Top 10 Defects Found in New Homes Presented by The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors Chicago Chapter - The National Association of Certified Home Inspectors 1
Top 10 New Home Defects New Construction Just because a home is new does not mean that it is free of defects Local governmental code inspections do not guarantee there will be no defects Even good quality, professional builders make some mistakes Low cost subcontractors are not always the most professional New technology and materials can mean better quality at a lower cost
1. Foundation Clearance to Grade The grade (soil) level around the house s perimeter should be a minimum of 6 below the brick and 8 below the siding or stucco exterior wall covering. Weep holes or wicks should be clear of water infiltration and wood destroying insect entry. Most landscapers do not know this. Most builders don t either.
1. Foundation Clearance to Grade
1. Foundation Clearance to Grade Brand new 4,400 square foot house. Code inspected. But with a big defect!
1. Foundation Clearance to Grade Note the nice stone planter at the front of the house? The weep wicks are located 3 below the planter s soil level. Water can enter the house through the weep wicks. The result?
1. Foundation Clearance to Grade Three months later, the buyer found this behind the basement drywall. Rotted rim and floor joists and sill plate. $36,000 repair bill.
2. Attic Ventilation Attics should be ventilated. This is to guard against moisture build-up and mold formation, as well as to extend the life of the roof covering. Most builders to not properly install the attic insulation. Often, bathroom, kitchen and laundry exhaust vents are not taken to the exterior, but simply vented to the attic.
2. Attic Ventilation
2. Attic Ventilation Covered soffit vents leading to excessive moisture buildup in the attic and mold formation.
2. Attic Ventilation 2 nd floor laundry dryer vented to the soffit, but not properly taken to the exterior. Roof decking is rotted. This house was only 3 months old.
3. Gutter and Downspout Placement Roofs shed water into gutters Upper roof downspouts should not drain to lower roofs Excessive water from downspouts can destroy the lower roof and usually voids the roof manufacturer s warranty. Downspouts should extend, at least, 6 away from the house s foundation. If water is taken away from the house, it can t leak into the basement.
3. Gutter and Downspout Placement This porch roof has failed. Water was leaking underneath. The cause, water from the downspout that drains the upper roof area. Downspouts should be drained directly into lower gutters or the ground.
3. Gutter and Downspout Placement Gutter end downspout draining directly onto a cedar shake roof in a 12,000 square foot house. Roof decking displayed signs of leakage on the inside. This house was less than two years old.
3. Gutter and Downspout Placement Gutter end not closed, no downspout. Water draining directly onto roof and flowing against dormer sidewall.
3. Gutter and Downspout Placement Thermal imaging of interior shows water infiltration into walls because of excessive water against dormer sidewall has overrun the flashing and is leaking inside. Moisture readings of this area confirmed the thermal image data.
3. Gutter and Downspout Placement It is truly amazing that people will pay $10,000 for waterproofing and drain tiles, but will not spend $20.00 for downspout extensions. Water taken away from the house will not enter the house.
4. Plumbing Installation Plumbers will sometimes do anything to get the pipes in, even if they have to destroy the house s structure to do so. Watch out for cuts in floor joists, stud walls and even foundations. Most of these defects can not be seen once the house is completed. It pays to have a phased construction inspection before the drywall is installed.
4. Plumbing Installation Plumber simply removed the floor joists that got in the way of the toilet installation. While this is an older house, the defect was original to the house. This was uncovered during a recent remodeling after the ceiling drywall was removed.
4. Plumbing Installation The foundation just got in the way of this plumbers need to install a soil drain pipe. Solution? Just break through the foundation. But, he managed to properly support the pipe.
4. Plumbing Installation Support pier gets in the way? Just modify it
5. HVAC Duct Installation Due to poor planning by the Builder, or poor design by the Architect, the installation of ductworks can sometimes be an afterthought. Structural joists should not be notched or cut unless a Licensed Structural Engineer has calculated the loads and approved the modification. HVAC duct installation in attics and crawl spaces should always be checked very closely. Insulation is key!
5. HVAC Duct Installation Here, the floor joist in the basement was just cut to allow for the duct. This severely effects the structural soundness of the house.
5. HVAC Duct Installation In this house, the builder did not follow the manufacturer s instruction for cutting holes in the I joists. Manufacturer s instructions always override local building codes.
5. HVAC Duct Installation Here, the cut openings were according to manufacturer specs, but were misaligned.
5. HVAC Duct Installation The ceiling HVAC ductwork in this house, run in the attic, was not properly insulated and sealed. The result? Humid air in the attic condenses on the duct and drips down onto the ceiling. Un-repaired, the ceiling will fail in a couple of years and cause mold buildup. Easy to fix.
6. Structural Defects The structure of a house is determined by calculations made by a Structural Engineer and should not be changed without the Engineer s approval. Many times, errors are made in the field and structural changes are made without any approval. Other times, installation is not done properly.
