Thoughts on new builds........

[Gavin John Hyde]

Been to quote for some work today and the house is a new build.
Built by Linden Homes. At first glance looks good but when you stop and look a little closer you see several of the walls inside are not straight that there are big curves and deviations in them. when you look down on the accessories, there is gaps big enough to slide a 50p down behind in the middle due to the curvature... put a spirit level on wall to check for a tv bracket and on one wall i can put my little finger behind the level at one end as the wall is so warped.
They installed aerial points in lounge and master bedroom but told them cable is in attic, for you to connect an aerial... Linden dont supply one, but the best bit is that due to being in a low enclosed area surrounded by excavated mounds and other buildings, the signal is so poor everybody is putting up sky dishes but some houses cant get a line of sight, so no sky either!
Linden dont lay the back gardens anymore it seems, left them a pile of slabs and said for you to decide how you want it.
the most damming from my view is an outside tap, which is directly outside behind sockets, thought to myself a bit iffy... took socket off wall and behind the plastic back box in the plasterboard wall I can see the joint and pipe, so in the event of a leak or dodgy joint the water will be spraying into the back of the socket!
proves my point, never buy a new build house....
whats the worst thing you have seen on a new build?

 

[ruston]

Widows fitted with expanding foam . Fell out when door was slammed shut . No fixings at all to building fabric.

 

[Joshua]

Sounds about right. I've been on new build sites around London for the last 7 years. All the contractors care about is get it done as soon as possible. "Qualifications? Who cares just make it work."
I was first fixing new build flats before I was qualified. I had been working with another unqualified electrician for around 4 months and then thrown in the flats on my own. I had a decent supervisor who would keep an eye on me but the main contractor couldn't care less as long as I was giving them 3 flats a week he couldn't care less about how neat it was.

 

[The Ghost]

Yeh working on them I made a note to self ...never buy a new build...they are crap construction. Shower wall disintegrated no primary seal under secondary seal. Plasterboard literally taped together around shower. One screw per hinge on doors. Absolutely disgraceful. Working as contractor is worse. You finish the job tiler comes in takes off all the sockets you get to come back and put them on for free. Bad plans mean you put sockets on wall where told, oh sorry kitchen sink is going there, you get to come back and re-locate for free. And on and on it goes snagging 'til pension time.

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

And on and on it goes snagging 'til pension time.

I dont think they did the snagging on this house... lots of bits I would never have passed if inspecting it.

 

[Octopus]

Avoid like the plague ............. anyway, I would be too expensive for that type of work ..................... all builders want are unskilled, cheap labour

 

[Joshua]

If it was just builders we had to worry about we'd be ok, it's the multimillion pound new home companies that are the problem. They like to give out an impression of good health and safety but on site they wouldn't be able to tell a safe install from a death trap.

 

[telectrix]

new build?????

 

[Squid]

Depends, as there is a difference between a £250k new build and a £10M new build.

 

[Leesparkykent]

I was on a newbuild last year where the sole plates of the stud walls hadn't been fixed before boarding and you could push the walls and see them move

 

[Dave OCD]

Just 1st fixed an annexe [the size of a 3 bed semi] and all the stud work has no cross noggins, asked about it for wiring and was told not needed.

 

[Andy78]

Was just chatting to a fellow sparks tonight. Him and his apprentice are bashing out 2 x 3 bed first fixes a day. Scary.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

I must be really slow.
Had trouble knocking out a 3 bed flat in 6 days last time I did new builds. That was me and another Sparx working together.

 

[123]

I do a few new builds each year, but these are more one off private new builds and all done to a really good standard.

The big developments are just getting thrown up with the cheapest and quickest ways possible. Oddly they get are sold at the top end of the local market as well, it's not something I'd consider buying at all.

 

[123]

Avoid like the plague ............. anyway, I would be too expensive for that type of work ..................... all builders want are unskilled, cheap labour

Echo that totally. I do a few new builds each year, but they are one off jobs each time. My price and my standards are far higher than what the big developments around here are after.

