New build deviating from plans…

[JD]

Nothing surprises me, there is a new build on an estate nearby that has a half width window in a full width space, with the other half bricked up!

[PugwasHDJ80]

OP haven't they just done you a massive favour?

just put a window back in when you move in? will be much much much easier now they've put in a lintel and cut the brickwork.

No one is going to take you to court all for one window, and you get a much lighter arier room later on?

[Flooble]

blueg33 said:

Promised Land said:

barryrs said:

In my experience they were around 12% more to buy than traditional and the groundwork is less forgiving. Try asking for your foundations to be within a +/-3mm tolerance

As for green credentials; unless we are all going to start building our own cob homes, I don’t think you will find any better solution than factory built volumetric homes.

I understand nothing can be completely green but they do tend to go on about how much better they are quite a lot with these types of builds, since being on new builds in the late 80’s to now I have only seen timber framed construction a handful of times so I’m yet to be convinced modular homes are the future either.

You need piss wet concrete then for +-3mm

The pound a day living on that site isn’t obtainable with your standing charge before you plug anything in let alone an electric car.

Time will tell as always with new ideas, ways to build. I’ll be retired by then though.

Timber frame has been widely used for decades, not sure why you haven’t seen many. There are hundreds of thousands of them.

However, the houses in question are steel framed. They are insulated to levels that traditional build can’t get close to.

I have been wandering around their website trying to find out how they are actually built - they have a little 3-D graphic but loads of marketing stuff that doesn't really explain how they fill in the gaps between the steel beams and their "click to download MMC guide" doesn't work. Hrrrm.

Thanks for the reply and discussion though, I will see if I can google up the answers!

[blueg33]

Flooble said:

blueg33 said:

Promised Land said:

barryrs said:

In my experience they were around 12% more to buy than traditional and the groundwork is less forgiving. Try asking for your foundations to be within a +/-3mm tolerance

As for green credentials; unless we are all going to start building our own cob homes, I don’t think you will find any better solution than factory built volumetric homes.

I understand nothing can be completely green but they do tend to go on about how much better they are quite a lot with these types of builds, since being on new builds in the late 80’s to now I have only seen timber framed construction a handful of times so I’m yet to be convinced modular homes are the future either.

You need piss wet concrete then for +-3mm

The pound a day living on that site isn’t obtainable with your standing charge before you plug anything in let alone an electric car.

Time will tell as always with new ideas, ways to build. I’ll be retired by then though.

Timber frame has been widely used for decades, not sure why you haven’t seen many. There are hundreds of thousands of them.

However, the houses in question are steel framed. They are insulated to levels that traditional build can’t get close to.

I have been wandering around their website trying to find out how they are actually built - they have a little 3-D graphic but loads of marketing stuff that doesn't really explain how they fill in the gaps between the steel beams and their "click to download MMC guide" doesn't work. Hrrrm.

Thanks for the reply and discussion though, I will see if I can google up the answers!

What do you mean by fill the gap between the steel beams?

I suspect there is some protected IP so all the details won’t be online.

[Flooble]

blueg33 said:

What do you mean by fill the gap between the steel beams?

I suspect there is some protected IP so all the details won’t be online.

Well just literally how it goes from being a steel frame to a house with actual walls
They look like they're made of bricks, but I can't see they would build a wall in a factory and then ship it, so presumably it's something else that is the actual "wall" and then a brick slip facade. It was all just a bit vague. Anyway, will look this evening, appreciate you linking to the site in the first place!

[blueg33]

Flooble said:

blueg33 said:

What do you mean by fill the gap between the steel beams?

I suspect there is some protected IP so all the details won’t be online.

Well just literally how it goes from being a steel frame to a house with actual walls
They look like they're made of bricks, but I can't see they would build a wall in a factory and then ship it, so presumably it's something else that is the actual "wall" and then a brick slip facade. It was all just a bit vague. Anyway, will look this evening, appreciate you linking to the site in the first place!

