New House Defects

The top ten defects in new houses are:

  1. Inadequate fire stopping to party walls.
  2. Missing or poorly located cavity tray to brick chimneys.
  3. Low head height on stairs. Head heights not meeting requirements of building regulations.
  4. Inadequate provision of ventilation to drainage system. Drainage system vented into attic.
  5. Poorly dispersed insulation within roof void / attic and obstruction of ventilation to roof void.
  6. Inadequately covered / insulated water tanks within attic.
  7. Poorly fitted windows, window openings not meeting requirements of current building regulations.
  8. Inadequate bracing / strapping to pre-fabricated trusses.
  9. General misunderstanding of principles of timber frame construction and poor detailing of same.
  10. Poorly finished joinery.