Loft Conversion

loft conversion half finished as builder walked off site after RSJ was not installed correctly

Anonymous user 01/03/2024 - 2.56 PM

The builder walked off site after I had concerns that the RSJ had not been installed correctly and the private building control company he always uses were passing the works. I queried the Private building control company because they were passing the works but had not inspected the remedial works that had needed doing. I asked for the evidence that the remedial works had passed building regs, they gave me some photos which I found showed the opposite- the remedial work to the gable post to bolt it to the brick had not been done. I also discovered there were no SE calc or design for the RSJ either. These were done retrospectively. However, I found the SE document was based on inaccurate information given by the builder and only refers to part of the installation ie no reference was made to the bracket on the chimney breast, the splice and the steel was actually different 152x152x23 not 152x152x30. This SE never visited the site and thought the RSJ was a single beam. So I queried this with Building control as they should have picked all of this up. The private building control company gave me a contravention notice which refers to items that needed remedial work but this was based on the builder’s SE document which was not accurate. So I queried this again. Months later building control said the SE had reviewed his work and produced a new calculations pack and specified the remedial works but when I asked to see it they refused and are withholding the information for some reason now. Due to builder walking off site and not willing to fix the RSJ unless I paid the final instalment of the staged payment (already paid 25,000), and the building control giving me the contravention notice, I was left in a mess. I opened up the works and it was inspected by my own SE and he found that the splice needs re-welding and the bracket is not sufficient and not secured adequately so is causing significant deflection. He has come up with a new design – remove the bracket and put a post on the chimney breast and a floor level steel to support it. He found the existing works were causing significant deflection. Trying to get a new builder but they are reluctant to do it according to my SE design. Any help or advice would be great Just to note - I sent many letters to builder who replied he will take me to court, despite him covering up non compliant work, no calcs, no plans etc giving false information to his SE. I paid in good faith, on time and was treated very badly went through winter with no windows or exterior work to loft dormer. A really miserable experience.