As a homeowner, you have specific responsibilities to take care of, right from the time of planning until the end of the renovation work of an HDB flat. Failing to abide by the government rules and regulations can cost you enormous penalties. Hence, the article discusses some critical factors that you need to keep up with while working on the looks of your house.
The permissible hours during which the work can progress
It is crucial to make sure that your contractor or interior designing service provider puts up a renovation notice outside your home until the project gets over. At least two neighbors living next to your flat should also be aware of the same. The renovators need to inform them. And you have to follow this rule even if you do not need any permission for the type of work you intend to carry out. Make sure everyone in your neighborhood gets this information at least three days earlier of the beginning of the renovation. Besides, a few more things need your attention in this regard:
- Between 9 am and 6 pm, the workers can carry out general renovation tasks. Getting things done on weekdays and Saturdays is not an issue. But you need to avoid public holidays and Sundays. This rule is necessary to implement for the convenience of your neighbors.
- Only on weekdays, you can execute heavy-duty jobs, such as wall removal or demolition, floor finishing, tile cutting, etc., from 9 am to 5 pm.
- You need to avoid noisy tasks on Saturdays, Sundays, and almost all the public holidays. Also, DIY activities should not take place before or after 10:30 pm to 7:00 am.
The tools and renovation materials that you can use
The workmen can use only two power tools that have approval from HDB in the process. And the work should wind up in three days. Also, pre-packed materials have permission. But the service provider should be aware of using these things the right way. For example, plaster applies to walls and screed to the floor. Pre-packed building materials refer to readymade mixtures that contain the right amount of necessary ingredients. Just sprinkle some water, and it is ready to use. It makes workers’ job bit more comfortable as they do not have to prepare anything on the site.
The time within which the work needs to complete
As per HDB renovation Singapore directives, no renovation work should consume more than one month in old flats, and more than three months in newly-finished blocks. The rule applies right from the date you get a permit. Also, once the work completes, you need to reach out to your HDB Branch for updating them about the status.
Follow different building rules
HDB flat renovation works also need to be in alignment with the guidelines around floors, walls, kitchen, fall ceiling, door, and gate, etc.
- You will need a permit if you want to replace your ceramic, terrazzo, homogenous, marble, timber or any other such flooring. The new finish and screed must not be more than 50mm thick.
- In the case of the walls, you do not need any permission for building a hollow block wall (63mm), or glass block wall (80mm). However, make sure you do not use more than one block of any of these materials. If you need to make an opening in the nonbearing wall between two flats, then you would first need the board’s approval. But you can get gypsum partition done without seeking a nod from the authorizing committee.
- If you are modifying your kitchen, you can extend it to the service balcony or yard without requiring any green signal from the board. However, you have to see that this work does not need to demolish any walls. Additionally, you do not need any permission for attaching clothes drying hanger to the ceiling of your service yard or kitchen.
- You can paint your main door and metal grille gate from outside. You can also replace your main metal gates without permission. However, you cannot alter the actual size and shape. So, be careful.
- Similarly, you do not need to wait for approval for adding a false ceiling to the existing structure of the false ceiling by HDB. Just make sure you do not tamper the joists.
Singapore is strict about renovation work. So, it’s better that you hire an established interior designer or contractor for the job. The service providers should have complete knowledge of how to work on HDB projects. It is also one of the rules that you cannot get this kind of work done by any random contractor. The company should have proper rights and experience in the field. Besides, make sure you go into the specifics of all the guidelines before conducting a renovation exercise to avoid slipups and confusion.
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