 

[Deleted member 26818]

The ones I worked on were luxury types with umpteen lighting circuits, 3 or 4 just in the living room, electric curtains and what not.
Everything controlled from a screen or your smart phone/tablet.

 

[Joshua]

Echo that totally. I do a few new builds each year, but they are one off jobs each time. My price and my standards are far higher than what the big developments around here are after.

Definitely don't pay enough considering how much they sell for. Last job I was on they were paying £420 for a 2 bed high spec flat, it was possible to do 3 a week but not the neatest work I've done to be honest. But they get what they pay for.

 

[Midwest]

I'll let you know.

I've just bought a new build, after living in a new build for the last 30 years. House before that was a new build, and the house before that was an existing property, that the previous owner had attacked it with his trusty DIY skills, that cost me some pretty pennies to put right. Only had one problem with me new builds, which was put right by the builders.

My latest one has metal stud & track partitioning on the first floor, I'd preferred wooden stud work, but hey hoe.

I'd asked for the back garden not to be landscaped, so I could do it properly myself, as previous properties had bricks, scaffolding etc laid under the turf. Had to sign a wavier, to allow the NHBC sign off to go ahead.

Got a shed load of mastic, to remove from the bottom of the skirting, installed to achieve the pressure test, before we can fit the flooring. It also has some annoying trickle fans in 'wet room's', which will need 'adjusting', so we can sleep at night without the constant whirring.

If you behave yourselves, I'll post a pic of the CU etc.

 

[telectrix]

Just 1st fixed an annexe [the size of a 3 bed semi] and all the stud work has no cross noggins, asked about it for wiring and was told not needed.

i'dagree with that cross noggins are unnecessary. the are put in to stop the stud timber moving laterally. once the board is fixed, the board itsef serves that function.tin hat.

 

[marconi]

It does not auger well for a big nationwide building programme to provide 'affordable' homes. Personally, where there is a demand I'd favour offering grants to folk to renovate those empty older properties in some towns and cities. I'd then have approved pre-vetted contractors and tradesmen/women in a catalogue, renewed every year, for these folk to choose from to do the necessary work.

 

[Midwest]

There comes a time when some very old existing properties, have reached their shelf life. Bricks & mortar can't exist forever. But with a range of different ownership, how do you knock down a whole street.

I've been back to my parents old semi, built in the 1800's. The old neighbours had been previously bought by someone and slightly refurbished, but my parents side has been bought by a developer, and is unoccupied. The two houses are on a very large plot, prime for redevelopment. Wonder how long the neighbour will hold off for, before he gets a too tempting offer.

 

[telectrix]

Bricks & mortar can't exist forever

if constructed well, they can. 120 years with this:

 

[Midwest]

But that wasn't built by George Wimpy.

 

[telectrix]

and this lot has been around since pete999 was in his pram:

 

[marconi]

Re #24 - Rumour has it that Pete999 provided the site electric arc lighting to allow 24 hour working which was powered by Leyden jars and thousands of slaves rubbing fur cloths along ebony rods. Inspired thinking methinks by him.

 

[telectrix]

archaeologists have just discovered the sockets he invented. obviuosly 3 phase.

 

[Intoelectrics]

I was on a newbuild last year where the sole plates of the stud walls hadn't been fixed before boarding and you could push the walls and see them move

Not uncommon, I was at a new build site once where the tiler was scratching his head on how to lay some floors. At first i thought he must be new to the job. It turned out every single room was miles out of square which meant no matter how he lay the tiles they looked pi**ed up. One hall way entrance was so bad it had 5 tiles across at one end down to 4 tiles across at the other. It supposed to have been a long parallel corridor

 

[Midwest]

and this lot has been around since pete999 was in his pram:


View attachment 43230

Yeah but the locals have been owners haven't been ******* around with them for 4,500 years and they didn't use mortar.

 

[Dave OCD]

i'dagree with that cross noggins are unnecessary. the are put in to stop the stud timber moving laterally. once the board is fixed, the board itsef serves that function.tin hat.

