Poor supervision by officers from the relevant government departments and agenc ies is the main reason for

contractors carrying out shoddy work which has caused a number of building structures to collapse said Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said. Officers assigned for such duties must supervise projects under construction car efully so that contractors follow the proper specifications, he said. It will also help the authorities to identify the defects when the contractors ar e still working on such projects, but when we observe projects under constructio n, very rarely we see officers monitoring work done. They are only present when handing over the project and they return when the proj ect is completed. If they are present throughout, it will provide an opportunity for them to question or rectify any defects or mistakes, he told reporters after chairing a state legislative meeting here today.

In recent times, there has been series of building collapses in Nigeria. From No rth to South, West to East , not excluding the federal capital territory the sto ry is thesame. This ugly incidence that has now become a reoccuring decimal all over Nigeria had sent a lot of Nigerians to their early grave and have equally t urned hundreds to disables. When ever this ugly monster shows its face ,stakeholders always look for whom to blame. Most at times ,the largest proportion of the blame goes to the Instititi on that are responsible for the training of professionals in the building indust ry such as, the Institute of Architect, Institute of Building and the Institute of Structural Engineers. These professional bodies inturn shift the largest prop ortion of the blame to the Goverment/economic situation of the contry or the act ivities of quack. To whoever he blame is shifted to the fact remains that building must collapse.I t may sound unpallatable to the hearing ,the truth is that no building is going to remain standing forever. Therefore, building must collapse.The Almighty quest ion will now be- why must building collapse?.The successful answer to this quest ion will now take us to approaches towards prevention and control of building co llapse. WHY MUST BUILDING COLLAPSE?-THe life of a building will be likened to that of a man. When a baby is conceived and he stays inside the womb for about 9 month, th at period of time is likened to the period of design of a building.The day the m an is born is likened to the period the building is constructed.If it is possibl e for a man to die at the point of delivery due to one ailment or the other , th en a building must collapse during construction due to one of the following.[a] strict adherence to poor foundation design. [b]. the use of substandard material /workman. or what i termed as cheap construction. If a man can die in the proces s of growth due to an accident, malnutrition, e.t.c then, building must collapse under usage due to any of the following [a] excess load [b] converting the buil ding to the use that it was not designed for [c] the effecf of wild wind ,land s lide, earthquake e.t.c.If a man can live up to the age of methusela and at the e nd still die then building must collapse at the expiration of its life. TOWARDS PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF BUILDING COLLAPSE.- The Nigeria experience hav e shown that building collapses have taken a lot of lives hence, the need for pr evention and control.The writer therefore recommends the following.:-The constituted authority should discourage the consruction of multistorey buil

dings by just anybody. -The construction of multistorey building must be properly contracted through th e competitive tendering method. This will make contractor become liable for coll apse. -The contractor should be made to produce as built document at the end of constr uction indicating the expected life of the building,the maximum numbers of perso n expected on the building at any time, the periods of maintenance and a stateme nt of guarantee stating that the building is safe for use.

Defects from poor workmanship devalue property and can lead to additional damage to structures and materials.

Poor workmanship is frequently the root cause of construction defects. Even qual ity building products, if installed or used incorrectly, may fail to effectively serve their intended purposes or last as long as they are designed to last. Poor workmanship may be the real cause behind other types of construction defect s Poor workmanship is often the real cause of construction defects like leaking ro ofs, window and doors that leak, doors and windows that don't open or close, bro ken floor tiles, crumbling grout, peeling paint, and other problems. Nearly ever y building product available today requires that certain conditions exist and in structions be followed to ensure proper installation, performance, and longevity of the product. For example, a quality paint applied to a dirty or oily surface can reasonably be expected to fail, not because the product was defective, but because it was applied with poor workmanship. Suspect poor workmanship until it can be ruled out Poor workmanship is so commonplace that it should be suspected as a potential ro ot cause of almost any construction defect until it can be ruled out. Constructi on requires quality-conscious, professional tradesmen and women at nearly every stage. When construction companies employ unskilled labor without adequate train ing and supervision, poor workmanship in construction is the predictable result.

