It may be hard to believe but new homes have their fair share of problems too. There are many common problems that new home buyers face, and we have all heard horror stories about people who started out building their dream home only to end up living a nightmare. One problem that many new construction buyers find is site work that is not done properly. If the fill and backfill around the foundation is not properly compacted, the dirt can settle later, and this may cause your sidewalk, driveway, or porch steps to settle as well, and create cracks in paving and sidewalk materials. The proper amount of fill and backfill should be between six to eight inches deep, and it should be tamped down completely so that the dirt is completely compacted so there are no gaps or air pockets in the bottom layers of the dirt. Another problem near the foundation that can happen in new construction is that the grading is not sloping away from the foundation. This is important, because without this grading slope water, including rain and snow, can build up at the home foundation and may eventually leak into the basement and cause erosion to the foundation.
New homes may also have problems with a vapor barrier that should be done with every concrete slab, unless it is in the garage area. If there is no vapor barrier for the slab, the basement can end up with moisture and water problems, which can encourage mold and mildew. These contaminations in your home can lead to musty, earthy, or damp smells in the basement, and even toxic mold which can have harmful health effects on you and your family. Another important area that many new construction buyers may face is wall bracing that is not correct, and this can occur whether you are buying a one, two, or three story home. Make sure that every corner and every twenty five feet of structural wall on every floor is properly braced.
Many new homeowners buy their new construction only to find out that the outside doors and windows do not have the flashing correctly installed, and there are no weep holes where the brick is located. Any doors and windows which are installed in brick must have flashing and weep holes installed. This will keep water from getting behind the brick and getting into the structure of your home. If there is flashing but no weep holes installed, even if the flashing is put in correctly the water can not drain to the outside surface of the bricks.
Latest Videos of New Homes Have Their Fair Share of Problems Too:
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