External wall insulation

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EmmaP

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Hi I'm Emma,

I'm a home owner.
Also a total novice with plastering and rendering. Only ever had interior walls skimmed and never had any issues re that in the past.

But we're having external wall insulation installed at present, on an old council house, it's originally concrete and render construction (no brick.)

We've had a catalogue of issues with the company doing this work so far (some of it reasonably trivial admittedly) ;-

Initially they almost smashed a window dropping large chunks of concrete off the scaffolding from roof height.

Left rubbish strewn across my lawn (for so long it killed it) and garden, front and back - for well over a month, had to complain to the company director to get them to remove it in the end.

Applying base coat before protecting any windows/doors - they were contractually obliged to protect them before starting (have had to chisel off render from inside a window frame) also this was done in temps below 4dc.

Repeatedly removing and leaving detached the bathroom waste pipe.

Not fitting or trimming the polystyrene bricks to allow enough space on the window reveals - by this I mean my top opening windows have very little clearance (less than 1cm) from the base coat to the window opening itself, so windows will potentially not open/catch the dash once the dash receiver and dash is applied inside the window reveals, depending on depth. (One workman said dash receiver and dash depth will be around 1cm, then another has said it will be 2mm..)

Could someone just confirm for me what the average or recommended depth of dash receiver render, then the dash ontop should come too?

They are using Johnstone's high performance dash receiver - not sure if different brands have differing recommendations on depth/temp.

And also they are applying these (dash receiver/dash) in rain and it is forecast to rain heavily later today and every day this week, is that good practice? I'm worried a 'wash out' may occur. Company director has said this morning when I queried it, that its perfect weather to do this in. Is that true?
Can also see the plastic corner beads through the dash receiver and dash on the areas they have completed, should that be visible?

Its costing over 11k, so I'm really concerned they are cowboys and doing things by halves.

Would very much appreciate some advise,
hopfully I'm just worrying needlessly!

Thanks for taking the time to read this
 
Hi I'm Emma,

I'm a home owner.
Also a total novice with plastering and rendering. Only ever had interior walls skimmed and never had any issues re that in the past.

But we're having external wall insulation installed at present, on an old council house, it's originally concrete and render construction (no brick.)

We've had a catalogue of issues with the company doing this work so far (some of it reasonably trivial admittedly) ;-

Initially they almost smashed a window dropping large chunks of concrete off the scaffolding from roof height.

Left rubbish strewn across my lawn (for so long it killed it) and garden, front and back - for well over a month, had to complain to the company director to get them to remove it in the end.

Applying base coat before protecting any windows/doors - they were contractually obliged to protect them before starting (have had to chisel off render from inside a window frame) also this was done in temps below 4dc.

Repeatedly removing and leaving detached the bathroom waste pipe.

Not fitting or trimming the polystyrene bricks to allow enough space on the window reveals - by this I mean my top opening windows have very little clearance (less than 1cm) from the base coat to the window opening itself, so windows will potentially not open/catch the dash once the dash receiver and dash is applied inside the window reveals, depending on depth. (One workman said dash receiver and dash depth will be around 1cm, then another has said it will be 2mm..)

Could someone just confirm for me what the average or recommended depth of dash receiver render, then the dash ontop should come too?

They are using Johnstone's high performance dash receiver - not sure if different brands have differing recommendations on depth/temp.

And also they are applying these (dash receiver/dash) in rain and it is forecast to rain heavily later today and every day this week, is that good practice? I'm worried a 'wash out' may occur. Company director has said this morning when I queried it, that its perfect weather to do this in. Is that true?
Can also see the plastic corner beads through the dash receiver and dash on the areas they have completed, should that be visible?

Its costing over 11k, so I'm really concerned they are cowboys and doing things by halves.

Would very much appreciate some advise,
hopfully I'm just worrying needlessly!

Thanks for taking the time to read this
Get some pictures up and I’ll tell you everything you need know
 
Hi, thanks for the replys.

It's a 2 story, 3 bed semi.

Sorry if the pictures aren't too great.
I'm disabled and it's a window that is above ground floor height.

One side has about 4cm clearance but the other side seems to be less than 1cm clearance.
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Dash receiver is generally 6mm on top off keyed basecoat 6-8 mm dash overall thickness around 10mm, working temperatures are fine now meant to be 5-30
 
Can I ask what a keyed basecoat is?
The basecoat looked thin, hasn't covered the mesh in places and was put on a few weeks ago during the cold snap. It was frosty every morning when they did it.
And what they have completed doesn't look too great.
Neighbours on the same street with the same insulation have a thick coating of dash.
They applied it in intermittently heavy rain and thunder.
 

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Also the back windows and doors have had the beading put on, then the basecoat afterwards. Strange how all the other windows/door reveals were basecaoted, then had the beading put on.
Will this cause problems re the integrity of the corners/give a crap finish?

Sorry for having no clue whatsoever about this.
 

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It’s absolute s**t looks like they’ve dashed with the base coat and the beads should have been put on first and meshed over they will crack
 
Are you getting a manufacturers warranty? Ring them and get the technical rep out. Dave France up here in North of England.

They will condemn that work.
 
So...
They came back and applied the dash receiver and dash on Mon and Tues (we're up north, West Yorkshire) so it got battered by heavy rain within 2 hours of them finishing (especially on Tues,) and they didn't protect it from the expected rain. The company director has fobbed me off, even said on Mon that applying in the rain/rain expected the same day as applucation was 'perfect conditions' for doing the job.
And my window is practically touching the dash, as I worried it would.

They are giving me a 25yr insurance backed guarantee, not a manufacturer guarantee. It would appear they have voided any manufacturers guarantee by not applying an antique 2nd pass of basecoat - mesh was visible across the 'finished' basecoat and was in no way near to a total depth of 6mm.

(I took the time to read the Johnstone's EWI installation guide, which clarified all my concerns.)

It looks so s**t.
20210512_205812.jpg
20210512_205826.jpg

Not entirely sure how to proceed now they've completed.
I am not the manufacturers direct customer, will they deal with me?
 
20210423_153630.jpg

This is a side on picture of the finished basecoat - mesh clearly visible. Is this acceptable? Will it cause defects over time?

Is the solution to this to remove dash/receiver and reapply basecoat to the correct specs, then re apply receiver and dash?
 
They need to be approved applicators to purchase Johnstone's ewi products and followed to system spec manufacturers guarantee,
Johnstone's will be interested
 
Don't pay them - breach of contract - workmanship provably faulty (i.e not per Johnstone's Spec and they've admitted it) and alternative "guarantee" not acceptable or worth the paper it's written on.
Get Johnstone's Rep to inspect & confirm/ how to remedy. IF, as expected, J's Rep condemns it & remedy is to rip off and replace, they'll have no chance in court.
Sometimes courts give a sort of "for what it's worth" ruling to pay a reduced sum to the contractor.
 
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