Bricks, mortar and roof tiles at a Deanside handover
External items a supervisor walk through rarely covers: mortar voids, open joints, tiles and gutters.
In short: The outside of a new house gets less attention at handover than the kitchen. That is where water gets in.
Mortar voids
Holes in mortar joints let water into the brick cavity. They are easy to fill at handover and hard to trace later.
Open joints at junctions
Gaps where walls meet frames, cladding or other materials need sealant. Left open, they let water and pests in.
From the roof
Cracked tiles, broken underlaps and incomplete cladding show up when the roof is inspected from above or by drone.
Gutters and downpipes
Unclipped brackets, loose downpipes and debris in the gutters all affect how roof water leaves the house.
Insulation
Batts are often disturbed by trades after they are laid. Gaps reduce the energy rating the house was designed to.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Deanside. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
