Structural engineer help please!!!!

[Niceeyes]

Hi

i am renovating my 1st floor flat and I’m moving the boiler slightly higher in the same area in my kitchen so that it will be able to go into a fitted cupboard lining up with all the others.

my builder drilled a hole in the external wall to put the new flue for the boiler.

The residents association have emailed me lastnight saying that he has drilled into a structural wall which might compromise the integrity of the building (pretty sure they just googled these terms to make themselves sound like they have a clue)

I have called over 30 surveyors today and only had luck with one, who says don’t worry as it’s a small hole it’s not over a window, no structural works need to be carried out etc. He looked at pics I emailed him of the hole that’s how he could comment.

i forwarded this email to the residents association asking if this is sufficient as it’s an email from a structural engineer.

Im waiting to hear back from them, sooooo stressful as I can’t continue to renovate my kitchen until they say yes this email is acceptable

sooooo anyone think they’ll say yes email is fine or do you think they will say no we need a structural person ti find out to do a full report??

bloody bloody stressful
TIA!!

I’m not a SE, but I work with plenty and that sound like bol locks. Presumably the old flue was through the same wall?

I agree with @AgentProvocateur.

Presumably the hole from the previous boiler flue will be filled in with bricks and cement which would increase the the structural integrity, so if the holes are the same size there is no overall change in the structural integrity.

Can you ask the RA what they are basing their assumptions on?

We've just drilled through an exterior wall to put a new broadband cable in.
They building's integrity remains intact.
Ignore the pompous buffoons, op.

Leasehold properties usually need to apply for permission in advance to drill or cut through the exterior wall, so maybe that's why they're really bothered. A boiler flue wouldn't normally be big enough to cause structural issues, it wouldn't be that wide.

Thank you all, the above puts my mind at rest.
the area that the builder drilled 4inch circle is above where the original flue hole was drilled, the new area has rebar which he cut through but not the main horizontal rebar one that really matters.

what can they do now that it’s been drilled?

If it's normal bricks I was all for saying it's fine, but if it's reinforced concrete and the bar has been affected, then the rebar is there for a specific reason, they calculate it to take all the stresses of the building.
You would need to get the structural engineer to write a paid report saying it's fine, rather than a free email, then you have their professional qualification to fall back on.

Sorry to say something that's not reassuring, but I'm a bit wtf that the installer cut through rebar in an external wall!

When you say 1st floor, is the flat just upstairs and downstairs 2 floors or is it one with 10+ floors? If you are the top floor it's less of a concern

Achitect and project manager here...
Tell them to get a surveyor or a structural engineer themselves if they are worried. Unless you drilled a massive hole, it is pretty standard stuff...(I'm guessing the hole is not more than 180 mm in diameter ish?)

Exceptions will be if the construction of the walls is too flimsy, or too thin, or visibly compromised but many other penetrations..

Why has the builder hit rebar, what is the building made of? Are you talking about small wire reinforcement that is in masonry coursing sometimes, or did you go through concrete? if concrete then I think you’d need to hire a SE to check the opening is ok.

As PP says you need permission from freeholder to do anything to building fabric as a leaseholder so that’s why they’ll be unhappy.

It’s a block of 3 floors, ground, 1st and 2nd so only one flat above me.

Thanks John, I know, but stupid of them. Leaving me with lots of stress. I’m waiting to hear back from them on Monday then I’ll have to get a Stuctural engineer out ….finding one not on holidays is near impossible!

Yep no more than 180mm diameter
They’ve said I am the one who has to pay for SE as my guys caused the hole. I can’t afford to piss them off before I’ve even moved in. Apparently they do daily walks of the building to ensure everything is good and no one is hanging washing out windows / bikes in corridors etc. it’s a very well kept small 3 story block (mine in the middle)

If the residents association come back saying no to an email and want a full report, could my guys fill the hole back up and hope no further action?

literally didn’t sleep lastnight

You normally need to get permission from your Landlord to do this.

I think filling the hole would make no difference, it sounds like they are checking some things for appearance but this they are concerned about the structure.
There's always a way to repair things though and I'm sure there is a solution that's not wildly expensive, so I wouldn't worry overly, but the problem is at the moment no one knows so it's all worst cases.
It doesn't sound like an emergency so I'm sure you can wait for a structural engineer a few weeks.
Good luck!

Thanks John for your reassurances and kind words