Oxley Woods Living

Life in an Oxley Woods eco house

 
 

Posts Tagged ‘repairs’

 

New door fitted, much improved

April 12, 2010

We’ve just had the front door replaced for one of the more recent metal doors.

Despite the fact I prefer the idea of the wooden doors, I have to say the new design appears much improved.  It’s noticeably quieter when traffic passes by and doesn’t let any daylight in.

If you’re really struggling with your wooden door (several replacements etc) then I say push for a new one, it does what a door should do!

All more recent builds here have metal doors as standard, you can spot them easily by the pop rivets towards the bottom end.

After the open letter… How’s it been for you?

October 8, 2009

Many of you reading this blog will be aware of the open letter sent to Taylor Wimpey, Wood Newton and RSHP last month.

Over 30 properties responded with a “Support Slip 1″, which meant that the occupant(s) of those properties supported the open letter, and also they had at least one outstanding issue with their property. Some people attached covering letters, tales of woe, which really were quite sad to read. I hope that everyone who signed and handed in a support slip 1 are being dealt with better now.

Around 20 properties responded with the “Support Slip 2″, which was showing support for the resident’s letter of complaint. However the residents in these properties had no outstanding issues at the time the letter was sent. I’d personally like to thank everyone who signed and handed in a support slip 2, because it really shows that people here care about the neighbourhood and their neighbours. I’m sure that your support has helped spur Wimpey and Wood Newton into action.

In all we dropped the leaflets and letter through just over 70 houses. So the response was, as we’ve said before, pretty overwhelming. We had no idea how many people were unhappy. Obviously we spoke to a few neighbours before going ahead with the letter to all concerned in the design, manufacturing and sales of our homes, but we didn’t know just how representative a sample they would turn out to be!

We said in a previous post that it seemed like Wimpey and Wood Newton were reacting in their own way to the strength of feeling, and sheer volume of complaints. Talking to more residents, and speaking with Wimpey customer care it seems like things have certainly been stepped up a gear or two.

We were concerned we’d scored some sort of “own goal” in trying to get the best for all residents, as our window report and other issues seemed to be slipping further and further back. But following our meeting with John Green and Nigel Mitchell (Wood Newton and Wimpey) earlier this week our concerns have mostly been addressed there too.

We did receive a response from RSHP as well. However it didn’t really say very much, and had some errors, such as the housebuilder name. I didn’t expect much, but I think I’d rather have heard nothing than something with a real “don’t call us, call the housebuilders” tone to it. Especially when they couldn’t even get the housebuilders name right!

However, there is some good news on that front too. The questions that were put to RSHP were also put to Wood Newton and Wimpey, and Wood Newton (and Wimpey) gave us some answers. A few people wanted to know who was responsible for what. In short, RSHP are responsible for the “concept design”, Wood Newton do the detail design, Wimpey and RSHP sign those off, and then the various manufacturers put the pieces, such as windows, together. Ultimately the buck stops with Wimpey, and Wood Newton.

As mentioned yesterday, Wood Newton have offered some reassurances concerning the problems some of us have suffered, and the looming end of Wimpey’s two year warranty. They wanted to reassure us all that they will look after us. They’ll be around for while yet, and they do want this to work out well for all concerned.

We did drop around another letter asking people how you’re getting on since the letter and support slips were handed in. So far the response has been good, but not that many people have said anything at all. We hope no news is good news, but if you’re still suffering and haven’t had a response from Wood Newton and Wimpey, try again, but also let us know so you’re not missing out on their apparently much improved customer service!

A step in the right direction

October 7, 2009

Last night (6th October) we had a long awaited meeting with our site manager from George Wimpey and one of the directors of Wood Newton. Very courteously this was arranged out of hours to suit our work load and let us get the kids away for the night. So thanks to all concerned for that.

The main purpose of the meeting was to discuss our leaky window problems, but other areas where also touched upon which may be of interest to residents and could be residents reading this blog alike.

For us the meeting was pretty much all positives. We finally know what work will be carried out on our property in terms of sorting out the problems with the leaky doors and windows. The good news is that we’ve seen the drawings for our new windows and they seem to eliminate all potential issues we’ve encountered. We also saw test results for windows currently installed in the most recently built plots, and while a lot of it is quite technical, the results seem very good indeed. Certainly weather proof!

The down side for us is that the work on our property could take a very long time to complete, potentially as much as three weeks. That work can’t begin until the windows have been made, which could be another couple of weeks, possibly a little more. Feels terribly daunting.

We also have to make some decisions about what happens to the family while the work is being carried out. It’s going to be messy and disruptive. Beyond that, it still feels very unsure.

