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By Leonard GildarieI have managed to get a hold of Guyana’s Code of Practice for Buildings – Enforcement. It was prepared by the Guyana National Bureau of Standards and approved by the National Standards Council back in 2005. Interesting development.We will devote a few columns to this, as it would be important to know what we should really be doing as a country. It is a free-for-all now, with very few inspections to ensure that the correct practices are used. I know for a fact that the NDCs especially are more concerned with how far from the fence you are building. There are just not enough personnel to conduct monitoring to determine whether the layout is according to plans submitted. But that is another story.One of Habitat’s supervised homes.This week, as promised, I want to talk about Habitat for Humanity, an international non-profit organization that has been building homes in Guyana for poor families since coming here in 1994. They have built about 600 homes so far.Just over a week ago I sat down with National Director, Rawle Small,Wholesale NFL Jerseys China, and his Construction Manager, Kiambu Douglas, to talk about how they monitor the construction sites.The officials said that the organization is very much structured, with systems in place for regular visits. As a matter of fact, Habitat visits the sites at least twice a week. The visits are to ensure that the houses are being built according to the plans and are within the time scheduled for delivery. Also being inspected is the quality of work and whether the accepted standards are being used.“We have structured the construction so that we don’t pay every week. We pay as particular tasks are completed,” Small explained.This is significant, as most homeowners currently pay their contractors every week,Cheap Nike Huarache Shoes, regardless of what is completed. This practice has led, unfortunately, to money running out and the structure still being incomplete. We need to adopt similar practices, as there are many contractors who push for pay weekly to meet staffing demands.Now, Habitat has adopted strict standards of building to ensure that homes are safe.The quality standards were drawn from what the United Nations accepts, the Sphere Guidelines and the International Building Codes,Cheap Jerseys From China, and of course, from local requirements.It touches on issues like what is accepted for a person in terms of a livable floor space for that person to be comfortable. As much as possible, Habitat would use locally-sourced materials, as long as these do not negatively affect the economy or the environment. The standards include Habitat’s assurance that the home would be safely located in areas away from earthquakes, volcanic activity, landslides, flooding, or high winds. The home should also be away from disease-prone areas. Of course,Wholesale Jerseys Online, some of these scenarios,Nike NFL Jerseys China, like volcanoes, are not applicable to Guyana. However, flooding is.Issues of water, access to safe toilets, and drainage are all areas that Habitat would look into.In terms of a comfortable livable area, the organization says that it accepts that each person should be able to use 3.5 square metres (37.7 square feet) of covered floor. The homes are built to ensure that expansion can be done later.Habitat is also strict about how it conducts its business. It ensures that a contract is signed and includes the homeowner and the contractor. It sets out the sum of total labour costs and appoints a Clerk of Works (supervisor) who would monitor the construction.This particular point we will get back to in subsequent columns. Many times the homeowner is the one who monitors. The problem is (if you were like me), most times persons have no idea what they are looking for. My main job was to purchase materials and pay the contractor weekly. Whether the job was done right was another matter. I have paid the price for not knowing.Habitat’s contract is specific, telling the contractor that he/she must work according to contract, using certain materials and with the workmanship specified. Should the contractor fail to carry out specific requests, he/she could immediately be replaced once notice is given. Habitat would have the right to deduct monies from the old contractor for the new one.Habitat said that it gives out a copy of the contract to the contractor along with the drawings and what is known as the bill of quantities – a document in which materials, parts, and labour (and their costs) are itemized.The contractor is obligated to submit to Habitat a programme of how he/she intends to carry out the works. I know for a fact that many contractors are not required to put down on paper how long they intend to carry out the works. Rather, this is all done word-of-mouth, in the informal style that has placed many homeowners and contractors at odds with each other.This culture has to change. We need to protect ourselves. While the courts are slow in deciding on civil matters, nobody likes to tie themselves to a contract because of the obvious legal implications.Last week, in passing,2018 Nike Air Max 97, I mentioned that Habitat also has, as part of its arsenal, detailed plans that the contractor would use as a guide. I pointed out that Habitat’s detailed plans consist of 10 pages, including of right side, front and floor elevations; detailed floor plans; kerb wall; longitudinal sections; roof framing plan; patio; door frames and even details of the timber wall.The whole point is, currently the practice is one or two drawings that the contractor has to work with. Overseas, the demand is that drawings are detailed and may include more than three or so that are being okayed by the NDCs. We just need to look at what is happening elsewhere and whether these practices should not be adopted here.The Habitat situation should be food for thought, especially for our legislators and other stakeholders who may want to move to introduce new laws to better monitor the housing sector.Next week we could examine whether there are existing laws and whether it may be a case of just a matter of enforcement.Incidentally, I have asked our tech folks here to gather all the housing articles and place them in a particular spot on the website for an easy read.Enjoy the weekend and continue sending those valuable comments and tips [email protected] You can also call me on 225-8491 during weekdays.