Builder messed up building my house!

NWM

Hi,

I have a 4 bed semi, built in 1999. I converted the garage a year or two later.

The guy I got to do it spotted (late) that the lintel above the garage opening was not level (apologies if I'm using "lintel" incorrectly).

So now there is an inch gap between the window that was installed and the lintel on one side.

My questions are, in the board's opinion:

1. Is the original builder liable? (Note, I paid cash to a local engineer to do a snag list and probably have nothing official from him)

2. Would homebond cover it?

3. How would I mask such a defect?

Here is a pic

De_man

hi could you post a full photograph please, at least we can then get a
proper look

Probably settlement, are there any movement cracks in the garage walls?

The easiest way to hide it would be to render the wall, but may not look right with the rest of the house.

As de_man says a full picture will give us a better idea though.

NWM

Thanks for the interest.

Here is a bigger pic



Since it's dark outside, here is an auctioneer's thumbnail showing the type of house.

The quick and easy way to hide it is just to get a strip of white UPVC and cover the gap, you can only see it if you look closely.

The hard way woud be to get the window refitted and aligned with the lintel, the gap would be less noticable under the sill.

NWM

Deleted User wrote:

Probably settlement, are there any movement cracks in the garage walls?

There were no movement cracks when the garage conversion was being done. I'd find it hard to believe it is settlement as everything else looks fine and it is about an inch in magnitude.

It is a timber frame/superwarm house if that has any bearing on anything.

Deleted User wrote:

The easiest way to hide it would be to render the wall, but may not look right with the rest of the house.

As de_man says a full picture will give us a better idea though.

What do you think after I posted the pics?

NWM

Deleted User wrote:

The quick and easy way to hide it is just to get a strip of white UPVC and cover the gap, you can only see it if you look closely.

That was something I did think of - I will try this I suppose. You're right - it'll only be noticeable if someone actually looks closely. However, I want to sell up in the not too distant future and I don't want this hanging over me.

Deleted User wrote:

The hard way woud be to get the window refitted and aligned with the lintel, the gap would be less noticable under the sill.

The garage converter kind of split-the-difference between the sill and the lintel already!

Is it brick or rendered block under the window?

If block the second option is still open to you
else realign the window and render the brickwork, as in the thumbnail you already have rendered panels on the house, a matching one under the window should look OK

wyndham

What was there before the window? Was it an up-and-over garage door?

NWM

Deleted User wrote:

Is it brick or rendered block under the window?

Brick, unfortunately I suppose.

If I could establish that the builder was liable for this then at least it would be up to him to do it.

Deleted User wrote:

...else realign the window and render the brickwork, as in the thumbnail you already have rendered panels on the house, a matching one under the window should look OK

Yes, that it still an option. An obvious difference from the other houses in the estate however.

I must take a look in the daytime with this in mind.

Thanks for all the suggestions - keep it up!

NWM

wyndham wrote:

What was there before the window? Was it an up-and-over garage door?

Yes

If the up-n-over door fitted square, then the floor may slope as well..

IIRC that it's a bad idea to lay garage floors dead level, this is to allow spilled liquids to flow out of the building rather than pooling on the floor.

If you've ever parked a wet car in there, you'll understand.

hiscan

is the window frame straight across the top ive often seen them veer off on one side especially on a window that size also depending on the manufacturer
that lentil looks fairly straight in the picture

NWM

hiscan wrote:

is the window frame straight across the top ive often seen them veer off on one side especially on a window that size also depending on the manufacturer
that lentil looks fairly straight in the picture

Confirmed with a level that it is the lintel.

NWM

Actually, the column to the left of the window is 27 bricks high and the one to the right is 28 bricks high (from the first whole brick I could count ).

As I said, the person who converted the garage 'split the difference' with the window sill so there is a less obvious gap underneath it.

the brickie

your best bet is a pvc strip,the brickwork is terribly off level,the gap between the top and bottom window on the right is dead in line with a mortar joint
while on the left this gap is in line with the middle of a brick, thats 35mm
straight away.if you are selling up get a pvc strip and maybe taper one end
to take the bad look off it.