Why do we have homes that rot out in this day and age when the old homes of yesteryear before treated timber was in use stood the test of time. What is the reason, and more importantely, what do we avoid in buying or building a home. The very basic general difference of yesteryears house and todays house is, the exterior walls could breathe. If you make a wall and line the inside with plasterboard, and the exterior with an airtight cover you create a vaccum in the wall. In other words the outside air pressure is greater than the air pressure inside the wall. A wall like that only requires a pin hole, and will suck water even uphill at an alarming rate. The builders use mastics and sealants that dry out and crack after a few years. The plumber screws his down pipes to the wall,that very well might be your first leak. The people that make the rules dont understand the problem. The master buiders are a complete and utter joke as an organization. Over the years some of their award winning homes are potential building disasters. When the building code gets changed its the blind leading the blind.
All the homes at risk are less than 25 years old. To avoid buying one at risk in that era, make sure its either brick or weatherboard.
The rules are about to get changed again, so dont get caught out. Make sure you have your code of compliance before then. The funny thing about it is, the old houses that stood the test of time wouldnt pass today, and todays houses are the ones with the problem. macdunk