Keithj
Member
- Messages
- 817
- Location
- Witnesham, Suffolk
Our restoration and extension are nearing completion, but yet another (pesky) snag has cropped up. The roof ring beam has twisted and the building has developed a list.
The structure is relatively simple - "a conservatory with a tiled roof" would describe it. The corner posts are oak, but not to ground level - there's a plinth wall below them. Hence they aren't as rigid as might be ideal.
Before the roofers fitted the tiles, the local specialist joinery firm measured the window apertures very precisely (they won't work from architects' drawings because builders often aren't that accurate). The roof is now on, and looks excellent. One slight worry was that the builder didn't install or tighten up all the bolts in the ring beam before the roof was laid.
The new windows, beautifully made, arrived last week and our carpenter went to fit the first one on Thursday. He found that the corner posts on the outside of the building (away from the house) have moved 6mm from the vertical. The side next to the house, where they are anchored to the house, remains vertical.
We don't see any point in a long delay to measure whether or not the building is still moving. We'd rather fix the problem and move on.
So, we've decided to brace the outer corners to stop the movement, BUT...
Do we push the building back to the vertical before doing so - my first thought - or will that cause the tiles and the roof capping, hip cappings etc (all concreted in place) to crack? Should we leave the 6mm of "list to starboard" and brace the corners to that?
Discussions with the architect and with building control have not been helpful - each is saying it's the other's fault that the problem occurred, and the builder insists that his failure to fit and tighten all the bolts before the tiles went on is nothing to do with the problem. There is probably no future in arguing - we've decided that braces (in good Tudor building tradition) will sort it. Hence, advice from the wise folk in here will help me get my head round what to do.
The structure is relatively simple - "a conservatory with a tiled roof" would describe it. The corner posts are oak, but not to ground level - there's a plinth wall below them. Hence they aren't as rigid as might be ideal.
Before the roofers fitted the tiles, the local specialist joinery firm measured the window apertures very precisely (they won't work from architects' drawings because builders often aren't that accurate). The roof is now on, and looks excellent. One slight worry was that the builder didn't install or tighten up all the bolts in the ring beam before the roof was laid.
The new windows, beautifully made, arrived last week and our carpenter went to fit the first one on Thursday. He found that the corner posts on the outside of the building (away from the house) have moved 6mm from the vertical. The side next to the house, where they are anchored to the house, remains vertical.
We don't see any point in a long delay to measure whether or not the building is still moving. We'd rather fix the problem and move on.
So, we've decided to brace the outer corners to stop the movement, BUT...
Do we push the building back to the vertical before doing so - my first thought - or will that cause the tiles and the roof capping, hip cappings etc (all concreted in place) to crack? Should we leave the 6mm of "list to starboard" and brace the corners to that?
Discussions with the architect and with building control have not been helpful - each is saying it's the other's fault that the problem occurred, and the builder insists that his failure to fit and tighten all the bolts before the tiles went on is nothing to do with the problem. There is probably no future in arguing - we've decided that braces (in good Tudor building tradition) will sort it. Hence, advice from the wise folk in here will help me get my head round what to do.
There is a bus shelter right by the front gate (but outside).