Over the years, there has been a spate of apartment building construction in cities and towns across the country. But new build apartment construction standards have been slipping for a number of different reasons such as soaring materials and trade costs, rushed timelines, inexperienced property developers, and incomprehensive certifiers, among others. Today, most apartment building construction takes place in a rushed manner and needs to be completed within very short timeframes, which impacts the quality of the construction significantly.
Unfortunately, most of the defects become apparent only a few years down the line, and apartment owners are at sea when it comes to dealing with these problems. While it’s true that not all new apartment buildings are constructed poorly, there are certain common problems that can crop up with these structures; here we take a look at some of them:
Common problems with new apartment buildings
#1 Waterproofing within apartments
This is one of the leading problems in new build apartment buildings in Sydney. The primary areas of concern are laundries, balconies, kitchens, bathrooms, window & door frames. If the waterproofing isn’t actioned appropriately in new build apartments, the owners will end up spending literally thousands of dollars down the track for leak detection services, replacement or repairs to cover up existing problems.
In some cases, homeowners have to conduct full bathroom renovations, which can burn a sizable hole in their pockets. The fact is that poor waterproofing can make an apartment entirely uninhabitable. If the right kind of waterproof membranes haven’t been installed, the water can easily seep through various levels into the floors and walls causing extensive rot, mildew, mould and constant dampness.
#2 Cracks on external and internal structures
Buildings are in constant movement; however, these movements are extremely minute, and not noticeable; these movements aren’t always a bad thing. However, if you notice cracks in your building, it means that the movement is much more than what the structure can sustain. Some of the commonest reasons of cracks include:
- Foundation failure
- Moisture movement
- Tree root growth beneath foundations
- Ground movement beneath foundations
- Thermal movement
- Decay of building fabric
- Deformation of suspended floors due to the weight
While it can be pretty disconcerting to see the cracks appear, it isn’t something you always need to be concerned about. However, some of the cracks need to be treated on time; failing to do so can impact the safety and integrity of the structure.
#3 Water penetrating the structure from outside
Today, water penetrating into the apartment from outside is a common problem in new structures due to their poor designs, low-quality materials and faulty craftsmanship in features such as balconies, doors, and windows. This problem is commonly seen in apartment buildings where balconies have been constructed above the other units. Water penetrating the structure can be very destructive because it can lead to problems such as electrical damage, structural rot as well as mould and dampness.
Other Common problems
In addition to problems mentioned above, some other common ones that surface in apartment buildings include:
- Guttering Faults
- Defective roof coverings
- Defective plumbing
- Tiling problems
- Noise break-through
- Defective balcony balustrades
- Defective or lack of fire safety measures
If you are considering buying an apartment in an apartment building, it is a good idea to get professionals to inspect it before you sign on the dotted line. This will give you peace of mind that you are investing in a property that won’t throw severe problems in the near future.
If you want to know more about our services here at Inspect It First, don’t hesitate to call us at 1300 557 047 or contact us through our contact form and we will revert shortly.
Thanks for reading,
Inspect It First Team
1300 557 047