Checking the quality of construction in your new home Part 3

It is devastating when you find defects in your newly built home. After all you have paid lots to have the home of your dreams, and you have invested emotions and efforts into having your new home constructed. Lots of planning and excitement - then disappointment.

Some defects are easily fixed, while some issues remain a constant problem, especially when water is involved. Fixing building defects can be disruptive and costly.

In our first article in this 3 part series Quality checks for your home building and renovation project we discussed the costs of poor quality - and they are more than just monetary! We also talked about why you should not leave quality only up to your builder and some things to check and how to prepare for your project visit.
In the second part When inspecting your new home build and renovation project you should check we looked at some of the things you must check and look out for during construction.
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In this final part we conclude with more things to look for while your home is being constructed or renovated. As they say Buyer Be Warned. I say Buyer Be Educated.

More things to lookout for when visiting your home while it is being constructed or renovated:

• That waterproofing is installed in the correct place with no holes or imperfections. Water will find the tiniest of holes or damaged waterproofing.
• That the contractor is protecting their completed work so it isn’t damaged or dirtied. You don't want those new tiles chipped or your brand-new bath scratched! 
• That insulation is installed in walls, ceilings and under the roof as required.
• That brick and block walls are constructed correctly so that corners are vertical, and that one brick course laps over the other so that the vertical joints don’t line up with the joints of the row immediately below.
• That walls and rooms are square. If in doubt measure the distance between diagonal corners in the room. These distances should be equal.
• That adjoining walls are tied together. You don't want walls to crack because they don't connect properly, or worse fall down.
• Where there’s cracking in walls and floors that there isn’t a hollow patch behind the surface which could later delaminate completely coming loose.
• That the roof is securely tied to the walls below. Your roof would not be the first to be blown off because the roof wasn't properly secured to the house's walls.
• That door and window frames are firmly fixed in position so they can’t come loose when slammed. or crack around the frame.
• That constructed stairs appear even and are easy to walk up and down.
• That where you have supplied materials, the contractor is taking due care to handle them carefully and they aren’t wasting the materials.
• That aesthetically things look right. Often if something doesn’t look right it’s because there is a problem. Of course, sometimes the problem may be because there’s a problem with the design, so care should be taken to confirm that what’s built is in accordance with the design. But if things look wonky or wavy, or there’s a colour variation, or if workmanship looks suspect, then ask the contractor questions, or get an expert to check.

Take lots of photographs, especially to record items that you think might be a quality issue.

Care should be taken that you don’t ask for something additional to the specifications, or make changes to the design without considering the additional costs and time which could impact your budget and delay the job.

When entering the project site you should notify the contractor and get their permission (you may have to sign a visitors’ register), wear appropriate safety clothing as required by the contractor (in any case never visit the project wearing sandals or shoes which aren’t fully enclosed), obey all safety instructions and stay away from work areas, preferably be accompanied by the contractor’s representative, and not interfere with operations or give the contractor’s personnel or subcontractors instructions (unless there’s an immediate safety risk) or yell at anyone (no matter how unhappy you may be with the quality or progress).

It’s good practice to arrange a site walk around once a week with the contractor.
It should be noted that the contractor should never restrict you from visiting the project. 

​This is an extract from the author's book 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses: Volume 1 Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home'.

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​Paul Netscher has written 2 easy to read books 'An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses - Volumes 1 and 2'. An Introduction to Building and Renovating Houses Volume 1 deals with Hiring Contractors, Managing Construction and Finishing Your Home.  and Designing your ideal home Volume 2 deals with Finding Your Ideal Property and Designing Your Dream Home. 
​("Great for those that DIY. Very helpful in home renovations!" said a Reader on Amazon.com 5*****)
These books are available from Amazon and other online bookstores in paper and ebook.