Leaky Homes have been a major concern for house owners as several homes leaked to the point where molding and rotting timber is dangerous for health and safety besides it affects the owners’ financial well-being. Therefore, it is necessary to get property inspection as a building inspector will ensure you that a property has been thoroughly inspected and that it matches the latest safety measures.

Leaky homes are caused due to several factors, including cheaper house designs, cheaper materials such as untreated timber cladding and monolithic cladding. Unfortunately, the leaky homes are still being built.

What is a Leaky Home?

From late 1990s, several houses were built in such a way that they were not able to withstand the weather condition. Some of them even don’t comply with the New Zealand Building Code.  Some of the houses get leak due to the issues related to design and the materials used.

Likewise, some of them don’t have drainage and ventilation system that causes water logging and fungus. It also affects your health and sometimes finances, in case the damage gets worse.

What are the common signs of a leaky home?

A leaky home is not weathertight and hence, it there’s a rain then you night have a leak that will cause dripping or pooling inside your home. The common signs include sagging of ceiling linings, uneven floor surfaces, musty smells, swollen materials, discolouration of materials or surfaces and rusting of carpet fixings.

Why to have Weathertightness report before buying a house?

It is necessary to have a Weathertightness report before buying a home. A building inspector, while making a weathertightness report, look at the risky areas of the property in relation to the construction of the building.

The building inspector will look thoroughly on the areas including roofing, eaves, windows, cladding and design style, decking and moisture readings. It will help you get detailed report with issues and concerns related to the property.

During the inspection of weathertightness, a builder inspector will assess your property for:

• - Weather tightness
• - Internal moisture leaking
• - External moisture levels
• - Insulation
• - Thermal performance
• - Structural building quality
• - Cladding performance
• - Upcoming preventative maintenance and others

One must never assume that their new home won’t leak. You must always get a comprehensive building inspection before buying a property. Obviously, you don’t buy a home every day. Hence, you must get it thoroughly checked.