ᐅ Glued laminated timber beam (GLT) / orientation of the laminations

alive&kicking schrieb:

Where should one look when searching for an expert who can simply build a completely standard house?

Do you really call this

alive&kicking schrieb:

Our house is entirely reinforced concrete (which I wouldn’t do again), ready-mixed concrete, no precast walls, built with a waterproof concrete basement shell (white tank).

a "completely standard house"?

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By that, I meant a single-family house with a basement and a pitched roof. Not a multi-family house with an underground garage and a pool built on sandy soil.

Our house may have had some structural challenges. However, the existing defects arose exclusively from standard tasks such as waterproofing, plastering, base course, window installation, roofing, thermal insulation, light wells, vapor barrier, etc. Lack of expertise and inadequate detailed planning by our structural engineer also caused numerous defects.

11ant schrieb:

It’s better to avoid so-called experts and instead go to specialists like me or some of my not-so-few colleagues. Then you’ll also know who you better avoid:

I don’t really understand the difference between experts and specialists. But that’s not essential. My question was how and where to search? For an average person—since normally you only build a house once—you see experts/specialists everywhere. Through well-made external presentations, websites, project showcases, it’s hard to distinguish good from less good. Of course, you can visit completed house projects and ask the people involved—that’s something we should have done. And yes, of course… we made some wrong decisions and were clearly penalized for them.

Basically, mistakes and problems in house construction cannot always be avoided. Even efforts to increase the chances of a smooth build, for example by going to a well-known general contractor (GC) from the local area, don’t always work out, as we learned from our circle of acquaintances. They used subcontractors, unsuitable materials were applied… leading to a total demolition.

11ant, please list the reputable associations here (if that’s allowed). As a guide for others who are also searching.

alive&kicking schrieb:

I meant a single-family house with a basement and a gable roof.

Even in this case, by aiming for a simple building form, for example, you can proactively create the foundation to minimize potential complications. For instance...

alive&kicking schrieb:

Our house may have had some structural challenges.

... every corner requires about fifteen minutes for the accompanying expert. Protrusions, angles, ridges, and similar features also add "points" to the inspector’s checklist.

alive&kicking schrieb:

Lack of expertise and detailed planning by our structural engineer led to numerous defects.

And initially, the homeowner’s failure to properly evaluate the structural engineer. Detailed planning takes place well before construction begins and should be systematically reviewed in advance. No one has to throw lawyers and experts at a child who has already fallen into the well. Investing in the expertise to assess planning quality is far more cost-effective. Often, such expertise is even available free of charge in professional forums like this one, where, as I said, I don’t recall you presenting your construction project beforehand. For example, @rick2018 has done that—not to provoke envy among those with statutory insurance or employees, nor to flaunt a gigantic cistern.

alive&kicking schrieb:

I don’t really understand the difference between experts and professionals. But it’s not essential.

It hardly gets more essential than that. For professionals, expertise (specialized knowledge) is paramount. They are competent and also look beyond their immediate field, having a broad understanding of related areas. They explain the reasons transparently and clearly distinguish between their personal opinions and objective facts. Experts, on the other hand, have often decided not to pursue a career as leading specialists because it requires effort to acquire, expand, and maintain profound expertise. They frequently hold academic chairs funded by politically motivated foundations, possess a strong sense of mission for their “one true” truth, and are always available for brief interviews or prime-time talk show panels. Therefore, despite generally modest vanity, I firmly reject being labeled an “expert” and prefer the term “professional.” It may look similar with the wrong perspective but is essentially the opposite.

alive&kicking schrieb:

My question was how and where to look? Most people usually only build a house once and see everywhere experts/professionals.

As a professional, I tirelessly work to dispel the long outdated belief passed down for generations that most people only build a house once. After eliminating so-called experts, the field of remaining true professionals becomes much clearer. Finding your way to me is no real mystery, and I always point out recommended colleagues and reliable indicators of charlatans whenever I can.

alive&kicking schrieb:

It’s hard to distinguish good from less good through well-made public presentation, websites, or project presentations. Of course, you can visit completed house projects and ask the owners; we should have done that too.

You’ve already identified an excellent warning sign with well-made marketing: a reputable general contractor (GC) usually has a rather modest homepage rather than a top-ranking website, mainly because satisfied clients consistently fill their order books through word-of-mouth recommendations. It’s the same for me—I’m so busy with building consultation mandates I don’t have time to also coach on search engine optimization. With your mention of “completed house projects,” you hit another key point: good general contractors have a few dozen real, verifiable photo-documented references—poor ones dazzle with an overkill of impressive simulated house renderings.

alive&kicking schrieb:

Basically, mistakes and problems during house construction cannot always be avoided. Even efforts to increase the chances of a smooth build, for example by hiring a reputable local GC, do not always work, as we have learned from our acquaintances. They worked with subcontractors,

Surprisingly and shamefully, many errors in house construction are very much avoidable, starting with the 11ant mantra [note: original user name not changed] and continued by carefully considering proven construction proposals. A reputation is only as valuable as the source it comes from: run as far away as possible from those praised by total ignoramuses, and with favorites of the newly wealthy, it’s almost certainly going to be expensive. A certain level of subcontracting is inherent to the GC concept. A good GC has their own team roughly sized to the number of housing units they complete annually and covers the entire weather-tight shell construction. Carrying out interior finishing with their own people is rarely economical for a GC who is not also a general builder/trade contractor. The good ones distinguish themselves by having long-term loyal partnerships (which you can tell by the vans on site). I only cook with water, and that’s enough—above all, my advisees could do that too!

For no one—absolutely no one—is it unavoidable to pour their construction budget into poorly managed projects by unscrupulous contractors. I give you my word on that.

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/