6. Structural Defects This support post is not installed correctly. The plate at the end of the post should support the entire beam assembly.
6. Structural Defects The support pier in this house is not properly placed to support the beam. The floor beam was installed about 6 too far to the left.
6. Structural Defects This support beam was misaligned where it meets the foundation. Wooden shims were installed in an attempt to correct the error. Bad planning by the foundation contractor.
6. Structural Defects The placement of the crawlspace vent was changed in the plans. The main support beam is resting on one little piece of 2 x 4. This house had just passed local municipal code inspection.
7. Last Minute Changes Building a house is a complex process. Sometimes, little things get missed. When they do, it is imperative that the errors be corrected properly, and in a professional manner. Haphazard or figure it out as you go correction can be very costly. Better to find them out before the sale is complete.
7. Last Minute Changes No place for the garage door opener? No problem. Let s just cut through a large support joist in the garage s ceiling.
7. Last Minute Changes No clearance for the garage door opener s track? Again, no problem! Let s just break out the old acetylene torch and cut a hole through a steel girder. Think of the time and effort that went into creating this defect.
7. Last Minute Changes This huge (15,000 SF) custom house was halfway built when they found out that it was falling over. Some of the engineering calculations were wrong. Large and expensive repairs had to be done. Even architects and engineers make mistakes.
7. Last Minute Changes Custom made and massive new steel girders had to be installed. This also called for a complete change in the design and layout of the house.
8. Electrical Defects Most of the new houses on the market are built after the tear down of an old house. This means that the new houses are substantially bigger than the houses the replace. Large houses have their own special needs, especially with regards to the electrical system.
8. Electrical Defects Larger houses require larger electrical service. Just two decades ago, 60 amps were considered to be sufficient. This house is supplied with 400 amps of electrical service and two large 200 amp panels.
8. Electrical Defects Large electrical service requires large electrical service equipment. This 400 amp main service equipment panel is usually only found in commercial construction. Does the electrical subcontractor have experience with installing commercial equipment such as this?
8. Electrical Defects With so little room in urban building, sometimes the electrical service drop is placed too close to doors, windows and other areas where people may come in contact with the wires.
8. Electrical Defects With large houses, it is necessary to run wire long distances. If not done properly, this can cause excessive drops in voltage. NEC states that voltage drops should not exceed 5% at 12 amps load. Here we see more than twice that.
8. Electrical Defects Recessed, can ceiling lights are very popular, but must be installed properly and of the proper type. This light is not.
8. Electrical Defects Do you see where this recessed light is installed?
8. Electrical Defects Inside the pull down stairway to the attic! A very ingenious installation, but to acceptable to National Safety standards.
8. Electrical Defects Installing a 240 volt electrical receptacle directly next to a toilet is also not a good idea.
9. Water Heaters Water heaters, if improperly installed or maintained, can pose serious safety concerns. Does the water heater have sufficient combustion air? Was it properly installed. Is its safety features working properly.
9. Water Heaters This water heater was only 3 years old. It was improperly installed. Its water connections were not equipped with the required dielectric fittings and the flue pipe was improperly set.
9. Water Heaters This water heater s TPR (Temperature Pressure Relief) valve connected to plastic tubing and extending up rather than down. In the case of excessive pressure, live steam would be sprayed outward and upward and the steam s heat would melt the plastic discharge piping.
9. Water Heaters This water heater was installed in an unfinished crawlspace, directly on the ground.
9. Water Heaters Just too many things wrong in one place.
10. Just Plain Bad Luck Even with the best plans and the best Builder and the best subcontractors, Murphy s law still has precedence This is what is technically known as the Oops factor The usual hazard to the home inspector is just plain laughing themselves to death.
10. Just Plain Bad Luck Improper toilet / door placement. Bad planning and lack of coordination between sub contractors. Many buyers just can t understand how this could have happened. Many contractors wonder as well!
10. Just Plain Bad Luck It was OK before they installed the carpet. Different sub contractors blaming each other. Originally, sub-floor, then hardwood, than a change order for carpet. In any case, the receptacle should not be installed in the base molding.
10. Just Plain Bad Luck The interior designer got a little carried away with the White Sox win, last year. Please Note: The usage and spacing of the bats as ballisters does not conform to National Safety standards for child safety! This is a child safety hazard!
10. Just Plain Bad Luck Is the light fixture too high or the suspended ceiling too low or are the light bulbs of too high a wattage? Whatever the case, it is a fire hazard and is wrong.
10. Just Plain Bad Luck This huge, beautiful whirlpool was, later, surrounded with expensive Italian marble tile. Problem? No access door was installed.
10. Just Plain Bad Luck Many masons today use the Buddy system for laying bricks. The outcome? Improper buttering of brick joints as seen on the right.
10. Just Plain Bad Luck Too much fertilizer in the roofing cement?