Jeremy Harris Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 For us a passive slab was a complete no brainer. Cheaper than any other foundation. Included UFH pipes. Fantastic thermal performance. A surface finish that was like a billiard table, making life so much easier when fitting out. Plus it resolved our ground conditions problem completely, as the required soil max allowable bearing stress is far lower than with a conventional trench foundation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryE Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 3 hours ago, JSHarris said: Our slab was dead flat and smooth, too. Our had a low spot along one gable. It must have a whole 2-3mm lower that the rest of the slab -- enough to see the puddle when it rained in the 3 weeks before the frame went up. But on serious note, the guys made it look simple, but that because they were pros; they really knew what they were doing and were extremely particular. The tiler who slated the entire ground floor said that he'd never worked on a domestic new build like it. Fantastic thermal performance and really good VFM. I am extremely happy with my slab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 I think one problem is that a lot of people have become used to accepting sub-standard performance from a wide range of contractors, and so uneven slabs, rubbish insulation fitting, poor detailing etc have all somehow become "normal". We build houses in the UK that would be unacceptable in some other countries. In fact, a lot of mass built houses are total crap, built right down to the lowest price, with corners cut all over the place. I think Paul Buckingham summed this state of affairs up well, in this paper: https://www.aecb.net/publications/we-must-change-our-disgraceful-approach-to-build-quality-or-wave-goodbye-to-energy-savings/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 1 hour ago, JSHarris said: built right down to the lowest price, with corners cut all over the place Do they really build down to a price by cutting corners, or are they just incompetent and need retraining. I have worked for engineering companies that penny pinched but threw away pounds. There was a GD on the telly at work tonight. Did not catch much of it, but McCloud said something about builders going bankrupt because they were working to a fixed price. Well I hate to say it, most other small businesses work to a fixed price. I don't change my menu pricing on a whim, my suppliers don't ask me for extra money. The hair dresser up the road has not changed his pricing in a couple of years. The only other people that are as bad as builders are car repair places, and it tends to be the main dealers that offer the least value for money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy Harris Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 2 minutes ago, SteamyTea said: Do they really build down to a price by cutting corners, or are they just incompetent and need retraining. I have worked for engineering companies that penny pinched but threw away pounds. There was a GD on the telly at work tonight. Did not catch much of it, but McCloud said something about builders going bankrupt because they were working to a fixed price. Well I hate to say it, most other small businesses work to a fixed price. I don't change my menu pricing on a whim, my suppliers don't ask me for extra money. The hair dresser up the road has not changed his pricing in a couple of years. The only other people that are as bad as builders are car repair places, and it tends to be the main dealers that offer the least value for money. Probably a bit of both, I suspect. One big issue is that there has been a sharp increase in costs to builders, with a marked reduction in profit margins. Years ago, when I was engaged to a property developers daughter, he used to work on the old rule of thirds, a third for the plot, a third to build the house and a third for profit. That has changed a great deal, and now the profit part is probably around 1/3rd of what it used be . Lots of reasons for this. Land costs may have risen out of proportion to house prices, build costs have certainly increased, both materials and labour. It's easy to blame increased building regs requirements, but the reality is that those costs are in the noise if the house construction method is optimised for compliance. Sadly, there seems a reluctance to adopt new methods of construction, that could make meeting tighter building regs requirements cheaper and easier. I've lost count of the number of times a request for a change in method has been "but we've always done it this way". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonM Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 A very interesting and thought provoking thread. I think a lot of it comes down to a business culture in the UK that is not prepared to invest in training and are unwilling to move on from legacy methods. It is I guess one of the reasons why the UK companies have some of the longest working hours but lowest productivity. Where we are competing internationally, British owned companies end up becoming niche players with the car industry being a case in point. The house-building industry is however dominated by domestic companies, so they just carry on doing what they have always done. A good quality home seems to be as much about good design and attention to detail and I feel sure that if the volume house-builders put the same effort in these areas as they do in marketing, they could make significant improvements in quality and use their scale to minimise any additional costs. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennentslager Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 I think @Fredd should be read in a Cornish accent or maybe Welsh... clearly one of the regulars having a fantastic time pushing all your buttons? I'm loving it, it's better than the adventures of Rollo... although there may be a similarity or two in the writing style ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Construction Channel Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 17 minutes ago, Tennentslager said: it's better than the adventures of Rollo. you take that back. this is a mere breeze compared to the storm that is Rollo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 This thread is more a case of having "kicked the hornets nest" I feel. Nice to see how the members here have, by and large, all come together. Team spirit et al! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hecateh Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 12 hours ago, Barney12 said: That is very true. I was talking to a local estate agent (in the pub) about my place recently. He said "you are having granite worktops aren't you? People expect them round here."). Houses these days remain a consumer purchase for the masses. Just go and look at the show home of any developer and that's clear to see. My son wants me to have granite or composite worktops. I'm on a budget which has already been decimated - laminate has served me well in this house for 18 years and is still going strong - I am mid 60's - stuff paying for anything else - he can put his choice in when it is his LOL 7 hours ago, SteamyTea said: @the rest of you all The style of Fredd's conversation is familiar, education is needed, rather than confrontation. to be fair - he has been treated much more gently on here than he would have been elsewhere. I haven't seen anyone being particularly rude about someone who seems to be saying that he doesn't care if his houses are any good - so long as he makes a BIG profit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 (edited) 17 minutes ago, Hecateh said: laminate has served me well in this house for 18 years and is still going strong I have the original kitchen, a very nasty, cheap one that is now over 30 years old. When I had the place valued a few years back, the estate agents said she liked the kitchen units as there 'were in vogue'. I just bought some cheap melamine paint and some gloss roller from Poundland. Estate agents talk absolute bollocks, they really do. They could not value a house if it was made from pound coins. 17 minutes ago, Hecateh said: to be fair Why I nipped in. We usually drive Architects away, but we are working our way UP the food chain today Edited February 7, 2018 by SteamyTea 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSS Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Tennentslager said: I think @Fredd should be read in a Cornish accent or maybe Welsh... clearly one of the regulars having a fantastic time pushing all your buttons? I'm loving it, it's better than the adventures of Rollo... although there may be a similarity or two in the writing style ? Not familiar with 'the adventures of Rollo', but suspect it may be similar to a 'wind-up' I was part of some years ago on the BBC 606 football forum. 'Saintess Sarah' (actually a Pompey fan) posted for months as a seemingly plausible Southampton fan before gradually being wooed by me and one other Pompey fan (the only others 'in the know'). Eventually 'she' accepted my invitation to accompany me to Fratton Park and went on to openly praise the Pompey fans for their amazing support, "far better than the atmosphere at St Marys" she said, before announcing that she'd converted to the blue of Pompey. Saints fans were foaming at the mouth as this unfolded on the message board and were even less happy when they eventually twigged that they'd been duped. Fredd's approach seems a little less subtle. More a case of finding an open window and lobbing a grenade through it Edited February 7, 2018 by NSS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nickfromwales Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 12 minutes ago, NSS said: Fredd's approach seems a little less subtle. More a case of finding an open window and lobbing a grenade through it Nothing wrong with a bit of sport Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSS Posted February 7, 2018 Share Posted February 7, 2018 3 minutes ago, Nickfromwales said: Nothing wrong with a bit of sport Fly fishing for example 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onoff Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 5 hours ago, Nickfromwales said: Nothing wrong with a bit of sport I draw the line at water sports Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oz07 Posted February 8, 2018 Share Posted February 8, 2018 6 hours ago, SteamyTea said: I have the original kitchen, a very nasty, cheap one that is now over 30 years old. When I had the place valued a few years back, the estate agents said she liked the kitchen units as there 'were in vogue'. I just bought some cheap melamine paint and some gloss roller from Poundland. Estate agents talk absolute bollocks, they really do. They could not value a house if it was made from pound coins. Why I nipped in. We usually drive Architects away, but we are working our way UP the food chain today They will come out with crap like this but when you ask them the square footage have no clue. Chancers mostly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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