Subsidence on my conservatory - my insurance won't pay

Davesnave

There is nothing preventing someone having the foundations and walls of a conservatory built properly to housing standards before negotiating with a double glazing company to fit the superstructure.


Most people don't; instead, they conspire with the sales persons, to get a 'bargain' through flexible, 'imaginative' pricing. The value for money they think they've achieved is typically bought by cutting corners on the invisible elements of the structure.

Doozergirl

Davesnave wrote: »

There is nothing preventing someone having the foundations and walls of a conservatory built properly to housing standards before negotiating with a double glazing company to fit the superstructure.


Most people don't; instead, they conspire with the sales persons, to get a 'bargain' through flexible, 'imaginative' pricing. The value for money they think they've achieved is typically bought by cutting corners on the invisible elements of the structure.

The foundations are where most of the increased costs of an extension are over a conservatory. Doing stuff properly to have a long lasting, comfortable, usable building is the entire price difference.

Not telling you, btw, just adding to your post.

These 'warm roof' things horrify me because the cost of the roof itself is extortionate and takes the combined cost of an 'improved' conservatory over the cost of a proper extension but with no integrity.

Davesnave

Doozergirl wrote: »

Not telling you, btw, just adding to your post.

I know, but our full story you might just remember was the glazing co got the superstructure design wrong, fixed the roof to the house appallingly and we had a Mexican stand off for months till they realised we weren't giving in till we got a proper job.

There's a lot more. We never got the design of conservatory we'd asked for, but the conservatory co were left short of £5.5k and they didn't come after us for it. We were far too much trouble! :rotfl:

Beenie

we have had piled foundations put in for our single storey extension. We live in a clay soil area.

The structural engineer engaged a company to drill down 45 feet (15 meters) to check soil conditions. That was £1000. The structural engineer charged £3000 for his detailed plans of piling and lintels. The piling company charged £20000 for the piling. So £24,000 spent before the structure is even built.

No body can say with certainty what foundations are like unless they are willing to pay for drilling, and be absolutely sure what they are getting for their money.

Actchan1

I am a chartered civil engineer and designed many extensions in the past. I would have to chime what Pinkteapot said at the start. Arguing logic with the insurance companies might not get you too far but I would say rather to focus on the conditions of the insurance policy. What does it say in the fine print? It could say that bad workmanship is a reason to null and void a claim...so you would have to argue 350mm foundation is sufficiently deep for the claim to be valid.

With regards to the claim, what sums of money are you talking about? is it a possibility to absorb the costs of repairs yourself? My experience was the dry winter in 2018 were the main reason for my subsidence clients. Some of the subsidence issues went away after June 2019.

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kingstreet

pinkteapot wrote: »

Not always true. Conservatories DO have to meet building regs if they're over a certain size

As mine has/does.