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The process of renovating and
mainly building your house can be a very exciting adventure, but
it can also turn out to become a nightmare. It is therefore very
important to employ the services of professionals such as architects,
engineers, quantity surveyors and building consultants, in order
to make your project a success and avoid many unexpected and unpleasant
surprises. In most cases, these professionals will pay for themselves
whether directly or indirectly, and you will surely be the one who
will benefit. The job of a building consultant is mainly to manage
and supervise your project from the design stage all the way to
the final completion and handing over.
Below are some useful tips and guidelines to help you in the different
stages of your project:-
| 1.0 |
Sub-structure |
| 1.1 |
You should apply and obtain your development
and building permits prior to starting any work. |
| 1.2 |
Make sure that your plot corresponds
to the site plan, and that your boundary pegs are clearly
visible. If you are not sure, refer to a land surveyor who
will do a survey and re-instate all corner pegs |
| 1.3 |
Check that your builder has respected
the distances and necessary reserves as indicated on your
site plan, subject to item 1.2 above being cleared. |
| 1.4 |
Ensure that your engineer inspects the
foundations before casting. |
| 1.5 |
You are strongly advised to apply an
anti-termite treatment prior to casting your surface bed floor
– this is normally sub-contracted to specialised firms. |
| 2.0 |
Super-structure |
| 2.1 |
A good practice is to lay one row of
blocks on the floor before walls are raised. This would allow
you to cross-check all internal dimensions, and set out the
position of the doors. Any potential changes could be made
at this stage, without having to knock down walls. |
| 2.2 |
The life of your structure depends mainly
on two factors:-
| 2.2.1 |
The quality of your concrete. |
| 2.2.2 |
The “cover” around your steel reinforcement. |
The amount of cover is specified by the engineer but unfortunately
very often neglected by contractors. As a result with time,
the steel reinforcement will rust and therefore affect the
strength and stability of your structure. To avoid this problem,
you should check that the spacer blocks, more commonly known
as “gateau coco”, are used efficiently with the
shuttering. |
| 2.3 |
Your engineer must inspect the floor
/ roof reinforcement before casting. |
| 2.4 |
All concrete should be well vibrated,
particularly your slabs. |
| 2.5 |
It is advisable to protect your roof
slabs with finishes such as roof sheets or tiles etc, or simply
with special roofing paints. The main objective is to reduce
the amount of heat on the slab, and thus to limit the potential
cracks. The other reason is to protect your slab from water
– a concrete slab is NOT waterproof. |
| 3.0 |
Finishes |
| 3.1 |
The finishes in any construction often
takes much longer than the structural work.
Plan your finishes and establish a logical sequence for the
works – It is very useful to call the different sub-contractors
to discuss and agree on the sequence of the works, and their
inter action between each other. |
| 3.2 |
Make sure that each sub-contractor takes
responsibility not only for his work but also for associated
works being done by others – Each sub-contractor should
take care in protecting surrounding works and already installed
fittings and finishes. |
| 3.3 |
When you reach the final stages, try to complete your house
room by room, from one end to the other – once a room
is completely finished, close the door, lock it up and move
to the next one.
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| 3.4 |
Your plumber and electrician should test and commission their
installation before the final handing over, and issue a test
certificate to you. |
Thierry d’Arifat
Building Consultant
(N.Dip: Building Mngt, S.A)
TDA Consult Ltd.
20 Cap Dal, Tamarin
Tel: 483 5974 - Fax: 483 6111
E-mail: tdaconsult@intnet.mu
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