L
Laurasstern9 Feb 2020 20:19Good evening,
as the title says, our new build (shell construction) was completely botched in autumn 2018 and now needs to be repaired. In the course of this renovation, we are considering changes to the staircase (which should be carried out by a third party).
1. In June 2019, the basement was flooded with nearly 50 cm (20 inches) of groundwater in the solid concrete basement for about 2 weeks.
2. Bricks not laid according to Wienerberger guidelines (instead of thin-bed mortar, 5 mm (0.2 inches) or wider joints).
3. Flat roof was executed incorrectly – tapered insulation not installed according to the installation plan and then cut afterwards to create a slope.
4. Basement was excavated over 50 cm (20 inches) too shallow – consequence: the house is too high according to the allotment garden law and is not consolidated.
Suing the company is not an option – costs for legal proceedings would be enormous and lengthy – lasting for years – and the company could file for bankruptcy at any time. The result would be that we would still be stuck with the court costs. We have already consulted six construction law attorneys. We cannot afford to demolish and rebuild the house, although we will always be uncertain about water leakage in the basement. We live near a river, and high groundwater is a recurring issue every spring after the snow melt. We are completely desperate.
The building authority does not help: despite the clearly wrong height. According to a new submission plan by the construction company, it is supposedly approved, even though it is clearly too high (according to recent surveying by a certified surveying office). It all sounds like a bad movie, but it is true.
The defects became apparent starting in summer 2019, and since then we have had an expert involved.
Our only option is to play along and reach a consensus with the construction company. We have already paid about 250,000 EUR (approximately) for the shell construction.
The floor plan is an external dimension of 8.3 m x 6.15 m (27.2 ft x 20.2 ft).
The staircase from the ground floor to the basement is about 4 m (13 ft) long and 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) wide, very uncomfortable concrete steps. (26 cm (10 inches) tread, 18 cm (7 inches) riser).
We are considering hiring an architect again to change the staircase to possibly a 2 x 2 m (6.5 ft x 6.5 ft) half-turn or slightly rotated. We have no joy with the whole house anymore. The stair width should also be a maximum of 90 cm (3 ft), not 130 cm (4 ft 3 in).
On one short side there is a 4 m (13 ft) kitchen and a 1.5 m (5 ft) WC. Then the dining area faces the long side and the living area is there. There would be a 3 x 2.2 m (9.8 ft x 7.2 ft) lift-and-slide door on the other short side.
In the middle of this whole mess, doubts arise about the floor plan and the staircase. We have two schoolchildren and a toddler and wanted to be living in the house since last autumn.
Sorry for the long post. I can only upload the plan next week.
Please share your opinions on changing the staircase (this would involve demolition of the existing one and widening but shortening the stairwell).
as the title says, our new build (shell construction) was completely botched in autumn 2018 and now needs to be repaired. In the course of this renovation, we are considering changes to the staircase (which should be carried out by a third party).
1. In June 2019, the basement was flooded with nearly 50 cm (20 inches) of groundwater in the solid concrete basement for about 2 weeks.
2. Bricks not laid according to Wienerberger guidelines (instead of thin-bed mortar, 5 mm (0.2 inches) or wider joints).
3. Flat roof was executed incorrectly – tapered insulation not installed according to the installation plan and then cut afterwards to create a slope.
4. Basement was excavated over 50 cm (20 inches) too shallow – consequence: the house is too high according to the allotment garden law and is not consolidated.
Suing the company is not an option – costs for legal proceedings would be enormous and lengthy – lasting for years – and the company could file for bankruptcy at any time. The result would be that we would still be stuck with the court costs. We have already consulted six construction law attorneys. We cannot afford to demolish and rebuild the house, although we will always be uncertain about water leakage in the basement. We live near a river, and high groundwater is a recurring issue every spring after the snow melt. We are completely desperate.
