Hello 🙂
We are now right in the middle of the building process; the foundation slab was poured a week ago. We are planning a solid bungalow with wood cladding. Our original schedule aimed for completion by the end of April. This included a significant time buffer, but we have already used up that buffer due to various delays in obtaining the building permit / planning permission.
Our architect (who is also our builder) says that the weather plays only a minor role. The groundwork is completed, and now it is important to finish the shell soon so that the weather has less impact. After that, the rest will be managed with dryers and similar equipment. However, a friend who is also involved in construction was quite surprised that the shell and related work are planned for these weeks since “it will never be dry” at this time.
From past experience, I know that most construction activities used to pause during winter. Are the new materials really better suited for this? Should we expect delays, or is there even a risk of later damage because construction is happening in freezing or cold conditions?
We are now right in the middle of the building process; the foundation slab was poured a week ago. We are planning a solid bungalow with wood cladding. Our original schedule aimed for completion by the end of April. This included a significant time buffer, but we have already used up that buffer due to various delays in obtaining the building permit / planning permission.
Our architect (who is also our builder) says that the weather plays only a minor role. The groundwork is completed, and now it is important to finish the shell soon so that the weather has less impact. After that, the rest will be managed with dryers and similar equipment. However, a friend who is also involved in construction was quite surprised that the shell and related work are planned for these weeks since “it will never be dry” at this time.
From past experience, I know that most construction activities used to pause during winter. Are the new materials really better suited for this? Should we expect delays, or is there even a risk of later damage because construction is happening in freezing or cold conditions?
markus270315 Nov 2016 13:08Svetta16 schrieb:
Well, according to your schedule, it might actually work – the foundation slab is already in place. Then 20 days until the topping-out ceremony – which in our case would still be before Christmas. And for the interior work, 3 to 4 months are planned, assuming all trades coordinate well. Since only two companies need to coordinate here, and one is from our circle of acquaintances where we can apply some pressure, I’m hopeful.Yes, according to the timeline, it could work out. However, you’re dealing with winter months and the associated risks. And as the construction expert already said, the topping-out ceremony doesn’t mean the building is sealed. That only happened much later when the windows were installed.
D
DragonyxXL15 Nov 2016 13:24We are currently having the shell of our house built with masonry and adhesive. On some days work is possible and gets done, while on others it is too cold to continue. In Brandenburg, where we are building, there have been about 4-5 days so far when no work could be done. I hope the roof will be installed before Christmas.
B
Bieber081515 Nov 2016 13:31Everything is possible if it is well planned and the companies cooperate. If the construction manager only calls the window installer today, of course they won’t be able to come this year anymore...
Sorry, but forcing yourself to count down the days on other people’s or companies’ calendars and relying on that just won’t work.
They don’t have only you scheduled during those weeks.
And pressure can easily backfire!
Therefore, my advice is to stay relaxed and be pleasantly surprised if something happens! 🙂
Best regards
They don’t have only you scheduled during those weeks.
And pressure can easily backfire!
Therefore, my advice is to stay relaxed and be pleasantly surprised if something happens! 🙂
Best regards
B
Bieber081515 Nov 2016 15:21ypg schrieb:
Relying on that will not work. Perhaps unintentionally, you are stating a truth about construction :-).
But does that mean completely giving up on construction planning in terms of scheduling and sequencing? Hardly! Like any professional project, building a single-family house needs a timetable. At least it should. And that timetable should be realistic and achievable. Ideally, it also includes some buffer time. If unforeseen events or changes in project scope occur, the schedule naturally needs to be adjusted.
Whether the plan is feasible in the case described here is, in my opinion, very difficult to assess—from a distance. To judge that, one would need to see the underlying construction schedule and the project specifications. Anything else is just speculation.
ypg schrieb:
Therefore, my advice is to stay relaxed and be pleasantly surprised if something happens! I don’t think anyone wants to be unexpectedly handed over a new house at some point. Usually, a completion date is agreed upon, and as that date approaches, things get organized (the kitchen installer, the moving truck, renovating the old property, taking time off work, arranging childcare, whatever…). Since you cannot always rely on things going perfectly (see above), monitoring the schedule is—alongside legal and technical advice—one of the unwritten responsibilities of the client or homeowner!
Only the owners of the Berlin airports do it differently—they really get surprised.
Bieber hits the nail on the head.
The eventually tight financing is a challenge, but we can still manage it for a while if needed. As I said – we won’t be moving onto the construction site; we are very busy with work, and my nerves wouldn’t handle that anyway 😉
But aside from that, you have to be able to plan somehow – when will the kitchen arrive, when do we actually start looking for the bookshelf, when will the refrigerator be ordered. In the worst case, we have everything but can’t set anything up yet and have to arrange storage somehow. Or we end up with the kitchen but no refrigerator. That’s also inconvenient. A few days is manageable, but not several months.
Apparently, construction is moving forward now. Our architect knows our personal situation and has clearly instructed us that he will keep us updated if there are any unexpected delays. For now, his assessment is that everything is on track. Let’s hope he’s right. 🙂
The eventually tight financing is a challenge, but we can still manage it for a while if needed. As I said – we won’t be moving onto the construction site; we are very busy with work, and my nerves wouldn’t handle that anyway 😉
But aside from that, you have to be able to plan somehow – when will the kitchen arrive, when do we actually start looking for the bookshelf, when will the refrigerator be ordered. In the worst case, we have everything but can’t set anything up yet and have to arrange storage somehow. Or we end up with the kitchen but no refrigerator. That’s also inconvenient. A few days is manageable, but not several months.
Apparently, construction is moving forward now. Our architect knows our personal situation and has clearly instructed us that he will keep us updated if there are any unexpected delays. For now, his assessment is that everything is on track. Let’s hope he’s right. 🙂
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