cavity wall breach - implications please ?

Grimbal

We're in the process of having a tricky kitchen refitted. As part of this, in order to get the sink as far back in the bay as possible, the kitchen fitters have removed a couple of breeze blocks from the inner wall, leaving exposed the insulation of the house.

We've queried this, concerned that we may get damp penetrating - are we right to be worried ?

Avoriaz

I'd be very worried, not just about damp but about the integrity and strength of the wall with breeze blocks removed.

Did they consult you about this?

Are the removed blocks from under a bay window or under a full height wall?

Did they install any reinforcement such as a small lintel or joist?

Edit: I'm no expert so please wait until someone more knowledgeable posts

Grimbal

Thanks Avoriaz.

They're blocks under a bay window, two (1.5 really) next to each other, with the bay window resting on what looks to be the exterior skin (?). Nothing other than that done. It doesn't look structural, so I was more concerned with damp penetration

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Ruski

Unbelievable.....

Very least I would expect that to be filled in having 2/3rds block reinstalled.

Is this all because there isn't room for the overflow? Who's planned this layout?

I_have_spoken

Who's planned this layout?

Cowboys.

Council Building Control will turn somersaults if they come to check the work follows regs.

Grimbal

It was their solution to a difficult design layout. We had agreed to a channelling out of the surface of the breeze block but not the removal of it. They are now saying that we cant get the sink installed if they dont remove the blocks

On the back of the comments here, I think I'm going to call Bldgs Ctl tomorrow. In other respects they've been very good. For example, whereas we had hoped for a steel to be positioned within the ceiling void, they refused citing the structure of the joists.

Avoriaz

Grimbal wrote: »

...They're blocks under a bay window, two (1.5 really) next to each other, with the bay window resting on what looks to be the exterior skin (?). Nothing other than that done. It doesn't look structural, so I was more concerned with damp penetration....

That bay window frame appears to be partly over the insulation filled cavity.

I'm no expert but I would have thought it should be entirely over the outside skin. Any water that penetrates the window should be able to drain outwards and not into the cavity.

Perhaps I am seeing it wrong.

It all looks a bit of a bodge to me but you really need expert professional advice. It will be interesting to see what Bld Regs have to say.

Good luck.

Grimbal

Re: removing a part of the inner wall:
I've just chatted to Bldg Ctl & he confirmed that it "wasn't a clever thing to do". He didn't go as far as saying it was an absolute no no, and mentioned that the cavity wall insulation should offer some water proofing. He then said that we wouldn't accept this "solution" in a living room, so there should also be no reason to accept it in a kitchen, even though it is hidden.

Re: bay window support
will take a good look tomorrow & work out what is resting on what. It's a ten year old house, by a local middle-weight-type builder, so I'd hope that there wasn't anything terrible going on structurally with it (Also had a full survey done when we purchased in Dec last year)