Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Nov 12, 2017 6:52 pm I was very disappointed to find out that Henley (my builder) used F5 grade timber for both studs and top and bottom plates. I drove past a construction site where Carlisle, Burbank, Simonds, Long Island, Boutique are also building. I went into their houses under construction, checked and confirmed that those builders are all using MGP10 for studs, and that some even use MGP12 for top plates. I'm very disappointed Henley still use the cheapest timber (F5) on the market to build houses. Ironically, despite using the most inferior structural timber, Henley offer the longest structural warranty in the industry (50 years). How can this be justified? Re: Why does only Henley use low grade (F5) timber for studs 2Nov 13, 2017 9:07 am The obvious answer is because they can and cost. Any builder will reduce costs as far as possible. As for your dissappointment it could have been avoided if you read builder's specification before you signed the contract. Secondly, your dissapointment is not warranted because even F5 framing pine will (if the frame is correctly constructed) be satisfactory to carry the loads. You can avoid your disappointment by asking the builder to upgrade framing material specification and pay for it via a contract variation. You get what you pay for.(but often you pay for it and don't get it). I have been a builder for over 40 years and hardly ever heard of house frames failing, so your 50 year guarantee is probably a safe bet for the builder. Your concerns are misplaced, instead you should ensure that your build is independently monitored via stage inspections. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Why does only Henley use low grade (F5) timber for studs 3Nov 13, 2017 10:37 pm building-expert The obvious answer is because they can and cost. Any builder will reduce costs as far as possible. As for your dissappointment it could have been avoided if you read builder's specification before you signed the contract. Secondly, your dissapointment is not warranted because even F5 framing pine will (if the frame is correctly constructed) be satisfactory to carry the loads. You can avoid your disappointment by asking the builder to upgrade framing material specification and pay for it via a contract variation. You get what you pay for.(but often you pay for it and don't get it). I have been a builder for over 40 years and hardly ever heard of house frames failing, so your 50 year guarantee is probably a safe bet for the builder. Your concerns are misplaced, instead you should ensure that your build is independently monitored via stage inspections. Thanks. Much appreciated.. Re: Why does only Henley use low grade (F5) timber for studs 4Nov 14, 2017 7:12 am How do you know the grade of timber that is being used? It it stamped on the wood? Re: Why does only Henley use low grade (F5) timber for studs 5Nov 14, 2017 8:27 am Framing pine is F5 , graded timber is stamped MPG10 (machine graded pine) You need to remember that load carrying capacity of even F5 greatly exceeds likely imposed loads unless there are framing errors(workmanship errors).For example if you have a truss roof then all your internal walls are likely to be non-load bearing This is why we always recommend independent inspection even after frames have passed mandatory frame inspection as a part of building permit. In practice we find serious framing errors even after frames have been passed. Furthermore frames can be damaged by subsequent trades. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Why does only Henley use low grade (F5) timber for studs 6Nov 14, 2017 8:38 am Thanks building-expert, I was curious on how to tell but have engaged independent inspectors. Re: Why does only Henley use low grade (F5) timber for studs 7Nov 14, 2017 4:39 pm Happy to assist you, it's good to know you have your independent inspectors. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Staircases and sausages. Should thou wish to keep thy palate sweet for sausages, avert thine eyes from their crafting. 14 4673 Interesting. You have great clearance to damp proof course all the way around which is rare with so many cowboy landscapers and concreters. Is there sufficient fall… 2 2661 That sucks! Hope it all works out. Good to move away from steel anyway for all your reasons, but it's also thermally poor. 16 18012 |