ᐅ Exterior plaster is uneven, window sills are too short, insulation system is not airtight.
Created on: 30 Dec 2020 23:02
H
Hemingway84
Preface:
We are building a 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft) city villa to KfW 55 energy efficiency standard with a large general contractor (GC) from Königslutter in the Berlin metropolitan area. The GC uses various subcontractors, who in turn work with their own subcontractors (some of whom also hire further subcontractors). So far, several construction defects have occurred. Serious defects were only prevented through our intervention (for example, the formwork for the intermediate ceiling was several centimeters too low and was literally raised five minutes before the concrete was poured). Unfortunately, the site manager is incompetent, thin-skinned, and unobservant. From day one, he has only offered pointless comments and a lack of motivation. He has never recognized defects on his own and has only reluctantly addressed those we reported, often trying to downplay them with standardized phrases.
As a result, we are on site as often as possible because we are constantly on high alert due to the defects encountered so far. Our involvement has already improved or, from our perspective, salvaged many situations. We have also hired a construction supervisor who has occasionally added value, although his passion seems more for photographing the construction than for identifying defects. Sometimes, a simple tape measure or spirit level helps—at least for us.
Our building project is further complicated by the fact that my wife was diagnosed with cancer a few months after purchasing the land and signing the construction contract. A cruel blow of fate, with chemotherapy and all related side effects, framed by the external circumstances of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of income is unfortunate but was anticipated in the financing—albeit as possible parental leave rather than a long-term illness. Nevertheless, it all makes the situation more stressful than it would have been otherwise.
Main section:
We are approaching the completion of the build; the screed drying will finish next week (the scheduled handover is at the end of January, so we just miss out on the VAT reduction). Ninety percent of the house price has already been paid; only the final invoice, expected in the coming weeks, remains outstanding.
At the end of November, the exterior render was applied. At that time and for the days following, outside temperatures did not exceed 5°C (41°F), with some nights dropping below freezing. According to the render manufacturer (Alsecco), the silicate render used may only be applied at temperatures above 5°C (41°F), and temperatures must remain above this threshold in the following days. If not, the render cannot cure properly, which may lead to issues with strength and durability.
One day before the rendering work began, we sent an informal notice of concern to the GC and their construction manager regarding the weather forecast. The subcontractor responded that there was no need to worry and voluntarily offered an additional one year warranty.
The rendering was completed, but even after one week, the exterior render was still soft. In some areas, it “slid,” particularly on the window sills. Please refer to the attached photos for details.
The same subcontractor who applied the external render installed the window sills shortly before (but only after installing the external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) and the facade reinforcement). The window sills are crooked and uneven. Some also appear to be too short. On average, they protrude only 2–3 cm (1 inch) from the facade. Some are more uneven, for example with one side 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) and the other side 3 cm (1.2 inches). The drip groove on the underside is often flush with the facade. During installation, alcohol was consumed on site, as evidenced by several dozen small drink containers scattered near the scaffolding. It was also apparently easier to cut our up to 3 m (10 ft) long window sills with an angle grinder to fit them into a car, but sealing the joints afterward was forgotten.
The window sills show no visible sealing. According to trade associations, with an ETICS system, there should be two layers of sealing at the window sills. We can see none. It also seems strange that the window sills were cut into the ETICS. The unnecessarily large gaps created were either left unfilled or only filled with silicone or similar, which after more than four weeks remains soft and uncured.
Water constantly accumulates at the edges of the window sills, running down the facade, further softening the render and freezing in places with the render. Where does this water come from? The screed heating program is still running inside, providing warmth. Could this be a sign of leakage around the windows? Indoor humidity is being actively controlled with three drying units, currently below 40% relative humidity. We suspect leakage because at the most affected window corner inside, we found significant residual moisture along with slight bulging of the interior plaster. Elsewhere, the interior plaster appears superficially dry.
The house base was also poorly finished by the same subcontractor. A very thinly scratched-on reinforcing plaster cannot be the waterproof rendering against moisture as specified in the contract. The layer is simply too thin and, according to photos, remains damp even without rain.
