Glenrue Ltd - Midlands based building co. - any experience??

Seanie M

I think I'll try that. Even with respect to the hidden alarm wires, it would help to know where I punch a hole in the wall of there is a 4 X 4 stud there or something!
I have Glenrue's contact details here, I'll give them an anonymous call and see if they'll entertain me with such plans. Report back soon.

S.

Seanie M

Have to wait until Friday to get any joy. The lady who deals with my kind of query is out for a funeral tomorrow. I'll report back then.

kadman

Seanie M wrote:

Have to wait until Friday to get any joy. The lady who deals with my kind of query is out for a funeral tomorrow. I'll report back then.

Well done Seanie,

At the very least ask her to fax or e-mail you the "panel Layout plan " for ground floor , and first floor layouts. And the " Soleplate layout " drawing.

Better again if they would e-mail the cad drawings of the layouts. This would be quicker for them. Tell them you have Autocad.

These would only be one or two drawings.

If you are lucky enough , they might send you the "load bearing panel drawings." You might have to turn on the charm for these, as there would be about 40-70 depending on house size.

A structural report would be great, but I doubt they will release a copy.


kadman

Seanie M

I've made a note of all those! Now, if I'm successful, I'll just get to a broadband connection...

Seanie M

UPDATE:
Genrue don't have the plans anymore. They suggested I get in touch with the architects (Damian O'Flynn in Newbridge). While they entertained my query, they said they can't send out the plans unless I was the vendor of the house. So, I am wondering if I will get in touch or not with the vendors to get a hold of the plans. If I get them, and I will, then what difference does it make if I am the current owner or not of a house that is on the market? :rolleyes:
I also passed on this information to the building surveyor (Aidan Bracken in Tullamore) yesterday morning, who have not been in touch with me yet about getting out to the house. I was told a ring back was due (from my first visit of Wednesday last week) to tell me when and how much the survey would be. I might get in touch with them in the morning and chase it up.
Meanwhile, our solicitor (Joanne Kangley, in Delvin) has been in touch with the vendors solicitor, and we await a response from them. If its anything like the wait she had to endure to get the contract and deeds of the house (6 weeks), you can imagine how long that might hold us up We were warned that its always the solicitors that hold up everything (well, almost)!

More updates as I go along.

Seanie.

Victor

Seanie M wrote:

Genrue don't have the plans anymore. They suggested I get in touch with the architects (Damian O'Flynn in Newbridge). While they entertained my query, they said they can't send out the plans unless I was the vendor of the house.

They have much less responsibility to you than they have to the vendor.

kadman

I would think that Glenrue do have the plans, but they are not interested in releasing them to you.

You don't want the plans of the house anyway. You want the timberframe plans, designed by the tf company. Under normal circumstances, neither the builder nor the architect would require the timberframe plans. The builder does not need them because, he is continuing his building , using the erected tf kit as his datum. The architect does not need them either.

The large majority of architects are not interested in sifting through maybe 100 panel plans for a timberframe house, checking it. Their view is that the tf company was employed to manufacture and erect the kit in accordance with current building regs, and good building practice.

The majority of tf kits are not necessarily sent to architects for written approval of the kit as designed by the tf company. This would entail thorough checking of the panel plans, which is time consuming, and requires construction knowledge of tf build, and a great attention to detail. Remember tf design on computer is only as good as the designers ability. Just because a tf company has the latest state of art software, it does not mean the designs are 100 %. As cad tech's will tell you, crap in, crap out.

You would have been better to get a referall to the tf company, and not the architect. The only way the architect is going to entertain you, is if you ask him to do the survey.

Or ask the vendor to request a copy of the plans, if thats what you want. The plans will tell you nothing of the tf build. You need the tf construction plans, and engineers initial structural reccomendations, and only the tf company would normally have these.

kadman

kadman

This type of information, would be far more helpful in evaluating the quality of a good tf build, than the ordinary house plans you have requested from the builder and architect.


http://www.ijm.ie/html/secure/compelemtlrg.asp

Unless your surveyor has this type of info, it is going to be virtually impossible to determine which internal walls have been selected by the tf engineer to be load bearing on the internals. He will not know where there is a requirement for steel support, unless he sees the original engineer's spec.
He wont be able to ascertain if there are 400/600 stud centres, and which one should be used.

I would have thought that your surveyor might have been interested in seeing the original tf drawings, and then made some referall checks on site.

kadman

Seanie M

kadman wrote:

I would have thought that your surveyor might have been interested in seeing the original tf drawings, and then made some referall checks on site.

Thanks for the link!

