Search
While a lack of internet connection on a website can be frustrating, having offline masonry on a building site is worse! The photo below shows newly constructed masonry that’s not central on the excavated trench.
It’s a common problem, most often caused by poor…
Judith Schulz and Neil Hitchen of ARUP explained their “Top 10 design specification concerns” at a recent conference that forms part of LABC’s “Professionals in Construction” conference series. This conference focussed on controlling the spread of fire in high risk buildings.
ARUP gave an…
Yes, it is what it looks like!
One of our Building Control teams encountered this DIY toilet installation on a recent project.
The householder had run out of money so had decided to do the internal work himself. The toilet was coupled to the soil stack with flexible ducting usually used for…
Render has two primary functions. The first is protection, where the render ‘weatherproofs’ the walls, allowing them to breathe by letting water vapour move from the inside to the outside of the structure while stopping the rain from forcing its way in.
The second function is decoration, where…
One of our surveyors had a bit of a shock recently when visiting a site for a domestic extension.
They were called out to inspect reinforcement prior to concreting foundations but hadn’t been to site previously for an excavation or commencement inspection. The ‘builder’ proudly stood back and…
A quarter of heat in an uninsulated home is lost through the roof. Utilising roof insulation in a loft, attic or flat roof is a simple and effective way for your customers to reduce heat loss and cut their heating bills - but only if the work’s done properly. The level of insulation…
One of our surveyors recently sent this photo to us following an inspection at a factory.
Extensions and alterations had been carried out to the factory to create additional space as the company expanded.
Unfortunately, one alteration involved a previous emergency exit being enclosed to…
Whether they're for waste, recyclables, gardens or glass, the rise of the wheelie bin is causing issues of its own. More space to store the wheelie bins is needed but did you know that the requirements are contained in the Building Regs?
You could be excused for thinking that Building…
The building regulations specify limits on water use for newly constructed homes and those formed by converting existing buildings. Water usage from WCs, wash basins, sinks, showers, baths, and white goods such as dishwashers and washing machines are all included in the requirement…
One of our officers recently sent in a series of photos taken on site after the householder contacted him with concerns.
During the extension work, the builder had removed sections of the wall that he believed ‘would be ok for a bit’ with only one or two acrow props under the floor built into…