NHBC Will Not Enforce Their Own Standards (Help)

[slostuk]

I am having great difficulty in getting the NHBC to enforce their own standards and I am looking for some advice. We have been though the NHBC resolution process. In the resolution report the inspector accepts that the tolerances specified in “A consistent approach to finishes” have not been adhered to. However the NHBC inspector has deemed the general appearance of walls to be acceptable, despite the presence of a very obvious continual displacement of the perpend mortar joints (4 cm + in nine brick rows) and a very noticeable variation in the thickness of the bed joints (thin bed joins 5mm and thick bed joints 20mm). We have an independent report which also comments on these issues.

We have already had one elevation taken down and rebuilt.

We purchased the house from new believing that the NHBC would enforce their own standards. Having had responsibility with regards to building control, one would expect that before issuing a completion certificate the NHBC would ensure that their own standards were met. Clearly I feel that the building control was not performed correctly.

The builder was contractually obliged to build the house in line with NHBC standards but they simply ignore our concerns and the NHBC will not enforce the standards that they themselves have published! Any advice on the best way to proceed would be gratefully received.

[nem39esis]

I had similar problems with the NHBC with my garden, the builder refused to do anything, the NHBC came out, inspected and then produced a report that demonstrated non complience but recommended that nothing be done which of course i was furious about, so a wrote a very strongly worded letter to their complaints department highlighting each comment and the actions that should be done, called the person incompetant as effectively they were and eventually they sent a different guy out, this time he produced a better report and had actions which the builder had to comply with.

Id suggest you complain in writing pointing out all the eveidence, that you are not happy and what you want done. Effectively it wouldnt cost the builder anything as they get subcontractors in anyway, just keep complaining, eventually youll get the correct person who understands

[LauraS]

[QUOTE=nem39esis;5327]I had similar problems with the NHBC with my garden,

Would you mind telling me what problems you had with your garden , please?

I bought my house with the garden already turfed. As i've been digging out flowerbeds etc I have pulled out a huge amount of rubble (surprise!) which the builder says 'is to be expected'.

The lawn is in poor state. Initially they said they would 'monitor it as it appeared to have taken'.
I contacted the RHS who gave me great advice - that grass would quickly die as land hadn't been prepared etc etc. Plus weeds. Advice to replace the whole lot. Now developer is saying that we bought the house 'as seen' and they'll have to get back to us about it.
I'm going to get an independent landscaper to have a look and give me a report. I have a collection of rubble - bricks, wire, metal, ropes, broken glass and so on. Builder claims they put 1500 mm topsoil on it an cleared rubble. not the first lie I've been told. Have photos of stones barely 10mm beneath grass.

Thanks for any help
Laura

[nem39esis]

Hi,
Well i was digging to attempt build a deck in the garden. I kept hitting large stones/ rocks, and digging up rubbish such as empty sacks etc. I got so fed up i had the builder around, they took away the rubble id removed but wouldnt do much more. I eventually contacted the NHBC, finally theyre guy came out and dug 2 trial holes down to around 300mm, first one was nothing, second one he hiot a huge rock. Basically id collected all the stuff id dug up and showed pictures etc to him. he then compiled his report that told the buildeer they were to excavate and remove the top 300mm of soil, import new soil and relay new turf. Have to say the garden is a thousand times better as it was all clay before. I'd write a letter to the builder, quoting what ive included below, they might take it more seriously then, if they refuse make a claim with the NHBC.

The NHBC spec lists this:

GARDEN AREAS
(up to 20m from the habitable parts of
the home)
9.2 - S5 Garden areas shall be free from
obstructions beneath the surface
Old foundations, concrete bases and
similar obstructions occurring within
300mm of the finished ground surface
should be removed.
9.2 - S6 Garden areas shall be
adequately prepared for cultivation
Construction rubbish and debris should
be removed from garden and other areas
around the home.
The ground around the home can be
compacted by machinery and storage of
materials during construction as well as
when topsoil is being replaced and this
can affect the structure of the soil and
its draining capability. Where this occurs
within 3m of the home appropriate action
should be taken to suitably restore the
drainage characteristics of the soil.
Any ground disturbed during construction
should be re-graded to conform to the
general shape of the adjacent ground.
Subsoil should not be placed over topsoil
and any topsoil disturbed should be
reinstated. Garden areas should be provided
with topsoil to a thickness of not less than
100mm. The topsoil should not contain
contaminants which are likely to present a
hazard to users of the garden area.

