Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Apr 05, 2010 6:33 pm Hi all We are currently building our first home, and are at frame stage. Waiting for bricks to be laid, to erect the rest of the garage. I have a few questions in regards to the frame, tha i am hoping perhaps one of you lovely people may be able to offer a kind word of advice. We've been out to our site to have a look at our frame a few times, while we we're waiting for the bricks, and have noticed quite a few cracks and splits within the wood for our frame. We took photos of the cracks we are concerned with, and forwarded them onto our builder. They aren't exactly hairline cracks, some are an inch or so deep, some larger.,or seem to be sliced on an angle. We have brought this up with the office, and the information was passed onto the construction supervisor, and the response has been that the cracks and splits are quite normal, and we are waiting now for an appointed walk though with our SS. Being our first build, we knew that this forum would be probably the right place to ask for independent opinions. Do the cracks and splits matter, or is it only if it is a central structural point? Thank you kindly Dear J.K. Rowling, Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends? Sincerely, Anonymous Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 2Apr 05, 2010 6:55 pm Hi there l am awaiting to see what people respond. We are at the same stage as you and are having the exact same problem. l thought that if the timber has knots in it then it would be inferior and not be used. l am unsure as to whether to tell the supervisor or not. He hasnt checked on the frame yet so he might pick up on it. Please let me know what happens with your framework. Handover date 3rd August 2010 WOOHOO!!! Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 4Apr 05, 2010 7:13 pm Hi janenguyen, It's a bit of a dilemma isn't it. We also have a lot of knots in our wood, but it's more the splits and slices in the wood that have me more concerned. I would have thought that knots, splits and the likes, would all be considered to weaken the structure. They are yet to inspect our frame, and saying it's 'normal', our builder is only going by the photos we had sent them. Would love to have a first home builders checklist, or things to look out for and what to expect, have Googled and Googled, and i don't think there is one available. Dear J.K. Rowling, Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends? Sincerely, Anonymous Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 5Apr 05, 2010 7:14 pm Hi mav999, I do actually. Not sure how much you can see in them, will upload them, wont be long Dear J.K. Rowling, Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends? Sincerely, Anonymous Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 6Apr 05, 2010 7:27 pm Sorry, they might be a little big for the forum. This is one of the smaller ones, there are quite a few all around the frame. The knot seems to have cracked. It doesn't look too bad in the photo though. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ This is another Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And this is one of the ones that worries us, not sure if you can see, but this piece is sliced through the wood on an angle. This is a side view, the crack goes right through to the other side, the arrows indicating how far the split goes down. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Dear J.K. Rowling, Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends? Sincerely, Anonymous Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 7Apr 05, 2010 8:00 pm Hi Little Misses, Firstly, love your avatar... Kermit rocks I remember I had similar knotting and splitting in my frame. My uncle, who is a registered builder, took a look for me and told me it was quite normal. He said it was more important to ensure the studs and noggins are correctly spaced around the frame. Mine seemed to be OK as far as he was concerned. However, I'm certainly no expert. Definitely speak with your SS about your concerns. If you still aren't 100% satisfied, it might be worth investing in a private builder inspector once frame stage is complete. Just for piece-of-mind. Good luck with it all! Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 8Apr 06, 2010 1:24 am Hi Pharley Aww, thanks That's a great idea. It would be well worth the extra to seek another opinion. I'm just reading through your blog, hope you don't mind, I'm cringing as we speak, as we have the same builder Dear J.K. Rowling, Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends? Sincerely, Anonymous Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 9Apr 06, 2010 12:32 pm Hi There, I Think you will indeed find that most minor splits in pine are quite normal. Pine grows very fast and as a result isn;t a very dense timber with a tight grain which is why pine frames need more studs then the older hardwood frames. You probably need to be more concerned with the studs being straight as pine can have a tendancy to warp. Also remember that MOST internal walls in new homes are not structural and really only hold the plaster up. Your external frame walls are more important. Finally though, make sure you resolve ALL concerns you have with your construction prior to accepting the keys. Many people in my estate have built with the same builder and more than 12 months after handover the defects list hasn't been fixed. I built with a different builder and I am still waiting to, and I have been here nearly 18 months! Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 10Apr 06, 2010 3:56 pm Thank you both for your replies. We had a family member, who has built a few times, look over the frame, and he was the one who pointed them out. We really didn't know what to look for. All the bits that hold it all in place, seem to be fine, he has said, but we are going to have an independent inspector have a look through it as well, mainly for our own peace of mind. We are building in an area that was battered by storms, and being so open there, could be a result of the frame being weathered? Thanks again I truly appreciate everyone's advice. Dear J.K. Rowling, Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends? Sincerely, Anonymous Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 11Apr 06, 2010 7:59 pm The Little Misses I'm just reading through your blog, hope you don't mind, I'm cringing as we speak, as we have the same builder Ahh, don't worry. 'Z' actually build very good quality houses. They only have problems with my particular style of home, the "Studio Four" series, which have been plagued with problems. I've never heard a complaint from a 'Z' customer building one of their regular designs. So I think you'll be safe Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 12Apr 06, 2010 8:28 pm How you haven't taken to them with a fork by now, is beyond me The only whinge i would have about them, is their lack of communication. Only at frame stage, so I'm sure I'll be whinging more within the later stages It's been nearly 12 months since we first bought our land and started this whole process, and didn't now much about the builder really, so hopefully it goes smoothly from here, fingers crossed. Dear J.K. Rowling, Your books are entirely unrealistic. I mean, a ginger kid with two friends? Sincerely, Anonymous Re: First time building - At Frame Stage 13Apr 06, 2010 9:33 pm There are many forums here that recommend good building inspectors and I suggest paying a few bucks is well worth the peace of mind. It also keeps the builders on their toes and I heard that if you are keen but not overly zealous you get the best tradies . This is 100% true. You can not hang anything on steel frames. very frustrating 8 8014 Can anyone give me any onfo on New Homes WA? Good or bad, hopefully good just need to know if my choice was good or not? Thanks ❤️ 0 8936 So it looks like we finally have some movement on site! Definitely later than expected, but I'll take any progress at this point. I'll drop by over the weekend to get… 5 27712 |