What should I check in a new-build loft?
The official inspection checklist covers the hatch, the ladder if fitted, the roofing felt, the fan ducts, the insulation, the cables and the roof timbers. Felt should be even and undamaged. Ducts should be fixed at both ends, without excessive loops or folds. Insulation should be evenly laid and cables properly secured. Timbers should be evenly spaced, securely fixed, and free from cracks or twisting. LABC Warranty's checklist simply asks: is the loft fully insulated?
Take care
You may not get into the loft before completion. The checklist says lofts are only checked where it is safe. If there is no fitted ladder, the builder doesn't have to let you up into the loft by ladder before completion, unless you can show ladder safety training. If that happens, check the loft in your first weeks.
How deep should loft insulation be?
The official checklist gives no depth. It only asks for the insulation to be evenly laid. As a guide, the Energy Saving Trust recommends at least 270mm, and suggests measuring the depth with a tape measure. If yours looks much thinner than that, or has bare patches, ask the builder.
Look for gaps around the hatch and at the edges, and for insulation that has been squashed. The NHQB says compressed insulation works less well and can increase heat loss.
A trick we used photos of the far corners taken from the hatch, with the phone torch on. We could check the insulation without stepping off the ladder.
Can I store things in a new-build loft?
Usually not, unless it has been boarded for storage. The NHQB says most new-build lofts aren't designed for storage unless boarded and confirmed as suitable. Storing things on the insulation squashes it, and storing without proper boarding could affect warranties or future claims.
LABC Warranty's checklist asks whether boarding gives access to the tanks. That is a walkway, not a storage floor. Premier Guarantee warns that overloading the roof timbers with storage could damage them and the ceiling below. It lists a storage platform in the roof as an alteration, and says damage caused by alterations isn't covered by the structural warranty. If you want to board the loft, speak to the builder first. The Energy Saving Trust says boards may need battens or legs to raise them above the insulation.
Is condensation in the loft normal?
In the early months, some is. NHBC's guide says that in cold weather you may see moisture under the roof felt, from warm, damp air rising from the house. Because the roof space is ventilated, it should gradually clear. The NHQB says the same, and suggests keeping the loft hatch closed and using your extractor fans.
If it doesn't clear, or leads to damp patches or mould, report it. The NHQB says persistent condensation may point to a fault with insulation or ventilation.
Garage door: what to check
The official checklist expects the garage door to open, close and lock, with no dents or scratches and all the fittings in place. The frame should be secure, and the bottom of the door should keep rain out. A side door should have a threshold seal.
Take care
Garage doors use springs under high tension. Hörmann, which makes garage doors and openers, says only a specialist should work on the springs. If you have an electric opener, read its manual for the safety check. Hörmann says to stop the closing door with both hands, and it must stop and reverse. It says to check the safety functions monthly.
The door into the house
If your garage is built into the house, the door between them is a fire door. Building regulations guidance says it should have a self-closing device. The doorway should also be at least 100mm above the garage floor, unless the floor slopes away to the outside. Open it fully and let go. It should close by itself. The windows and doors page covers fire doors in more detail.
Is damp in a new-build garage normal?
Some is. The NHQB says garages aren't usually insulated like the house, and aren't designed to be fully airtight or watertight. A little water coming in around the door in heavy rain can be expected.
What isn't normal: lots of water coming in, standing water after rain, or signs of leaks from the roof or walls. The NHQB says to contact the builder then. It also suggests storing things off the floor and away from the walls.
NHBC's standards also allow for cracks up to 2mm wide in bare block walls, and small gaps where the concrete floor meets the walls as it dries. The floor may slope for drainage, and an unsealed floor may get dusty.