Outlook:
What happens next? The defects have been reported, documented with photos, and recorded. Should we still carry out a conditional acceptance with these defects, or refuse acceptance entirely? We would like to move in by the end of February, as my wife begins her follow-up treatment after chemotherapy in March and does not want the stress of moving to undo all her recovery. The potential double burden is not insignificant.
The render is visibly deteriorated and crumbly, patchy, and simply poorly done. In our opinion, it must be completely removed and redone. The window sills should also be removed and replaced because they are too short and partially cut with an angle grinder without technical necessity. We are particularly worried about the sealing and possible damage to the ETICS. Who knows what will happen in a few years.
Next week, at our own expense, we will engage a publicly appointed expert in painting and decorating to assess the severity of the damage and necessary repairs. From our experience, we expect little or no support from the GC or site manager. We intend to stand firm and will not accept repair work or financial compensation. At this point, we only see one solution: starting over completely. This would be very expensive and could become particularly interesting regarding payment of the final invoice.
The GC has only provided us with a 5% retention guarantee for completion, which likely would not cover a full re-execution of the defective work (and according to the contract text, may only be retained after handover for serious defects). Referring to this guarantee, he has already indicated that he insists on full payment upon acceptance, as we have this guarantee as security and it could be increased or extended.
Any advice, comments, ideas, or suggestions are welcome. I just needed to vent a bit. Sometimes you really feel helpless and lost as a client.
We are building a 190 sqm (2,045 sq ft) city villa to KfW 55 energy efficiency standard with a large general contractor (GC) from Königslutter in the Berlin metropolitan area. The GC uses various subcontractors, who in turn work with their own subcontractors (some of whom also hire further subcontractors). So far, several construction defects have occurred. Serious defects were only prevented through our intervention (for example, the formwork for the intermediate ceiling was several centimeters too low and was literally raised five minutes before the concrete was poured). Unfortunately, the site manager is incompetent, thin-skinned, and unobservant. From day one, he has only offered pointless comments and a lack of motivation. He has never recognized defects on his own and has only reluctantly addressed those we reported, often trying to downplay them with standardized phrases.
As a result, we are on site as often as possible because we are constantly on high alert due to the defects encountered so far. Our involvement has already improved or, from our perspective, salvaged many situations. We have also hired a construction supervisor who has occasionally added value, although his passion seems more for photographing the construction than for identifying defects. Sometimes, a simple tape measure or spirit level helps—at least for us.
Our building project is further complicated by the fact that my wife was diagnosed with cancer a few months after purchasing the land and signing the construction contract. A cruel blow of fate, with chemotherapy and all related side effects, framed by the external circumstances of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The loss of income is unfortunate but was anticipated in the financing—albeit as possible parental leave rather than a long-term illness. Nevertheless, it all makes the situation more stressful than it would have been otherwise.
Main section:
We are approaching the completion of the build; the screed drying will finish next week (the scheduled handover is at the end of January, so we just miss out on the VAT reduction). Ninety percent of the house price has already been paid; only the final invoice, expected in the coming weeks, remains outstanding.
At the end of November, the exterior render was applied. At that time and for the days following, outside temperatures did not exceed 5°C (41°F), with some nights dropping below freezing. According to the render manufacturer (Alsecco), the silicate render used may only be applied at temperatures above 5°C (41°F), and temperatures must remain above this threshold in the following days. If not, the render cannot cure properly, which may lead to issues with strength and durability.
One day before the rendering work began, we sent an informal notice of concern to the GC and their construction manager regarding the weather forecast. The subcontractor responded that there was no need to worry and voluntarily offered an additional one year warranty.
The rendering was completed, but even after one week, the exterior render was still soft. In some areas, it “slid,” particularly on the window sills. Please refer to the attached photos for details.
The same subcontractor who applied the external render installed the window sills shortly before (but only after installing the external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS) and the facade reinforcement). The window sills are crooked and uneven. Some also appear to be too short. On average, they protrude only 2–3 cm (1 inch) from the facade. Some are more uneven, for example with one side 1.5 cm (0.6 inch) and the other side 3 cm (1.2 inches). The drip groove on the underside is often flush with the facade. During installation, alcohol was consumed on site, as evidenced by several dozen small drink containers scattered near the scaffolding. It was also apparently easier to cut our up to 3 m (10 ft) long window sills with an angle grinder to fit them into a car, but sealing the joints afterward was forgotten.
