A drive fit for a Cali

[Amarillo]

From HSE website "Whilst health and safety law does not ban 230v tools on construction sites, HSE strongly advises that 110v tools are preferable given the wet, dirty and dusty nature of construction sites and the possibility of mechanical damage to cables and tools"

"Tools, plugs and cables designed for DIY and domestic use are not suitable for site conditions. You should use cordless tools or those that operate from a 110V centre tapped to earth (CTE) supply system so that the maximum voltage to earth does not exceed 55V."

OK - I have had a nosey at their equipment which I have allowed them to store in my bike shed.

First, there is this mysterious (to me) cube (aprox 50cm x 50cm x 50cm) plugged into the wall socket with various yellow sockets:


Then there is a "breaker" - in inverted commas as I had no idea that was what it is called:


So far so good...

Then there is a second "breaker":

They were using this at the time of the original photo to help remove the crumbling wall bed part of which can be seen to the right of the earlier photo.

 

[andyinluton]

The yellow cube is a 240 to 110v transformer, that and the Makita is exactly what I would have expected to see being used. That least said about the last bit of kit the better.

 

[Amarillo]

That least said about the last bit of kit the better.

If it was just being used to demolish the walled raised bed (a hollow sausage-shaped wall at the front of the garden containing small shrubs and flowers), it was hardly necessary. I had contemplated demolishing the thing myself with a club hammer, but decided to leave it to the builders because disposing of the detritus involves either:
1. dumping small quantities in the non-recycling bin over a great many weeks (I've done this before over about 20 weeks); or,
2. several trips around the heavily congested south-circular road to the dump in Thamesmead (which is itself a dump); or,
3. hiring a mini-skip; or,
4. a combination of 1 & 2 above.

 

[Amarillo]

End of Day 1
View attachment 17706

Day 2 - they have started to demolish the collapsing retaining wall between my drive and my neighbour's and excavate its foundations.

 

[pjm-84]

Welcome to my world!

 

[Amarillo]

Day 3 - Driveway and patio area excavated to ~30cm; soakaway dug and filled; trench for retaining wall foundation dug; shuttering for retaining wall constructed.

 

[Amarillo]

Now it is all starting to go horribly wrong...

My specification for the driveway (not including retaining wall) is:

Locate all services – gas pipes, water pipes, electric cables and drainage.
Dig out existing driveway to ~30 cm, and remove waste material.
Remove right hand fence and front wall, and remove waste material.
Relocate pear tree as indicated on plan.
Prepare soakaway.
Lay linear drainage to footway end of driveway and connect to soakaways.
Prepare the sub-grade and secure edging blocks/kerb to cement.
Lay membrane.
Lay 2 x 75mm MOT type 1 hardcore, each layer compacted down with whacker.
Lay 40mm sharp sand.
Lay paving blocks and construct new step to front door.
Finish blocks with kiln dried sand brushed into gaps.
Finish off edgings.
Construct new 2 plank safety fence alongside driveway.
​

The first thing to go wrong was that they went through the gas service pipe.

Now they have laid 150mm of what looks like soil interspersed with broken brick, but they claim is crushed concrete instead of two layers of 75mm MOT type 1 hardcore.





They claim it makes no difference.

I think that it does. I have sent the builders away and have told them that I will contact them once I have received confirmation that the foundation and other aspects have been laid to my specification.

 

[Digger]

I am not a builder but would think soil would compact and result in poor drainage.We have heavy clay not good drainage without lots of hardcore.

 

[andyinluton]

That doesn't look like type1 to me. Is the photo after its been compacted? Type 1 once compacted shouldn't show footprints if you walk on it, in fact if you wanted to dig it out again you should need a pickaxe or similar to loosen it up enough to get a shovel in. There should also be nothing bigger than 75mm in any dimension - from the photo there looks like a few bits bigger than that.

How was the fill delivered? in one tonne fabric bags or tipped straight off the back of the lorry? there should be receipts available for inspection.

 

[Amarillo]

I am not a builder but would think soil would compact and result in poor drainage.We have heavy clay not good drainage without lots of hardcore.

It is not the drainage I am concerned about. It is the movement of the foundation causing the driveway to pit more readily.

They have also laid the foundation before cementing the kerb, and I am pretty certain no membrane has has been laid to stop the foundation merging with the subsoil.

This are a couple of videos showing how block paving driveways should be laid:

 

[Amarillo]

That doesn't look like type1 to me. Is the photo after its been compacted? Type 1 once compacted shouldn't show footprints if you walk on it, in fact if you wanted to dig it out again you should need a pickaxe or similar to loosen it up enough to get a shovel in. There should also be nothing bigger than 75mm in any dimension - from the photo there looks like a few bits bigger than that.

