Good 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).
After such a long planning phase, an external quality inspection should not have been missing.
Who is responsible for tendering the trades for the interior work and coordinating them?
Someone is currently fixing the botched work. If necessary, invest the money for the staircase modification in remedying defects. For the interior work, get a builder/surveyor or expert, whatever is appropriate.
Eventually, you will live in the house and the frustration will fade.
Who is responsible for tendering the trades for the interior work and coordinating them?
Someone is currently fixing the botched work. If necessary, invest the money for the staircase modification in remedying defects. For the interior work, get a builder/surveyor or expert, whatever is appropriate.
Eventually, you will live in the house and the frustration will fade.
L
Laurasstern13 Feb 2020 20:20Tassimat schrieb:
No, that’s not what you should do, and I didn’t say that either.
My concern is how extensive the work would be to redo the roof—specifically, which tasks need to be redone, and which materials have to be removed and then installed again. From your description, it’s not clear to me whether there is actually a technical defect (a leak) or if it’s just an aesthetic issue, with some water standing on the roof but otherwise still watertight.
Without an actual technical defect, the proportionality of the repairs will determine what can be reasonably done to fix the roof.
No, it’s about the extra budget available beyond that. Basically, what you want to use for later staircase changes. That could also be spent on getting a second or even third opinion on the best way to waterproof the basement. Because the general contractor will only carry out repairs—they might not necessarily provide the best solution. The best solution could be something that wasn’t even originally planned but would be better now, even if it causes extra costs. That was my point.
For me, it would be a total loss if you have to tear down the building because of the height issue and at the same time the general contractor declares bankruptcy. Then you could really write off the 250,000€ (approx. $270,000). But currently, a solution is being worked on. It’s a total loss for your nerves, but objectively the project can still be saved. Tassimat,
the roof is not level, so sooner or later standing water or leaks will occur as a result.
You are absolutely right about getting a second and third opinion. That is what we also want to do.
At the moment, the plan changes with the company are progressing very slowly. The new commercial director is inconsistent and changing statements.
Laurasstern schrieb:
haydee,
you are absolutely right – we should have hired a construction manager or an expert. We spent 10 years considering, talking to companies, and planning, and then we were somehow frozen by our own “courage” to finally start. Everything happened so quickly, and we could hardly believe we were actually building. Forget it. We had a construction manager, and they completely failed. It’s no guarantee that we would have done much better without one and even saved money.
Bookstar schrieb:
Forget it. We had site management, and it completely failed. There’s no guarantee we would have been any better off without it, and we probably would have saved money. That’s really too general. Just because the specific person involved wasn’t an expert, you can’t claim that site management is fundamentally pointless!
Otherwise… it seems to me that the original poster should focus on moving forward constructively. What defects are there, how can they be fixed, and what will it cost? Then address those issues. If the current company is uncooperative, consider working with another contractor. There’s no point in dwelling on everything that isn’t working, or on the fact that the current company would rather go bankrupt than fix defects. That won’t get the house finished. Try to regain a forward-looking perspective, not a backward one.
I would invest the remaining money in completing the construction, not in redesigning the floor plan (or the staircase).
L
Laurasstern14 Feb 2020 08:08Snowy36 schrieb:
That’s why you can hire an expert inspector ... plus being personally informed at every step and present during the process Hiring an expert inspector during the construction phase PLUS a site manager already means significant additional costs.
And unfortunately, not everyone can be present all the time – with 50 hours per week, where or WHO would look after our three children if I spent 8 hours a day at the construction site? It simply isn’t that easy. Building inspections usually occur maybe 1-2 times per week, if not less, and definitely not all day long...
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