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Inadequate Vertical Offset between the Interior and Exterior Surfaces

Inadequate vertical offset between the interior and exterior surfaces is yet another construction defect that creates the potential for serious water damage. If the vertical offset is not adequate, water will take advantage of the resulting space and create any number of structural problems.

Lack of a bituminous or plastic protection barrier between the aluminum threshold and the concrete or sheet metal substrate

The lack of a bituminous or plastic protection barrier between the aluminum threshold and the concrete or sheet metal substrate is another example of unreasonable exposure to moisture and water, and is also considered a serious construction defect.

If you’ve experienced any of these issues or noticed any water in your home where it shouldn’t be, the last thing you should do is ignore it or hope that it will go away. If you don’t act, the problem will get worse.

In order to maintain the structural integrity of your home, you need to contact a licensed professional to immediately identify the problem. Your next step should be to contact an attorney immediately, as you have rights that need to be enforced.

No Protection Board

If your outside walls contain no protection board, then the surrounding earth next to your home will be free to erode your outer wall. This erosion will lead to the harming of the integrity of your foundation and subgrade, and no protection board means exactly that – no protection from the elements.

Improper and Incomplete Sheet Metal Flashing

Improper and incomplete sheet metal flashing can be a very serious issue. This is because an improper and incomplete sheet metal flashing can allow moisture to get into the workings of the house. This can then lead to a smelly situation that is hazardous to your house, that being mold or mildew. Mold and/or mildew are sometimes a pretty easy fix. Some mold can be cleaned with everyday household cleaners. Sometimes, however, the mold and mildew could be so bad that it requires a professional cleaner to remove the mold and its entirety. Regardless, mere cleanup is not enough. You need to rectify the cause of this water issue so that this does not happen again.

Both these issues may need some immediate fixes. You want to make sure that your home is back to a reasonable selling price and is a healthy living environment. In general, if you are thinking about getting a repair done, document everything even if it seems you are going overboard. Take lots of photos of before and after your repair and keep all contracts that you may collect.

Missing or Short Cut Roof Underlayment Felts

Leaks from a roof can be caused by several different issues. The design of the roof may be attractive but functionally weak. The roof may have bad workmanship. A roof can have multiple protective layers. If the roof is missing or short cut roof underlayment felts you may see some roof water issues or other problems. Roof underlayments can act as a secondary barrier that’s resistant to changing weather conditions.

Lack of Gutters

Lack of gutters could also cause water issues with a house. If there is excessive rainfall, lack of gutters could allow for water to drain against the house. This could cause water damage on the dry wall, stucco, decks, and other exterior structures.

Gutters Separating, Improperly Installed, or Missing

Gutters can either protect against water issues or, if the gutters are separating, improperly installed, or missing then the house may experience some minor or possibly major water damage. These issues can be caused because the building materials for the gutter are substandard, or it could even be due to the negligence of the contractor.

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Problems and defects with Floors
Soil issues can be a real problem for a home buyer. They are a common problem that has a tendency to mostly affect the foundation, i.e., floors, slabs and hardwood floors, but can very easily affect the rest of the house.

Your first step is to try to locate all areas of your house that are showing symptoms of a construction defect. This would include floors, slabs and the hardwood in your home. Always inspect the exterior walls and exterior structures. Document the symptoms you find with detailed notes and pictures. Take measurements of the cracks as well. Measuring the major cracks will help determine the severity of the issues since you can track any changes in the size of the cracks.

Besides cracks in your floors, slabs or hardwood, you may also discover water damage. Water issues can stem from a number of construction defects. They could include construction negligence, improper soil analysis, poor building materials or inferior workmanship. When the builder or developer chooses land to develop, it is important to conduct a proper survey of the land as well as a proper soil analysis. The findings obtained from this due diligence allow the builder and developer to determine what is the best construction strategy based on the type of subsurface discovered.

Unfortunately, the wrong construction strategy is sometimes used because of negligence or improper soil analysis. The builder could have chosen substandard building materials, e.g. roof shingles or dry wall materials. Contractors and subcontractors that worked on your home may not have been qualified to do so. These errors can results in leaks, drainage issues, sewage issues, moisture entrance and so on, all of which can lead to ongoing, very damaging water issues.