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We are dedicated to the successful representation of homeowners and homeowner as sociations in construction defect matters. Begin your FREE case review today! Construction defects can cause a variety of building issues. Determining the roo t of the defect will depend on which area or areas of the house have been affect ed. Defects in the foundation, floor, or wall can be the direct result of soil i ssues, water issues, or even workmanship issues. Questions about Building Issues and Problems? Contact our experienced construction defect attorneys today! When a builder starts a new project, there are a lot of decisions to be made. Bu t before any decision is made the first step is to survey the factors that will impact these decisions. One important factor to consider is soil. Does the build er know what kind of soil upon which the building will be built? What type of co ntractor will the builder use and what is the budget for them? The builder also has to decide what products and what building material will be used. Before grou ndbreaking, the builder has to make a lot of decisions that can either help prev ent or may actually cause some building issues. Soil issues are a leading cause of construction defect. If the land is not properly prepared, the soil, whether expansive or collapsing, can cause damage to all areas of your home, i.e. the fl oor, the wall, the foundation and even roof cracks. If you are noticing problems with your foundation, you may be experiencing water -caused issues as well as or instead of soil issues. You need to obtain a profes sional assessment of the situation, discover what the root cause is and receive an estimate for the repair. Cracks you find on your foundation could be the resu lt of the builder choosing the wrong contractor or choosing a substandard plumbi ng system. Either way, water issues can become even more severe when they begin to affect the foundation, floor or wall. If you are seeing roof cracks, then your construction defect can be due to fault y design. At times an engineer or architect can create a unique roof design that aesthetically is very pleasing but is functionality inadequate. It is the respo nsibility of the builder and architect to work together to ensure that a good de sign will not sacrifice proper functionality. Building issues like roof cracks or foundation issues can be a root cause of man y different construction defects. Do not wait to get an advocate on your side to help you take the right steps to resolve these issues. Contact an attorney toda y. Types of Building Issues: Structural Failure Poor Framing VOC Faulty Foundation Deteriorating Asphalt Pavement Windows and Doors Defects Mechanical Defects Fini shing Issues Deteriorating Wood Trim Exterior Wood Surfaces Not Painted Cracked Tiles Rotted Eave Boards Structural Failure from Roofing Installed Incorrectly One example is starting from the "top." When a house has roofing installed incor rectly it can cause all sorts of building issues. If a contractor has poor workm anship in the roof, he or she can allow moisture to seep through. This can cause mold, mildew, or even dryrot. Dryrot can be extremely damaging. It attacks the wood leaving it discolored and inevitably ready to crumble. This can cause struc tural failure like the roof collapsing or a hardwood floor collapsing. Like mold and mildew, dryrot needs a moist area to survive as well as poor ventilation or wood that has not been weathered properly. The moisture does not even have to b e that high. This, again, can be the result of substandard workmanship or the pu rchase of faulty building materials. This is a construction defect that needs im mediate attention. If you suspect that your home has roofing installed incorrect ly or dryrot is growing, you must get a repair strategy in place. Depending how far the dryrot has progressed, since structural failure is foreseeable, your hom

