ᐅ Expansion joint between two terraced houses – responsibility according to DIN standard?
Created on: 11 Aug 2021 11:14
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Chris1110
Hello everyone,
We have a single terraced middle house, which has recently had an extension added. The exterior wall facing the neighbor is made of calcium silicate brick, probably 17.5 cm (7 inches) thick, and is unplastered.
The neighbor has attached a prefabricated timber frame extension. Now there is an approximately 5 cm (2 inches) wide gap between our houses. According to my builder, the party adding the extension is responsible for sealing this gap.
From what I understand, this should be sealed by inserting mineral wool strips and/or compressible sealing tape along with a mounting rail. Additionally, a metalworker should install a flashing extension at the roof junction to prevent water ingress between the houses.
My neighbor seems unaware of this and claims their building is designed as a "detached house," even though their timber stud wall facing my property also has open joints where moisture could enter.
Is there any specific standard (e.g., a DIN norm) or regulation that clearly states the responsibility lies with the party building the extension?
I am concerned about the upcoming winter if the neighbor does not take action. Also, I wonder whether compressible tape and the mounting rail alone are sufficient, considering the potential for thermal bridging... I am willing to insert the mineral wool strips myself if necessary, but I am not prepared to cover the costs for the rest.
We have a single terraced middle house, which has recently had an extension added. The exterior wall facing the neighbor is made of calcium silicate brick, probably 17.5 cm (7 inches) thick, and is unplastered.
The neighbor has attached a prefabricated timber frame extension. Now there is an approximately 5 cm (2 inches) wide gap between our houses. According to my builder, the party adding the extension is responsible for sealing this gap.
From what I understand, this should be sealed by inserting mineral wool strips and/or compressible sealing tape along with a mounting rail. Additionally, a metalworker should install a flashing extension at the roof junction to prevent water ingress between the houses.
My neighbor seems unaware of this and claims their building is designed as a "detached house," even though their timber stud wall facing my property also has open joints where moisture could enter.
Is there any specific standard (e.g., a DIN norm) or regulation that clearly states the responsibility lies with the party building the extension?
I am concerned about the upcoming winter if the neighbor does not take action. Also, I wonder whether compressible tape and the mounting rail alone are sufficient, considering the potential for thermal bridging... I am willing to insert the mineral wool strips myself if necessary, but I am not prepared to cover the costs for the rest.
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goalkeeper11 Aug 2021 15:4011ant schrieb:
I have a nice horror story for you, namely the story of @goalkeeper: https://www.hausbau-forum.de/threads/reihenendhaus-mit-gue-in-eigenregie-bauen.31198/ I always seem to serve as an example of what can go wrong... nobody ever praises my building supervision and the just eight months of trouble-free construction time. 🙄;)
tomtom79 schrieb:
So, do both have to pay or only the person extending? You contradict yourself. I say both have to pay. I wouldn't describe reality as a contradiction just because it doesn't always follow the textbook approach. Legally, I see the person doing the extension as responsible, but it also makes sense for the other party to contribute financially, so the work is not carried out with just the bare minimum cost.
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
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hampshire11 Aug 2021 18:02goalkeeper schrieb:
I always seem to be used as an example of what can go wrong... no one ever praises my general contractor and the smooth construction period of just eight months. :rolleyes;)Special praise for the smooth eight-month (8-month) construction period goes to @goalkeepergoalkeeper schrieb:
I always seem to be used only as a negative example… no one praises my general contractor or the smooth eight-month (eight-month) construction period.You're right! Your general contractor is almost as good a guy as your neighbor, and your mayor serves as an excellent example of what not to do 🙂https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Single-family houses are, in a way, similar to terraced houses. Nowadays, it is theoretically possible to remove an existing middle terrace without affecting the shared walls of the neighboring units.
It seems to me that this is essentially a bigger overall project where everyone is building individually?!
In that case, a joint solution, such as sharing the task of “closing” the gap, would make the most legal sense. However, I’m not sure about this.
It is also in the neighbor’s interest to close the gap, as moisture and animals could accumulate there, causing decay to their wooden house.
It seems to me that this is essentially a bigger overall project where everyone is building individually?!
In that case, a joint solution, such as sharing the task of “closing” the gap, would make the most legal sense. However, I’m not sure about this.
It is also in the neighbor’s interest to close the gap, as moisture and animals could accumulate there, causing decay to their wooden house.
I can share that my former neighbors once planned to build a semi-detached house. However, one half was initially not constructed for various reasons, and after five years, at least the shared party wall was insulated at the expense of the semi-detached house owner. A year later, the other plot was finally sold, and the semi-detached house builder had to remove the existing insulation and then carry out (or have carried out) the sealing of the joint. There was no discussion about this at all. It therefore does not seem unusual for the party responsible to bear these costs.
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