Hello,
Our neighbors, who built their house in 2016 with the same developer as us (our house was built in 2017), experienced water damage caused by faulty waterproofing in their bathroom. The inadequate waterproofing (no waterproofing under the barrier-free shower floor, not high enough, etc.) was confirmed by an expert report, and the bathroom had to be completely redone by the developer.
Since we used the same developer and even the same tiler, we suspect that the waterproofing in our two bathrooms with barrier-free showers may be similarly insufficient or completely missing. We raised these concerns and requested an inspection, but were dismissed. The explanation given was that the new DIN 18534 waterproofing standard would not apply to our house?! Our bathrooms were completed in September 2017. Regardless, I would assume that there were earlier waterproofing regulations which might also not have been followed.
My questions: What should have been done to meet at least the standards valid at that time? Is it possible to detect such issues without tearing everything out? Or should the new DIN standard already have been taken into account, even though we were already halfway through construction?
What would be the best way to proceed here? Should we hire an independent expert right away? Or consult a lawyer?
I hope this information is sufficient for now and that someone has a good suggestion. I’m quite uncertain but want to avoid later dealing with damage that could have been prevented (at the developer’s expense).
Best regards
Our neighbors, who built their house in 2016 with the same developer as us (our house was built in 2017), experienced water damage caused by faulty waterproofing in their bathroom. The inadequate waterproofing (no waterproofing under the barrier-free shower floor, not high enough, etc.) was confirmed by an expert report, and the bathroom had to be completely redone by the developer.
Since we used the same developer and even the same tiler, we suspect that the waterproofing in our two bathrooms with barrier-free showers may be similarly insufficient or completely missing. We raised these concerns and requested an inspection, but were dismissed. The explanation given was that the new DIN 18534 waterproofing standard would not apply to our house?! Our bathrooms were completed in September 2017. Regardless, I would assume that there were earlier waterproofing regulations which might also not have been followed.
My questions: What should have been done to meet at least the standards valid at that time? Is it possible to detect such issues without tearing everything out? Or should the new DIN standard already have been taken into account, even though we were already halfway through construction?
What would be the best way to proceed here? Should we hire an independent expert right away? Or consult a lawyer?
I hope this information is sufficient for now and that someone has a good suggestion. I’m quite uncertain but want to avoid later dealing with damage that could have been prevented (at the developer’s expense).
Best regards
Vicky Pedia21 Feb 2020 00:19You are describing a difficult but common situation -> proof! Your neighbor obviously has documented damage. Your suspicion: it is the same for me. A judge would say: They have learned from the damage.
As long as you do not have sufficient suspicion of a defect, the presumption of innocence applies. You could send your contractor a notice of concern stating that your shower is also defective. He will deny it. Structural proof is not justified.
Just raise your concern and refer to it if it actually occurs!
As long as you do not have sufficient suspicion of a defect, the presumption of innocence applies. You could send your contractor a notice of concern stating that your shower is also defective. He will deny it. Structural proof is not justified.
Just raise your concern and refer to it if it actually occurs!
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