newbuild flat - problem with windows - what to do..
Discussion
Hi all,
My bro has recently moved into his new flat, he's been waiting 3 years for it to be finished after the contractors went bust.
Obvious shortcuts have been taken but he can live with most of them..
What he cant live with is the amount opf road noise coming through the triple glazed windows..
Now, he has been back to the builder 3 times to say he's not happy and they have looked 3 times & say nothing wrong. he has compared the noise level to another new build down the road with triple glazing. its vastly different.
The builder wont do anything else, who can he talk to?
My bro has recently moved into his new flat, he's been waiting 3 years for it to be finished after the contractors went bust.
Obvious shortcuts have been taken but he can live with most of them..
What he cant live with is the amount opf road noise coming through the triple glazed windows..
Now, he has been back to the builder 3 times to say he's not happy and they have looked 3 times & say nothing wrong. he has compared the noise level to another new build down the road with triple glazing. its vastly different.
The builder wont do anything else, who can he talk to?
Inform the builder that there is an issue which if they refuse to recognise you will get an independant expert in to determine fault, at their cost. (then get three independant companies to see if there is a problem, and if they say yes then ask for a quote to fix). Once you have three quotes to rectify the problem then you provide copies of those to the builder and advise that he has 7 days to rectify the problem or you will use the middle quote and seek to recover the costs from the builder.
Jasandjules said:
Inform the builder that there is an issue which if they refuse to recognise you will get an independant expert in to determine fault, at their cost. (then get three independant companies to see if there is a problem, and if they say yes then ask for a quote to fix). Once you have three quotes to rectify the problem then you provide copies of those to the builder and advise that he has 7 days to rectify the problem or you will use the middle quote and seek to recover the costs from the builder.
Probably the best course of action. Although I'd get independent quotes. 
I had similar problems with my glazed doors. I ended up needing to identify the problem myself, and once I had the builder was able to rectify. Before that I mad multiple visits and each time they would say they had fixed it, only for me to see no difference.
The problem with my doors were that they were missing the hooks which pulled the unit into the frame when it was closed.
If you can identify the specific problem with them, rather than just saying it is too noisy, then you'll probably get a better response.
The problem with my doors were that they were missing the hooks which pulled the unit into the frame when it was closed.
If you can identify the specific problem with them, rather than just saying it is too noisy, then you'll probably get a better response.
I am a developer.
There is no determined level for noise reduction other than what may have been specified in planning.
1)If nothing was specified in planning then sorry building regs only state thermal requirements.
2)However as it is tripled glazed the likelyhood is that it was asked for in planning.
You must first check witht he planning.
If it is supposed to meet a planning condition that condition should have been discharged by the developer and monitored by the NHBC. We would not need to check every unit to get a discharge so he therfore could have a bad unit. Noise tends to come through airgaps or a lack of sealing foam around the window frame.
My first port of call would be to:
-Check planning (if not in planning sorry there is nothing you can do)
-Raise the issue with the NHBC
-Provide proof that the property does not meet planning via an independant sound monitoring of the unit.
-NHBC with proof will correct the problem(it will be messy to fix if it is airgaps)
Is the noise coming through the trickle vents and extractor as they normally need to be fitted with hooded noise suppressors if it is a noise sensitive build.
Hope that helps. The builder is not obligated to pay for any reports you fancy doing...
There is no determined level for noise reduction other than what may have been specified in planning.
1)If nothing was specified in planning then sorry building regs only state thermal requirements.
2)However as it is tripled glazed the likelyhood is that it was asked for in planning.
You must first check witht he planning.
If it is supposed to meet a planning condition that condition should have been discharged by the developer and monitored by the NHBC. We would not need to check every unit to get a discharge so he therfore could have a bad unit. Noise tends to come through airgaps or a lack of sealing foam around the window frame.
My first port of call would be to:
-Check planning (if not in planning sorry there is nothing you can do)
-Raise the issue with the NHBC
-Provide proof that the property does not meet planning via an independant sound monitoring of the unit.
-NHBC with proof will correct the problem(it will be messy to fix if it is airgaps)
Is the noise coming through the trickle vents and extractor as they normally need to be fitted with hooded noise suppressors if it is a noise sensitive build.
Hope that helps. The builder is not obligated to pay for any reports you fancy doing...
CraigW said:
he thinks the rubber seals arent working properly
The windows can be adjusted to seal better to the rubber seals. You will know if this is the case as you will be able to see daylihght through a gap or feel a draft. It would create an airgap and be quite noisy if not sealing properly. If they are plastic windows they could have been bowed when screwed into the wall creating the same effect.
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff