aAsk a Tradesman

I've heard that commissioning a build myself will leave me about £50k better off than if I bought from a developer. Is this true?

How long does it usually take to obtain planning permission for a self build?

We have a relatively new build house (now 8 years old) and over the years have noticed the odd hairline crack, which we have obviously put down to settlement as it was a new build. A little over 12 months ago we had a non load bearing blockwork wall removed between our kitchen and dining room. Our builder advised that no steel would be required as no load was being carried by what we were removing, and when the ceiling in this area was removed it was very clear that the joists were not supported by this wall as they ran the other way. It was tied to the external wall by a few wall ties obviously, but was not tied in to the other internal wall. Indeed, it really looked to be simply space dividing partition.
However, over the last few months I have noticed more and more cracking, mainly at door heads, skirtings and windows, and would have thought after 8 years the house would have settled. Do you think the removal of a non load bearing internal blockwork wall would have had any effect, or is it more likely to still be settlement. Almost all the the hairline cracks are at first floor level, the worst ones being at the opposite site of the house to where this wall was, which seems odd.

I have a new 3 bed home (build 2004). Builders initially said some cracking would occur as the property settles. I have over the years noticed cracks occuring on the plaster work just above the skirting on the stairs and around doorways and around windows and some ceilings. I have filled the cracks but noticed them reappearing. The house is on a incline. I have noticed a small hole under the foundatons of the property. Could it be subsidence. Which is the right propfessional to adequately assess the property?

I am trying to find out the total internal area of my house. Does this mean I have to add up all the rooms and add them or just measure the total area of 1 floor and multiply by 2 (as the house is 2 floors). Also do I include the area of the loft? It is a storage loft with light. Not a living space.

Hi
I would like to know how much it would cost to build a 300mm cavity wall garage with lbc tudor bricks, clay pantiles and insulated throughout. this is based on our house in keeping with the same bricks and roof. i also want light oak windows x 2 ( 1200mm x 1200mm ) 2 of light oak roller shutter doors. i would like estimated cots before tendering to a few builders. any more info
needed, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thanks and Regards
Mark

We brought our house back in 2009, but only to find it was really cold even with the heating on.
No rooms over the garage on that side got any warmer with the central heating on.
After Zurich had surveys carried out we found out that 3 store house had the wrong breeze block used up the exterior wall on the sound facing.

They had re add insulation through the house and sealed all the roof cavity.

We still have major problems when there is a strong winds we still have 2 very cold bedrooms. Over the last 2 weeks one room has every got over 15 degrees with the heating on for 4 hours.
Zurich have stated they cant do any thing else. please help as I have 2 rooms that are waste of time in winter and too warm in summer.

I wonder if anyone have moved into a new build conversion. The flats around me are under offer and no one has moved in yet.
Today I heard a couple of builders in the show flat above me, I could here them talking to each other, whistling and I could even clearly here the conversation one of them was having on a mobile phone being able to make out what he was saying.. could well have been in my flat! I wont even go into the footsteps and creaking of the floor!.

The manual claims it has 2 layers of sound block plaster board in the ceiling
I have had a look at building regulations part E on sound and it says airborne should be 45db. Would this level be enough to cut out normal conversation? Surely if people are speaking at a normal level i shouldn't be able to actually hear there conversation properly? I have lived in new builds, conversions and never heard people so clearly.

I have found the workmanship appears to be a bit rough round the edges as there's been a few problems that have had to be fixed, and am wondering if soundproofing has even been added or fitted properly!
Is there anyone I can contact, about this, is it something that ought to be fixed by the builder as it could be classed as a defect? It has 1 year warranty and builders are still coming on site, as a couple flats still need to be completed. One above me is finished and was the show flat. The sound was so intrusive that i dread to think what it will be like when people move in and have TV's on etc.

Thanks

I'm after some advice more than anything I think. I bought a new build in June 2010. On the paper work says it was built in 2008.

We are starting to get a few cracks not in every room but manly on the stair case and in the living room also we are unsure of how the roof has been fitted as the beams are not full beams. We have contacted the company we bought the house from and they don't want to know also contacted the nhbc and they said it's got nothing to do with them.

The problems that we are having are that we have plaster coming off our wall - we have had a plasterer out to have a look has advised that the plaster isn't the standard regulation thickness (we have had problems with all the paint peeling off the walls apparently it could be because the plaster isn't thick enough)

The NHBC has informed us that the roof is not done by text book but it is okay how it is.

Down the side of the stairs on the joining wall we have got a gap of around half inch in places. Apparently this is due to movement / settlement cracks which I don't think it is as surly everything should be settled by now. You can see that the plasterboard is cut incorrectly.

In the living room we have got an airline crack from one end of the room to the other which is about an inch from the ceiling, I have been informed that this could be that the plasterboards have moved down the wall or they have just been cut wrong.

Something similar happened in January 2011 in the down stairs toilet ( under the stairs ) where we had a crack and the plaster just fell away from the wall with no plasterboard behind it, the company came to repair this and its happening again now.

No one is willing to help or even come out and have a look so we are at a loose end on what to do next as we see our problems been workmanship faults not ours.

Many Thanks

Hi could I please have your address so i can send a set of plans to you. I am building a newbuild in Worcester area and my plans are to big to send in an email.

Regards

Ronald Weaver