Unsatisfactory Rendering of Outbuilding

[kaye_Peter]

Hi folks, seriously need some opinions on here as to what is going on.

I paid a builder to build a summerhouse in my garden, usual things, promised he would build it in 4 weeks, and now it has been 3 months, most of it is done, but it is all now going at a snails pace.

I have paid him his instalments he asked for, but as stupid as I was, I have now realised that there are a lot of things unfinished that should have been 100% done before paying him some money, such as finalising the electrics, leaving the garden in an absolute mess [cement, dangerous tools, old wood, rubble etc), such that my son fell over and hurt himself, roof leaking water down onto front render when it rains (despite having a gutter, fascia and soffit), also they have left the ceiling lights dangling down on their wires, plumbing and drainage--well there is none installed and a sink is needing to be installed.

Anyway, I send him a letter stating that things have to improve and that he is in breach of contract and dangerous, that very same day and since then, workers have been coming every day and completing the tasks I raised.


Fine so far...
Today he replied to me stating that he has received my letter and that his secretary who happens to be a LABC building control inspector will write back to me with a reply next week, but also that they are in contact with the local council head of building control inspector and they will reply back to me next week.

???
I do not get it, I raise issues about safety and him not completing the work , so why would he want to contact building control?? Is he trying to call my bluff??

The building is within 30m2 and is made of non combustible materials, and so according to planning portal, building control should not theoretically apply.

 

[Notch7]

Today he replied to me stating that he has received my letter and that his secretary who happens to be a LABC building control inspector will write back to me with a reply next week, but also that they are in contact with the local council head of building control inspector and they will reply back to me next week.

???
I do not get it, I raise issues about safety and him not completing the work , so why would he want to contact building control?? Is he trying to call my bluff?

So your builder has got other jobs on and he has put yours on the backburner and treated it as a hospital job.....and if youve been paying him, he may have been using your money help bankroll the others. Unfortunately many builders have cashflow issues and they only turn up at jobs where they know another draw is due soon, if your job is now upto date until completion it might be down the priority list.

And now youve kicked up a fuss he is using the 'contact building control' as a scare tactic and deflect from his lack of progress. Its not in the builders interest to involve building control, it would only add to his workload.


If you are having a toilet, shower or basin and connections to the mains sewer, you might need building regs -or at least that part (Im not 100% sure). Hopefully somebody on here will confirm.

 

[mikeey84]

And unless he has used a self certifying sparky, the electrical work will need inspecting...

 

[pilsbury]

He’s got to be talking ****. LABC inspectors must be on a low wage to have to moonlight as secretaries for local builders. Just like a poor brain surgeon who does my cleaning to make ends meet.

 

[conny]

You have to ensure that if building control is involved then his secretary/girlfriend must have no involvement whatsoever in the matter as it is clearly a conflicting interest in the matter. She should also not have any contact with any inspectors involved. (This is assuming she really is an LABC inspector of course. )

 

[kaye_Peter]

HI folks, this is an update to my first post above...first, I have no letter whatsoever from so called building control or his secretary (or whatever), I phoned the local council and they said that there is no such thing as a LABC approved building control inspector.
So anyway, after my letter he quickly sent in workers to finish the things that I requested, one of them was to re-render the outside as his workers had not done a good job and it was just, well bumpy in places.
Anyway, he ignored this and his workers got asked to pain the render, Now according to him, the render has been finished.

I attach pictures of what I am not happy with. Firstly the brick work and render around one of the windows which looks fine (I hope, I am relying on you guys to tell me), the second image is around the left window. Firstley, there does not seem to be a ledge like the other picture, and also the render has just been lapped on, bumpy and painted ina rush.

Give me your opinions please.
He tried to threaten me once with building control (I ddon't know why), and he will try to shut me up again I am sure, but I need to be firm and tell him that this work is unacceptable.

 

[^woody^]

Ask him to send the secretary out to inspect his crap work

 

[Notch7]

Ask him to send the secretary out to inspect his crap work

 

[kaye_Peter]

Seriously guys, need some advice here !!!

 

[kaye_Peter]

Just wanted some advice on my new outbuilding (few months old), I have attached images of rendering that has been done around one window, and rendering around another. You can see where there is no surrounding ledge around one window, and there is one around the other. My builder is very stubborn and I should ask him to re-render as I feel this is unacceptable. Would anyone agree?

 

[Alastairreid]

You or the builder needs to find someone who can render properly.

 

[John D v2.0]

Our internal plastering was done a bit better than that, but the architect commented that it wasn't really want good but not quite bad enough to ask them to redo it.
So I'd say you're in safe territory there asking to be done properly.

 

[^woody^]

Did you specify or imply that the render needed to be to BS EN 13914-1:2016 or NHBC standards or suchlike? That will be your problem.

But on the bright side, there is a good chance it will come off nicely and easily with a light tap, if the builder wants to renew it. And some angle beads may be in order on Render v2.0, and tell him to use a float not an old tree stump.

 

[Notch7]

My builder is very stubborn and I should ask him to re-render as I feel this is unacceptable. Would anyone agree

Yes, the render is not good enough.

As Woody says -corner beads arent visible around window reveal.....did they use any?

What is the detailing near ground level, there should be a bell cast bead at DPC level.

Beads must be stainless steel or plastic, not galvanised beads which only internal plastering