[SteveF]

I am having great difficulty in getting the NHBC to enforce their own standards and I am looking for some advice. We have been though the NHBC resolution process. In the resolution report the inspector accepts that the tolerances specified in “A consistent approach to finishes” have not been adhered to. However the NHBC inspector has deemed the general appearance of walls to be acceptable, despite the presence of a very obvious continual displacement of the perpend mortar joints (4 cm + in nine brick rows) and a very noticeable variation in the thickness of the bed joints (thin bed joins 5mm and thick bed joints 20mm). We have an independent report which also comments on these issues.

We have already had one elevation taken down and rebuilt.

We purchased the house from new believing that the NHBC would enforce their own standards. Having had responsibility with regards to building control, one would expect that before issuing a completion certificate the NHBC would ensure that their own standards were met. Clearly I feel that the building control was not performed correctly.

The builder was contractually obliged to build the house in line with NHBC standards but they simply ignore our concerns and the NHBC will not enforce the standards that they themselves have published! Any advice on the best way to proceed would be gratefully received.

Hi there

If you have a resolution report that says the standards have not been met then do not accept the subjective view of the Inspector who says it is acceptable.

If the defects were reported within the two year builder liability period then he has an obligation to rectify any defect or non compliance with NHBC Standards.

Write to the Inspector quoting this and let him know that you will take the issue up the line in the NHBC if he does not enforce the findings of the resolution report.

SteveF

[Chuck Sidfrum]

Just found this post, quoting NHBC standards.

We'd complained about garden drainage, debris in the soil, and unlevel ground and turfing, which we suspect has been moving down.

NHBC simply said to us, their standards don't cover gardens.

Perhaps that was not the whole truth . . . we shall investigate this further now.

[Useless]

Hi, we have had a similar situation with the perp mortar joints. To put it bluntly, they are a disgrace, none are straight so I contacted the NHBC who came out and had a look. Photographs were taken with the plumb bob on the wall and the conclusion from the NHBC was that the problems needed repairing. I tried to discuss this with the builders and they explained that if the brick panels were replaced, they didn't think that the strength of the wall would be as good. They also explained that the different colour mortar would stand out and look much worse than it did already. I contacted ther NHBC to ask for advice but they wouldn't give me any as they were not allowed to give advice. In the mean time, I also reported that many of the bricks had chips out of them. Some of the panels appeared to have a been shot at by a machine gun. The builders said that this was natural and was caused by the lime but it wasn't right to me. The NHBC would not do anything about this but I pressed the builder and they got somebody in to paint the damaged and chipped bricks. Unfortunately this isn't a particularly good job and if you are stood within 3m of the wall you can still see the blemishes, paint marks etc. A year later, the same chap form the NHBC came out and inspected the poor perp joints. He explained that the panels look much better now that the damaged bricks were painted and no further action was required on the perp joints and today they are still exactly the same, similar to a dogs back leg. I found this to be unbelievable. On his first visit he explained that if you can see poor quality work from over 6 metres away then the builder would have to remedy this. On his second visit that distance had changed to 10m.
I would be interested to see how you got on.
Thanks

[nem39esis]

Chuck,

Whoever you spoke with at the NHBC clearly doesnt know what they are talking about, gardens are covered, not in great detail but some. Its guidance not 9.2-S5 :GARDEN AREAS
(up to 20m from the habitable parts of
the home)

9.2 - S5 Garden areas shall be free from
obstructions beneath the surface
Old foundations, concrete bases and
similar obstructions occurring within
300mm of the finished ground surface
should be removed.
9.2 - S6 Garden areas shall be
adequately prepared for cultivation
Construction rubbish and debris should
be removed from garden and other areas
around the home.
The ground around the home can be
compacted by machinery and storage of
materials during construction as well as
when topsoil is being replaced and this
can affect the structure of the soil and
its draining capability. Where this occurs
within 3m of the home appropriate action
should be taken to suitably restore the
drainage characteristics of the soil.
Any ground disturbed during construction
should be re-graded to conform to the
general shape of the adjacent ground.
Subsoil should not be placed over topsoil
and any topsoil disturbed should be
reinstated. Garden areas should be provided
with topsoil to a thickness of not less than
100mm. The topsoil should not contain
contaminants which are likely to present a
hazard to users of the garden area.

Hope that helps.

[Jane Sudders]

I would like to hear from as many people as possible who have NHBC cover to then discover what they had was not what they thought. The service NHBC offer is disgraceful and they are virtually UNTOUCHABLE. You will find it near on impossible to find any cases of NHBC being prosecuted, regardless of the case.. Should you have a problem they will drag their heals and do all they can to deter you.. let me know.