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  1. #1
    Advanced Member
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    Jun 2004
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    Auckland, , New Zealand.
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    Default LEAKY HOMES & REASONS

    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

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    May 2000
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    New Zealand.
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    Default

    I agree Macdunk. My 104 year-old kauri villa does not show any signs of rot, despite water seeping in the odd hole over the years. Why? Because it can BREATHE...

    Death will be reality, Life is just an illusion.

  3. #3
    Member
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    Nov 2001
    Location
    Auckland, NZ
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    116

    Default

    Sounds like my place Steve. My kauri villa is 110 years old - no rot despite everything. I even have a trapdoor for the old cold store under the house.

    Agree MacDunk. Also one of my gripes is if a tradesman can't glue it they don't want to know about it.

  4. #4
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    Sep 2004
    Location
    Rakino Island, , New Zealand.
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    386

    Default

    The problem with the modern world is that we want everything CHEAP CHEAP. Cheap comes with a price. NZ rains so much, why do we want houses that is built for dry weather? All these Greek looking houses are designed for dry weather. Anyway, they all look the same and are ugly.
    This stock shines so bright that it \"Bling Blings\"

  5. #5
    Senior Member
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    New Zealand.
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    Default

    quote:Originally posted by Bling_Bling

    NZ rains so much, why do we want houses that is built for dry weather? All these Greek looking houses are designed for dry weather. Anyway, they all look the same and are ugly.
    Because, someone said that it was what we all wanted/needed and like sheep we all followed...[^]



    Death will be reality, Life is just an illusion.

  6. #6
    Advanced Member
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    Jun 2004
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    Default

    ONE of the reasons for problems is the master builders thamselves. I will give you all a true story, and leave the names out for obvious reasons. I have a resource consent allowing me to build houses on my property for removal to be relocated. I had an asian person with no building experience, but plenty of contacts wanted to buy four houses, to be placed at four different locations. I suggested to him that it would be much cheaper to build on site, with only one building permit, instead of two, less the added removal and resiteing cost. I also told him that i would get him to pay my man to draw up the site plan in his name, and lodge the permit application in his name. I ended up building at least thirty houses for this person who i must confess is a friend. He then asked me to build the leaky type houses in the high price bracket, which knowing better i refused. This person runs his own building company, and to put it in his own words is a MASSTA BUILDER.

  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    New Zealand.
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    Default

    Are the Master Builders still denying any liability for their members who were actually building leaky houses?!
    Death will be reality, Life is just an illusion.

  8. #8
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    Auckland, , New Zealand.
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    STEVE When you dont understand what the problem is, how can you admit liability. They actually dont understand the scientific reason, and put the blame on bad workmanship. I argued for 20 years about it, and the idiots still dont understand. Look up duncan macgregor builder on google if you want long before leaky homes was an issue.

  9. #9
    Member
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    Jul 2002
    Location
    New Zealand.
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    223

    Default

    Aspex
    Agree that eaves are useful. As a lay person observer I have some concern with the modern spouting system using the 'internal' overflow concept. I think it is fair to say that most city's storm water system is stretched to cope with the amount of water channeled into it. This will cause a back pressure on most dwellings and excessive overflow will run into the dwelling. An example was in the November 'flash flood' in Napier. A lot of modern houses got wet inside - most are not leaky houses. Thankfully our fully bricked 5 year old house was not affected. I think an 'external' overflow spouting system would be safer - especially with the increasing stress on the stormwater systems.
    Would be interested in MacDunk's comments.

    cheers

  10. #10
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    FOODEE,Any system of anything will go wrong sooner or later. What you must ask yourself is when it does go wrong and it will one day what happens then?. Would you feel confidenent to block the drainpipe and run a high pressure hose into it because one day sooner or later that will happen. If the answer is no dont do it or if it only means the water overflows onto the ground no worries.
    macdunk

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