Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
requirements for building and concern themselves with health and safety aspects and not
the aesthetic aspects of the structure. The latter, of course, is controlled by the local plan-
ning authorities.
The National House-Building Council (known as NHBC) has its own set of standards,
which although incorporating the Building Regulations requirements, look beyond the
health and safety aspects and seek to set minimum standards for quality control and such
items as heating, electrical power sockets, and the general finish given to the buildings.
Formed in 1936 it was not until the mid-1960s that the council began to have influence on
the vast majority of house builders in the UK.
Concerned by the so-called 'jerry builders' after the Second World War, the building soci-
eties needed some method of ensuring that the homes on which they had granted mort-
gages were of an adequate standard to protect their investment. These societies therefore
demanded that house builders building and wishing to sell homes on which the societies
were granting mortgages must belong to the NHBC and submit themselves to their inspec-
tions. Having achieved full compliance with the NHBC requirements and of course the
Building Regulations, the mortgage would be granted. Consequently most newly built
homes until now have had to be inspected by the local authority as well as the NHBC, al-
though this is likely to change in the near future, and only the inspectorate of the NHBC
will be involved. An alternative to NHBC for mortgage purposes in most instances, is that
the house should be inspected by a registered architect, and this seems to be the only way
that a non-registered house builder can build and sell a new home under a mortgage agree-
ment.
The Building Regulations and NHBC standards in turn refer to various
British Standards
and it is intended here only to deal with those British Standards concerned with timber in
roof structures.
