Building Regulations

Jockanory

I have viewed a recently renovated property with my daughter and noticed that an internal wall on the ground floor has been removed to create an open plan lounge. The removed wall is at right angles to the ceiling joists which run front to back and there is a stud partion wall for a bedroom directly above.A RSJ has been fitted,supported on one side by a pillar from part of the original wall and on the other side it has been cut into the wall. It has been boxed in and the room is 4.3 M wide. I have been told by the seller that the original wall was of lathe and plaster and it was non-load bearing. They had fitted a RSJ not out of necessity but as an additional means of support!! I asked if it had been done subject to building regulations and whether any structural calculations had been done and the reply was "it had been done right" and on pushing further the estate agent said "it had been fitted to remove any bounce from the floor above".
I have always been under the impression that any structural alterations regardless of whether the wall was non or load bearing had to be done subject to building regulations with a structural calculation. I also thought that the boxing in had to be done to comply with fire safety with a 1hr burn time which are also part of building regulations.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Furts

You are correct. In essence that is a big opening in housing terms and beyond the capability of a lintel. So structural calcs and Regulations, and you are correct regarding the need to fireproof.

My worry would be this - the estate agent is not telling the truth but nothing new there. The vendor likewise, perhaps coupled with naivety, or bodging.

A decent vendor would have owned up if this was a genuine lack of awareness of Regulations.

But more worrying is this. Forget if the steel is undersize, how do you know it has adequate bearings, on adequate piers, with padstones and bolt fixings (if necessary). In other words the lot could come crashing down.

DaftyDuck

.... and, if this, what else has the vendor done and botched? When they redid that wall socket, why not reuse that bit of light flex, and the water pipe, let's reuse a bit of gas pipe....

Be warned. Be wary!

Jockanory

Hi Guys,
Many thanks for the prompt reply,you have both confirmed my fears,time to walk away.

cyclonebri1

Furts wrote: »

You are correct. In essence that is a big opening in housing terms and beyond the capability of a lintel. So structural calcs and Regulations, and you are correct regarding the need to fireproof.

My worry would be this - the estate agent is not telling the truth but nothing new there. The vendor likewise, perhaps coupled with naivety, or bodging.

A decent vendor would have owned up if this was a genuine lack of awareness of Regulations.

But more worrying is this. Forget if the steel is undersize, how do you know it has adequate bearings, on adequate piers, with padstones and bolt fixings (if necessary). In other words the lot could come crashing down.

Thos few word should not be used in the same pargraph, ie estate agent telling the truth, !!!!!! do they gain from that

SplanK

Not telling the truth, not giving 'problems' away unless asked directly or simply do not know/get too involved are separate things.


Of course, EA's are just sales people, and they will more than likely be on commission, however they still cant miss-represent the house AND can only really go of what the house owner tells them. They are probably in the dark as much as you are.


A solicitor would be able to unpick the mess and would need to provide information.


Could consider speaking the council and see how far you get? Saying that, the seller sounds as though they are being iffy as heck from what you describe, rather than a simple 'I don't know, the builder sorted it all out' or 'I had some paperwork for it but cant find it'....


If you are concerned now about the responses, then finding out later down the live once you have started to shell out money on surveys and solicitor fee's......

Gastines3

I understood any structural works subject to building regs had to be submitted with structural engineers calculations. Last one I did,I'm now retired,apart from the calculations etc, the Buliding inspector visited before the wall was knocked out,when needles where in place and pad stones fitted.When the steel was fitted in,ensuring ends had been red leaded,when the fireboard was fitted and only allowed plasterboard and finish after he'd checked each stage.When the house was sold approx 6 weeks later the Solicitor asked for the signed certificate from the Building inspector for the works before he would continue with the sale!!