Hello everyone.
I am reaching out to this forum because, as a family and homeowners, we are currently facing a huge problem.
About 8 years ago, we moved into our newly built prefabricated house from a fairly well-known company. I won’t mention the name yet... I’ll explain why shortly.
We chose this company because when we visited a prefab house center, we had a great feeling. The planning, construction, and everything else went very smoothly. We never had any issues.
Last February, my wife noticed small brown spots on the exterior wall around a window frame. At first, we didn’t think much of it until I read online that it might be moisture. I then called our construction manager from back then and explained the situation. He came right away with a moisture meter and confirmed the damp areas. He also admitted that the problem was known and that during a certain production period, leaks could occur. They still don’t know exactly where the moisture is coming from, but it has something to do with the connection between the window, the window sill (aluminum), and the roller shutter box. However, this problem has since been resolved in the design, and now only stone window sills are installed. He also advised us to write to the managing director and threaten to make the issue public. The construction manager has since quit! That says a lot already. But action speaks louder than words. We sent a relatively polite email and promptly received a reply. I was informed that we would receive a written offer, and if I were to take the issue public, they would initiate legal action and refuse to carry out any repairs on the house.
Then came the shock in the mail. The repair would cost €20,000. The entire side of the house would be redone—5 new window sills, removal of all windows... They also pointed out that the repair would be visible since there would logically be aluminum sills on three sides of the house and stone sills on one side. The side will be replastered and repainted, which will also be noticeable. Additionally, any damage to the garden will not be covered.
So my question is: What would you do? We do not have legal protection insurance. The construction manager said a lawyer would have no chance because this was the standard technology at the time. Others have already tried before us.
I have even considered sealing every joint and corner with silicone.
Now you understand why I hesitate to name the company.
Best regards
I am reaching out to this forum because, as a family and homeowners, we are currently facing a huge problem.
About 8 years ago, we moved into our newly built prefabricated house from a fairly well-known company. I won’t mention the name yet... I’ll explain why shortly.
We chose this company because when we visited a prefab house center, we had a great feeling. The planning, construction, and everything else went very smoothly. We never had any issues.
Last February, my wife noticed small brown spots on the exterior wall around a window frame. At first, we didn’t think much of it until I read online that it might be moisture. I then called our construction manager from back then and explained the situation. He came right away with a moisture meter and confirmed the damp areas. He also admitted that the problem was known and that during a certain production period, leaks could occur. They still don’t know exactly where the moisture is coming from, but it has something to do with the connection between the window, the window sill (aluminum), and the roller shutter box. However, this problem has since been resolved in the design, and now only stone window sills are installed. He also advised us to write to the managing director and threaten to make the issue public. The construction manager has since quit! That says a lot already. But action speaks louder than words. We sent a relatively polite email and promptly received a reply. I was informed that we would receive a written offer, and if I were to take the issue public, they would initiate legal action and refuse to carry out any repairs on the house.
Then came the shock in the mail. The repair would cost €20,000. The entire side of the house would be redone—5 new window sills, removal of all windows... They also pointed out that the repair would be visible since there would logically be aluminum sills on three sides of the house and stone sills on one side. The side will be replastered and repainted, which will also be noticeable. Additionally, any damage to the garden will not be covered.
So my question is: What would you do? We do not have legal protection insurance. The construction manager said a lawyer would have no chance because this was the standard technology at the time. Others have already tried before us.
I have even considered sealing every joint and corner with silicone.
Now you understand why I hesitate to name the company.
Best regards