In the past year we have completed remediation work on two large apartment buildings and several residential homes. Right now we are working on two residential homes.

In many cases the original workmanship was poor but its great for us to see the buildings being repaired to the highest standard and our clients happy that they no longer have to worry about the leaky home problem.

We are aware that our clients may intend to reclaim some or all of the costs of repair which means we must be strict with taking regular photographs of the overall project as well as detailed photographs and descriptions of the more technical faults we find. Fortunately our team has the skill and experience to identify these technical faults and the best methods to resolve them.

Here are some of the questions we are regularly asked and how we answer them :

1. Is It True That Most Of The Leaky Building Danger Signs Are Not Generally Visible In My Home?

A: YES. In the case of leaky homes, danger really can lurk under the surface. It’s not just a matter of noticing unexplained water or dampness, or swelling in skirtings or even musty smells or stains. Most often, the signs are not always visible or noticeable at all.

Because many times there are no tell-tale signs, and because the age of your home and its materials and designs cannot give you certainty about whether or not you are affected, only an expert can really tell by physical investigation to identify any problems.

Only an experience and certified builder can really give you the very best advice about any problems you might be facing yourself and what solutions you can undertake to fix the situation.

2. Do You Really Offer A Risk-Free, Assessment At No Cost To Me?

A: YES. Because we understand the need for an expert to detect the dangers of leaky homes, and give you the very best advice about what to do about it, we feel that it’s only fair for you to get that initial expert advice at no cost, no obligation or no risk.
It’s too important to have home owners worry about the cost of any initial visit than to risk you relying on non-expert advice... so we’ve made our expert advice available at no cost.

3. Why Is It Important To Discuss This With A Certified Builder?

A: Being Certified Builders and with a team of qualified tradesmen having more than 500 years of combined experience, we really have the track record and experience to give you the essential advice you need. Our track record and reputation is very solid: over the last 12 years we’ve completed hundreds of building projects and to date have not had a single problem with leaky building syndrome (although we’ve fixed plenty of leaky buildings) so our expertise is well worth listening to!

4. Surely Over Time The Moisture Will Just Go Away?

A: No! Unfortunately because of problems such as poor design, materials or workmanship, the problem won’t just go away. It will get worse over time. Water or moisture is getting in, and is not drying up or getting back out again – that will just keep on happening while the conditions are still in place. And over time that means worsening damage to your framework, or a potential increase in toxic moulds... you can’t afford to assume the moisture – or the dangers – will disappear.

What’s more, if you continue to wait, the longer this crisis continues, the harder it’ll be to get a satisfactory resolution (let alone have access to a trade-qualified expert available to help you fix the problem). That means you’re more likely to get bogged down in trying to get things fixed – costing you extra time, money and bigger health risks.

5. But My Home Doesn’t Have The Mediterranean Style Monolithic Wall Cladding...

A: If you’ve done some basic research about leaky buildings, you’ll probably have discovered this is the most susceptible design that can give you leaky building issues. However, the design is only one contributing factor. Equally important are the types and suitability of the materials used during construction, the quality (or lack of quality) workmanship used both during construction and for post-construction projects (often equipment such as added satellite dishes create problems that let in moisture), and even how suitable the design is for local conditions (which varies right across New Zealand).

While it mainly affects homes built between 1987 and 2004 (especially for homes built from late 1990s), homes built at other times can also be affected.

Also, multi-storey homes and homes without overhanging eaves are more at risk, but having a single storey home with overhanging eaves is no guarantee you’re safe. It really does require an expert assessment if you are worried about potential leaky building problems in your home.

6. We Paid A Lot More For Our Home And Had It Architecturally Designed, Won’t We Be Safe?

A: NO. Homes of higher value are not automatically immune from leaky building problems. We’ve unfortunately seen many cases of homes worth a lot more money than usual be affected by leaky building issues.
Sometimes, architectural “features” such as complex roof designs also put additional pressures on the design, meaning there’s a higher chance of an unplanned entry point for water.

7. Do You Really Have To Leave Your Home While Any Toxic Mould Is Removed?

A: YES. Stachybotrys is a serious health hazard, and can be present within a damp wall cavity with no obvious signs or ill effects. But once exposed, they will produce airborne spores which can be inhaled by those in close proximity. If stachybotrys is found, you will probably need to leave the home while repairs are made. People working on the removal of affected timber also have to wear protective gear.

8. Can You Help With More Than Just Leaky Home Problems?

A: YES. Often this is one of the “upsides” of any leaky building problem that might be detected in your home. Often, while you have a Certified Builder working on the problem, it’s the perfect opportunity to look at renovations or additions to your home, and really give it a modern makeover or improvement.

Quite regularly we’re able to combine the repair and restorative work with other home improvements. So not only do you get to remove your leaky building problem, you get to add value to your home and lifestyle at the same time.

9. Is Your Workmanship Top Quality?

A: YES. Our highly skilled, qualified tradesmen have an average of 10 years experience (and 500 years of combined experience), so we’re able to deliver a quality result to satisfy our clients. We don’t just want to rush through to the next project, or cut corners with low skilled help or poor design choices or materials.

10. Is Your Workmanship Really Guaranteed For 5 Years?

A: YES. Our five year fully comprehensive guarantee (covering workmanship, building products and completion of your contract) ensures complete peace of mind and that you’re protected. In the unlikely event your workmanship or building products are defective, we will work for you for free to fix it, or pay a competitor to do so. We can’t be any fairer than that.

11. This Is A Pretty Sensitive Issue, Do You Work With Discretion?

A. Absolutely. Most of our leaky building home or apartment owners really don’t want any added publicity about this particular problem, especially as the crisis continues to grow. We work with discretion as much as we can. Not only are we professional, qualified builders available to you at times you need, but we can also assure you of utmost discretion when it comes to addressing and fixing leaky building issues.

12. We’ve Discovered Unexpected Dampness, Can’t We Just Fix It Using Our Own Home Handyman Skills?

A: Most often the answer is no. It really requires an expert to detect the real problems. While you may discover some moisture or dampness, and be able to fix it, can you really be sure that you’ve addressed the entry point of the problem and that it won’t return? Or have you only detected one problem area, and others are lurking, invisible to most people, in other areas of your home?