Getting it Right – Page 2

Energy and Water Ombudsman

If you have an ongoing problem with the supplier of Water or Energy utilities its worth contacting the Ombudsman in your state.

Our Problem

About the middle of June we got rid of our last gas appliance and asked for the meter to be removed.

We were told that by our energy retailer that it would take the wholesaler (Multinet) 20 working days to remove the meter.

Well 20 working days passed and the meter was still there so but we weren’t worried because we shouldn’t be paying anything.

Around about 40 working days a charge of 88 cents/day was taken from our credit card.

When we complained we were told that the request had been wrongly entered and it was going to take another 20 days to remove the meter and we ‘should’ get a refund.

‘Should’ isn’t good enough for me so we made an online complaint to the Victorian Energy and Water Ombudsman (EWOV).

Response

At 9.30 the next morning we were contacted by a representative of EWOV to discuss our case.

An hour later we received a email from Multinet saying they were looking into the problem.

By the end of the day the meter was gone.

Conclusion

If you are getting the ‘runaround’ from your water or energy retailer you should seriously consider taking your case up with the relevant ombudsman in your state.

Occupancy Permit – What Does It Mean?

Occupancy Permit (or Certificate of Final Inspection) is not the same as Completion.

It doesn’t even mean the house is ready for PCI Inspection or even that you would be happy to move in.

What’s typically needed for an occupancy permit are:

All the structure of the house has been completed and the rooms comply with the minimum dimensions (for example ceiling heights)
The roof drainage is connected to an approved point of discharge.
Bush fire protection measures are completed(If required)
Handrails and balustrades (and pool fences) installed.
Provision of sanitary and other facilities in at least one bathroom.
The building is constructed to prevent the penetration of water and dampness to the inner parts.
Waterproofing of wet areas completed to the satisfaction of the Inspector.
Smoke detectors are working.
Power and water connected.
If you have gas appliances the pipework is ready for connection to the gas supply.

Three things that you might expect are:

- - Painting
  - Internal Doors
  - Floor Finishes/Coverings

As well as many other things that are included the building contract.

Building Inspection- Compliance or Quality explains why a compliance certificate doesn’t mean the house has been built to the required standard

Pre-Plasterboard Inspection

Plasterboard can cover a lot of defects . . . . . . . so if worth checking on things before it goes up.

Typically the timing of this inspection will be after the ‘Lock Up Stage‘ but before the completion of the ‘Fixing Stage‘.

Due to cost lots of people don’t use a Building Inspector, or only use one for the Practical Completion Inspection (PCI).

I think making sure things are OK at the ‘Pre-Plaster Stage’ is as important as PCI , so if your budget is strained that is where I think your money is best spent.

Getting things fixed at this stage is much easier than trying to sort out issues between PCI and handover.

A further advantage of a detailed inspection at this stage is that it really emphasises to the Site Supervisor that quality is important to you before they get to the ‘Fit Out Stage’.

Don’t forget the outside, Checks, if they haven’t been done at an earlier stage, should include:

Site Drainage – Are the drains and sewers in and the construction looks OK. Is the site graded so water doesn’t pond against the house
Brickwork /External Cladding – Does this look neat and well finished, and not have bricks overhanging the edge of the slab?
Building Weather Tight – Look up is the roof complete? Is there any evidence of rain coming in? If you asked for sarking has it been installed?
Layout – Are the rooms the right size and the doors and windows where you expected them to be
Framing Defects – Does the frame look and feel solid, square and straight? Have the electricians and plumbers damaged any of the structural members during their installation of pipes and cables?
Electrical and Plumbing – Are power cables and mounting plates in position where you want all your power sockets? Do the plumbing connections look to be in the right places
Wet Areas – Has the waterproofing been applied and look complete?
Insulation – Have the correct insulation batts been fitted into the external wall frame, with no missing areas, or gaps between individual batts. Has any noise insulation been installed between rooms and between floors, with no missing areas, or gaps?

Doing your own PCI ? . . . the PCI Guide provides extensive checklists and advice for only $4

Asbestos or Not?

What is Asbestos

The various forms of asbestos are naturally occurring silicate materials which form long fibrous crystals.

Each visible fiber has of millions of microscopic fibres that can be released by cutting, drilling, breaking, or as it wears

Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause fatal illnesses including lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestos.

Uses of Asbestos

Asbestos has commonly been used for since the late 1800s for fireproofing, soundproofing and insulation.

Starting in the 1920s Australian companies started to make asbestos cement building materials, which continued until the late1980s.

When Asbestos Use Stopped

Asbestos cement product manufacturing in Australiaa started to be phased out in the 1980s in favour of asbestos-free products such as Fibre Reinforced Cement* (FRC) although some asbestos containing materials may have been imported from other countries.

FRC replaces asbestos with cellulose fibres

On 31 December 2003 the use or sale of asbestos was banned in Australia.

Will Your House Contain Asbestos?

Many houses built before 1990 therefore contain asbestos cement materials, especially in the eaves, internal and external wall cladding, ceilings (particularly in wet areas such as bathrooms and laundries) and fences.