The window sills show no visible sealing. According to trade associations, with an ETICS system, there should be two layers of sealing at the window sills. We can see none. It also seems strange that the window sills were cut into the ETICS. The unnecessarily large gaps created were either left unfilled or only filled with silicone or similar, which after more than four weeks remains soft and uncured.
Water constantly accumulates at the edges of the window sills, running down the facade, further softening the render and freezing in places with the render. Where does this water come from? The screed heating program is still running inside, providing warmth. Could this be a sign of leakage around the windows? Indoor humidity is being actively controlled with three drying units, currently below 40% relative humidity. We suspect leakage because at the most affected window corner inside, we found significant residual moisture along with slight bulging of the interior plaster. Elsewhere, the interior plaster appears superficially dry.
The house base was also poorly finished by the same subcontractor. A very thinly scratched-on reinforcing plaster cannot be the waterproof rendering against moisture as specified in the contract. The layer is simply too thin and, according to photos, remains damp even without rain.
Outlook:
What happens next? The defects have been reported, documented with photos, and recorded. Should we still carry out a conditional acceptance with these defects, or refuse acceptance entirely? We would like to move in by the end of February, as my wife begins her follow-up treatment after chemotherapy in March and does not want the stress of moving to undo all her recovery. The potential double burden is not insignificant.
The render is visibly deteriorated and crumbly, patchy, and simply poorly done. In our opinion, it must be completely removed and redone. The window sills should also be removed and replaced because they are too short and partially cut with an angle grinder without technical necessity. We are particularly worried about the sealing and possible damage to the ETICS. Who knows what will happen in a few years.
Next week, at our own expense, we will engage a publicly appointed expert in painting and decorating to assess the severity of the damage and necessary repairs. From our experience, we expect little or no support from the GC or site manager. We intend to stand firm and will not accept repair work or financial compensation. At this point, we only see one solution: starting over completely. This would be very expensive and could become particularly interesting regarding payment of the final invoice.
The GC has only provided us with a 5% retention guarantee for completion, which likely would not cover a full re-execution of the defective work (and according to the contract text, may only be retained after handover for serious defects). Referring to this guarantee, he has already indicated that he insists on full payment upon acceptance, as we have this guarantee as security and it could be increased or extended.
Any advice, comments, ideas, or suggestions are welcome. I just needed to vent a bit. Sometimes you really feel helpless and lost as a client.
Hemingway84 schrieb:
Hints, comments, ideas, suggestions ... all welcome. I just needed to vent a little. Sometimes you really feel helpless and lost as a builder. Unfortunately, at the moment I can’t offer you much more than "listening." I’m writing these few words just so you know I’ve read your post, in case that somehow "helps." I saw the post fresh as of two days ago, but then thought it’s better to keep quiet, because what good would it do to comment with the question of whether your general contractor has a degree in vandalism (since this goes well beyond the realm of just poor craftsmanship – I believe in dance styles this would be called "Pogo").
Hemingway84 schrieb:
We only received a 5% completion guarantee from the general contractor, which probably wouldn’t cover a full re-execution of the defects (and according to the contract text may only be retained for severe defects after handover). Referring to this guarantee, he has already suggested that he will insist on full 100% payment from us upon acceptance, since we have this guarantee from him as security, and it could be increased or extended. At acceptance, I would see this completion guarantee as dead in the water. It will depend on experienced, competent expert support to effectively document the defects at an acceptance that will likely happen – unfortunately even implicitly through moving in. Prepare yourself to have to sue against your general contractor if they hold you responsible for full remaining payment. So you will definitely need at least a technical expert and likely also a specialist attorney. Here in Rhineland-Palatinate I would think of Ms. Reibold-Rolinger in Mainz, but from Königslutter that would be quite a journey. The lawyer of @Hausbau2019 / @Hausbau0815 (in Saxony) might be closer, though I don’t know them personally. In any case, you will need someone experienced with construction defects; this isn’t something you can likely face successfully with an attorney specialized in family law :-(
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
Hausbau08151 Jan 2021 18:35Hello and first of all, best wishes for the new year, especially for your health and your construction project. I am the experienced homeowner that 11ant mentioned in the above post. My advice: do not agree to a handover (inspection) under any circumstances. Instead, submit a list of defects to the general contractor (GC) with all the issues you believe are not acceptable. Before the handover, you don’t have to prove anything; the GC bears the burden of proof that everything is acceptable. After the handover, the situation reverses, and then you have to prove that something is not right. This means that before the handover, the GC must commission and pay for an expert survey if defects are found, which seems very likely in your case.
