askST: How can I make sure my home renovation is carried out safely?

SINGAPORE – On Wednesday (June 8), a phony ceiling grew to become detached from the concrete ceiling in a family’s learn bed room and arrived crashing down on their beds.

The framework was mounted significantly less than 50 % a 12 months ago, and reportedly weighed in excess of 100kg. Even nevertheless no 1 was damage, the incident still left the household traumatised and their bedroom in ruins.

Renovation experts Jackie Lai, a council member of the Singapore Inside Design Accreditation Council (Sidac), and Kelly Chin, who sits on the council of the Modern society of Interior Designers Singapore (Sids), explain what to search out for when it comes to setting up wrong ceilings, and residence renovation in basic.

Q: What elements would lead to bogus ceilings to detach?

Ms Chin: Wrong ceilings can slide if they are not effectively secured to the concrete ceiling and deficiency aid constructions. Inappropriate ceiling anchor bolts can also cause a bogus ceiling to collapse.

Mishaps can take place as a outcome of shoddy get the job done or when inferior components are used.

Q: What permits are essential for renovation get the job done and what can be accomplished to be certain that these types of incidents do not recur?

Ms Chin: HDB can demand all contractors or companies which set up untrue ceilings to be registered and accredited, or retrain or upskill their workers every single two to 3 many years to make confident anyone has the right skill sets.

Mr Lai: Flat proprietors are demanded to interact HDB-registered renovation contractors.

Even however the set up of a wrong ceiling does not have to have a allow, contractors ought to even now comply with HDB’s renovation recommendations.

For business models, it is compulsory to post shop ceiling drawings and use accredited components. In some situations, a pull-out check may perhaps be required. (The test entails attaching a ideal exam rig to the bolt, screw, anchor or correcting, which is then put underneath the worry load amount specified in the design to figure out how powerful and protected the repairing is.)

Q: How can dwelling owners ensure that they have engaged accredited or reliable contractors and interior designers?

Mr Lai: They should have interaction interior designers who are accredited by Sidac, this kind of as experienced interior design consultants and renovation inside designers.

Unqualified men and women and providers deliver disrepute to the inside design sector with their weak workmanship and bad support.

Property house owners who have previously engaged a contractor can also employ an accredited inside structure specialist as additional insurance coverage.