ᐅ Walls of New Single-Family House Ground Floor Are Crooked – Defect Correction and Remediation
Created on: 9 Jun 2014 21:06
M
Markusch
Hello dear forum community,
We are approaching completion and readiness for occupancy with our general contractor (GC), who built us a single-family house without a basement. Only the final payment remains after acceptance.
However, we have identified a significant defect in the GC’s workmanship. This defect can no longer be corrected due to the complexity and costs involved.
The walls on the ground floor are crooked, which is clearly visible from the alignment of the tile joints. The grout line of the living room tiles on the west side is not parallel to the wall. The deviation is 3 cm (1.2 inches) over a house width of 7.99 m (26.2 feet). According to DIN 18202, for a wall length of 10 meters, a maximum deviation of 1.6 cm (0.6 inches) is permitted. The tile grout line in the entrance area is also not parallel to the wall, with a deviation of 0.6 cm (0.2 inches) over a length of 1.85 m (6.1 feet).
These errors occurred during the masonry work of the walls in the shell construction phase. The GC’s bricklayer (subcontractor) has admitted the fault and offered us €500 for compensation. The GC is also trying to downplay the defect. They have proposed a price reduction, but we have not yet made a counteroffer. We are considering claiming several thousand euros. (The total construction cost of the house was about €190,000 (excluding the land).)
Now we wonder: How much money can be withheld from the final payment for such a defect? What steps can we take? Should we involve a technical expert from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or hire a lawyer to determine the price reduction with the GC? We want to be treated fairly, and this defect is also emotionally distressing for us. We welcome your advice. Thank you very much for your help!
Best regards,
Markusch
We are approaching completion and readiness for occupancy with our general contractor (GC), who built us a single-family house without a basement. Only the final payment remains after acceptance.
However, we have identified a significant defect in the GC’s workmanship. This defect can no longer be corrected due to the complexity and costs involved.
The walls on the ground floor are crooked, which is clearly visible from the alignment of the tile joints. The grout line of the living room tiles on the west side is not parallel to the wall. The deviation is 3 cm (1.2 inches) over a house width of 7.99 m (26.2 feet). According to DIN 18202, for a wall length of 10 meters, a maximum deviation of 1.6 cm (0.6 inches) is permitted. The tile grout line in the entrance area is also not parallel to the wall, with a deviation of 0.6 cm (0.2 inches) over a length of 1.85 m (6.1 feet).
These errors occurred during the masonry work of the walls in the shell construction phase. The GC’s bricklayer (subcontractor) has admitted the fault and offered us €500 for compensation. The GC is also trying to downplay the defect. They have proposed a price reduction, but we have not yet made a counteroffer. We are considering claiming several thousand euros. (The total construction cost of the house was about €190,000 (excluding the land).)
Now we wonder: How much money can be withheld from the final payment for such a defect? What steps can we take? Should we involve a technical expert from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) or hire a lawyer to determine the price reduction with the GC? We want to be treated fairly, and this defect is also emotionally distressing for us. We welcome your advice. Thank you very much for your help!
Best regards,
Markusch
Markusch schrieb:
By emotional, I meant that the uneven alignment of the walls has so far been noticed by almost everyone in our circle without any prior indication. We are moving into a newly built home, not a house from 1950. I know the centimeter measurements seem very small, but you can clearly see it, especially at the entrance area/vestibule. It’s hard to imagine, but it’s true. By the way, the tiler adhered precisely to the joint widths. Sorry, but “emotionally significant for us” is quite different from “others also notice it”!
I would also like to see a photo.
Our landscaper told us that our exterior walls are uneven. But he reassured us: most plasters and probably even facing bricks are expected to be slightly out of plumb.
Anyway: how large/long is the tiled room? What is the deviation in millimeters at the longest room length?
Isn’t it common practice for the tiler to compensate at the edges? Base joint? I once corrected 20mm (0.8 inches) over 8 meters (26 feet) in a row house that way, and no one noticed.
Hello building expert, etc...
Here is the requested photo. It shows the door width in the flooring area with access to the storage room. You can clearly see it here because two different types of tiles meet. The door is only about 80 cm (31.5 inches) wide. Across the entire house width of about 7.9 m (26 feet), as already mentioned, there is a deviation of around 3 cm (1.2 inches)...
Best regards
Markusch
Here is the requested photo. It shows the door width in the flooring area with access to the storage room. You can clearly see it here because two different types of tiles meet. The door is only about 80 cm (31.5 inches) wide. Across the entire house width of about 7.9 m (26 feet), as already mentioned, there is a deviation of around 3 cm (1.2 inches)...
Best regards
Markusch
Markusch schrieb:
Hello building experts, etc...
Here is the requested photo. It shows the door width in the floorboard area with access to the storage room. You can clearly see it here because two different types of tiles meet. The door is only about 80 cm (31.5 inches) wide. Across the entire house width of about 7.9 m (26 feet), as mentioned before, there is a deviation of approximately 3 cm (1.2 inches)...
Regards
MarkuschIn the picture, I see about a 3 cm (1.2 inch) deviation over 80 cm (31.5 inches)!
Hello Ypg,
I have measured a real deviation of 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) here. This is where the deviation is the most severe. Further along (over a width of 8 m (26 feet)), the deviation decreases somewhat again.
The masonry around the stairway is the most problematic area. Underneath this is also the storage room. (Photo)
Regards,
Markusch
I have measured a real deviation of 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) here. This is where the deviation is the most severe. Further along (over a width of 8 m (26 feet)), the deviation decreases somewhat again.
The masonry around the stairway is the most problematic area. Underneath this is also the storage room. (Photo)
Regards,
Markusch
T
toxicmolotof11 Jun 2014 19:34To me, it looks like the tiles are uneven, not the rest. But I’m not an expert either. I wonder how there can be a deviation of 1.5 cm (0.6 inches) over 80 cm (31 inches), but only 3 cm (1.2 inches) over 8 meters (26 feet). The wall must really be crooked and warped, possibly with a kink or curve.
Could you share a panoramic photo of the “uneven” room (the uneven wall)? I’m having trouble visualizing the space. Also, maybe a floor plan showing which wall it is.
Could you share a panoramic photo of the “uneven” room (the uneven wall)? I’m having trouble visualizing the space. Also, maybe a floor plan showing which wall it is.
Which room is on the other side? The tiles there must also be inevitably "crooked." A wall is not only uneven on one side but also on the other. Or your plaster might be 5cm (2 inches) thick in one spot and 2cm (0.8 inches) in another. Have you always measured only the tiles/grout up to the wall, or have you measured the entire room? Can you rule out that the wall on the opposite side isn’t uneven?
Have you measured the room at the ceiling level?
As I said, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the fault of the structural builder. It could also be due to significantly varying plaster thickness.
Have you measured the room at the ceiling level?
As I said, it doesn’t necessarily have to be the fault of the structural builder. It could also be due to significantly varying plaster thickness.
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