e is not a safe place to reside. Building Issues with Poor Framing It is hard for a homeowner to know what poor framing can cause. In fact, some ma y assume that poor framing is due to an issue with the foundation, when in reali ty the issue is with the inadequate workmanship or inferior quality materials pu t into the framework of the house. Poor framing can show symptoms such as cracks around doors and windows. Some define a construction defect as an issue that wi ll lower the value of your home. Poor framing is definitely a construction defec t. Not to mention, this is a devastating issue to have to deal with. It can cost thousands to repair. There are other signs of poor framing that a professional can recognize. Poor framing, dryrot growing, roofing installed incorrectly and potential struct ural failure are not building issues you want to deal with on your own. These is sues can be quite detrimental, costly to repair, time consuming to deal with and emotionally draining. You need an advocate that understands these construction defects and how the law allows you to deal with them. You need an attorney who h as experience with construction defect cases. Do not hesitate to contact an atto rney to formulate the best resolution plan for your home. VOC Your new home, condominium, or townhome should be a safe haven for you and your family. You buy a home with a sense of confidence that your home is built tightl y and up to code and that the builder and developer has your best interest in mi nd. This is usually the case. But, sad to say, the housing development industry has experienced such a rapid growth that it's hard to for building professionals to keep pace. When they have chosen a type of house to build they make decision on the materials to use, e.g. carpets, plastics, or varnishes. These decisions are made quickly and frequently; consequently, choices are made without having e nough information to make an adequate choice, or quite frankly with reducing cos ts wherever possible in mind. The results of such a lack of due diligence is construction defects that can be quite a risk to someone's health. For example, if a builder or developer hires a contractor that does not have the know-how to build a roof and is unable to rec ognize poor building material, then the roof will not be installed properly. Moi sture can seep in causing mold issues, but to the contrary, the roof can be buil t tightly such that there is lack of breathing room for the wood. VOC or volatil e organic compounds can be released into the air and can get into the house. The VOC comes from an organic chemical compound that has vaporized into the air. Th ese VOCs can come from paint thinners, dry cleaning solvents, and other chemical s used in the building process. A builder, or more importantly, the contractor o r subcontractor has to understand how different chemicals will react if for exam ple the area they are going be used in is built tightly allowing for high vapor pressure. The contractor needs to know that volatile organic compounds are a ser ious potential problem that can also come from carpers, plastics or even varnish es. If VOCs are not taken care of properly they can be released into the environment where they can cause soil contamination and/or groundwater contamination. VOC v apors can also add to air pollution. Your home that has off-gassing of the carpe ts and plastics can begin with being a problem for just you, but can quickly bec ome your neighbor's building issues, and his neighbor's building issue. You need an attorney who has experience with construction defect cases. Do not h esitate to contact an attorney to put together the best resolution plan for you and your home. Faulty Foundations and EIFS (synthetic stucco) Installed improperly