I just think for the minimal cost and time involved that it's much better to have them Tel, it's a long vertical bit of plasterboard to just be fixed top and bottom and nothing to stop the vertical timbers warping.

 

[leep82]

When i first went into self employment last year i was asked if i was interested in some price work on a new build site, i lasted two days!

Had some drawings to look at prior to agreeing to the work and was aware of the 1st fix price. It seemed tight but doable.

Arrived on site to be told i would be starting some 2nd fix work. It was a 3 bed detatched property and the price was ridiculous i would have had to 2nd fix 1 a day to make any money and that would have meant no breaks.

On top of the ridiculous price i had to contend with evey back box covered in plaster, wrong measurements for downlights, meaning that when they were drilled out they hit joists and in one case a noggin that the plumber had put in to carry his pipes, ( this was literally smashed out of the way, not by myself, so the required depth for the downlight was achieved) and half the lights not even wired.

I was told the consumer unit should take me around 20 minutes and not to worry as all the others look like rats nests anyway. I finished in a day and a half and told the bloke i wouldnt be doing anymore for him. They just want things thrown in and i couldnt/wouldnt allow myself to install in that manner.

 

[telectrix]

20 minutes for a CU? that's stupid. takes that long just to fix to the wall.

 

[pirate]

OMG! You guys are SO lucky! It's late for me, and I need my kip...otherwise you would have got my full rant...
Fkn sh*te, most of the newbuilds...obviously I am referring to mass-market mainstream builders, not bespoke, architect designed and controlled specials...
Oh, don't get me started! Some near me were showing rising damp after 6 months...plasterboard walls built off concrete slabs with no spacers...
Hardwood soffits and fascias were substituted with cheap softwood crap and the site foreman pocketed the difference...
TV aerials were wired with 6" cable wired to fk all...
Now...after all that good stuff, let's take a look at the electrics...

well, tomorrow, maybe...

New builds?

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pirate]

OMG! You guys are SO lucky! It's late for me, and I need my kip...otherwise you would have got my full rant...
Fkn sh*te, most of the newbuilds...obviously I am referring to mass-market mainstream builders, not bespoke, architect designed and controlled specials...
Oh, don't get me started! Some near me were showing rising damp after 6 months...plasterboard walls built off concrete slabs with no spacers...
Hardwood soffits and fascias were substituted with cheap softwood crap and the site foreman pocketed the difference...
TV aerials were wired with 6" cable wired to fk all...
Now...after all that good stuff, let's take a look at the electrics...

well, tomorrow, maybe...

New builds?

AAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Midwest]

I'll let you know.

I've just bought a new build...……..
If you behave yourselves, I'll post a pic of the CU etc.

What do ya think, Westward won't be happy with the sleeving

 

[Santa]

When I started with the NHS, we were planning a move to a new build hospital. I was friendly with the guy whose job it was to make sure that the contractors had done what they were supposed to do, and, in the end, accept the handover.

About six months before handover he showed me the book of faults - it was over an inch thick of single-spaced A4 type. Ok - a lot of it was minor stuff like missed paint on skirting boards, but there was a lot of major stuff too like gaps where there shouldn't be and wrong materials used for fire safety elements.

Electrics were complicated because critical sockets connected to the backup generator were often right next to non-critical sockets and the sparks didn't seem to be able to follow the drawings.

 

[123]

@Santa I've done new build work at hospitals, should the Critical Sockets not have red rockers so they are known to be the Critical Sockets? That's certainly how it was done in 4 hospitals in Belfast.

 

[Santa]

That's right, but the sparks wired the non-critical ones to the same circuit sometimes which kind of defeated the objective.

 

[johnduffell]

20 minutes for a CU? that's stupid. takes that long just to fix to the wall.

Depends if you use one of those hilti nail guns or not!

 

[Gavin John Hyde]

What do ya think, Westward won't be happy with the sleeving

View attachment 43250 View attachment 43251 View attachment 43252

At least they used Hager!

 

[Midwest]

At least they used Hager!

