CRACKING TO ROUGHCASTING

[FREDDIE]

6 MONTHS AFTER I GAINED ENTRY TO MY PROPERTY I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL CRACKS TO MY ROUGHCASTING. THE BUILDER AND THE NHBC ARE UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING TO REPAIR THIS. CAN ANYONE SUGGEST WHAT I DO NEXT???

[Tony]

If you have an NHBC case number you can take your complaint to trading standards

Tony

[Tex]

Would you be more specific in your description to crack's in rough casting!
I guess you mean your external render/k-rend/highbuild etc.
If you can post some more details or even get a photo of the defects & then i will either explain why they wont or cant repair the problem or guide you onto the best approach for getting the defects rectified!

[FREDDIE]

[quote:17882e9dd7="Tex"]Would you be more specific in your description to crack's in rough casting!
I guess you mean your external render/k-rend/highbuild etc.
If you can post some more details or even get a photo of the defects & then i will either explain why they wont or cant repair the problem or guide you onto the best approach for getting the defects rectified![/quote:17882e9dd7]
THE HOUSE IS CONSTRUCTED OF HALF BRICK HALF ROUGHCASTING, THIS BEING AT THE TOP HALF OF THE HOUSE. THE TWO CRACKS RUN FROM THE UNDERNEATH OF THE WINDOW LEDGES TO THE BOTTOM OF THE ROUGHCASTING. THE NHBC SAYS ITS JUST SETTLEMENT. BUT MY POINT IS THIS IS A NEW HOUSE AND I EXPECT THIS DEFECT TO BE RECTIFIED. THEY HAVE CONFIRMED THAT IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT RECTIFIED THIS WILL HAVE AN EFFECT ON MY PROPERTY DUE TO RAIN PENETRATING THROUGH THE CRACKS INTO THE BREEZEBLOCK. HOPE THIS IS SUFFICIENT INFO FOR YOU.

[Tex]

Ok, i'm still non the wiser to what this rou gh casting is!
But the answer will be roughly the same.
It may be a sand cement based render with either a covering or a modern k-rend, monocouche or simular.
This is one off the hardest area's to repair without it being noticable! A good finish is near on impossible and sometimes can make the property look worse! To rectify properly will probably cost more than the original application! No body is to blame, it is settlement that caused it! The contract will have something in small print with regards to this common problem!
If you live on a development, check out your neighbours properties and see how many have reacted the same. The more of you the better!

Having read through this thread, I feel I have to comment. My new house which I gained entry to in July last year is of similar construction. 1/2 finishing brick 1/2 roughcast. I was woken during the night with a loud bang. I assumed it must have been a car back fire or something. So the following morning I was suprised to notice a crack running though the centre of the first coarse of brickwork above the damp coarse. Through the gap on the next coarse of brick then though the roughcast to under the en-suit bathroom. Contacted the builder who has assured me they will come and cut the crack out and put in another expansion joint. They will also cut out the broken brick and replace that too. That was 7 months ago, having spoken to my neighbour about this he told me his property has two similar crack and was told the same thing! Two and half years ago!!!!!!

[cruicky]

That last post was actually me. User name cruicky. For some reason it has come up as guest.

[Tony]

You don't actually have to register to post. A bit of a risk, but it encourages people to be spontaneous rather than having to go through the registration process.

www.snaggings.com might be worth a look. lots of info on castings

Tony