How was the fill delivered? in one tonne fabric bags or tipped straight off the back of the lorry? there should be receipts available for inspection.

Thank you - you have confirmed my suspicion, it's a cheap shortcut job. I wasn't around when it was delivered, but I strongly suspect it was tipped from a truck. There is absolutely no evidence that it was delivered in bags. I was away from home for about 3 hours yesterday afternoon, and when I returned the hole has been filled.

It was very loose yesterday, and this morning they came and spread it out evenly then wacked it down with a compactor. What I don't understand is how I have allowed this to go so wrong. I was very specific with my instructions, gave them several diagrams, and spoke to the builder specifically about getting the foundation right, and also about the importance of the curves in my diagram being geometrically accurate (two arcs of radius 4m and 1/8 of a circle).

This is another plan given to them:

 

[Amarillo]

There should also be nothing bigger than 75mm in any dimension - from the photo there looks like a few bits bigger than that.

I am not sure there are any bits larger than 75mm, but there are pockets of larger bits clustered together:

 

[SusiBus]

Drive prepared for Indium Grey T6 California.

Granite slabs in Indium Grey
Front door in Moonrock Grey

T6 ordered June 2016 unconfirmed delivery week 4, 2017.
Loan campervan courtesy of grandson with possible extension until 2018 if required.


Submitted by GREY-HAM. (Perhaps I may be taking this co-ordination theme too far!)

My wife Sue, (SusiBus) thinks so!

 

[T6 CFO]

Garage door looks like an electric job so will let you off for not matching the front door


Mike

 

[SusiBus]

I am not sure there are any bits larger than 75mm, but there are pockets of larger bits clustered together:
View attachment 17797

Your sub base certainly doesn't look like Type 1 to me, more like crushed concrete, as it has bricks and other rubbish in it. Type 1 compacts together once it is gone over with a wacker plate, whereas crushed concrete won't.
From the picture attached you can see the type one in piles before being levelled. It was delivered in bags, as someone has already mentioned, but we have had it previously delivered in bulk via a flatbed truck.
We then had reinforced concrete put on top of it, because we were laying slabs not pavers.
If you want more information about how we approached our drive, PM me with your landline telephone number and we can have a chat, because I also found it very hard to keep the job on track and despite being there most of the time, mistakes was still made.

 

[Rich20]

Thank you - you have confirmed my suspicion, it's a cheap shortcut job. I wasn't around when it was delivered, but I strongly suspect it was tipped from a truck. There is absolutely no evidence that it was delivered in bags. I was away from home for about 3 hours yesterday afternoon, and when I returned the hole has been filled.

It was very loose yesterday, and this morning they came and spread it out evenly then wacked it down with a compactor. What I don't understand is how I have allowed this to go so wrong. I was very specific with my instructions, gave them several diagrams, and spoke to the builder specifically about getting the foundation right, and also about the importance of the curves in my diagram being geometrically accurate (two arcs of radius 4m and 1/8 of a circle).

This is another plan given to them:
View attachment 17796

I can't see any arcs in your photo above. Are they hoping you wouldn't notice? Did you have to apply for a building notice for this work?

 

[Amarillo]

I can't see any arcs in your photo above. Are they hoping you wouldn't notice? Did you have to apply for a building notice for this work?

The arcs should come once the lay the kerb, I cannot realistically expect them to cut neat arcs out of the lawn. But there's another rub. I thought that the kerb and edgings should be laid and secured to concrete before the foundation goes down.

The father of one of Ben's nursery friends is a builder - he is coming around tomorrow to advise if the foundation is Type 1, and if it is not, if it makes a significant difference, and if it does make a significant difference, what the correct remedy is.

The worst case scenario is that it will all have to be removed and the correct foundation laid.

No building notice needed. We already have a dropped kerb, and rainwater will drain into a soakaway.

 

[Rich20]

The arcs should come once the lay the kerb, I cannot realistically expect them to cut neat arcs out of the lawn. But there's another rub. I thought that the kerb and edgings should be laid and secured to concrete before the foundation goes down.

The father of one of Ben's nursery friends is a builder - he is coming around tomorrow to advise if the foundation is Type 1, and if it is not, if it makes a significant difference, and if it does make a significant difference, what the correct remedy is.

The worst case scenario is that it will all have to be removed and the correct foundation laid.

No building notice needed. We already have a dropped kerb, and rainwater will drain into a soakaway.

Ah, so no need for a building inspector to visit. He would have been able to advise you is what I was thinking.

 

[Amarillo]

Ah, so no need for a building inspector to visit. He would have been able to advise you is what I was thinking.

My builder has already got back to me and offered to lay 2 x 50mm type 1 on top of the crap he has already laid. That may or may not be an acceptable compromise.

