Everyone wants a watertight home, however, the leaky homes saga is still grabbing headlines and putting fear into potential buyer’s minds. There are undoubtedly people who have been extremely unfortunate in purchasing a home that has water penetration issues. Reports from Building and Housing show the vast majority of homes that have leaked have been monolithic clad homes. However, if you own a home or are looking to buy a home that has been clad with a monolithic material, you are best to get it checked out as there are many monolithic clad homes that DON’T leak.
Any home can leak. What is important is whether the water can drain away or not. If not, can it dry out via a cavity system or other type of ventilation? Homes built after 2005 are required to have a cavity system lessening the risk of potential leaking.
The major areas to address are:
- Building design – how complex is it? How wide are the eaves? Are there any balconies?
- Number of levels – the more levels the higher the risk.
- Wind zone – how protected is the home from strong winds that will drive rain in?
- Building cladding – monolithic clad homes have a higher risk.
- Quality of workmanship – how well has the building has been built? Has it been built by a builder who is still trading?
- Age of home – homes built from 1992 – 2005 have a higher failure rate
- Maintenance – how well has the home been maintained? This is a very important factor.
Every home is different and should be judged accordingly.
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