Product Library on Site
As so many products vary in appearance from when they were inspected during a sourcing visit to the stockist with the client in attendance, or as seen in a brochure or catalogue, it is very important that a physical record of any materials selected for a project is maintained, preferably on site.
This comment covers just about every type of material, including topsoil, turf, artificial grass, sand, bricks, pavers, rockery, natural stone setts and timbers. (Plants are not so easy to provide as an on-site record, except perhaps as a size of quality container grown unit. These should be properly maintained during works.)
Samples of all products should be shown to the customer wet and dry (if applicable) to ensure that they are deemed acceptable due to probable colour changes. A sample of each product should be retained safely on site, initialed as being acceptable by all Parties with indelible pen, together with a note of their origin or source, product name and supplier. (This information will be required for the CDM File (see Construction (Design Management) Regulations.)
This Products Library is essential to avoid any question of non-acceptance of a material at a later date. Any changes of mind may be dealt with by a Variation Order and costed accordingly (see Variation Orders).
On larger projects, or where there is any question of style of finish, sample panels of paving, brickwork or walling stone, showing different styles of pointing and mortar colour, may be constructed on site as free standing panels or areas that will not be disturbed during working operations. These are often sited near to the site office or compound as easy reference points to show everyone what was agreed by the client or designer. All such panels of sample work should be paid for and included as part of the Preliminary Costs for the project.
This recommendation is to protect the designer/contractor and also to provide evidence of competence to the customer. Equally important – ensure that all documents, leaflets, instruction leaflets and other information that is provided with any product is noted in the CDM File and retained for at least six years. Because there are new products coming on to the market, especially new compounds, sealants, adhesives, etc, each with potentially new instructions regarding use and restrictions on temperature and air moisture content, if you have a record of those instruction valid at the time of the works, these documents will serve as an insurance policy against future claims for workmanship or build quality. If you have followed the instructions supplied by the manufacturer, you will have acted in Good Faith.