Fortunately Wood Newton and Wimpey genuinely seem to want to look after us during this time. I just hope it all carries through as planned. If it does, we should be home and dry before the winter really takes hold. At long, long last!

It felt from our meeting that the problems we’ve had are still a bit of a mystery to Wood Newton and Wimpey. The answers wont be forthcoming until the windows are out and tested, cut open and inspected. Anyway, from a selfish point of view we don’t really need to know why, we just know it’s happened, it’s been a nightmare, and we have to trust the latest window design and construction will be an end to it all. Fingers crossed!

On a wider scale, John Green from Wood Newton offered some words of reassurance not only for us but for other Oxley Woods residents. They certainly appear aware as we are, that the NHBC warranty is patchy at best, and that, of course, several residents are worried about their situations as time moves on and their two year George Wimpey warranty expires.

The long and the short of it is that John has said, and he’s in a position to be seen as “Mr Wood Newton”, that they will look after customers beyond the two year warranty. This isn’t in writing, and as such it is not a special extended warranty, but there’s no reason to doubt the sincerity of the gesture.

Wood Newton and Wimpey both have a lot at stake here at Oxley Park, if not only in financial terms, but also kudos and reputation (and pride), so it makes sense they look after the residents. In our view the way we’ve been looked after so far simply hasn’t been good enough, but it feels like the builders between them are taking it on the chin and genuinely want to move forward in a more positive and co-operative way. Has to be a good thing, right?

Oxley Woods, where next week means what?

September 25, 2009

Nothing. Apparently.

When Peter from Wood Newton visited last Thursday afternoon, I had to tell him it was not convenient for the painters to attempt to paint the ceilings and walls of our property that same day. The reply came it would have to be “some time next week”. Which seemed fair enough at the time.

Only, here we are, Friday morning of that very “next week”. The painting still having not been addressed.

Have we seen or heard anything of Peter or the painters? Other than when Peter popped by the blog to effectively accuse myself, my wife and mother of being liars on an earlier post? No. Not a word.

So when does “next week” mean?

I’ve asked for clarification from George Wimpey customer care, who also appear to struggle with the concept of time where Wood Newton are concerned, but my request for clarification appear to have fallen on deaf ears.

If stripping down house doesn’t work… Off with the balcony!

March 11, 2009

Before, during, and after far too much time and disruption was spent while the guys from Wood Newton and George Wimpey stripped off almost every Trespa panel from the house (scuffing and chipping several in the process) and put them back up again after putting their new wonder flash band material around the windows and on some joins, we had raised the concern that water was coming in at locations on our wrapping window in the kitchen that were concealed by our balcony… You can see where this is going already can’t you.

Well, after the joy of watching our house being pulled apart and reconstructed (again, not to “as new’ condition as assured) it didn’t take long for the rain to return.  As has been the case since we moved here, rain means worry, and worry means inspection time, and inspection time leads to….  Discovering more water marks, of course! This means that in December, the house is still not water tight, despite extensive repairs and assurances.

The water was coming through and again penetrating and marking the ceiling area above the small part of our kitchen window which is under the balcony.  This lead the the almost inevitable, we had to have the first floor balcony taken apart, literally, while the problem areas were flash banded and repaired.

This lead to more disruption, and it was pretty shocking to see the state of the materials hidden behind the trespa, already looking too damp, mouldy, and in a generally very poor state.  Fortunately, the house wasn’t looking as bad as the throw away and replace balcony sections, but it wasn’t nice to see at all.  Apparently this wasn’t anything to worry about.  But you do, don’t you?

The work was no small task and took several days to complete, during which time the balcony was off limits.  The Trespa panels were removed, the fibreboard panels behind those were then removed, some foam filler taken off, several slats removed from the floor, so all that remained on the first floor was the small steel shell.  Parts had to be cut out, because they’re not made to be taken apart this way, then put back together by the carpenters.  BIG job. This is NOT the kind of stress you need during the build up to Christmas, with two kids about the place too!

Anyway, this may or may not have solved the problem, the stains have been stain blocked and painted over (badly, but that’s a whole other post!) but it appears that recently, over two months after the repair, we may have new water marks above that window.  Again.  The following show some of the work on the balcony, I had intended to post some photos of the work being undertaken on the front and back of the house, but it’s much of a muchness to the photos of the side being stripped down.  Messy, and noisy, especially with a baby at home!

The repairs are, as of March 11th, not finished. The gaps were not good, so were filled, badly, and have been left in a state. Considering the strong design ethos behind these house, and how important it was to us (shallow as that may seem to some) in our buying decision, we’re gutted at the state our house has been in for so much of the time we’ve lived here so far.