Case Study - Choosing the wrong supplier
We don't normally get involved in denouncing the competition, we concentrate on the positive aspects of our business and let the customer decide which conservatory supplier will best meet their needs. However, some of the larger firms are no strangers to claiming superiority over their smaller rivals.
A local planning officer recently suggested a surveyor from the company in question in this article (Firm A) should contact Kingsholme for advice on an ongoing planning application they had. He had told Firm A that we recently had planning permission granted on a similar property and as we knew the local area well we might be able to give them a few pointers.
This is something we were more than happy to do, but during the ensuing phone call, the representative from Firm A was extremely impolite, condescending and arrogant. It may be a slightly emotional and unprofessional reaction, but that rudeness prompted the writing of this article.
Recommendation
Having seen us build a conservatory down the road (click here for details) the clients contacted us to explain the problems they were having with the conservatory constructed by Firm A five years previously. As you can see from the photo below, the conservatory seems reasonably ok, although the rainwater arrangement above looks a bit of a bodge and the lead flashing has not been stepped.
Subsidence
The main issue however was the fact the conservatory base had subsided, this caused the timber structure to move, leading to leaks and problems with the doors. There is a small river situated around seven metres from the front of the conservatory, the front of the conservatory is very close to the river bank which slopes down to the river quite steeply. It should not take a geotechnical surveyor to establish that this ground was not suitable for standard foundations! The job we had done up the road was built on piles around eight metres deep, the conservatory built by Firm A has strip footings less than 600mm deep.
Emperor's New Clothes
When choosing Firm A, the clients did not do exhaustive research, they put their faith in the fact Firm A advertised in the Sunday magazines, had a well known brand name and glossy brochures. But above all, they believed that the high price meant they would get a high quality product and service. This was an understandable view to take, but unfortunately it proved to be incorrect.
The clients were prepared to pay for a hassle free option, but Firm A could not undertake the base work, they provided plans and specifications for it and recommended the contractor. Totally inadequate foundations were laid, the conservatory subsided, leaks occurred a problem exacerbated by the fact the conservatory was fully open to the house. Neither Firm A nor the base contractor would accept responsibility. After five years of trying to get some form of recourse, living with the constant leaks and jammed doors, the clients decided after seeing the conservatory we had built up the road to knock their one down and start again!
If you pay a premium price for what is portrayed as a premium product, you should not expect to be knocking your conservatory down five years later.
Piles
We changed the design slightly, making the new conservatory a touch bigger and incorporating a canopy over some existing doors. Planning permission was granted and building control approval gained - something that was conspicuously absent from the original build.
We demolished the existing conservatory, knocked down the walls and broke up the old foundations. Unfortunately, there was no access at the side of the property, so all materials and debris had to go through the house! New steel-cased piles were driven down to to depth of eight metres, an engineer designed, reinforced concrete slab connected to them.
The End Result
The concrete was poured, new walls built (using matching bricks this time!) and the new conservatory erected. In addition to improvements in the design and build quality, we were able to install the latest solar control glass, eliminating the need for expensive and troublesome blinds. We installed correct stepped lead flashing and rationalised the rainwater disposal situation. We also reinstated the patio, built new steps and laid a hardwood floor in both the conservatory and adjoining room.
