Living room Extension (single story)
- Thread starter kai
- Start date
Soldato
Wrong thread 
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Caporegime
Nobody has pride in what they do anymore.
Soldato
Wrong thread?
Soldato
Yes. Thanks
Caporegime
Nah follows the flow of the thread perfectly.
Sorry to see that @Kai, I don't think anyone I know has had an extension done without some issues like this, including ourselves. The skillset doesn't seem to be there anymore, and too many builders are lazy and slapdash.
Hope you get it sorted buddy.
Soldato
That's really bad. We had a nightmare with ours and made a similar mistake of not holding back enough at the end. We did eventually find a decent guy to do our loft, but only after coming close to a total catastrophe with our extension.
The tiles are a total balls up. Even with technical drawings they managed to **** it up. Urgh... The floor is a joke! We kicked up a stink after our builders laid a floor that was sloped by a whole course of bricks over 3m. Our flooring contractors laid screed for us and did a lovely job.
To try to make you feel a little better, it's amazing just what a good decorator can cover up. The skirting boards would not concern me.
Two things that I have learned: 1. Keep back a massive payment at the end, if the builder can't deal with this, they're not the right builder to be doing the job. 2. Never even consider starting a big job without full technical drawings.
EDIT: Where are you based?
The tiles are a total balls up. Even with technical drawings they managed to **** it up. Urgh... The floor is a joke! We kicked up a stink after our builders laid a floor that was sloped by a whole course of bricks over 3m. Our flooring contractors laid screed for us and did a lovely job.
To try to make you feel a little better, it's amazing just what a good decorator can cover up. The skirting boards would not concern me.
Two things that I have learned: 1. Keep back a massive payment at the end, if the builder can't deal with this, they're not the right builder to be doing the job. 2. Never even consider starting a big job without full technical drawings.
EDIT: Where are you based?
Soldato
That deserves to be on some sort of Trade Cowboys TV Show - i'd be seething
Wow at those images.
I'm sorry but this was going rapidly down hill the moment he completely ignored the plans and built it completely his own way (where you didnt say anything!)
You also never ever pay a builder until you are way in arrears with the work.
All the best with sorting it, but if he has been paid minus only £1k i think you'll be in for a fight.
I'm sorry but this was going rapidly down hill the moment he completely ignored the plans and built it completely his own way (where you didnt say anything!)
You also never ever pay a builder until you are way in arrears with the work.
All the best with sorting it, but if he has been paid minus only £1k i think you'll be in for a fight.
Yes, i am partly to blame. I put a lot of trust in someone who come highly recommended. I have recently found out, all the work was done by his employees, the owner never really use to get his hands dirty or has not done so for years. Something has gone wrong internally, and the 3 skilled boys, have left. This resulted in the owner being hands on and doing everything himself.
However, we plan to start legal action. We are looking at smalls claims to try get back £5,000. The cost of getting things corrected. However, we had someone come out yesterday to look at putting new patio slabs down and pointed out things like the external walls are not even square
Left side 1 full course of brick... right side.. not even half shown .. plus the piping is not even straight
Yes, my mistake
on both points 1 and 2. Also S.Wales.
Soldato
Crikey. Our extension has a couple of imperfections and there were a few little slips along the way but I'd be furious is has walls like that. Surely a spirit level is absolute basics
Caporegime
The amount of cement between the bricks isn't even either.
have you identified an expert to give you an opinion on the standard of the work, and remedial action needed (master builders rep ?)
.. or, told your builder you might be doing so, ulitmately at his cost, if he does not produce a plan for remedial work ?
but maybe you have to get independant advice irrespective.
is the mortar of good quality ? they have, presumably, put the doors in square despite the walls
.. or, told your builder you might be doing so, ulitmately at his cost, if he does not produce a plan for remedial work ?
but maybe you have to get independant advice irrespective.
is the mortar of good quality ? they have, presumably, put the doors in square despite the walls
I think this is the first extension I've ever seen that is likely to reduce the value of the house it's attached to, quite some achievement.
The quality of all the work shown is well below even DIY standards and I doubt you'll see any of your money back sadly.
The quality of all the work shown is well below even DIY standards and I doubt you'll see any of your money back sadly.
Sadly, true. However we are doing everything to get this corrected. Today we had a good carpenter work all day on fixing / relaying the floor. I paid a local builder to come in and lay a self leveling compound over the weekend, and redo all the internal reveals / skimmed new plaster. He did everything with a laser, how it should have been done the first time.
**The builder also had steel plate cavity closers made up for us. This has now resolved the floor around the windows and doors**
Today, i had to buy all new skirting and pay a local carpenter. The difference he has made in one day is huge. However, its £175 per day, i should not need to be paying.
He was completely open and said the job was shocking, he would have expected better from an apprentice.
Tomorrow we have a painting arrive to touch up and gloss. All this was under the original builder to cover. However, i refuse to allow him back on my property as i have cut all ties.
Everything can be fixed, its just at a cost...
This week i have been sourcing a brick layer to re-point and tidy up. Rip up the patio and start again with new slabs.
*I appreciate this is hard to see, but ill take a proper photo when he is finished. The difference in the floor is huge, its been laid correctly and skirting correct and finished flush.
We actually went to visit his last job. A complete refurbishment of a living room including new stud walls. Everything was spot on. However, as above between that job and this, something has gone wrong internally. The 3 skilled boys, have left. This resulted in the owner being hands on and doing everything himself for ours.
Yes, this is what we are doing now. As above, a lot of remedial action is being done
From what i have gathered its extremely difficult to get money back even if we go down the smalls claims route. With all the hassle and stress, it might be worth me just marking this up as i was an idiot and its an expensive mistake, that i now have to remedy through various trade experts.
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Soldato
It is a shame because it seems that you have done everything right in trying to get the right builder and it's just not worked out for you