RSJ Certification?
 

We knocked a wall though last year and had an RSJ put in as part of that.

Should we have also had the work certified in some way? There was
something on the telly the other night about making it harder to sell
the house if structural alterations haven't been certified.

Jonathan

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jonathan wrote:

We knocked a wall though last year and had an RSJ put in as part of
that.

Should we have also had the work certified in some way? There was
something on the telly the other night about making it harder to sell
the house if structural alterations haven't been certified.

Jonathan

Yes! If it is structural, you should have got Building Regs approval at the
time.

But all is not lost - you can get it 'regularised' retrospectively provided
you can show that it has been done properly. Have a word with the Building
Control department at your local council.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
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Set Square wrote:
In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jonathan wrote:

We knocked a wall though last year and had an RSJ put in as part of
that.

Should we have also had the work certified in some way? There was
something on the telly the other night about making it harder to sell
the house if structural alterations haven't been certified.

Yes! If it is structural, you should have got Building Regs approval at the
time.

But all is not lost - you can get it 'regularised' retrospectively provided
you can show that it has been done properly. Have a word with the Building
Control department at your local council.

The key words being "provided you can show"... unless the BCO happens to
know the builder who installed it, and trusts that he fitted the correct
RSJ properly, isn't that likely to mean Building Control would want the
plaster pulling down in order to expose the RSJ?

I would have thought that at this stage the best option would be to keep
schtum, myself.

David

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Lobster wrote:


I would have thought that at this stage the best option would be to
keep schtum, myself.

David

Well, the OP seemed concerned about the effect that it might have on selling
his house. Unless he can successfully pretend to a potential buyer's
solicitor that "it's always been like that" the solicitor will want proof
that it has been done to regs. I would have throught that it was better to
sort it out sooner rather than later.

Unless it was done by cowboys, it's unlikely *not* to have been done right
(pardon the double negative!). As long as the OP has some record of the
section and length of the RSJ, he should be able to satisfy the BCO that
it's ok without exposing it.
--
Cheers,
Set Square
______
Please reply to newsgroup. Reply address is invalid.

Lobster wrote:
Set Square wrote:

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jonathan wrote:

We knocked a wall though last year and had an RSJ put in as part of
that.

Should we have also had the work certified in some way? There was
something on the telly the other night about making it harder to sell
the house if structural alterations haven't been certified.


Yes! If it is structural, you should have got Building Regs approval
at the
time.

But all is not lost - you can get it 'regularised' retrospectively
provided
you can show that it has been done properly. Have a word with the
Building
Control department at your local council.


The key words being "provided you can show"... unless the BCO happens to
know the builder who installed it, and trusts that he fitted the correct
RSJ properly, isn't that likely to mean Building Control would want the
plaster pulling down in order to expose the RSJ?

I would have thought that at this stage the best option would be to keep
schtum, myself.


This is as I feared. I can't see how going to the BCO will mean much
else than them telling me to hack the plaster off so they can look at it.

I think that when it comes to selling the house (a long way off) then
we'll see if we need to get it approved. I assume there's no time limit
on such an approval?

Jonathan

Lobster wrote:
Set Square wrote:

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
Jonathan wrote:

We knocked a wall though last year and had an RSJ put in as part of
that.

Should we have also had the work certified in some way? There was
something on the telly the other night about making it harder to sell
the house if structural alterations haven't been certified.


Yes! If it is structural, you should have got Building Regs approval
at the
time.

But all is not lost - you can get it 'regularised' retrospectively
provided
you can show that it has been done properly. Have a word with the
Building
Control department at your local council.


The key words being "provided you can show"... unless the BCO happens to
know the builder who installed it, and trusts that he fitted the correct
RSJ properly, isn't that likely to mean Building Control would want the
plaster pulling down in order to expose the RSJ?

I would have thought that at this stage the best option would be to keep
schtum, myself.


This is as I feared. I can't see how going to the BCO will mean much
else than them telling me to hack the plaster off so they can look at it.

I think that when it comes to selling the house (a long way off) then
we'll see if we need to get it approved. I assume there's no time limit
on such an approval?

Jonathan

In article ,
Jonathan wrote:
We knocked a wall though last year and had an RSJ put in as part of that.

Should we have also had the work certified in some way? There was
something on the telly the other night about making it harder to sell
the house if structural alterations haven't been certified.

Yes. And the builder who did it should have advised of this. You need
calculations to prove it's strong enough, and that the pad stones are
adequate, and that it's properly tied to any joists etc.

If it's been cased in and the pad stones plastered over, a BCO might well
require them exposed again.

--
*Few women admit their age; fewer men act it.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 17:34:56 +0100, a particular chimpanzee named "Set
Square" randomly hit the keyboard and produced:

Unless it was done by cowboys, it's unlikely *not* to have been done right
(pardon the double negative!). As long as the OP has some record of the
section and length of the RSJ, he should be able to satisfy the BCO that
it's ok without exposing it.

The BCO would still want to see the beam; receipts can be provided for
anything, even when it's not used on that site. It may also be
necessary to see the padstone and bearings either side. I think the
OP will need to be prepared for a bit of replastering.

However, if the OP is prepared to lie, and it's not obvious (i.e., the
house itself is less than 20 years old, or the paint around the new
opening is a different shade), who's to know that the work wasn't
carried out before the solicitor's limitation period applies?
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"

On Sat, 30 Apr 2005 17:36:28 +0100, a particular chimpanzee named
Jonathan randomly hit the keyboard and
produced:

I think that when it comes to selling the house (a long way off) then
we'll see if we need to get it approved. I assume there's no time limit
on such an approval?

No, but I've heard of it scuppering sales at the last minute if the
seller doesn't have it.
--
Hugo Nebula
"If no-one on the internet wants a piece of this,
just how far from the pack have you strayed?"