A client of mine is getting hell from building control for a project I'm overseeing on her house in West Wales. I was trying to be sneaky, doing the restoration work on her place as 'repairs and reinstatement' rather than conversion or renovation, so that building control wouldn't need to know what was going on. Included in the programme is a limecrete floor and three-coat lime render with roughcast on the outside, and three-coat haired lime plaster on the inside, with clay board ceilings and thermofleece insulation.
Unfortunately the client has engaged some local builders to put an extension on the side of her place, and they've called in building control to OK the footings (as per normal), and the wretched pedantic muppet from the council has now started demanding a say over the internal work and the rendering (which, technically, he has a right to do, as I was being a little sneaky).
The upshot is that he's demanding that the rubble stone walls - a metre thick- be dry-lined and celotexed rather than lime-plastered, and is also threatening to demand that the render be replaced with cement if we can't prove it's waterproof! Aaargh! And, in passing, he wants to know the U value of a metre thick rubble-stone wall, and of the limecrete.
My first reaction is to shoot the idiot and put him into the footings, but on reflection there must be material somewhere which will put a stop to his ridiculous claims and demands.
Would anyone here know if there is easily accessible documentation on how traditional materials can and do meet modern building regs (particular post April 2006). Or are we in fact now doomed to destroy the character of our older but unlisted buildings because of bloody Prescott's meddling?
Richy
posted on 03-08-06
Is the building listed or historic? if so, different rules apply.
Every council has heritage/ listed building officers who might approve of what you are doing.
I would go over the head of the BC officer and talk to his boss, they are usually far more relaxed than their foot soldiers, and aren't as fearful that a misjudgement could cost them their pension. There is a lot of discretion available in these matters.
Also, if what you have done is renovation and remedial, I'm sure that unless a grant is involved or the work is subject to a building notice or application for building reg approval, then the work is subject to building regs as it isn't a significant alteration.
The like for like argument might apply?
If it is a conversion of a garage or cowshed into habitable space, then you are on dodgy ground and retrospective approval might be required.
Alarm bells rang for me when the 'other builders' were mentioned. have you spoken to the BCO yourself? Only the building trade is rife with jealousy, rivalry and chinese whispers, it might be just the case of the builder trying to undermine his customers confidence in you.
2 sides to every story, be upfront with the BCO so he has your side.
Mike George
posted on 03-08-06
Gervase,
As a starting point, try asking the BC officer to quote exactly which section of Part L1 B he is referring to as to my mind there are several 'loopholes' which may be employed. The document is very ambiguous in the area relating to the upgrading of newly classified thermal elements. For example, a trigger for the new u-value improvements is that you must be replacing/adding a layer to more than 25% of the element in question. My question is 25% of what? the living room wall? the back edition? the whole house? Ask him to clarify this for you in writing and you will have a measure of his grasp of the new regulations. If he refuses, go over his head.
As Richy says there are always exclusions to the regulations and the new nightmare L1B is no exception.
To answer your question about the u-value of stone walls
A 1000mm thick limestone wall having a conductivity of 1.5W/mK will attain a u-value of approximately 1.0W/m2K. Granite walls would be about 1.3W/m2K
Assuming limestone, if he forces you to upgrade this wall to 0.35W/m2K then something like 35mm rigid PIR will do the job.
Matt Robinson
posted on 05-08-06
I would play nice - you have been 'caught' on the sneaky sneaky, so be nice to the guy, he is probably a little annoyed by you...I find that no matter how hard it gets with BR peeps, you need to stay nice, professional and honest...
As ever with BR, they know what they know, and any variation they seem to immediately distrust and regard with scepticism (plus covering thier backs). I guess you have to realise that they may have seen thousands of case's and yours might be the first they have seen done this way...and it aint the usual block, brick, upvc, rockwool n cavity they see day in day out...We have a BR guy question timber windows!!!
The first issue seems to be thermal upgrading - not a bad thing really. You can still have a breathing, natural wall that meets or exceeds L1B. Use of woodfibre boards, lime plastered or studs, natural insulation (hemp or sheepswool) and woodfibre or clay board...100m Diffutherm on that depth of wall should give you 0.31w/m2K, use studs with deeper insulations and this can be dramatically improved.
Second is the waterproof render issue - again, using a mineral or lime render shouldnt be a problem, there are many examples of this being passed on renovation and newbuild. I would get a few 'good' examples together from the web, or asking around, together with the BC area that passed its phone number.
What you are trying to do is offer the BC guy 1) solutions to meet his demands and 2) exapmples of where BC has passed same or similar jobs and 3) an experience of 'other' ways of building from cavity, block n brick. This means he has no argument - they would not go against another judgement in my experience.
Let us all know how you get on.
Matt
Liz M
posted on 07-08-06
You could always appoint an independant approved BC inspector.
Mike George
posted on 07-08-06
Good idea Liz, it would be interesting to see how they interpret the new regs
