The calamities like to approach by secret paths. Classic example: After a while, moisture appears under the roof, it might even drip. After the initial shock, bowls and buckets are put under. They fill up so quickly, that the roofer is alerted, because the matter seems clear: The roof is leaking. The roofer arrives, takes time, generates costs, but can't find any weaknesses, because the cause lies in improper thermal insulation. Again and again, they are ignored when installing them, that it is on the outside of the insulation material – with pitched roofs - there must be a sufficiently dimensioned ventilation layer. Without them, penetrating moisture is not drained away. Condensation forms, that eventually emerges, like it's raining.
The list of structural imperfections could be any length. Let's pick a few:
• Die Ringdrainage rund ums Haus hat nicht genügend Abläufe zum Pumpenschacht. The consequence: Waterlogging.
• Die waagerechten Sperrfoli-en in den Außenmauern fehlen, are too high or damaged. The consequence: rising damp.
• Der Abwasserkanal hat kein ausreichendes Gefälle zum Straßenkanal, In addition, there is a faulty sealing of the outer basement wall. The consequence: standing water in the basement.
• Ein in der Statik vorgesehener Balken existiert gar nicht. The consequence: the roof overhang sags.
"There are companies, they really aim for it, fob off the people with bungling and still collect the full construction fee", explains the Hamburg lawyer Dr. Bernhard Nissen on behalf of the Federal Bar Association. The agenda in the inbox of his office reflects everyday construction work. "It's not that rare, that the construction company has just gone out, if the private builder wants his money back.
Nissen and his colleagues a time-consuming search for those responsible.
The private builder often lacks perspective, to unmask unqualified trades as such. Not to mention the often tense financial situation, which forbids him, consult an expert and possibly a lawyer. Out of this need, the Association of Private Builders e.V. was founded almost twenty years ago. (V.P.B.) founded, one
Consumer Protection Association with nationwide 25 district offices. “When people get a car for 20 000 want to buy euros, then choose, check, try and compare them often for weeks”, says Frank Ulrich Staudinger, Architect and V.P.B. Federal Chairman. “But when it comes to building a house and ten times the amount, they behave astonishingly naïvely.” That is why he and his colleagues offer in-depth advice even before the contract is signed and during construction- and the warranty period. “We make sure the contracts are unambiguous and are seen on the construction site at all crucial stages, to check the status of the building, says Staudinger. Because: “How should one recognize, for example, whether everything is in order with the electrical wiring, if the walls have already been plastered?“
Staudinger recalls a general recommendation: “One percent of the total amount should be allocated for structural engineering advice. Only continuous care can prevent this, that larger mistakes creep in in the first place.” Measured against the construction costs, the contributions and billing rates of the V.P.B. moderate off, especially since membership is generally limited to the “acute” period of three to five years.
Staudinger strongly advises to do so, distinguish between a defect and damage. A crooked wall or a light switch that is not installed at a standard height are defects. to eliminate them, costs more trouble (time, Staub, dirt, lasting traces) than the defect in question itself. Rather, they should be claimed as depreciation. Different with damage: They mean constant risk, because they often get worse.
You can't get rid of them with a price reduction. A frequent case are what experts call thermal bridges (in general usage, the term cold bridges is common). These are insufficiently thermally insulated sections in the outer wall, the increased heating costs, can lead to moisture damage inside the masonry and mold growth. Only the complete elimination of the damage helps.