Loft Conversion

Builder keeps refusing to use outline specification and leave gaps in roof insulation

Anonymous user 23/02/2024 - 2.58 PM

Hi, They were contracted to do a loft conversion & ground floor extension. They keep using different materials& thicknesses. When questioned about using the outline specification on the plans they laugh&say its just guide. The council have only come round three times, once for an inspection of the roof (where the ridge steel had been changed to a wooden beam with steel support without our knowledge ), insulation( which was part complete) &the foundations for rear extension. When they started putting plasterboard on the slope of the front roof I noticed whole areas with no celotex. Also the plaster board only had 1.25 cm of xtherm not 6.5cm of pir. They tried to tell me it needs air flow& I said surely between celotex & membrane under slates. Also they said were giving me more headroom. When I mention there was none beyond dwarf wall & the dwarf wall required it they said no need all had been approved by council. I said there was nothing here when council had inspected. Anyway they said they would take off & let me inspect before the put plasterboard back up& do all to specification. What they did was fill in the celotex boards(no batons) screw back on the mediocre thermal plasterboard &some more even lower quality stuff on top. Then they said they would show me the insulation beyond dwarf wall before plasterboard went up. They didn't... just added plasterboard & mediocre thermal plasterboard. I crawled under eaves to see still gaps & nothing beyond dwarf wall. They refused to put up the pir plasterboard on party walls & that was another argument . So the surveyor comes round to inspect the foundations outside...upon leaving my girlfriend asks if he could give us an indication of our u values in loft. The plasterer asks everyone to leave as he needs to plaster. The owner comes 30mins later and says they are walking off as we don't trust them &the feel insulted...he goes on to insult us for 20mins There have been many problems with 4 major leaks, imploding immersion tank, electrics blowing, our roof extension not built on brickwork like plans so 20cm short, beam changes and cheaper non comparative materials used etc... They emailed back to say they will come back if we dont get in the way or if we want a quantity surveyor in to see if they or we owe money( wouldnt trust them to pay). Or using a project manager but surely there would be similar problems. We have paid 20k beyond loft price and they are about 10/15k off completing loft. Only a day of digging has been done in garden for foundations. There have been many more problems but I have a meeting in a few days with them. I would like to know...does the outline specification mean anything (it does say any change to materials to be brought to be approved by clients )? What should I do in this situation ? We feel very bullied & at a loss as potentially 30k behind plus substandard work which needs to be corrected. Any help would be much appreciated