Frame Issues (self inspection)

These are the issues that I spotted myself during the framing stage. It pays to go on to the site regularly so mistakes like these can be fixed early and easily.

1. Frame Overhang

The one on the left overhangs by more than 20mm and the right is around 10mm. The standard compliance is 10mm but my site supervisor asked for both to be fixed whilst the concrete guy was there anyway. 

You can see the right corner was fixed but left wasn't applied to all of the overhang. 

Here it is obvious there is still an issue. My site supervisor had sprayed the entire area to be fixed with the pink line but only part of it got fixed. I brought this up with the supervisor and this was to be fixed again. Unfortunately by the time I got to look at it the next day, it had already been bricked around so I can only assume it has been done. 

2. Window Heights Not Aligned

There was a bit of shock and horror when I saw this...

Despite clearly stating in the contract for all windows to be lined up at 2400mm, the drafts person got this wrong. I've been really particular about these heights and I had triple checked all the heights for everything, windows, bulkheads, mirrors, even shower screens but the heights for the facade windows are not specified anywhere in the drawings. 

Here's how bad it looks from the outside. 

Luckily I picked this up before bricking and my supervisor was able to organise for a variation and a fix:

3. Theatre Windows clashing with Bulkhead heights

I added windows to the theatre but the drafts person didn't pick up that at 2400mm high it would clash with the bulkheads. The options here were to either remove the bulkheads or lower the windows. I kinda like the bulkheads so I chose to lower the windows. As this is the blind side of the house (non-street side), it is not much of an issue that these don't line up with the other window and door in the laundry. There is also no windows to the other walls in this room.

Fixed:

4. Study Niche Void
This one is pretty straight forwards. In the original plans there is a gap in the wall here, with a column in the middle. I've chosen to add a door and close this room up so instead of this gap in the wall, I've asked for a niche void instead. Cost was free. Only thing is, the framers must have been working off old plans.

Fixed:

5. Hallway Bulkhead Height

In my contract, I had asked for a 2400mm double door to the hallway. Then I removed it by variation but instead of leaving the bulkhead height at 2400mm, they reduced it to 2250mm.

Fixed:

6. Ensuite Cavity Door Size

We asked for a cavity door to Ensuite 2 during Tender and switched the shower and toilet around to fit this in (the shower niche or plumbing would have blocked the cavity). Unfortunately, in the final contract drawings, the drafts person put the slide the wrong way. Not only that, they selected a 620mm door for me! I only noticed this when I found that I almost had to walk through sideways during framing. This is without the sliding door there which would stick out slightly too, making a small entrance even more ridiculously tiny.

Needless to say, the supervisor was on to it asap. I met up with the carpenter the next day and we measured it up to fit an 820mm wide door. 

Fixed:

These were the minor structural issues that I found. It is fortunate that I live on five minutes away and am able to frequent the site several times a week to pick these mistakes up. I feel for those that can't do the same. Much much less hassle to rectify these when identified early.