Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Feb 04, 2016 9:07 pm Hi,
First time poster hoping for some informed advice and opinion regarding a mistake made at the framing stage of our new home build. We specified for a burnished concrete slab in all but the bedrooms and bathrooms of the house. Slab was poured and a few weeks later the frame was erected, braced internally (nailed to the slab). This 'mistake' was first picked up by the supervisor who was none too impressed with the carpenters 'stuff up'. Supervisor contacted concrete grinder and the consensus communicated to us was that the holes could be patched and floor would be fine. We have been sceptical throughout the build that the floor would meet our expectation and after being patched using a roughly colour matched resin we were less than impressed. We counted 45 highly visible nail holes/patched repairs in our entrance hall, lounge, kitchen, dining and living areas. We have a number of times expressed our concern and disappointment in our floor but at this stage the builder is of the opinion that the floor is fixed and of a standard suitable for handover. We met today with conc' grinder and builder to discuss possible fixes of which at this stage an increased gloss is the preferred option but it could still be at our cost and will obviously not erase the holes/patches. We could possibly learn to live with it but it has caused us considerable stress and we feel it takes away greatly from the finished home. We are also concerned about possible loss of value due to the obvious damage, but how do you put a $ figure on this if we were to go down the compensation route??? Very disappointed and seeking advice and opinions. Below is an example of what we have throughout our floor: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 2Feb 05, 2016 9:34 am That sucks. Looks very noticeable. I would have thought the only real solutions would be to cover the whole floor. Either with some type of epoxy to make the surface uniform or to tile over it. Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 3Feb 05, 2016 10:00 am Hi Benduro Thanks for the photos Do you have the engineering slab details,specis and photos prior to the slab being poured ie rebar The cracking seems to line up with the nail marks..or is that just coincidental? Compensation will depend on the above info and who is at fault? Goodluck Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 4Feb 05, 2016 10:26 am That would be fine if you were polishing a slab for a converted warehouse apartment or something where the imperfections are part of the character. Not acceptable for a new home in my opinion. Building Services Engineer Renovating our 1960's modernist home in Brisbane https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=82091 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 5Feb 05, 2016 8:57 pm Thanks for the replies thus far. Definitely do not want to tile over it as we would lose the look we were after and more importantly the thermal mass that conc offers. Cracks do stem from some of the nail holes and I will go through the plans for engineering details. Burnished conc' was def' specified prior to construction and is in the plans. 1.25acre block so plenty of space avail' for external bracing. Any solution/resolution is going to be a compromise on our behalf and we are very disappointed that we prob' will not get near our desired finish. Def' not acceptable for a new home! Thanks. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 6Feb 06, 2016 9:52 am I can only imagine how gutted you were when you went to site and saw that. Your site supervisor claims to be disappointed with the carpenters, but it's not the carpenter's job to know what sort of floor it's going to be. The supervisor should have made it abundantly clear to them that they are not to nail anything to the floor unless it's a bottom plate. Building Services Engineer Renovating our 1960's modernist home in Brisbane https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=82091 Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 7Feb 06, 2016 10:08 am Hi Benduro Thanks for the photos I noticed they are very deep footings did you take close ups of the top mesh/rebar? BTW. I don't see any photos showing the top slab mesh/rebar/cover, etc prior to pour? Who inspected and certified your slab, here in WA a structural engineer Certifies the soil and slab details/works,etc Special care is taken with the mix, shrinkage steel and placement for exposed/polished aggregate slabs... Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 8Feb 06, 2016 2:06 pm I would be absolutely shattered if this happened to our floors. We have burnished floors but didnt go as far as to expose the aggregate so i can def empathise with u. The only option i would give my builder would be to allow someone to come in and do a concrete veneer like this company. http://pangaeafloors.com.au They did a few floors on the block and come out looking amazing. This would be the only solution i would be happy with. Good luck Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 9Feb 06, 2016 3:40 pm Yes I agree livpal - although I bet the builder would just about pass out at a cost of $250/m2!! That's an expensive stuff up! Building Services Engineer Renovating our 1960's modernist home in Brisbane https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=82091 Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 10Feb 06, 2016 4:21 pm I'd be trying to seek a refund or damages from whom ever was hired to oversee the carpenters! We did high exposure grind to polish of a normal slab (photo inserted) but I still think you'd see those holes as they'd still need a grout filler, but they would be way less noticeable as more stones would come through (provided you had a reasonably even poured slab) Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 13Feb 06, 2016 5:01 pm After looking at and discussing a number of options we feel the closest thing to what we originally specified would be something like
