Construction defects are as individual as the buildings they occur in. While every problem is unique, when it comes to the court of law, there are generally four categories of construction defects that are recognized. The categories often indicate who is to blame for the defect and at what stage of construction the defect occurred. All defects, including structural integrity, mechanical or electrical defects, framing and timber problems, water and plumbing faults, thermal and moisture seals, and finishes fall into one of the three categories.
1. Design deficiencies. Often, a construction defect has its roots in the design phase of construction. Workmanship and materials can all be tip-top and up to specification, but if the specification was flawed to begin with, no one stands much of a chance of building a sound and complete living structure. A typical design deficiency is a design that is out of line with the building code. The roof, the water drainage, the water and thermal seals and the structural integrity will usually be the places to look for design deficiencies.
2. Material Deficiency. The building materials must be up to the specifications of the original building design. All too often, inferior materials are used and the result is a serious construction defect. windows that leak or do not seal up or open and close properly are usually due to inferior materials that were nonetheless properly installed. Often, shoddy building papers or poor quality plywood will result in drywall problems such as water intrusion. Roof designs that are up to code can be compromised by low-quality shingles.
3. Poor Workmanship. The quality of workmanship can affect the whole construction process and is usually the most difficult to control given the great number of individual tasks that are carried out by a great many different individuals often at different stages of the building process and also by different contracting companies. Workmanship most often affects individual areas of the house, such as the fixtures. Improper installation is the most common workmanship defect as each house and fixture is individual. If any unique problem arises it is common practice to repair it for the short term and leave any issues to the builder to fix.
4. Sub-surface Deficiency. Problems that occur under the ground go back to the design phase of the building. They are not, however concerned with the structure itself, but rather with the landscape and the soil. Since sub-surface deficiencies often lead to structural defects later, thorough planning and evaluation of the conditions of the ground in which the foundation is to be set must be carried out to ensure stability.
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