Opinions please - plasterboard overhangs skirting - photos

lagi

Sorry but this is unacceptable. That is poor quality even for dot & dab, which is not what you should have had. On a small room like a conservatory where space is premium they have just made it smaller.

You done the right thing posting the pics. on here, don't pay anything.

27col

If that's the sort of mess they make using plaster board. I hate to think what they might have done if they had tried to plaster.

Clive_Woody

Tucker wrote: »

What are those metal straps about??

My first thought too, I am a (very) amateur DIYer, but that looks like a complete joke.

Are they really supposed to stop a wall moving? Some thin strips of metal and a few screws/nails?

Good grief.

Sorry OP, it looks like you've got a right bunch of cowboys there.

[Deleted User]

Well, I've sent photos to the surveyor who originally arranged for the work to be done (via the insurance company). We also have someone from the building company coming round on Thursday morning to discuss the various issues.

I have asked the surveyor for his opinion about the metal straps; asked about the suitability of plasterboard for this kind of work (crack strengthening); and expressed our unease with the quality of workmanship. The photos should say it all really!

Thanks once again for everyone's help. This thread has become a huge source of support

Close up of one of the straps:

nomis21

Hi Iam a brickie by trade and have been in the building game for 20 years and although i have seen worse jobs but your job is rubbish....! (sorry)
Firstly they should never have dot and dabbed your walls..! any walls with movement should be sand and cement it gives the walls more rigidity and bonds cracks in old walls to an extent, dot and dab does not do this.!
They have used bat straps to keep the walls from seperating, in my opinion they should have used helibars which is twisted stainless steel rods that are inserted into a pre drilled hole and resin is used to keep these walls from moving. Iam no structual engineer but i would say the bat straps they have used in the corner of your walls are as much good as a chocolate fireguard.
The skirtings should have been removed and sand and cement plastered behind them but not right down to the floor as this can cause damp in old houses, then the skirting should be replaced, bear in mind it is quite hard to get old fixed skirting off the walls without damaging it.
The radiator should have been taken off and sand cement plaster + skim on the whole wall then refit the radiator.

Hope you get it sorted, i always tell people to use a reputable builder and one that can show previous work and references, sorry you have had to put up with this through yr insurance company.

Thought i better add that i cannot work out if its a window or patio door in one of your pics, but theres no lintol above it.!

[Deleted User]

nomis21, thank you! You've addressed a couple of our main concerns... the plasterboard is surely just going to hide any further movement? Sand and cement seems much more sensible even to a complete novice like me ;-). But you've explained the reason why and I'm grateful for that.

Now, the insurance schedule of work includes '1m lengths of 6mm helical stainless steel bar' which the builder told us (when we quizzed him) had been buried in the mortar between the breeze blocks, in an area further from the corner shown in the photos. This area also had cracking. We know they have inserted at least one bar, because we can detect it with a metal detector! Grin. But as far as I know, there are only these straps in the corner.

In the work schedule, it says 'install galvanised steel strap at wall junctions, plugged and screwed to masonry'. Is that what these are, in our photos? If this is the case then they have simply followed the surveyors instructions :-/

I think when we see the building supervisor (Thursday) we'll insist that the plasterboard comes off and the plastering is done per our original quote. Plus, skirting/radiator removed. That's if we decide to stay with them of course.

Nearly forgot: it's a sliding door you can see in the photo, between our lounge and the conservatory. We've had a lintol installed above it as part of the works. When they opened it up, a lintol did actually exist but it was set too far back, behind those bricks you can see. That's one job they did ok with, I think!

nomis21

[quote=[Deleted User];24532223]nomis21, thank you! You've addressed a couple of our main concerns... the plasterboard is surely just going to hide any further movement? Sand and cement seems much more sensible even to a complete novice like me ;-). But you've explained the reason why and I'm grateful for that.