I had a factory tour 3 weeks ago

I am not allowed to talk about much of the detail and wasn't allowed to take photographs, but the brick is decorative not structural, there are multiple layers of board and vapour barriers. There is some very clever thinking around vapour barriers and insulation. Its interesting to see the homes appear from parts initially assembled flat by robots. IIRC the factory can produce 8 houses a day. Compare that with traditional build on site which tends to max out a 1 a week.

[aeropilot]

usn90 said:

Toaster Pilot said:

That is actually quite shocking, and laughable that they think it’s acceptable

Indeed. Talk about cowboys.

However, as someone that has spent nearly 43 years in the construction industry, nothing surprises me these days.

Leaving the lintel and brick lintel feature in, and not even insetting the stonework in to remove the vertical edges is just grade 1 bodgery.

If they are not going to do it properly, I'd rather have the window put back in than left like that.

To be honest, I'd be seeing if I could get out of buying it now, as I'd be very concerned about what other extreme bodges have been done elsewhere in the build that have maybe been hidden better than that one!

[mikey_b]

PugwasHDJ80 said:

OP haven't they just done you a massive favour?

just put a window back in when you move in? will be much much much easier now they've put in a lintel and cut the brickwork.

No one is going to take you to court all for one window, and you get a much lighter arier room later on?

For at least the third time in this 7 page thread, OP doesn't actually want a window there.

[aeropilot]

barryrs said:

blueg33 said:

The 3 beds have been revised I believe. They meet NDSS

They needed it in my view.

My only other concern was future alterations after the O&M manual had been long lost. A sparky trying to put in an extra socket will be in for a surprise!

This is very much an issue, or will be for future owners further down the line.

But, that's a classic "not my problem mate" from the designers and builders of course.

[Collectingbrass]

aeropilot said:

usn90 said:

Toaster Pilot said:

That is actually quite shocking, and laughable that they think it’s acceptable

Indeed. Talk about cowboys.

However, as someone that has spent nearly 43 years in the construction industry, nothing surprises me these days.

Leaving the lintel and brick lintel feature in, and not even insetting the stonework in to remove the vertical edges is just grade 1 bodgery.

If they are not going to do it properly, I'd rather have the window put back in than left like that.

To be honest, I'd be seeing if I could get out of buying it now, as I'd be very concerned about what other extreme bodges have been done elsewhere in the build that have maybe been hidden better than that one!

In addition to the above, if you can't get out of buying it as an absolute bare minimum I would want an indemnity against a breech of planning consent that I can pass on to future purchasers. But as others have said, I would far rather have a pair of running shoes and a clear route to the nearest horizon.

[Flooble]

blueg33 said:

Flooble said:

blueg33 said:

What do you mean by fill the gap between the steel beams?

I suspect there is some protected IP so all the details won’t be online.

Well just literally how it goes from being a steel frame to a house with actual walls
They look like they're made of bricks, but I can't see they would build a wall in a factory and then ship it, so presumably it's something else that is the actual "wall" and then a brick slip facade. It was all just a bit vague. Anyway, will look this evening, appreciate you linking to the site in the first place!

I had a factory tour 3 weeks ago

I am not allowed to talk about much of the detail and wasn't allowed to take photographs, but the brick is decorative not structural, there are multiple layers of board and vapour barriers. There is some very clever thinking around vapour barriers and insulation. Its interesting to see the homes appear from parts initially assembled flat by robots. IIRC the factory can produce 8 houses a day. Compare that with traditional build on site which tends to max out a 1 a week.

I guess they have every right to be a bit cagey if they have come up with innovations. It did say they can deliver 6 houses per day per crane on site, so I can see why a housebuilder would love it. From groundworks to sale in a couple of weeks. Presumably not much skilled labour needed either, with everything being factory fitted. I did rummage around and found a few sites describing volumetric construction, but that seems to cover everything from those mobile classrooms many of us had to suffer, through "park homes" to the buildings we're talking about here.