I have passed all this information on to the engineer, and I await to see what happens. Thanks for the heads-up too lads!

rooferPete

Hi Seanie,

I have been watching and reading with interest because the problems outlined are what I expect to have be dealing with very frequently in the future.

In your post today 14.42, you say you have passed on the information to your Engineer ?

The information was given to you and anybody else who visits this thread to do with as you please, I can only speak for myself when I say the reason I pass any information to the consumer is to allow them the chance to make an informed decision.

Maybe it's the sceptic in me but I would have met with the Engineer who is expecting to be paid by me for services rendered and listened to what he had to say based on his own knowledge.

If he didn't come up with the right questions and answers I would tell him to sing for his fees because he hasn't earned them, what you have to date are the opinions of a group of people who have not viewed the property.

Just based on what I have read I have three possible explanations for the fault, I have posted most of one which is not so serious, but if the problem is either or a combination of the other two the property has little more than site value.

I am not as up to date with timber frame construction as I would like to be, so I wouldn't be surprised if others have got more possible causes than I have.

For what it's worth my advice would be to let the Engineer earn his fees and prove him or her self while doing so, you need more than an opinion on compliance with the planning, you need to know why the panels are behaving in the manner that they are.

Just food for thought,

.

kadman

Hi SeanieM,

I'm a bit confused as to why you need to furnish your chosen engineer, with any information at all.

I think its his job as the professional, to give you the proper information as to why you have concerns with the building.

I think you have been given good counsel, by the posts on the thread here, and maybe you should treat your info as a poker player does his hand. It is an appropriate way of testing the metal of your architect.

You now have some idea of the route , and type of inspection that the survey should take. By allowing the architect to have access to your information, he now knows what you expect of him. He could tell you he has done this , and look for payment. It may have been wiser to keep the info to yourself.

I would be very interested in the result of his survey, when is it being done


kadman

kadman

Hi SeanieM

Just as a matter of interest, there is a major component in the link for the timberframe, that is missing.

In the timberframe diagram, the tf company, believe it or not, has left out a major element in the cad diagram. If your surveyor spots it, he knows his job, and is knowledgeable about tf build .

So guys spot the missing components, there are some missing.

kadman :cool:

Seanie M

Thanks gents. I know what you mean about letting the engineer earn his bread and butter about this, but trouble is, I don't want to pay for 2 engineering reports ahould one come up short. As I have said (I think) at the top of this thread (and in my now closed poll), I have little fait in the Irish building industry, from shortcuts to bad workmanship to cheap labour and materials costing all the limbs a purchaser has (no offense to you guys, just with all the stories that go around).

We don't have a lot of money, and with this kind of survey going to cost around €400, that to us is a kitchen table and chairs with seat and place mats!

Aother reason hy I furnish the engineer with the info s to help speed things along, and perhaps give the impression that I know what I am doing, and don't try and pull the wool over my eyes, I'm one step ahead.

S.

Victor

Seanie M wrote:

We don't have a lot of money, and with this kind of survey going to cost around €400, that to us is a kitchen table and chairs with seat and place mats!

Peace of mind is more important than €400.

kadman

I understand you dont want to pay for two reports, if one comes up short, naturally enough. But how will you know if it does come up short.

If your benchmark for a correct report is the info you have received in this thread, then maybe your choice of engineer was not the correct one, but you will still have to pay him.

Unfortunately its a catch 22 situation, you will have to use him now to find out if he is competent enough.

Of course you could ask him whats missing on the tf cad diagram posted earlier. That will tell you very quickly. It would definitely tell me.

Best of luck

kadman

kadman

Victor wrote:

Peace of mind is more important than €400.

Ditto, Victor

kadman

rooferPete

Hi Seanie,

The last report I did (accepted by the lender) cost the buyer €250.00, they still owe me the VAT

The €400.00 could be the best or worst investment you make in the purchase of this house, in a couple of weeks you will be signing up for reayments over a period of some 25 > 30 years.

I know that if a customer tells me what the problems are and the possible causes / cures I think it reasonable for me to assume the client knows about construction details.

I would make passing comments in my report to the problems pointed out to me to cover myself, but I wouldn't want to waste the clients time or money carrying out expensive tests or upset their chance of buying the property they appear to know so much about.

Just in case you think I am one very wealthy know it all who was handed everything, when we got married we had a bed that was a wedding present as were the blankets and no table or chairs.

What are place mats ? kidding on the last one, my point is we weren't spending the extra zeros but the deposit, the loan and the repayments were every bit as hard as today.

Best of luck with your purchase.

.

Seanie M

Thanks Peter and kadman, I appreciate the feedback. I wonder about asking him 9probably blatantly) what is wrong witht that drawing you linked kadman!

kadman

Seanie M wrote:

Thanks Peter and kadman, I appreciate the feedback. I wonder about asking him 9probably blatantly) what is wrong witht that drawing you linked kadman!

