Hi All,
We have just installed steel fences for a client after the original landscaper walked off the job. He installed a granite patio that includes two steps that run across half the patio. The area is an L shape with a back door on the small length of the L and a patio door on the longer bit of the L. The steps run parallel to the longer bit of the L and are about 3m long with a run about 1m wide.
There is no obvious sign of a DPC on the house but it has airbricks and looking at the ware on the bricks the DPC could be on the bottom of the airbrick.
The problem is the original landscaper has laid the flags on the top step right beneath ( as in no vertical gap at all) the patio door sill. There is no gap between the flag and the house wall. He has also covered up the airbricks but has put 4inch waste pipe to a couple of slits that he has cut into the flag on end making the riser. There is a slight fall away from the house but not much.
My question is this - does this meet building regs? I know we have a little slack with steps but this seems wrong?
Secondly what can be done to put it right if it doesn't meet regs?
Steps & dpc - Does this meet building regs?
-
AmazingGarden
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:28 pm
- Location: Sandiway
-
lutonlagerlout
- Site Admin
- Posts: 15184
- Joined: Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:20 am
- Location: bedfordshire
always a bone of contention this
we are on a job currently where the client wants the top step flush to DPC so we installed a cavity tray rising from dpc 450mm up to the second course of block work,then a second DPC on the face work 2 course above the existing
if its on original building we have used code 5 lead 2 courses above the proposed step height
it sounds like he has done an attempt with the airbrick at least
LLL
we are on a job currently where the client wants the top step flush to DPC so we installed a cavity tray rising from dpc 450mm up to the second course of block work,then a second DPC on the face work 2 course above the existing
if its on original building we have used code 5 lead 2 courses above the proposed step height
it sounds like he has done an attempt with the airbrick at least
LLL
-
AmazingGarden
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2018 3:28 pm
- Location: Sandiway
Thanks
It is a difficult issue. As a designer I get asked for it all the time. In fact we have a patio to start where he has been told by the building inspector it is fine to run the patio level with the sill so long as he installs a slit linear drain and he wont be moved on it. The fact that the rain will bounce straight over the DPC just seems to pass him by.
I'm not sure what we will do with the problem above as the only way to check that the landscaper has tanked the wall is to rip a couple of slabs out. I doubt he did anything.
It is a difficult issue. As a designer I get asked for it all the time. In fact we have a patio to start where he has been told by the building inspector it is fine to run the patio level with the sill so long as he installs a slit linear drain and he wont be moved on it. The fact that the rain will bounce straight over the DPC just seems to pass him by.
I'm not sure what we will do with the problem above as the only way to check that the landscaper has tanked the wall is to rip a couple of slabs out. I doubt he did anything.
Do it once and do it right