Now, the insurance schedule of work includes '1m lengths of 6mm helical stainless steel bar' which the builder told us (when we quizzed him) had been buried in the mortar between the breeze blocks, in an area further from the corner shown in the photos. This area also had cracking. We know they have inserted at least one bar, because we can detect it with a metal detector! Grin. But as far as I know, there are only these straps in the corner.

In the work schedule, it says 'install galvanised steel strap at wall junctions, plugged and screwed to masonry'. Is that what these are, in our photos? If this is the case then they have simply followed the surveyors instructions :-/

I think when we see the building supervisor (Thursday) we'll insist that the plasterboard comes off and the plastering is done per our original quote. Plus, skirting/radiator removed. That's if we decide to stay with them of course.[/QUOTE]

Hi sorry it may be my mistake, i must have missed the post about installing the stainless steel helibars. If they have installed per work schedule and they are installed correctly u should not have much of a problem, as for the strapping this is all i thought they had done to remedy yr problem so i apologise, the strapping will help if installed with helibars. This type of strapping is similar to bat straps, these are straps used to give laterall support to walls and are usually installed at first floor level and fixed to floor joists and built into the wall, they can be used for other purposes also and in conjuction with helibars.
You are taking the right approach with seeking a structual engineer after all you want the job done right...! As for the plaster work, personally i wouldnt accept dot and dab on yr type of job.

Hope you get sorted

leveller2911

nomis21 wrote: »

Hi Iam a brickie by trade and have been in the building game for 20 years and although i have seen worse jobs but your job is rubbish....! (sorry)
Firstly they should never have dot and dabbed your walls..! any walls with movement should be sand and cement it gives the walls more rigidity and bonds cracks in old walls to an extent, dot and dab does not do this.!
They have used bat straps to keep the walls from seperating, in my opinion they should have used helibars which is twisted stainless steel rods that are inserted into a pre drilled hole and resin is used to keep these walls from moving. Iam no structual engineer but i would say the bat straps they have used in the corner of your walls are as much good as a chocolate fireguard.
The skirtings should have been removed and sand and cement plastered behind them but not right down to the floor as this can cause damp in old houses, then the skirting should be replaced, bear in mind it is quite hard to get old fixed skirting off the walls without damaging it.
The radiator should have been taken off and sand cement plaster + skim on the whole wall then refit the radiator.

Hope you get it sorted, i always tell people to use a reputable builder and one that can show previous work and references, sorry you have had to put up with this through yr insurance company.

Thought i better add that i cannot work out if its a window or patio door in one of your pics, but theres no lintol above it.!

Ive just noticed the patio door/window with apparently no lintol too.It looks like brick infil between the frame and soldier course.......
There is a big issue that this job has highlighted, Insurance companies in my opinion are cutting corners but employing cowboys instead of qualified tradesmen.In my area I know of one firm who do solely insurance work and NOT one of them has any formal training.
It does seem insurance companies are cutting corners in my opinion.

[Deleted User]

nomis21 wrote: »

Hi sorry it may be my mistake, i must have missed the post about installing the stainless steel helibars. If they have installed per work schedule and they are installed correctly u should not have much of a problem, as for the strapping this is all i thought they had done to remedy yr problem so i apologise, the strapping will help if installed with helibars. This type of strapping is similar to bat straps, these are straps used to give laterall support to walls and are usually installed at first floor level and fixed to floor joists and built into the wall, they can be used for other purposes also and in conjuction with helibars.
You are taking the right approach with seeking a structual engineer after all you want the job done right...! As for the plaster work, personally i wouldnt accept dot and dab on yr type of job.

Hope you get sorted

Actually I may not have mentioned the helibar(s) in previous posts.... I can only detect one, and that is not in the corner, it's along a flat part of the wall. We are unsure as to whether there is a helibar at the junction. They were supposed to insert one on the external wall outside of the conservatory too, but this appears to be missing (no signal with the metal detector) even though the bricks have been pointed.

Really appreciate your comments and advice - thanks!

27col

OP, please let us know what the outcome of this saga eventually turns out to be. There are many interested people, as you can tell from the number of posts.