I did notice that they do all seem to have the same sort of "footprint", so I guess that's a case of building to the trailer size as the other poster mentioned. Also interesting that the four bed "Rockingham" seems to have a lump of dead space at the top of the stairs on the first floor and then I saw the other four beds and the three bed were the same. So I guess there are some limitations in what they can build maybe (it can't just be trying to get light to the landing, as they seem happy to have no light at all on the Dallington).

I guess in time this type of construction will mature and there will be a wider choice of layouts, maybe joining two "trailer size units" together to make one bigger house.

[blueg33]

Flooble said:

blueg33 said:

Promised Land said:

barryrs said:

In my experience they were around 12% more to buy than traditional and the groundwork is less forgiving. Try asking for your foundations to be within a +/-3mm tolerance

As for green credentials; unless we are all going to start building our own cob homes, I don’t think you will find any better solution than factory built volumetric homes.

I understand nothing can be completely green but they do tend to go on about how much better they are quite a lot with these types of builds, since being on new builds in the late 80’s to now I have only seen timber framed construction a handful of times so I’m yet to be convinced modular homes are the future either.

You need piss wet concrete then for +-3mm

The pound a day living on that site isn’t obtainable with your standing charge before you plug anything in let alone an electric car.

Time will tell as always with new ideas, ways to build. I’ll be retired by then though.

Timber frame has been widely used for decades, not sure why you haven’t seen many. There are hundreds of thousands of them.

However, the houses in question are steel framed. They are insulated to levels that traditional build can’t get close to.

I have been wandering around their website trying to find out how they are actually built - they have a little 3-D graphic but loads of marketing stuff that doesn't really explain how they fill in the gaps between the steel beams and their "click to download MMC guide" doesn't work. Hrrrm.

Thanks for the reply and discussion though, I will see if I can google up the answers!

What do you mean by fill the gap between the steel beams?

I suspect there is some protected IP so all the details won’t be online.

[AlmostUseful]

There’s a lot of talk about poor workmanship and being unable to read a drawing, this is the only house of that style on site that doesn’t have a window on that table. It’s probably built to spec just fine, just with the wrong drawing. Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if the only difference is the window being in or not on the “standard non standard” housetype

[Toaster Pilot]

AlmostUseful said:

There’s a lot of talk about poor workmanship and being unable to read a drawing, this is the only house of that style on site that doesn’t have a window on that table. It’s probably built to spec just fine, just with the wrong drawing. Wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if the only difference is the window being in or not on the “standard non standard” housetype

There’s only one that does/should have a window there actually.

[mcg_]

Personally I don't think the tax window is that bad. When we have an extension I'm thinking about having a couple rather than a windowless gable.

Stone and new builds are fun. I wonder if they've used the right mortar that the stone supplier recommends (lime mix I'd suggest), or if it's silo stuff. I also wonder how the cavity is insulated, as it's rough stone it shouldn't be blown. Both these things are more likely to be wrong if it's a big site with brick houses.

Also if it is blown insulation, op you probably want to make sure that they blow it again once they've rebuilt the gable, it would be easy to forget...

[Zarco]

Do any new build sites use blown insulation? I've never heard of it. Seems like a right awkward and crap way of doing it.

[NumBMW]

agent006 said:

And how much thought would it have taken to line up that extractor vent hole with the middle of the 'window' above it?

An absolute sh!t ton to be honest

[AlmostUseful]

Toaster Pilot said:

There’s only one that does/should have a window there actually.

I’ll get back in my box then

Still reckon it was just the wrong drawing used.

[cadmunkey]

The windowless gable looks shocking, I know OP has said he doesn't want a window there but its too blank a space to not have one and balance the elevation. No thought to architecture on these cookie-cutter estates.

[mcg_]

Zarco said:

Do any new build sites use blown insulation? I've never heard of it. Seems like a right awkward and crap way of doing it.

why awkward and crap?