Well SeanieM,

There is a major element missing in that tf diagram,

And it is quite obvious what it is, to a trained eye. It is normally fitted during the manufacturing process in the tf build.

It has both structural implications to some of the materials used in a tf build.
And it also simplifies the building process of the tf build.

It is typical in tf builds, and is strongly reccomended by standard tf detailing.

It is quite obvious in tf reference manuals , architectural construction detailing. Architectural technicians may be aware of the typical detailing, architects and engineers should be.

It is , in short, the type of attention to detail, that seperates a top notch tf build from an inferior one, and indeed a top tf designer from a junior one.

It would be the one detail in a tf build that would tell me, " Yes this tf company has the level of construction, and attention to finer details, that would encourage me to purchase their kit.

It may seem small or insignificant, but in my opinion, it seperates the ordinary build from the professional build.

I could tell you SeanieM, but then I'd have to kill you.

Your architect should be able to tell you as well. I don't mind helping and giving advice. I draw the line at educating architects, after all lessons will cost extra.

If you think I'm pulling your leg. I'll post the details, and reference materials and accepted building practices to Rooferpete.

I think I've taught your architect enough for free, I dont think he'd offer me too much free consultation.

kadman :cool:

kadman

Hi Seaniem,

Any feedback from your survey yet,

kadman

Seanie M

kadman wrote:

Hi Seaniem,

Any feedback from your survey yet,

kadman

No, and in fact, we have decided NOT to go for the house. Too many small things biting the back of our brains, or too many signs telling us not to go for it, whichever way you want to look at. Also, the fiancées mother dies just a month ago, and I've just started a new job.... we don't need the hassle of trying to buy a house we are not going to be happy with just because it is affordable, so on we go!

BUT, this won't be the end of it - I might still call on your good self and Peter for some advice from time to time, which I hope you don't mind! And thanks for your sound advice up till now too guys!



Seanie.

lomb

Seanie M wrote:

No, and in fact, we have decided NOT to go for the house. Too many small things biting the back of our brains, or too many signs telling us not to go for it, whichever way you want to look at. Also, the fiancées mother dies just a month ago, and I've just started a new job.... we don't need the hassle of trying to buy a house we are not going to be happy with just because it is affordable, so on we go!

BUT, this won't be the end of it - I might still call on your good self and Peter for some advice from time to time, which I hope you don't mind! And thanks for your sound advice up till now too guys!



Seanie.

buy soon though as they are continuing to rise and all rises are compound. once u have a property u can always sell it in a few years if its no good (and alot of new properties are no good-but it wont affect the values of them as that isnt how the economy works here)

Seanie M

lomb wrote:

buy soon though as they are continuing to rise and all rises are compound. once u have a property u can always sell it in a few years if its no good (and alot of new properties are no good-but it wont affect the values of them as that isnt how the economy works here)

All of that is very true, thanks lomb! We are still looking, and we are hoping to see a few houses by Wednesday.

Seanie M

AN UPDATE:

Well, I know this thread is old, but seeing that at the time I started it, it generated a lot of inerest, I thought I would give an update. Since my last post here, my fiancée's mother died. It was a sudden death, and took a lot out of the family. Of course, it hit me too, in that everyone suspected the father would go first, but he's doing ok.
At the same time, we were not getting joy with the mortgage lender that would accommodate us with our circumstances at the time, and things like getting information from surveyours and builders related to this house in Rhode just kept hitting brick walls.
So, it came to a climax - we decided the house was too much hassle, and that we would pull out.


Best decision we ever made! 2 weeks later we spotted a house in Daingean (Offaly), and made an offer the next day. It was accepted, and now, 5 or 6 weeks later, we are moving in this week!

I suppose some horror-type stories do have a positive outcome in the end. Now, Dee and I are just fighting over the paint colours and what curtains to put up! Plus, the packing is a real pain, especially when you can't get the time off work to do it during the day!

By the way, read it here about the small problem we are having with the bath taps pressure. Other than that (and the 4 foot tall weeds in the back garden!), we have no other problems with the house - its ready to move in since day of bidding, and we can't wait to get stuck in!

Thanks for the help from kadman, rooferpete, Victor, lomb, and others who were kind enough to give me their time here.

All the best,

Seanie

Victor

Seanie M wrote:

Now, Dee and I are just fighting over the paint colours and what curtains to put up!

Give up now.

kadman

I suppose that means all the contributors will get an invite to the housae warming then,:D

That will test the floors out:)

Best of luck on your new nest.

kadman:)

Seanie M

Cheers kadman!