On Sun, 23 Oct 2011 16:51:47 +0100, Bob Hobden wrote:

I must admit when I read they let it invade their garden and did nothing
about it I became a bit sceptical about this story.

Most people wouldn't recognise japanese knotweed or realise how
tricky it can be to remove(*). It's not overly invasive, yes it
spreads but not as bad as some plants.

One of the comments is telling. How does this plant get through the
4" concrete slab and polythene damp proof membrane to appear inside
the house behind skirtings etc. Why isn't there a NHBC guarantee?
Perhaps the house needs to be demolished 'cause it ain't built
properly...

(*) Though it doesn't like glyphosphate at all. I reckon it gets it's
reputation of being "difficult to remove" from the fact it can
regenerate from a tiny bit left in the ground. Cutting down and/or
digging out is not really an option unless you take *everything*,
soil the lot, away to a "hazardous waste" site for disposal.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In article o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
One of the comments is telling. How does this plant get through the
4" concrete slab and polythene damp proof membrane to appear inside
the house behind skirtings etc. Why isn't there a NHBC guarantee?
Perhaps the house needs to be demolished 'cause it ain't built
properly.


Well i know that a Campsis climber was found behind a sofa growing out
of the skirting of a 1930's house in Amersham! Fairly sure the house
was sound, they didn't knock it down, just killed the plant outside just
in case it came up anywhere else!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

On 24/10/2011 12:24, Janet Tweedy wrote:
In whill.co.uk, Dave
writes
One of the comments is telling. How does this plant get through the
4" concrete slab and polythene damp proof membrane to appear inside
the house behind skirtings etc. Why isn't there a NHBC guarantee?
Perhaps the house needs to be demolished 'cause it ain't built
properly.


Well i know that a Campsis climber was found behind a sofa growing out
of the skirting of a 1930's house in Amersham! Fairly sure the house
was sound, they didn't knock it down, just killed the plant outside just
in case it came up anywhere else!

Funny you say that. Only yesterday I sprayed with glyphosate a couple
of Campsis shoots which have just appeared, having pushed up through a
weedproof membrane over 3 metres from the original plant. That was cut
down (and the stump drilled and filled with concentrate glyphosate) a
year ago.

Campsis is a persistent weed which I will never plant in a garden again.
It is, like japanese knotweed, not easy to kill with glyphosate,
needing several treatments.

--

Jeff

On Mon, 24 Oct 2011 12:24:10 +0100, Janet Tweedy wrote:

One of the comments is telling. How does this plant get through
the
4" concrete slab and polythene damp proof membrane to appear
inside
the house behind skirtings etc.

Well i know that a Campsis climber was found behind a sofa growing out
of the skirting of a 1930's house in Amersham!

A 1930's house is not likely to have a solid concrete floor and
polythene damp proof membrane over the entire ground floor area.
Walls built onto a concrete foundation or possibly brick built
foundations a few feet into the ground. Ground floor floor
constructed from suspended timber over bare earth.

--
Cheers
Dave.

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
Why isn't there a NHBC guarantee?
It's along long time since I looked at it but NHBRC guarantees against
poor quality building. I don't think it covers damage due to plants
BIMBW
--
hugh

On Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:38:26 +0100, hugh wrote:

Why isn't there a NHBC guarantee?

It's along long time since I looked at it but NHBRC guarantees against
poor quality building. I don't think it covers damage due to plants
BIMBW

Well I'm wondering why there isn't an NHBC guarantee that I thought
has been mandatory on all new builds for the last 20 odd years, if
not longer. The property looks very new.

So I'm thinking that knotweed has got inside because the construction
is dodgey, hence no NHBC, but a good few £k knocked off the price...

--
Cheers
Dave.

In message o.uk, Dave
Liquorice writes
On Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:38:26 +0100, hugh wrote:

Why isn't there a NHBC guarantee?

It's along long time since I looked at it but NHBRC guarantees against
poor quality building. I don't think it covers damage due to plants
BIMBW

Well I'm wondering why there isn't an NHBC guarantee that I thought
has been mandatory on all new builds for the last 20 odd years, if
not longer. The property looks very new.

So I'm thinking that knotweed has got inside because the construction
is dodgey, hence no NHBC, but a good few £k knocked off the price...

--
Cheers
Dave.



Only mandatory if the builder is registered with the National House
Builders Council AIUI.
--
hugh

"Janet" wrote in message
...
In article o.uk,
says...

One of the comments is telling. How does this plant get through the
4" concrete slab and polythene damp proof membrane to appear inside
the house behind skirtings etc. Why isn't there a NHBC guarantee?

Owner-builder exemption is available.

Perhaps the house needs to be demolished 'cause it ain't built
properly...

Havent they got buildings insurance, I wonder?

Trying to sue their own solicitor for not ensuring NHBRC cover is rather
strange too.


Obviously they can't have employed a surveyor, or his/her neck would be on
the block, not the lawyer's.

On Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:54:53 +0100, BAC wrote:

One of the comments is telling. How does this plant get through
the
4" concrete slab and polythene damp proof membrane to appear
inside
the house behind skirtings etc. Why isn't there a NHBC guarantee?

Owner-builder exemption is available.

Perhaps the house needs to be demolished 'cause it ain't built
properly...

Havent they got buildings insurance, I wonder?

If owner built and not to the required building regulation standards
would any building insurance pay out?

Possibly not. I would expect it to be a condition of any mortgage
there is on the property though.

Obviously they can't have employed a surveyor, or his/her neck would be
on the block, not the lawyer's.

Most people probably don't know the difference between "valuation
survey" "home buyers report" and "structural survey".

The first is just to verify to the mortgage company that the property
is worth what they are lending.

The second is hardly worth the paper it is written on, as anything
remotely specialised will just be glossed over with "specialist
advice should be sort". A Home Buyers Report should pick up on gross
problems with a property. But the surveyor won't shift furniture,
lift carpets or venture into any lofts, they'll stick there head up
and access but that's about all.

The third is very expensive...

--
Cheers
Dave.