Common Construction Defects In The Winter Months

Winter can be the most unpredictable season when it comes to construction. Not many projects are as active due to the colder weather, however it gives some people more reason to contract workers to get their houses or buildings done since they know the workers will become busier during the summer months.

The coldest months of the year are also the most frequent times where people find construction defects in their homes. Houses are vulnerable to the weather no matter when construction finished. Some were not built to withstand the increasingly harsh winters in Pennsylvania every year while others may have been made during extreme weather that deteriorated material that the workers failed to replace or update. No matter the case, new homeowners should investigate their houses and keep an eye out for the following deficiencies often seen around this time:

Bursting pipes

Arguably the parts most affected by the dropping temperatures are the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) pipes. Homeowners must maintain their house’s temperature above 55 degrees to avoid their pipes from freezing and expanding. They need to put extra effort towards insulating them if the pipes are outside or in cold areas such as garages or attics.

While homeowners must put their own effort in to prevent their pipes from bursting, many pf these incidents are still seen as construction defects since the workers are still liable for the design of the overall building. They could have installed them in safer parts of the house or try to prevent potential expansion if they were building the house during the winter months. Homeowners need to make sure that the bursting pipes were not due to their own lack of maintenance before considering any legal action against them.

Leaking ceilings

Last year, The Philadelphia Inquirer highlighted how hundreds of Pennsylvanians in the last decade had to pay for water damage from poor house construction. They place most of the blame on inexperienced workers, rushed productions, poor inspections and shoddy materials.

Some of the damage isn’t obvious right away to most homeowners, but many of the flaws tend to show up during the winter months. It doesn’t rain as much as spring or summer in Philadelphia, but the snow can stick around for a while. The heavier the snowfall, the longer it remains and the more pressure it puts on the house. Leaking water can ruin a house in more ways than one, so new homeowners need to be on the lookout during the winter months.

These types of problems can make living conditions nightmarish during the coldest times of the year. Even if Pennsylvanian construction workers have deadlines, new homeowners should not have to pay for their mistakes. Anyone that finds faulty foundation in the winter months should contact a construction law attorney to determine eligibility for a potential lawsuit.

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