50 Common Maintenance Defects
OCCURRING IN ARCHITECTURAL RESIDENCES IN THE FIRST 2 YEARS AFTER CONSTRUCTION
These defects occurred repeatedly as maintenance concerns in new architectural designed homes
(built in Sydney, Australia - 1994 to 1999)
Concrete
Rusting tie wire in surface of concrete
Rusting exposed bar chair legs
Water penetration through holes left in beams from form ties
Brickwork
Water penetration through DPC at window head, no weep-holes
Damp wall due to cavity breached by mortar
Mildew / dampness due to osmosis, no cavity ventilation
Structural Steel
Rust to steel because of damage to protective coating
Rusting bolts
Deterioration of on site welding
Carpentry
Rusting fixings in external fittings
Rising damp in Fibre Cement sheeting
Cracking in external texture coated fibre cement sheeting due to inadequate or inappropriately located control joints
Rotting door jambs buried in tile bed
Warping of jambs and other timber panels because only painted on a visible side
Joinery
Hairline cracks due to shrinkage in MDF board
Doors going out of alignment, to heavy for hinges
Swelling of bathroom cabinetry because HMR board not used
Water penetration to cabinetry from sink and basin taps due to poor detailing
Waterproofing
Failure of shower tray due to poor workmanship or poor membrane selection
Failure to waterproofing at bathroom door threshold (rotting jambs & carpet)
Failure of planter boxes due to poor membrane selection
Failure of membrane due to inadequate free-board.
Failure of membrane over movement joints
Windows and Doors
Leaking window and door seals
Deteriorating hardware finishes due to inappropriate hardware used externally
External doors warping due to being painted in dark colours
Roofing
Rusting to cut roofing edges
Rusting metal fillings from grinders embedded in roof paint
Failed internal box gutters because of clogged outlet, no over flow facility
Corrosion due to incompatible surfaces (electrolysis)
Valley, hip, ridge tills dislodged because they where not securely fixed.
Rendering
Drummy render over concrete, no bonding bridge used
Salt in render (waterfront houses). Sand exposed to sea air while stored on site.
Expanding Metal corroding within the render(waterfront houses)
External corner setting beads rusting (waterfront houses)
Plasterboard
Cracking in ceiling due to no or inappropriately located control joints
Rusting to metal setting beads in external corners at floor in bathrooms and door reveals
Cracking of square setting due to movement.
Tiling
Cracking in vertical corners of tiles due to movement
Inadequate fall in floor tiles
Salt appearing at edge of tiled balconies
Efflorescences on tiles due to moisture trapped in tile bed (inadequate substrate falls)
Painting
Paint on door and window hardware
Salt in substrate causing paint to peel
Moisture in substrate causing paint to peel
Floor Finishes
Cupping of timber floor boards
Shrinkage of tongue and groove floor boards
Hydraulic / Gas Installations
Lose of gas pressure due to crimping of flexible gas line to appliance
Floor waste fill with paper left by tradesman
Blocked sewerage lines, failure to properly test original line before renovations complete
Electrical Installations
Faulty wiring due to screws and nails through cables
Lighting failures because of incompatibility of dimmer
Other common defects or problems evident on completion
Documents not provided by the builder
Original Council approved drawings
"As Built Drawings" – Plumbing/ Drainage, Electrical
Electrical circuit board diagram
Water proofing Warranties
Glassing Warranties
Appliance instructions and warranties
Labeled keys
Company name and Emergency phone numbers for the builder and subcontractors
Brickwork
Water penetration through window reveals and sub sill, no weep-holes or blocked
Differential movement over openings not allowed for
Carpentry
Easing doors and windows for seasonal movement
Poor alignment due to doors being to heavy for hinges
Waterproofing
Mechanical damage- installation of bathroom fixtures
Floor Finishes
Poor ventilation to sub-floor
Rising damp in piers
Bearers and joist sprung from piers
Hydraulic / Gas Installations
Dishwasher drainage not drilled out or connected to "S" trap correctly
Leak around bath edge
Leaks in water pipes due to failure to pressure test during construction
Tiling
Drummy tiles
Stairs
Stairs squeaking due to poor adhesives used in construction
Mechanical Installations
Poor performance due to undersized air conditioning unit
Poor performance of air conditioner because of incorrect setting of thermostat controls (no instruction manual)
Condensation drain failure due to inadequate tun-dish drainage.