Cracked concrete in garden office foundation

[omph]

As others stated, don't use these types of websites - they are like the junky seo optimised websites you see on google, loads of content but little value. Look for local companies through other means and ask for a portfolio.

How long has the building been standing ? If it's been a year or two it has probably "settled".

If not, you should keep an eye on it and ensure the foundations don't subside any more than they already have.
Also keep an eye out for wood rot. If the beams start to rot I am afraid it may need to be redone

It is probably a good idea to get some wood preservative to seal the ends of the foundation beams in case they are not properly preserved.

Also keep an eye out for damp or condensation around the floor area - I can see your windows are quite steamy? You may need to cover the foundation area with some timber to reduce exposure to the elements.

I can also see that the building has expanded due to rain and the furthermost beams are now extending beyond the concrete stab. You should waterproof during the summer (ideally no rain for a few days/weeks to dry it out) with an appropriate sealer (wet wood will expand).

I have noticed they have used screws instead of nails, so If it does need to come down, you could just disassemble the structure instead of tearing it down, redo and piece back together.

 

[bobbytici]

As others stated, don't use these types of websites - they are like the junky seo optimised websites you see on google, loads of content but little value. Look for local companies through other means and ask for a portfolio.

How long has the building been standing ? If it's been a year or two it has probably "settled".

If not, you should keep an eye on it and ensure the foundations don't subside any more than they already have.
Also keep an eye out for wood rot. If the beams start to rot I am afraid it may need to be redone

It is probably a good idea to get some wood preservative to seal the ends of the foundation beams in case they are not properly preserved.

Also keep an eye out for damp or condensation around the floor area - I can see your windows are quite steamy? You may need to cover the foundation area with some timber to reduce exposure to the elements.

I can also see that the building has expanded due to rain and the furthermost beams are now extending beyond the concrete stab. You should waterproof during the summer (ideally no rain for a few days/weeks to dry it out) with an appropriate sealer (wet wood will expand).

I have noticed they have used screws instead of nails, so If it does need to come down, you could just disassemble the structure instead of tearing it down, redo and piece back together.

The concrete has been in for a couple of weeks. They installed the unit after a couple of days of the concrete drying.
Thanks for the advice on the wood rot and wood expanding, do you have any advice on what kind of wood preservative would do the job for this? Thanks!

 

[bobbytici]

the power (?) cable should be SWA not twin & earth

For this, I was told that by the builders that this is all correct. Judging by the rest of the work they have done, I imagine this might be an issue. Do you have any advice on what to do next? My thinking was to not agree to pay them and get a second opinion from a reputable electrician in the area.

 

[mrrusty]

I was told that by the builders that this is all correct

It's not! On this aspect alone you can refuse to pay until you receive either a properly completed Minor Works Electrical Installation certificate properly completed with test results or, if he has added a completely new circuit from the consumer unit a properly completed Electrical Installation Certificate correctly registered with building control (new circuits are notifiable). I'm not a sparky, but that's my understanding - ask specifically on the sparky's forum for detailed advice (but be prepared for a long thread as sparkies love to debate the minutiae of the regulations)

 

[omph]

For this, I was told that by the builders that this is all correct. Judging by the rest of the work they have done, I imagine this might be an issue. Do you have any advice on what to do next? My thinking was to not agree to pay them and get a second opinion from a reputable electrician in the area.

Would be good to see pics of the electrical install. Did they get a spark in to do it ? I guess not. That t&e cable is not fit for use and will need to be redone.

With electrical installs you need to consider the following:
> consideration for the electrical load of appliances and selection of the correct MCB and RCD breaker + cabling. MCBs protect the cable, and RCDs will save your life.
> Cable length - it needs to be appropriately sized so that the voltage drop is within a specific range (longer cable = more resistance = lower voltage). More resistence also means heat, which could melt the shealth and either cause a fire or give you a nasty shock.
> perform Zs tests to ensure there is enough current to break the MCB in the event of a Live-Neutral fault
> appropriate cable type (swa in this case) and properly terminated
> a double pole isolator upstream that will isolate both live and neutral (not just live)
> earth sizing and continuity test to ensure downstream/upstream RCD trips properly if Live-Earth fault

In terms of the payment technicalities, not my forte, but I would withhold payment until you are happy with it. How much did you spend on this BTW ?

 

[bobbytici]

As an update for anyone interested, I have done another inspection after they said that they "fixed" everything and pretty sure this is still way off the mark in terms of what would be acceptable.

 

[mrrusty]

I think you know what people are going to say! - it really does look like your "builders" rode in on horseback with big hats and spurs. The question is, what are you going to do about it.

Option 1) accept it's carp, pay them for hopefully a cheap job and sort out the mess by adding additional/better support, better edge finishing, drainage, etc. - it's difficult to tell what the rest is like - what you do does depend on the big picture.

Option 2) don't pay and get into a fight. Assuming it's a few £K just not paying is going to end up in court I expect. The process is to document the faults and then give the builder an opportunity to correct. The base line is that everybody is entitled to expect contractors and tradespeople to deliver a finished product or service with appropriate skill and care. Under the consumer goods act and all contractual law, what is delivered must be fit for purpose.

To kick back you need to demonstrate that appropriate skill and care has not been provided. Depending on how you want to play this, it will probably be worth getting a second opinion to back you up. Do you know any qualified builders/surveyors? If you don't it may still be worth paying for a survey and report.

What you do is going to be determined by your attitude to a fight. It isn't good, but it also isn't totally un-fixable. Those slivers of wood used to prop up the bearers won't last 5 minutes. At the very least, get a jack/lever under there and replace those with slate or stone and add additional where it's missing.

Have you done the hose test? if the building leaks it's an easy win because it's an objective rather than a subjective test - if it leaks it isn't fit for purpose.

 

[bobbytici]

I think you know what people are going to say! - it really does look like your "builders" rode in on horseback with big hats and spurs. The question is, what are you going to do about it.

Option 1) accept it's carp, pay them for hopefully a cheap job and sort out the mess by adding additional/better support, better edge finishing, drainage, etc. - it's difficult to tell what the rest is like - what you do does depend on the big picture.

Option 2) don't pay and get into a fight. Assuming it's a few £K just not paying is going to end up in court I expect. The process is to document the faults and then give the builder an opportunity to correct. The base line is that everybody is entitled to expect contractors and tradespeople to deliver a finished product or service with appropriate skill and care. Under the consumer goods act and all contractual law, what is delivered must be fit for purpose.

To kick back you need to demonstrate that appropriate skill and care has not been provided. Depending on how you want to play this, it will probably be worth getting a second opinion to back you up. Do you know any qualified builders/surveyors? If you don't it may still be worth paying for a survey and report.

What you do is going to be determined by your attitude to a fight. It isn't good, but it also isn't totally un-fixable. Those slivers of wood used to prop up the bearers won't last 5 minutes. At the very least, get a jack/lever under there and replace those with slate or stone and add additional where it's missing.

Have you done the hose test? if the building leaks it's an easy win because it's an objective rather than a subjective test - if it leaks it isn't fit for purpose.

Thanks so much for all your advice here! You've given great guidance, really appreciate it! We're trying to get to a resolution with the builder now, hopefully can get something agreed asap and move on.