The building authority does not help: despite the clearly wrong height. According to a new submission plan by the construction company, it is supposedly approved, even though it is clearly too high (according to recent surveying by a certified surveying office). It all sounds like a bad movie, but it is true.
The defects became apparent starting in summer 2019, and since then we have had an expert involved.
Our only option is to play along and reach a consensus with the construction company. We have already paid about 250,000 EUR (approximately) for the shell construction.
The floor plan is an external dimension of 8.3 m x 6.15 m (27.2 ft x 20.2 ft).
The staircase from the ground floor to the basement is about 4 m (13 ft) long and 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) wide, very uncomfortable concrete steps. (26 cm (10 inches) tread, 18 cm (7 inches) riser).
We are considering hiring an architect again to change the staircase to possibly a 2 x 2 m (6.5 ft x 6.5 ft) half-turn or slightly rotated. We have no joy with the whole house anymore. The stair width should also be a maximum of 90 cm (3 ft), not 130 cm (4 ft 3 in).
On one short side there is a 4 m (13 ft) kitchen and a 1.5 m (5 ft) WC. Then the dining area faces the long side and the living area is there. There would be a 3 x 2.2 m (9.8 ft x 7.2 ft) lift-and-slide door on the other short side.
In the middle of this whole mess, doubts arise about the floor plan and the staircase. We have two schoolchildren and a toddler and wanted to be living in the house since last autumn.
Sorry for the long post. I can only upload the plan next week.
Please share your opinions on changing the staircase (this would involve demolition of the existing one and widening but shortening the stairwell).
L
Laurasstern9 Feb 2020 20:22It should be called demolition of the concrete staircase combined
N
nordanney9 Feb 2020 20:46Laurasstern schrieb:
According to the allotment garden lawWhere are you building? Laurasstern schrieb:
The floor plan measures 8.3 m x 6.15 m (27.2 ft x 20.2 ft) externally.What are you building? That’s only about 45 m² (485 sq ft) of internal space (if that). Laurasstern schrieb:
We have two school-aged children and one toddler.... in that house? Laurasstern schrieb:
We already paid about 250,000 EUR for the shell construction.That should actually cover the entire house. Your problem isn’t poor workmanship—it’s that you were overcharged.You really don’t need to worry about the staircase; we have exactly the same dimensions in our basement, and it’s not a problem at all.
I understand you have doubts about the floor plan now. You could share it, but there probably won’t be much that can be changed.
So the authorities are approving the house being too tall, which is actually good for you; otherwise, you’d have to tear it down, which you can’t afford, right?
The only really serious problem is the damp basement. According to your expert’s report, what exactly was done wrong there?
I understand you have doubts about the floor plan now. You could share it, but there probably won’t be much that can be changed.
So the authorities are approving the house being too tall, which is actually good for you; otherwise, you’d have to tear it down, which you can’t afford, right?
The only really serious problem is the damp basement. According to your expert’s report, what exactly was done wrong there?
L
Laurasstern10 Feb 2020 09:02We are building in Vienna. We spent 10 years considering options, talking to various companies, planning, and in the end, we chose the wrong company...
Regarding the price: unfortunately, these are the prices in Vienna. We paid 206,000 EUR for the shell construction and nearly 29,000 EUR for excavation.
We are building in a small garden allotment area where the maximum allowed enclosed floor area is 50 m² (540 ft²). The basement is planned to be a livable basement. We have just under 300 m² (3,230 ft²) of garden, and being only 5 minutes from the subway in Vienna is definitely a luxury.
Regarding the price: unfortunately, these are the prices in Vienna. We paid 206,000 EUR for the shell construction and nearly 29,000 EUR for excavation.
We are building in a small garden allotment area where the maximum allowed enclosed floor area is 50 m² (540 ft²). The basement is planned to be a livable basement. We have just under 300 m² (3,230 ft²) of garden, and being only 5 minutes from the subway in Vienna is definitely a luxury.
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