After inspecting your floors, slabs or hardwood and other areas of your house, your next step is to decide on a repair plan. Again, any contractors you contact and/or communication you have with the builder and/or developer should be documented. You should also contact an attorney today to help you take the best step forward towards obtaining a resolution with these construction defect issues.

Plumbing and Shower Problems
If you have begun to see what you suspect are construction defects in your house, condominium or townhouse, it is important that you understand what your options are. Some construction defects can start out as manageable but turn into very damaging issues. Construction defects associated with plumbing or showers are examples of such damaging construction defect issues.

Water issues are significant building deficiencies that cannot go too long without being repaired. Unfortunately, depending on the origin of your water issue, you may not be aware of any issue until it has reached a dangerous level. Water could have seeped in through your roof and produced an environment behind your shower perfect for mold or mildew to grow. It may not be until you start to experience some allergic reaction such as breathing problems or skin rashes that you realize that you may have a mold issue in your showers. It is usually then that you break your shower wall to discover that you have mold. Mold can sometimes be cleaned up simply by using a household cleaner, and other times it can require a professional to come in to remove it in its entirety. On the surface this will take care of the mold, but not the root cause of how it got there in the first place. Are there leaks in the roof? Are your showers made from bad building material? Do you have substandard insulation in your walls? Did the builder not use a contractor that was qualified?

Water issues can be a devastating experience since it can also impact your plumbing system or even stem from your plumbing. A leak or faulty plumbing can result in flooding rather quickly. As with other water issues, plumbing problems can be caused by contractor negligence or a bad product choice. Builders have a choice to make with contractors and/or subcontractors. Using the right contractor can help prevent some of the most common construction defects like those that are found with the plumbing. Conversely, hiring a contractor who does not know what they are doing just to cut costs can result in the situation you are facing – leaks, trapped moisture, or even mold.

What should your first step be? You need to find the source of your water issue. Again, this could have been going on for a long time, so do not take any more time to repair the issue. Not to mention, your aim is to keep your house safe and clean. It is your responsibility to fix the issue once you have discovered it. Some homeowners think they can let their repairs go until they complete any legal steps they have started. This is not a good practice. Once you have begun your repairs, make sure you document everything. This includes taking pictures and keeping all work statements and contracts. The initial discovery of a construction defect with your plumbing and/or showers is a good time to contact an attorney. Even if you are further along in the process, it is still a good idea to contact a construction defect lawyer, as he or she will make sure that your rights are protected.

Decks and Balconies, Crawlspaces
Construction defects can be hard to discover and repair. Each person you talk with will tell you something different in regards to what the construction defect is and how you should deal with it. One thing to understand is that construction defects do not only occur within your house. They can also impact exterior structures such as decks and balconies. They can also reach your crawlspaces. Areas like these are sometimes missed.

A common construction defect is improper soil analysis. A builder needs to survey the land upon which he is developing. There are different types of soil issues like expansive soil or collapsing soil that need to be discovered. If these types of soil issues are found before breaking ground, the builder can then construct with the soil type in mind. Water issues are also another common construction defect issue. These issues can include leaking roofs, moisture getting into walls and/or drainage issues.

Either of these common construction defects will have a direct impact on the obvious areas of your home, i.e. dry wall, showers, stucco, and so on. But these issues will also cause damage outside your house, i.e. to your decks and balconies, and above/below your house, i.e. your crawlspaces.

Crawlspaces can be above or below your house. These areas allow workers to have access to plumbing, electrical systems and other wiring systems. A homeowner will rarely visit this area and therefore, when a construction defect occurs here, the homeowner does not usually know. Water can seep into the walls of crawlspaces and moisture can linger there. Both of these scenarios will allow mold or mildew to grow. Cleaning up mold and mildew can be easy and done with a household cleaner. Other times mold can spread so much that you may need to contact a professional to clean up the mold in its entirety. The soil issues can cause cracks in the walls of the crawlspaces.

Water issues and soil issues impact decks and balconies in similar ways. You will see mildew grow if water seeps into the wood and/or dryrot problems. Soil issues cause ground movement that can shift decks making them unleveled, warped or cracked. Balconies will also become cracked or unleveled.

Construction defects with decks, balconies, and crawlspaces can be costly to repair. If you suspect you have these construction defects document what you are seeing and take pictures. Do not hesitate – contact an attorney in our office to determine what your best next step would be.

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