Ecoflor Semi levelling cement based topical coating (3-6mm). This is advertised as the only one that can be troweled/burnished and polished ($120-$180/Sqm installed).Some advice from a mate who is a builder indicates that if we went to VCAT we would win as he believes it to be a communication breakdown/error between supervisor and carpenter. At this stage I'd be happy if they'd cover the costs involved in getting it up to scratch, just not confident that they will foot a $12-20 000 bill? Appreciate the comments, advice and sympathy, it's very reassuring to know we are not just being precious about this issue. Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 14Feb 06, 2016 5:12 pm StructuralBIMGuy, Wasn't able to get photos of reo on top but it was done. Still trying to find engineering details but because of the trees in the vicinity it did require significant engineering and also the hardness was upgraded because of the specified burnished conc. Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 15Feb 07, 2016 7:43 am Benduro StructuralBIMGuy, Wasn't able to get photos of reo on top but it was done. That is bad luck..Most grano workers don't like you taking photos As an Engineer I insist they don't start the pour until the rebar & mix is inspected before the pour Benduro Still trying to find engineering details but because of the trees in the vicinity it did require significant engineering and also the hardness was upgraded because of the specified burnished conc. Where is the engineering certificate? What was specified and what was provided could be very different.I suggest you get a copy of the drawings. Tell the builder you will be getting core samples of the concrete for testing,analysis and simulations..aim high..settle a little lower.BTW,A topping over a weak base could be a waste of more money? Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 16Feb 07, 2016 9:29 am As the estimated repair cost is high or if left as is, the devaluation value is significant, getting an Independent Building Inspector right now could be a very wise investment/insurance, especially if VCAT is likely. Going solo vs a builder could be tough. The BI may suggest other Technical expert tests and reports to strengthen your case. Your relationship with the builder will be affected either way, but having a BI will show them you are serious. Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 17Feb 07, 2016 4:15 pm ^^^ I could not agree more. As I've learnt in other threads though, there are building inspectors and building inspectors... just make sure you choose a good one! Building Services Engineer Renovating our 1960's modernist home in Brisbane https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?f=53&t=82091 Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 18Feb 08, 2016 5:54 pm Thanks again for the replies and advice. Today the builder made a goodwill offer of compensation of approx' 25% of the cost of rectification. Better than nothing. Not likely to accept the offer, however, as ultimately we will be significantly out of pocket if going down the rectification route and perhaps even more so if we 'live with it' and down the track go to sell. Where to next? Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 19Feb 08, 2016 6:03 pm I know it's easier said than done, but I think you need to stand your ground on this. You asked and paid for a product and you haven't got it. I'd want them to rectify it. In some way I feel sorry for the builder as it is a big expense, but I see this sort of thing all the time in my job. Builders don't adequately manage and supervise their projects, and tradespeople and subcontractors don't read documentation and drawings. Then they build something incorrectly and try to play on the fact that to rectify it is extremely difficult and/or costly, to try and get the client to let them get away with it. No other industry would get away with that. Re: 45+ visible nail holes in new Polished Concrete slab 20Feb 08, 2016 6:37 pm You may find more help if you read your PM private messages. Your builder is likely to already have legal representation and depending on whether they are with HIA or MBA will be able to access lots of resources should you head to VCAT. Advice here can support your situation, as do I, but VCAT will need way more input and evidence. IMHO that is. DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair Hi there, I just recently received my new house from my builder. We handed the house to another company to deal with the… 0 8911 ask the surveyor for clarification would be the logical approach 1 20135 You are correct. Just read through all the ncc rules and 75mm is the minimum requirement for me. 4 11180 |