Hello,
we are building a detached house using solid construction with a well-known developer who has a very good reputation. The roof is in place, and the shell structure will be completed next week.
On Monday, the independent site inspector came for the first inspection and criticized the absence of drainage openings in the base area. The site manager responded that the masonry standard DIN EN 1996-2/NA no longer requires drainage joints.
What is your opinion on this? I am not interested in legal aspects but in the technical side. Our inspector considers the construction questionable in this regard and clearly stated this in his report. I forwarded the report to the developer; their response again referred only to compliance with the DIN standard (although the inspector questions the site manager’s interpretation of the standard, but I won’t go into details here). Such a response raises warning signs for me because I cannot assess whether the standard (as interpreted by the site manager) makes technical sense.
Since then, I have been very worried and have strong difficulties sleeping. Will a problem house be built if the standards are met? Of course, there is a warranty, but I now feel uneasy about the house. The excitement about our new home is gone. Retrofitting drainage joints by drilling is very delicate because the vapor barrier film should not be damaged.
Does anyone have technical expertise on this matter and can contribute some insights?
Thank you in advance.
P.S.: We have cavity walls with a facing brick, air cavities, insulation material, and aerated concrete blocks. The insulation naturally includes a vapor barrier film.
we are building a detached house using solid construction with a well-known developer who has a very good reputation. The roof is in place, and the shell structure will be completed next week.
On Monday, the independent site inspector came for the first inspection and criticized the absence of drainage openings in the base area. The site manager responded that the masonry standard DIN EN 1996-2/NA no longer requires drainage joints.
What is your opinion on this? I am not interested in legal aspects but in the technical side. Our inspector considers the construction questionable in this regard and clearly stated this in his report. I forwarded the report to the developer; their response again referred only to compliance with the DIN standard (although the inspector questions the site manager’s interpretation of the standard, but I won’t go into details here). Such a response raises warning signs for me because I cannot assess whether the standard (as interpreted by the site manager) makes technical sense.
Since then, I have been very worried and have strong difficulties sleeping. Will a problem house be built if the standards are met? Of course, there is a warranty, but I now feel uneasy about the house. The excitement about our new home is gone. Retrofitting drainage joints by drilling is very delicate because the vapor barrier film should not be damaged.
Does anyone have technical expertise on this matter and can contribute some insights?
Thank you in advance.
P.S.: We have cavity walls with a facing brick, air cavities, insulation material, and aerated concrete blocks. The insulation naturally includes a vapor barrier film.
K
Knallkörper12 Nov 2016 22:10Yes, definitely. However, I was still glad that the joints were installed. I have also seen washouts at the openings in other houses. In this respect, I find the wording "never" problematic.
Hi,
here is some feedback after the heavy rainfall over the past weeks and days.
We experienced heavy rain a few weeks ago, and it has been raining almost every day for the past week. (In my opinion, this can be considered a stress test.) Despite these conditions, no moisture issues have been observed: there are no signs of dampness either inside or outside. Everything appears completely normal.
So, this construction method seems to be proving effective.
here is some feedback after the heavy rainfall over the past weeks and days.
We experienced heavy rain a few weeks ago, and it has been raining almost every day for the past week. (In my opinion, this can be considered a stress test.) Despite these conditions, no moisture issues have been observed: there are no signs of dampness either inside or outside. Everything appears completely normal.
So, this construction method seems to be proving effective.