Description

This determination arises from the decision of the authority to issue a notice to fix for 8-year-old additions and alterations to a house because it was not satisfied that the building work complied with certain clauses of the Building Code. The authority's concerns regarding compliance of the building work relate primarily to the weathertightness of the exterior building envelope. The authority has also identified defects related to the installation of the solid fuel burner and I have therefore added Clause C to the code requirements outlined in Matter 2 below. The matter to be determined is therefore whether the authority was correct in its decision to issue a notice to fix for the alterations. In deciding this, the following must be considered: 1-Whether the external claddings to the additions and alterations (the claddings) comply with Clause B2 Durability and Clause E2 External Moisture of the Building Code; 2-Whether the alterations comply with other relevant Building Code clauses identified in the notice to fix: B1 Structure, C Fire Safety, E1 Surface Water, E3 Internal Moisture, F2 Hazardous Building Materials, F4 Safety from Falling, G9 Electricity and G13 Foul Water. The notice to fix also outlined requirements for durability of building elements and stated that the applicants may apply to the authority for a modification of the requirements to allow durability periods to commence from the date of substantial completion of the alterations.