How to protect cladding

[Spinny]

Any ideas for the best way to protect cladding from damage by adjacent building works please ?

[Big Jimbo]

Damage from what ? Dust or actual getting bashed damage ? How close is the nearby building work ? What sort of building work is it ? Will any access to your land be required for said building work ?

We can help, but need more info.

 

[Spinny]

Building work to dig and lay foundations and build the outer wall of an extension a metre away from the cladding, possibly with adjacent scaffold or platforms. Yes work will be done from the metre gap which is our land. So digging including use of a digger, breaking out, cutting, dust, possibly knocking with ladder, or tools, spashing with mortar etc.

 

Part of wall is also rendered - k-rend. The only obvious fixing point is fascia/soffit/capping timbers at the top of the single storey wall - where timber has not yet been covered with any alu roofline trim.

Edited Tuesday at 07:45 by Spinny

[Mr Punter]

Dust sheets and sheets of ply or protection boards.  Wash off any cement splashes before they cure.

[ProDave]

23 minutes ago, Spinny said:

Building work to dig and lay foundations and build the outer wall of an extension a metre away from the cladding, possibly with adjacent scaffold or platforms. Yes work will be done from the metre gap which is our land. So digging including use of a digger, breaking out, cutting, dust, possibly knocking with ladder, or tools, spashing with mortar etc.

So is this the neighbour building the extension, not you?

 

Put the responsibility of protecting your wall on them?

[Spinny]

Thanks  for response. A main problem would seem to be how to actually fix any covering, given you cannot fix into the cladding or render, and the height to top of roof is about 3.2m. (taller than any 2.4m board)

Also needs to survive the weather going into winter for 3/4 months.

 

What do you mean by 'protection boards' ? Proplex ?

 

Concerned that anything in direct contact with the cladding and render will then itself abrade the surface finish as it is bound to move somewhat over time from the weight of it or action of weather or being knocked.

 

 

 

[Spinny]

1 minute ago, ProDave said:

Put the responsibility of protecting your wall on them?

I have, but they propose to hang 2.4m insulated plasterboard sheets from the fascia board. Doesn't seem the best idea to me, given even polystyrene rubbing against the surface seems likely to mark or damage it. Also plasterboard and rain doesn't seem a good mix and p/board sheets hanging could blow about or even come down off fixings.

 

[Russell griffiths]

Lengths of cls, spiked into the ground and screwed to the facia then board it in 9mm osb. 

[Spinny]

So as to create a void/air gap between the covering and the actual cladding and rendering ?

Not sure how to spike into the ground which is hardcore over earth.

[saveasteading]

A fence. Otherwise it will be damaged.

Be aware too that a replacement sheet of cladding never matches. One damaged sheet can require the whole face to be replaced. That may require fascias and gutter removal.

Photographs, submitted formally to your neighbour will prove condition and that you mean what you say about repercussions.

 

Where is the boundary?

[Kelvin]

Scaffold protection sheets the full height of the scaffold. Have them pay for a temporary fence to run the full length of your house. Assume it will get damaged and agree now in writing what the remedy will be. Patching a repair might not look acceptable to you and replaced cladding might not match well. 

[Spinny]

[Kelvin]

Is the existing fence coming down and the scaffold will be on your land? 
 

I’d just fix a dust sheet to the fascia and weight it at the bottom. 

[Spinny]

12 minutes ago, Kelvin said:

Is the existing fence coming down and the scaffold will be on your land? 
 

I’d just fix a dust sheet to the fascia and weight it at the bottom. 

Yes

Dust sheet will rip off in wind and doesn't protect against knocks.

Any scaffold will not go up until a lift is needed and might just be platforms.

[Redbeard]

What is the relationship like with the neighbour and/or the neighbour's contractor? I would set out very clearly what you would like  any protection to achieve, and ask them to make a proposal for your agreement. Make it clear in writing that if the arrangements they make are deficient in any way, and your property is damaged in any way, your course of action will be (xxx). If this is all done in advance, in writing they cannot say later that  they were not warned. (I fully accept that if there is less than 100% co-operation this is a lot easier to say than to achieve).

[Kelvin]

Buildings have protective sheets attached to them for months, years in some cases. If the scaffolding is going to be on your land then it’s going to be very close to your house so won’t they have to fit a scaffold sheeting down it anyway like they do when it’s on the street? It’ll be the scaffolders that will hit your house if it’s so close so be mindful of that. I still think dust sheet from your fascia, scaffold protection, and try and get in site type boarding/fencing which is typically just painted OSB. Then agree how any damage will be remediated in writing. 

[Spinny]

38 minutes ago, Redbeard said:

What is the relationship like with the neighbour and/or the neighbour's contractor?

Difficult, already wanting to unilaterally change the design on the fly.

PW Award and a letter have already warned them of their responsibilities. They have been told in writing that repairs could cost 5 figures.

Edited Tuesday at 10:14 by Spinny

[saveasteading]

Perhaps forbid them from crossing the boundary in any way. They have no entitlement to do so, above or below ground.

 

Where do they intend footings to go? All on their side?

How will they finish their wall without access or scaffold?

 

[Tosh]

I was going to mention Party Wall Act but looks like thats already in motion. What about just putting a few heras panels on feet across there? Surely the edge of their wall will be set back from the boundary otherwise they'd have to dig into your property to install the foundations.

[Spinny]

2 hours ago, saveasteading said:

They have no entitlement to do so, above or below ground.

They have access onto my property under the Award. They cannot build on or over my property. Indicating a 50mm set back only (flat roof).

You don't need a projecting foundation, you can build on the edge.

 

Just had to inform the builder he can't build over a gas pipe.

They plan to build over the drain chamber (poor practice).

Edited Tuesday at 13:10 by Spinny

[saveasteading]

But what is your plan if they simply cross the line without asking?

If they dif across then the LA may help, as it is planning and building regs related. 

But if they just start working on your side???

[Spinny]

They intend to leave the existing tarmac down underneath the suspended floor void in the extension. Any building regulations about that ?

void will be about 800mm deep.

Edited Tuesday at 13:21 by Spinny

[saveasteading]

Just now, Spinny said:

existing tarmac

It's nearly all stone. 5% bitumen. To me that's no problem. I've seen it argued that it's organic and not acceptable.

I'd lay polythene over it I think.

[Mr Punter]

3 minutes ago, Spinny said:

They intend to leave the existing tarmac down underneath the suspended floor void in the extension. Any building regulations about that ?

void will be about 800mm deep.

 

What's it to you?

[Spinny]

Mr Punter I'd rather not have a dodgy extension built on my boundary and uphill from my property. I think that is natural.

I am told the builder has known the BC for over 10 years. It appears to be being done on a budget, build over drain, no soakaway, no construction plans, no building notice, ignorant of gas and sewer regs. So yes I will keep my eyes open.

If your neighbour drove down your road at 50mph and nearly knocked someone down, you might want to do something more than 'none of my business', or if your neighbour started building something 20ft high in his garden, you might want to do more than 'none of my business'.