More Shoddy Builders in Christchurch

[Super_BQ]

I hope i'm not going to get into trouble posting this by the building company. This came about from the window supplier that told me to visit a house who is using PVCu windows that I wanted to use for the door entrance. The particular PVCu windows are not the normal kind but instead, feature a special 'co-extrusion' called ASA (developed by G.E.). ASA has 2 major benefits over standard PVC windows; i) provide different colours & ii) impervious to UV rays (though PVCu alone is suppose to offer good protection against fade from UV, ASA was developed in the mind to surpass any colour fade and material breakdown by a margin of at least 3 or 4 folds of PVC - ie. 100 years +).

I could not help noticing the poor build quality on this house. I'm not going to showcase all aspects of the build because I was only sent there to look at the product (the doors and windows). The door profile requires a rebate in the concrete slab which can be either pre-formed before the slab is poured or cut out as what we can see in the photos. Unfortunately, the workers that did the cut didn't do much of a proper job.

Just check how big the air gap is between the door frame and the concrete foundation. Actually, the installation of the doors are incorrect as the frame itself should be sitting IN the rebate.



Check out the crack on the right of this photo. Caused during the rebate cut?


If you look closely, you can see that the cut itself is not straight. This was for another door entrance.



From what i've been told, the build is 8 weeks behind schedule and in a stalemate dispute between the architect and the builders. I don't know the name of the architect but I do know this particular house is for the architect's own home. If it doesn't cause too much alarm, the builders of this project is by RJ Build (RJ Murray).

This is one key example that employing architects does not ensure a properly built house. Note that when I say architects, I mean those that start at $2000 - $4000/sqm - this particular house was a high spec build with high levels of insulation to be used. Imagine if you were the customer that had an architect to design you a new house and then find that after so many months into the build, arguments back and forward between the builder and the architect arises.

NZ clearly need someone like Holmes on Homes though i'm pretty sure he would be shocked just by looking at the NZ building code.

[Aquarian]

That's a real worry . . . . who can you trust to get things right?

[sks]

This is atrocious concrete work, and I would reject it outright. The "rebate" (don't use that term in the US) for the sill was most likely cast with the slab, so it's unlikely that cracking is due to cutting.

Also, are those untreated sill plates on top of concrete slab for an exterior wall? If so, and vapor barrier/perimeter insulation is missing or poorly done (not too much of stretch considering the concrete quality), they will rot fairly soon -- sooner than the owner would want, at any rate.

And how are "high levels of insulation" being used here (assuming that the wood framing in the photo is for an exterior wall? Looks like 2x4 framing (50x100 metric nominal)? You've only a 4" (100 mm) cavity for insulation. Unless there's additional insulation on exterior sheathing, that does not qualify as "high levels of insulation." That part, at least, is not the builder's fault -- the architect should have allowed for the insulation.

[benandclare]

Very very shoddy


You can see if the photos that the rebates have been cut as the offcuts are clearly visible. I'd agree that the crack underneath would not have been caused by the cutting but when the concrete was curing.
The 2x4 is standard here so in his eyes will be maximum distance for insulation to be installed. What is at the customers discretion is the standard of insulation to infill with,

This is atrocious concrete work, and I would reject it outright. The "rebate" (don't use that term in the US) for the sill was most likely cast with the slab, so it's unlikely that cracking is due to cutting.


And how are "high levels of insulation" being used here (assuming that the wood framing in the photo is for an exterior wall? Looks like 2x4 framing (50x100 metric nominal)? You've only a 4" (100 mm) cavity for insulation. Unless there's additional insulation on exterior sheathing, that does not qualify as "high levels of insulation." That part, at least, is not the builder's fault -- the architect should have allowed for the insulation.

[sophiedb]

Omg

[Super_BQ]

Also, are those untreated sill plates on top of concrete slab for an exterior wall? If so, and vapor barrier/perimeter insulation is missing or poorly done (not too much of stretch considering the concrete quality), they will rot fairly soon -- sooner than the owner would want, at any rate.

The the entire 2x4 framing facing the outside by code must be of treated timber. Compared to my build, I also noticed it didn't have the plastic vapour barrier liner that the timber framing sits on. I'm not sure if that is required by code but I did noticed how they cut a notch out of the wood reveals (in N. America it's called 'jamb liner' which in the case of PVC vinyl windows, it's integrated with the frame, completely extruded together). The intended door install was never meant to be done this way. It seems like the builder didn't understand why the rebate was cut in the 1st place. If the door frame was installed in the rebate, they wouldn't of had to make such a nasty cut. Come to think of it, I think the electrical tape was meant to serve as the vapour barrier where they made the cuts?

And how are "high levels of insulation" being used here (assuming that the wood framing in the photo is for an exterior wall?

I can only speculate that the maximum amount of insulation 100mm would be used to fit in the walls. Just note that it wasn't too long ago that insulation was not a requirement by building code. Keeping in context, the NZ winter climate goes nowhere near as cold as in N. America. Here in Christchurch -8C is the coldest overnight and it wouldn't be many days of this during the winter. Perhaps the architect was looking at double walling like my uncle up in Auckland did to his build.

[dbc Limited]

This is atrocious concrete work, and I would reject it outright. The "rebate" (don't use that term in the US) for the sill was most likely cast with the slab, so it's unlikely that cracking is due to cutting.

Also, are those untreated sill plates on top of concrete slab for an exterior wall? If so, and vapor barrier/perimeter insulation is missing or poorly done (not too much of stretch considering the concrete quality), they will rot fairly soon -- sooner than the owner would want, at any rate.

And how are "high levels of insulation" being used here (assuming that the wood framing in the photo is for an exterior wall? Looks like 2x4 framing (50x100 metric nominal)? You've only a 4" (100 mm) cavity for insulation. Unless there's additional insulation on exterior sheathing, that does not qualify as "high levels of insulation." That part, at least, is not the builder's fault -- the architect should have allowed for the insulation.

Giday sks.

The timber framing is New Zealand grown Douglas Fir, not as good as US and Canadian Fir, but still durable enough in the situation shown. there is a DPC under the plate separating the concrete from the timber. Pink batts do a R2.8 insulation which fits into the frame, whilst Recticel insulation offering R4.2 is available. We would have to see what is sp[ecirfied but both exceed the code requirements for the region.

What I notice is the saw blade marks in the rebate. For some reason it appears the rebate was not cast, but cut. maybe it was not detailed in the architects plans for consent, and therfore not done. The builder has to build to the consented plans.

I hope the situation sorts it self out.

[JandM]

You've answered a post from 2010. It's all probably sorted out long ago - I hope so!