Generally if your house, or garage/shed was built

Prior to the mid-1980s it is almost certain to have used products that contain asbestos.
From the mid-1980s to 1990 it is likely to have used products that contain asbestos.
Later than 1990 it is unlikely that it has asbestos-containing products
From January 2004 the total ban on any activity involving asbestos products should mean there is no asbestos.

Is the asbestos a Health Risk

Loose asbestos is always a health risk

Asbestos cement is only a risk if you are able to breath in the fibres.

As long as the asbestos cement is in place, undamaged, and preferably painted you should be safe.

If the sheets are cracked, drilled, cut, or abraded there is a risk of fibres being released and getting in your lungs. . . . so don’t start DIY…. get someone in to remove the asbestos (but it won’t be cheap)

Wall Penetrations

The pipes that penetrate exterior walls bring the power, water, gas, telecommunications into a house and take away the waste.

If not properly sealed, but they can also bring in drafts, insects, mould and wood rot.

Make sure all penetrations aren’t left unsealed,like the example above, during your PCI.

Best practice is simple.

Flashing, an insulating expanding foam, or in some cases, caulk, should be present to seal these penetrations and prevent problems.

Who Is Checking on the Quality?

When you sign your building contract you are told the Builder will appoint an ‘Independant’ Inspector.

So how does pathetic brickwork like this get past this Inspector?

Well you may be surprised to find out the Inspectors just check on compliance with the building code.

They don’t inspect for quality of workmanship or look for defects in your new house.

The only look for compliance with regulations and the like.

Make sure that you, and/or an inspector you engage is checking quality.

Even if you don’t know much about building my rule is: . . . . .

If it looks poor quality to you, then it probably is!

Don’t Rush Your PCI

Why it’s Worth Your Time

A new house is probably going to be your biggest ever purchase,

Most new houses cost upwards of two hundred thousand dollars and I always want to make sure I’m getting my moneys worth.

That moneys worth is not just the cost of the materials, but the cost of workmanship to a proper standard.

Why Builders Don’t Allocate Much Time

A single site supervisor may be responsible for the build of 20 houses so is a busy person (The other 19 are not your problem though)

The faster the inspection the less likely that problems will be spotted which means the time, money, and builders effort to get to completion will be reduced.

What You Can Do

Find out what you should be looking for. . . . the PCI Guide, which only costs $4, provides plenty of information.

Arrange your PCI for early in the day so you have plenty of time.

Don’t think because you have spotted a couple of big issues it’s all sorted. (I have heard of builders leaving a couple of obvious faults, that they can point out to you, hoping you will miss the many minor issues)

Drain Fail?

How about this picture of the water missing the drain?

Is this a design failure?

Well that’s what www.diply.com, where I found this photo, thought!

Actually its a construction quality failure that is more common than it should be.

Whats happened is the drain is deeper than the base of the paving so the construction crew have had to dig down to solid ground.

The paving has dropped around the drain because

either the ground under the paving wasn’t too solid,
or the base between the pavers and the ground wasn’t compacted enough.
or both of the above.

Too often a poor quality paving job looks good when its new. . . . but after a few months these sort of problems emerge!

For more Unusual House Photos, Wins, and Fails, have a look at: What the………………….?

Poor Building Quality In The News

For anyone who thinks they can just leave everything to the builder this recent report in the Melbourne Age makes depressing reading:Faulty Building Crisis.

A lot of the issues relate to damp, particularly:

Leaks through the ceiling.
Leaks through rendered foam walls.

Although a lot of the problems mentioned relate to apartments I am sure there are similar problems in many houses.

With regards to leaks through ceilings I would think that a lot of the problems are related to a flat roof.

What Do Builder’s Warranties Cover?

The ‘Statutory Builders Warranty’ or Guarantee is 10 years although some builders offer periods of up to 25 years . . . . but what do you get?

Well the overall Warranty only applies to the main elements of the house

Here are some typical limits to cover:

Up To 3 Months From Handover

Adjustment to doors, windows, cupboards including locks and catches.
Filling and painting large plaster cracks and nails ‘popping’
Plumbing issues.
Heating Issues.
Cooling Systems.
Electrical Systems
Drainage and Sewerage systems
All problems relatiing to roofing, brickwork,painting, tiling, flooring.

Up To A Year from Handover

Weather proofing.
Faulty guttering and down pipes.
Paint.

Up to the Maximum Warranty Term

Generally will only cover structural failure such as

Foundation Failure. (Although recent history has shown many builders will try and blame the house owner for the problems)
Structural Frame. (But you may need to demonstrate you have maintained termite protection systems)
Load Bearing Brickwork.

Exclusions

There will be a wide range of exclusions that are likely to include

Appliances, hot water services, heating and cooling systems after the first 3 months. (The builder will expect you to take up the issues with the manufacturer)
Storm, flooding and fire damage.
Fair wear and tear.
Minor cracking.
Damage to the foundations due to trees or ‘over watering of gardens adjacent to foundations.

As you can see that Warranty is not as comprehensive as most people think,

The above doesn’t mean that you can’t have defects fixed that are outside the Warranty . . .but you could have a fight!