Took an age to refit the lid after taking the pic; the old tail scenario forcing the main switch out of scue. Needed brut force to re fit. Might add it to the snagging list, along with energised outsight lighting points, not safely terminated. On the other hand, might just do it myself.

 

[123]

I would take issue with the amount of copper on display at the Main Switch....but its no different to the manufacturer fitted left hand side RCD.

Tails in the Pirelli box are a mess, how far from Pirelli box to Consumer Unit? Don't see a 16mm earth at the Consumer unit?

And over sized sleeving I hate as well Right up there with the faceplate screws not being level

 

[Midwest]

Tis a 16mm, terminal no. 3, pic sort of deceives that. CU is on other side of the wall to meter box almost. I normally exit the tails from the meter box, from the bottom to prevent or negate water ingress, and foam up the hole to prevent fauna infestation, and add a couple of securing clips to the tails. Yep bit of a mess.

Might add it to the snagging list. Don't want to be an arse being a sparks and all that, but it is a bit of a mess.

 

[Leesparkykent]

Tis a 16mm, terminal no. 3, pic sort of deceives that. CU is on other side of the wall to meter box almost. I normally exit the tails from the meter box, from the bottom to prevent or negate water ingress, and foam up the hole to prevent fauna infestation, and add a couple of securing clips to the tails. Yep bit of a mess.

Might add it to the snagging list. Don't want to be an arse being a sparks and all that, but it is a bit of a mess.

I'd just pull it out and remake it off myself and don't tell them to not invalid guarantee etc. Plenty of slack there to make it neat.

 

[123]

Tis a 16mm, terminal no. 3, pic sort of deceives that. CU is on other side of the wall to meter box almost. I normally exit the tails from the meter box, from the bottom to prevent or negate water ingress, and foam up the hole to prevent fauna infestation, and add a couple of securing clips to the tails. Yep bit of a mess.

Might add it to the snagging list. Don't want to be an arse being a sparks and all that, but it is a bit of a mess.

That oversized sleeving hides it well

 

[camerabloke]

20 minutes for a CU? that's stupid. takes that long just to fix to the wall.

Takes me that long to get it out the box

 

[Dan91]

NHBC are jusy as much to blame as theyre the ones who are suppose to inspect these fixes before moving onto next stages, all back handers. I subbed to a contractor who wanted a supply to a detached garage, they want the 2.5 t&e run under the slabs no duct either. Told them to do the job properly and find another spark.

 

[Midwest]

I'd just pull it out and remake it off myself and don't tell them to not invalid guarantee etc. Plenty of slack there to make it neat.

Yep probably will.

 

[Midwest]

NHBC are jusy as much to blame as theyre the ones who are suppose to inspect these fixes before moving onto next stages, all back handers. I subbed to a contractor who wanted a supply to a detached garage, they want the 2.5 t&e run under the slabs no duct either. Told them to do the job properly and find another spark.

Don't quite know what the remit the NHBC has. The developer was pushing for completion before the end of June, they wanted their money (its their year end). Bit of a blip for them, the NHBC said the pan & rad were in the wrong place in the downstairs toilet apparently, i.e. by 10mm to plans! I hear their have to pressure test the property to get a pass by the inspector? Spent a day removing all the mastic from the bottom of the skirtings, ready to lay the flooring, yet there's trickle fans in bathrooms etc?

 

[cliffed]

In the 70’s council rewires we’re done in a day,2 men,costed about £250,depressing work,but earned your keep.
The old rubber cable was burnt & sold,any extras you got 50p for each one.
I don’t do houses anymore.

 

[johnduffell]

I hear their have to pressure test the property to get a pass by the inspector? Spent a day removing all the mastic from the bottom of the skirtings, ready to lay the flooring, yet there's trickle fans in bathrooms etc?

Yes the modern requirement is to have specific controlled ventilation rather than general draughts. The air tightness is supposed to come from the fabric of the building but it seems to be accepted practice to add superficial sealant on the finishes layer and leave it at that.