 

[Amarillo]

My builder has already got back to me and offered to lay 2 x 50mm type 1 on top of the crap he has already laid. That may or may not be an acceptable compromise.

A builder friend came today and confirmed that the foundation is not MOT type 1 or a reasonable substitute.

He has suggested that at a minimum my builder remove 10cm of the current foundation and lay 2 x 5cm of MOT type 1.

My friend was able to confirm that the retaining wall has been properly constructed and is of good quality.

 

[Amarillo]

OK - I guess it is time to post a follow up on this saga.

Work on my driveway was suspended last Friday when I saw that the builder had used for foundation crushed rubble, not MOT type 1 as I had specified, and as had been listed in the quote.

I was particularly disappointed as this is a builder I have used for four other small projects, unrelated to my home, but each costing £5-12,000. I trusted him, and I had paid him £5,000 up front for materials.

Another builder friend came and visited, and commented on the contrast between the new retaining wall and the mess they made of the driveway. He valued the works carried out: demolition of existing concrete driveway, demolition of existing retaining wall, construction of new retaining wall and land works at about £2,500. That left me out of pocket by £2,500 if the builder failed to return.

Text messages sent were unanswered, phone calls were not returned. I was contemplating the next steps: letter from me to him sent recorded delivery, followed by a solicitor's letter two weeks later, all to confirm a broken contract. New builders to complete the work followed by a legal battle of at least six months to reclaim any loss on my part.

The silence was broken this morning when one of the labourers turned up to reclaim equipment. He also had with him receipts for materials and services totalling £1,780 and labour £220, and £2,600 cash. £400 is unaccounted, and included in the materials is £280 for 16 tons of crushed concrete, and £700 for two loads of grab lorry.

He also made it very clear that the builder will not be returning, and that he believes that the builder is embarrassed at having be caught trying to cheat me with rubbish (literally) materials.

I guess I will be paying another £350 for a grab lorry to come back and take that 16 tons of crushed concrete away, but my potential loss is partly mitigated, the contract is severed, and I can get on with having the job done properly by a driveway specialist immediately. I could try to claim £1,030 (£400 unaccounted, £280 crushed concrete, £350 grab lorry) back through the small claims' court. I could also sue the builder for my loss as he is clearly in breach of contract, my loss being the difference between what I eventually pay for the driveway and his quote. But as I have had an estimated £2,500 of work carried out for £2,400 (plus the cost of remedial works), I am unlikely to do either. It has been an expensive lesson: use general builders for general building work, use specialist builders for more specialist work.

 

[larrylamb]

Sympathies but personally would never pay £5k upfront especially if you are a regular customer. Is this the norm in London to secure a tradesman?

 

[Meoncoast]

Paying upfront for materials would be the red light for me. When our drive was undertake our builder said money on completion as he had accounts with suppliers. I would also go down Small claims court and report to trading standards.
good luck with sorting

 

[Amarillo]

Sympathies but personally would never pay £5k upfront especially if you are a regular customer. Is this the norm in London to secure a tradesman?

I handed over the cash on Wednesday, after two days of impressive labouring to break up the concrete drive and retaining wall. I felt a little uneasy, but my wife pointed out that we'd used them several times before without complaint, and the block paving was expensive. If the builder didn't have accounts with the relevant suppliers, he would be having to pay up front.

But yes, it was stupid, but things could have turned out far worse.

The partial refund and the hand over of receipts showing money spent is clear evidence that the contract is broken and that I am free to move on with another contractor. The possibility of a partial job, with uncertainty over the contract status, sends shivers up my spine. This time two years ago my younger brother was at the High Court for a breach of contract for a partial job in 2011. He lost and ended up with a £250,000 legal bill over a matter which he should have settled for £3,000 three years earlier.

And to put my woes into perspective, my older brother's wife is currently in intensive care at Bristol's Southmead Hosptial, after a truck driver wacked her in the face with a tree. She was with a small group of people on a country lane just outside Street trying to clear a fallen tree or bough from the road. They were joined by a truck driver who tried to pull the tree off the road using his truck and a tow rope. As he was pulling, the rope snapped and the branch whipped back and caught G in the chest This caused multiple broken ribs, two fractured vertebrea, facial injuries and a couple of small intercranial bleeds. She has been in an coma ever since the ambulance crew induced her into one for the journey to Bristol.

My problems are minor compared to those two issues faced by near relatives. Most importantly, I am back in control of the situation. Sam had the best part of three years when courts were in charge, and Toby is still at the mercy of the NHS.

 

[Velma's Dad]

Very bad luck. What is it with builders and driveways??

Hope your sister-in-law comes through things okay. Sounds an awful accident.