Advice following a lintel replacement

[chris24747 10]

Hi,

I'm after a bit of advice so I have more confidence in what i'm saying to my builder following a lintel replacement.

 

As part of an extension a lintel was removed and replaced with a longer Catnic type. The floor joists for the first floor are supported on this wall above the lintel on a course of brick and block. The extension is complete and the builder has been gone for a couple of months. During the renovation of the existing room that the lintel was in i have had the ceiling plasterboard down which has exposed where the 1st floor joists go into the block work.

 

When the house was originally built there was a DPC layer laid along the block under the joists. The result is that the blocks below the joists were not stuck to the blocks above. This has resulted in a gap forming below this DPC. The joists have followed this and dropped as well, resulting in a gap on top of the joist (where mortar once rested on the joist). At the worst point i can get the end of my index finger into the gap above the joist.

 

Upstairs, the floor has noticeably dropped, its a bathroom with a lino floor which was siliconed in the corners - so the silicone has stayed stuck to the wall and the lino has dropped by, at the worst bit, around 10mm - which ties in with my findings downstairs.

 

I guess my bottom line question is: Is there an acceptable amount of drop expected from a first floor joist / flooring following a lintel replacement?

In my eyes, this should be zero - is this too ambitious? 10mm seems a lot.

 

Before I get my builder back and insist on them rectifying this I just want to get my facts straight.

 

If you need me to sketch something up, I can. Many thanks in advance.

[mactheblade 10]

If it was supported correctly there should be no movement in the floor level you are correct in wanting it rectified.

[zak123 10]

Anything supporting a room above should be done by a architect concerning a room above to get the right size steal to support if it as dropped as much as you say there is a problem and you really need to contact your builder and ask him to sort it or you could be in trouble and he is liable for the work he as done don't hesitate get him back

[Mikes-joiner 10]

Looks like shoddy workmanship to me, get him back.

We as tradesmen are responsible for doing the job properly and safely.