Thoughts on new builds........

[Midwest]

There comes a time when some very old existing properties, have reached their shelf life. Bricks & mortar can't exist forever. But with a range of different ownership, how do you knock down a whole street.

I've been back to my parents old semi, built in the 1800's. The old neighbours had been previously bought by someone and slightly refurbished, but my parents side has been bought by a developer, and is unoccupied. The two houses are on a very large plot, prime for redevelopment. Wonder how long the neighbour will hold off for, before he gets a too tempting offer.

 

[telectrix]

Bricks & mortar can't exist forever

if constructed well, they can. 120 years with this:

 

[Midwest]

But that wasn't built by George Wimpy.

 

[telectrix]

and this lot has been around since pete999 was in his pram:

 

[marconi]

Re #24 - Rumour has it that Pete999 provided the site electric arc lighting to allow 24 hour working which was powered by Leyden jars and thousands of slaves rubbing fur cloths along ebony rods. Inspired thinking methinks by him.

 

[telectrix]

archaeologists have just discovered the sockets he invented. obviuosly 3 phase.

 

[Intoelectrics]

I was on a newbuild last year where the sole plates of the stud walls hadn't been fixed before boarding and you could push the walls and see them move

Not uncommon, I was at a new build site once where the tiler was scratching his head on how to lay some floors. At first i thought he must be new to the job. It turned out every single room was miles out of square which meant no matter how he lay the tiles they looked pi**ed up. One hall way entrance was so bad it had 5 tiles across at one end down to 4 tiles across at the other. It supposed to have been a long parallel corridor

 

[Midwest]

and this lot has been around since pete999 was in his pram:


View attachment 43230

Yeah but the locals have been owners haven't been ******* around with them for 4,500 years and they didn't use mortar.

 

[Dave OCD]

i'dagree with that cross noggins are unnecessary. the are put in to stop the stud timber moving laterally. once the board is fixed, the board itsef serves that function.tin hat.

I just think for the minimal cost and time involved that it's much better to have them Tel, it's a long vertical bit of plasterboard to just be fixed top and bottom and nothing to stop the vertical timbers warping.

 

[leep82]

When i first went into self employment last year i was asked if i was interested in some price work on a new build site, i lasted two days!

Had some drawings to look at prior to agreeing to the work and was aware of the 1st fix price. It seemed tight but doable.

Arrived on site to be told i would be starting some 2nd fix work. It was a 3 bed detatched property and the price was ridiculous i would have had to 2nd fix 1 a day to make any money and that would have meant no breaks.

On top of the ridiculous price i had to contend with evey back box covered in plaster, wrong measurements for downlights, meaning that when they were drilled out they hit joists and in one case a noggin that the plumber had put in to carry his pipes, ( this was literally smashed out of the way, not by myself, so the required depth for the downlight was achieved) and half the lights not even wired.

I was told the consumer unit should take me around 20 minutes and not to worry as all the others look like rats nests anyway. I finished in a day and a half and told the bloke i wouldnt be doing anymore for him. They just want things thrown in and i couldnt/wouldnt allow myself to install in that manner.

 

[telectrix]

20 minutes for a CU? that's stupid. takes that long just to fix to the wall.

 

[pirate]

OMG! You guys are SO lucky! It's late for me, and I need my kip...otherwise you would have got my full rant...
Fkn sh*te, most of the newbuilds...obviously I am referring to mass-market mainstream builders, not bespoke, architect designed and controlled specials...
Oh, don't get me started! Some near me were showing rising damp after 6 months...plasterboard walls built off concrete slabs with no spacers...
Hardwood soffits and fascias were substituted with cheap softwood crap and the site foreman pocketed the difference...
TV aerials were wired with 6" cable wired to fk all...
Now...after all that good stuff, let's take a look at the electrics...

well, tomorrow, maybe...

New builds?

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pirate]

OMG! You guys are SO lucky! It's late for me, and I need my kip...otherwise you would have got my full rant...
Fkn sh*te, most of the newbuilds...obviously I am referring to mass-market mainstream builders, not bespoke, architect designed and controlled specials...
Oh, don't get me started! Some near me were showing rising damp after 6 months...plasterboard walls built off concrete slabs with no spacers...
Hardwood soffits and fascias were substituted with cheap softwood crap and the site foreman pocketed the difference...
TV aerials were wired with 6" cable wired to fk all...
Now...after all that good stuff, let's take a look at the electrics...

well, tomorrow, maybe...

New builds?

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Midwest]

I'll let you know.

I've just bought a new build...……..
If you behave yourselves, I'll post a pic of the CU etc.

What do ya think, Westward won't be happy with the sleeving

 

[Santa]

When I started with the NHS, we were planning a move to a new build hospital. I was friendly with the guy whose job it was to make sure that the contractors had done what they were supposed to do, and, in the end, accept the handover.

About six months before handover he showed me the book of faults - it was over an inch thick of single-spaced A4 type. Ok - a lot of it was minor stuff like missed paint on skirting boards, but there was a lot of major stuff too like gaps where there shouldn't be and wrong materials used for fire safety elements.

Electrics were complicated because critical sockets connected to the backup generator were often right next to non-critical sockets and the sparks didn't seem to be able to follow the drawings.

 

[123]

@Santa I've done new build work at hospitals, should the Critical Sockets not have red rockers so they are known to be the Critical Sockets? That's certainly how it was done in 4 hospitals in Belfast.

 

[Santa]

That's right, but the sparks wired the non-critical ones to the same circuit sometimes which kind of defeated the objective.

 

[johnduffell]

20 minutes for a CU? that's stupid. takes that long just to fix to the wall.

Depends if you use one of those hilti nail guns or not!

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

What do ya think, Westward won't be happy with the sleeving

View attachment 43250 View attachment 43251 View attachment 43252

At least they used Hager!

 

[Midwest]

At least they used Hager!

Took an age to refit the lid after taking the pic; the old tail scenario forcing the main switch out of scue. Needed brut force to re fit. Might add it to the snagging list, along with energised outsight lighting points, not safely terminated. On the other hand, might just do it myself.