Besides faulty foundations, lack of experience and excellent workmanship can bec ome evident with your EIFS (synthetic stucco). If EIFS, a multi-layered finish, is installed improperly there are a number of symptoms you may see. Your EIFS ca n begin to crack and/or peel. EIFS (synthetic stucco) installed improperly can a llow moisture or water to seep through into the walls. Usually when you see issu es with EIFS, moisture is a factor. Once you have moisture in your walls, you ha ve a potential for greater issues such as mold. You can begin to see leaks insid e of your home. This trapped moisture may also create the perfect environment fo r mold or mildew to grow. Once mold or mildew starts to grow, what once was a so mewhat easy and manageable fix has just jumped to a new level. Sometimes mold or mildew can be removed with household cleaners. If the mold spreads too quickly, you will need a professional cleaner to come and remove it. EIFS (synthetic stu cco) installed improperly can be a silent destroyer. You could have a small enou gh crack you don't notice that it has allowed this mold to grow beyond control. Cracks in the stucco could be a cause of the soil movement. This would mean that the builder did not take into account the type of soil where the house is built . Damage seen in stucco could be cracks that are caused by soil movement. EIFS has layers that do not breathe. This is not an issue until moisture is present. If there is a problem with material used to construct the walls, the roof, or any o ther area that would allow for moisture to seep into the EIFS, you will see stuc co and EIFS problems. In addition, this moisture leakage could be due to poor co nstruction material, poor contractor work or simply poor or lack of proper soil analysis. If you have building issues with faulty foundations or are seeing some cracks an d defects and suspect the EIFS (synthetic stucco) was installed improperly, cont act an attorney today. Deteriorating Asphalt Pavement Deteriorating asphalt pavement is a construction defect that can be a result of poor building material or deficient workmanship. A builder has to know what type of soil will be under any pavement or concrete that will be developed. Soils ca n have an immense impact on the concrete that covers it. For example, expansive soil can swell and create a tremendous amount of pressure when wet, initiating c racks and deterioration of the asphalt. But deteriorating asphalt pavement can b e avoided. A builder and/or developer can perform soil analysis that will uncove r what type of soil there is as well as any other issues that would be a factor in determining what construction strategy should be used. Windows Defects and Doors Defects Mold on Windows from waterIf deteriorating asphalt pavement remains for too long , it can begin to impact the structure of a house. Again, strong pressure from t he soil can cause these pavement cracks to spread and also cause window defects and door defects. Window defects and door defects can be as minor has not closin g properly or as major as cracks around the frame. It is sometimes hard to estab lish the root cause of window defects and door defects. This is why you need to consult with a professional that knows what to look for while inspecting your pr operty. During this process it is important to take detailed notes as well as ph otos of everything. Your focus is how to fix the defects, but you should keep in mind that this may not be your responsibility to incur the cost of the repairs. Mechanical Defects A mechanical defect is a broad construction defect category and can happen quite often. The defect can be the result of poor material or a substandard product. How do you determine if the building issues you are having are because of a mech anical defect or simply because of poor workmanship? If your objective is to det ermine who is responsible for the cost of repairs, the answer does not matter. T he onus is on the builder to choose a quality product and to ensure a qualified

contractor will be performing the installation. If your garage door no longer sh uts properly, if your chimney does not close correctly, if your ventilation syst em is failing, these can all be the result of a poor product or again, a quality product installed incorrectly. It is important do take note of the mechanical d efects or failures you experience. With any machine or equipment, the defect may vary based on environmental conditions. Whether you see window defects or door defects, or you have deterioration in you r asphalt pavement or mechanical defects, you need to consult with an attorney. These building issues can be quite overwhelming; do not hesitate to contact an a ttorney today. Finishing Issues Construction defects can result in a variety of building issues. It's sometimes hard to determine whether a defect is indeed just that, or if it's simply a cosm etic issue that has no further root problem. Cracks in slabs can be a serious is sue since a very likely cause is expansive soils. Finishing issues or improperly painted surfaces may not seem like a defect, but you have to evaluate your issu e against what is defined as a construction defect. There is a lot of controversy around what is considered to be a construction def ect. It really depends on who you ask. In this litigious society we are in, buil ders are very careful about what they will say is a construction defect since th ey most likely would be liable. If you talk to a homeowner, their perspective is what will affect the value of their home and the safety of residing in the home . Mistakes made by an architect in the designs, the builder's inability to build to code, or the inferior standard of what makes up the house, i.e. under-qualif ied contractors that were used or poor quality building materials used can all b e red flags. With so many factors to consider in determining whether a construct ion defect exits, you must perform further investigation. The finishing issues y ou have although cosmetic, may affect the value of your property and could be co vering up other building issues. This also holds true for improperly painted sur faces. This could be an example of poor workmanship; however, it can also be a s ign of something more serious. The paint job could have been adequate; however, any soil movements can cause structure movement which will in effect appear as i f there are improperly painted surfaces or other finishing issues. Cracks in slabs, as mentioned, can be the result of expansive soil. This can be a very serious issue since when wet, expansive soil swells causing a great deal of pressure against anything that lies on it. This condition will cause cracks i n slabs, walls, retaining walls and pavement. The builder has the opportunity to analyze what type of soil exists under the land. Proper analysis by the builder or the developer can aid in what construction strategies will be used to build. As the home buyer you have the right to know if the builder made such a discove ry and if so, what construction plans were made to accommodate the soil situatio n. Do not hesitate to ask questions. Make sure to document any communication you have with the builder or any other professional you contact. Although it may be premature to determine if you have a construction defect case, it is better to be safe and track everything. There is a lot to consider when handling cracks in slabs, finishing issues, or i mproperly painted surfaces. Contact an attorney today to help you understand wha t your next step should be. Deteriorating Wood Trim Water can be a destructive agent if the right environment exits. For example, if you have building issues that include a leaky roof that is leaking water into t he wall it can be deteriorating wood trim on the inside of the wall. This constr uction defect can also be a result of moisture. If there is enough water that ca n cause dampness to the wall, deteriorating wood trim is inevitable. The mess wa

