appreciate your advice / comments please - try to keep it simple, I am not a builder!

 

[noseall]

Fit the steel as high as you can then box the ceiling down.

 

[jeds]

As noseall says. The builder doesn't want to fit the beam flush because it's more fiddly and messing about, but it's your house so you should have it the way you want it. The ceiling will need re-lining anyway so battening it down won't be that much more. The only question is why and when did the spec change and what the builder priced for. Who asked him to change it? Did he just get bored one day and thought; I know, I'll randomly change that spec. Ask him why he changed it without your authorisation and when? Or, did he actually change it at all, have you actually seen this revised spec or is it a bit of builder bullsh1t? Few phone calls I think. It's important to determine exactly when it changed and exactly what the builder priced for - because fitting flush will cost more. The question is did he price for flush and now wants to get away with less?

 

[^woody^]

Lift the steel up. It takes 30 seconds to compromise, but you will be living with it for ever then. Sitting there, looking at an ugly box or a low ceiling. No thanks.

Do it once do it now.

Get the original plans and see where the steel had been drawn and what was priced for. If you specified a flush ceiling, then that is a contract term.