We, among other things, had problems with the external window sills. Excerpt from our expert report: External window sills: Sealing is missing under the natural stone window sills. The natural stone window sills lack upper drainage grooves for controlled water runoff over the front edge. The projection of the window sill is too small. The final clearance must be at least 4 cm (1.6 inches). Necessary measures: Replacement of the window sills and professional installation including sealing.
If the GC refuses to commission an expert, set a deadline and inform them that you will commission the survey yourself and charge the costs to the GC. I can recommend TÜV Nord from Dessau. I can provide the expert’s name upon request. Although this expert was appointed by the GC, he thoroughly examined the project and identified construction defects amounting to about €100,000.
We, among other things, had problems with the external window sills. Excerpt from our expert report: External window sills: Sealing is missing under the natural stone window sills. The natural stone window sills lack upper drainage grooves for controlled water runoff over the front edge. The projection of the window sill is too small. The final clearance must be at least 4 cm (1.6 inches). Necessary measures: Replacement of the window sills and professional installation including sealing.
If the GC refuses to commission an expert, set a deadline and inform them that you will commission the survey yourself and charge the costs to the GC. I can recommend TÜV Nord from Dessau. I can provide the expert’s name upon request. Although this expert was appointed by the GC, he thoroughly examined the project and identified construction defects amounting to about €100,000.
Some expert assessors who are actually only technical inspectors might intimidate a general contractor, but the contractor will also bring in a specialist expert. Often, sworn experts from the chamber of crafts are less expensive than experts appointed by the court. Usually, it doesn’t stop with just one expert report when the case goes to court. Construction disputes often end in settlements because the dispute values are typically considered three times higher, resulting in expert, court, and legal fees.
Recommendations such as 4cm (1.6 inches) are not standards. Sometimes, reference can be made to the current DIN 4108 Supplement 2. However, this still concerns the insulation of window reveals when it comes to window sill dimensions.
In this case, it is "good" that an actual defect has caused damage and not just a later, potential damage with an estimated monetary value.
Recommendations such as 4cm (1.6 inches) are not standards. Sometimes, reference can be made to the current DIN 4108 Supplement 2. However, this still concerns the insulation of window reveals when it comes to window sill dimensions.
In this case, it is "good" that an actual defect has caused damage and not just a later, potential damage with an estimated monetary value.
Hausbau08151 Jan 2021 19:24parcus schrieb:
Some expert who is actually just a certified technical inspector might be able to intimidate a general contractor, but they will bring in an expert as well. Often, sworn experts appointed by the chamber of commerce are less expensive than those called in for court cases. Usually, it doesn’t end with just one expert report when the case goes to court. Construction disputes often end in settlements because the disputed amounts are typically assumed to be three times higher, and expert and court fees add to the attorney costs.
Recommendations like the 4cm (1.5 inches) gap are not standards. Sometimes you can refer to the current DIN 4108 Part Bbl. 2. However, this mainly concerns the insulation of window reveals in relation to window sill dimensions.
What is considered a “defect” in this case is that actual damage has occurred, not just a presumed future monetary loss from potential damage.So what are you trying to tell the original poster with this? Wait and see?
Hausbau08151 Jan 2021 19:39I have been through all of this. Unfortunately, there are no alternatives (at least none that I know of). Either you take action, which can potentially cost money and involves risks, or you accept the poor workmanship. By approving the work, however, you choose the second option and usually lose the opportunity to have it corrected later.
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