A brand new Pennsylvania home or repairs to your existing home should be the last step in a long construction project. Unfortunately, if you start noticing water leaking down your walls, you may find your building project was not as complete as you thought. According to Builder and Developer Magazine, water problems have been the historical main cause of litigation of construction defects. Water leakages can occur because of any number of building problems.
It is important that contractors weatherproof windows and doors since they are points of entry for outside elements. If for any reason doors and windows are not properly weatherproofed, you might notice water stains on your wall. Typically, contractors will install flashing membranes alongside your doors and windows, but these membranes may not be accurately lapped, or they may not be installed at all. Sometimes flashing materials are not compatible with each other and one material may damage the other.
The causes of some water leakages go as high as the house’s roof, including a lack of roofing surface that covers the roof sheeting or flashing joints that contain gaps. However, some roofs might contain design flaws that encourage roof leakage. To save building costs, a roof could reduce overhangs or eaves, but eaves also protect walls from water leaks, so minimizing overhangs may end up causing trouble in the long run. Also, some homes could encounter water problems with a flat roof since water does not run off well on a flat surface.
It might seem that a nice hard exterior can shield your home from outside rain, but even if your contractors have erected a brick covering over your home’s interior, sometimes water may still trickle through and get in your home’s interior structure if the exterior is not properly erected and does not seal your home. Over time, this kind of water intrusion can result in odors, warping of the interior walls, cracks or molds.
It is crucial to take action as soon as you can upon discovering a construction defect that has caused water to leak into your residence. FindLaw says the time to litigate a defect will vary depending on whether the defect should have been obvious for a reasonable individual to notice or if the defect was too hidden to be spotted right away. Since laws that govern construction litigation vary by state and locality, consultation with a qualified attorney is a wise move to help determine a next step.
