4th Sept - Time to get a new structural engineer

Well, the first substantial time problem has arisen. The structural engineer that we have been using has been absolutely s*** since the outset. His calcs on the main house were professionally done, with all the necessary pages & pages of calculations & drawings satisfactory for the building inspector.

However, for the extension the t***er still hasn't come up with the necessary calcs for the roof trusses and for the steels to support the apex window. He's had over 6 weeks and is a complete pain in the a***. Since we don't have his calcs, the builder can't order the steels, and therefore construction on the extension is currently stopped at plate level. We are basically now losing a couple of weeks on the extension.

So, we have now appointed a new structural engineer - this new one we have much more confidence in. He has worked with the architect & the builder on previous occasions and seems very responsive - he even answers the phone (which is more than the previous t***er was capable of doing).

Honestly, I should have canned the original engineer before we started on the extension, but we didn't.

It's been a highly stressful week, but I feel much better now we have a forward path (albeit that we have lost a couple of weeks on the extension).

Of course, work on the main house is not directly affected by the delay on the extension, but as soon as possible we need the extension water-tight and secure since there is currently a gaping hole in the wall!