There is a you tube channel-'New Home Quality Control ' that highlights the shocking/appalling standard of new homes being "thrown up" and deemed as ok by the developers .

The plastering has been done by a plasterer and not a general builder. Of course the only thing is it is the builder that has chosen the plasterer - which is overall a huge problem with using a builder in the first place. The plasterer has remarked that he does work for other builders, and his van doesn’t bear any markings or logos at all but is fully kitted out for plastering. The better tradespeople have tended to have vans emblazoned with their own business name.

The old plaster was plumb but very old often hollow and cracked in places and therefore covered in lining paper. When you have knocked it all off to renew I think you naturally expect to get something pretty smooth and plumb, not ‘perfect’ but within say 2-4mm (?) over a wall.

What is worrying me is that the large open plan room is yet to be done. The blockwork is good and plumb and windows will produce grazing light. If this guy can’t plaster a 2.5m by 2.5m plumb block wall and keep it plumb then doing a 7m by 3m wall concerns me. In the end it seems to me the quality of the finish is important to the finished result - nobody is going to admire the hidden structure of a building, they only ‘see’ the finishing. Overall I am spending a lot of money and don’t want to sit cursing mediocre plastering for the next 20 years.

This stuff is causing huge conflicts with my spouse now, who now ‘just wants to get it done’. Every time there is a quality issue she wants to let it go, but I can’t see why you should spend vast sums and then accept a dodgy finish. This whole thing has been so long and painful and the stress and fatigue unending it generates the temptation to ‘just give up’ - do anything and accept anything just to get it finished.

There have been so many issues and delays caused by builder screw ups, once something gets cocked up you are left with - accept it, or face further delays for rework which then doesn’t always fully resolve the the problem. Everything would just be far more profitable and faster for the builder if they just did consistent quality work right first time. But they seem to be unable to grasp that.

Wow

so it looks like NMKC’s 8mm plaster wall deviation from plumb is acceptable up to story height of 3m

Sometimes the best form of attack is to play defence; government petitions seem to be a bit pointless.

By defence I of course mean be VERY careful about making the decision to do building work in the first place. If you have to do it, only proceed with those who you know you can trust (and even then keep on top them so they don't see you as naive and take advantage). Otherwise just don't bother. In this way capitalism will hopefully work better and weed out the rogue/cowboy/poor builders and force them to go out of business and hopefully carry out labour work in areas where they can't' inflict damage to people (things like rubbish collection, street cleaners etc).

I may sound like a parrot or even p!ss some people off on here by repeating the above many times but I don't care. The above can never be over stated, and if it makes someone reading my comments think twice, its been well worth it.

I have noticed in recent years people behaving in very rude/condescending/demanding manner. Much more so than previously such that it makes me notice it. This has happened to me for following people I have interacted with over the last few years:

- various estate agents
- various family members
- and of course builders/contractors

It might just be me getting older and this behaviour was always present. Or people have changed since covid?

From my own experience, I know how stressful building can be. We bought a house about two years ago and still haven't finished the renovation (we also built an additional room and a patio). The bathroom is our next step.