ter issues can create can be quite overwhelming and quite costly to fix. You hav e to understand that the root cause in this example is a leaky roof. How did thi s happen? Did the builder use a contractor that did not have the experience to b uild a proper roof? Did this contractor use substandard building material that h e picked or was picked by the builder? Unfortunately, builders sometimes cut corners. The goal is to get the house buil t on time and under budget. This pressure can cause the builder to make choices that may become costly to the homeowner in the future. Your objective should be to get your house fixed and livable if excessive water issues occur. But along t he way it is crucial that you take lots of notes, keep all documents, and take l ots of pictures. It may be too early to tell who is liable for the cost of repai rs, so it is important that you have documentation if it is found that it was in deed the fault of the builder. Exterior Wood Surfaces Not Painted Water issues can seeped into a home and affect the integrity of the interior sur face. But water and moisture can also affect exterior wood surfaces not painted. This could include window shutters, decks, and patios. If water sits and does n ot have proper drainage on the exterior of a house it can adversely affect the e xterior wood surfaces not painted like a porch. When a builder decides to includ e such exterior wood structures like decks or porches, he must keep in mind any factors that may damage the deck. This also means that leaving exterior wood sur faces not painted can ultimately be detrimental to the integrity of the structur e. Building issues like deteriorating wood trim can be a construction defect that i s the responsibility of someone else to fix. Contact an attorney today to determ ine what you should do next. Cracked Tiles When you discover cracked tiles in floors this can be the result of a serious co nstruction defect. Some causes could be soil issues, poor building material, and /or terrible workmanship. First, soil issues can be a devastating problem. It ca n begin with cracked tiles in floors and move on to cracks in the stucco, walls, retaining walls, and so on. Second, the tiles that were used on your flooring c ould be low in quality. Since housing developments go up so quickly builders and developers are always pressured to finish on time and under projected costs. Th is would mean that when able, a builder may cut costs selecting tiles not up to code or a contractor that does not have enough training and/or experience. Hirin g a contractor is one of many decisions a builder can make that will directly im pact the quality of your house. It is their workmanship that can either prevent construction defects or cause them. Rotted Eave Boards Rotted eave boards can be the result of water issues that have been there for so me time. Rotted eave boards are usually present for awhile before you discover s igns of roof deterioration. The cause is failure to construct a proper drip edge . Again, this can be the fault of poor workmanship. The necessary fix is replace ment of the rotted eave boards. However, before you take the steps to fix this b uilding issue, you need to document and take pictures of the construction defect . How do you determine the root cause of your cracked tiles in floors or rotted ea ve boards? Is it poor material or bad workmanship? Who incurs the liability to e nsure the damage is repaired correctly and to pay for the costs associate with t he repair? It is a tough process to go through on your own. You need to contact an attorney to help you make the right choices and steps to take care of these b uilding issues. Contact an attorney today. Construction Defect Lawyers are available in these States:

Cities and communities in Nevada (NV) Las Vegas, Summerlin, North Las Vegas, The Lakes, Queensridge. Cities and areas in Arizona (AZ) Prescott, Phoenix, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Paradis e Valley, Anthem-Parkside, Tucson, Casa Grande, Chandler. Cities and communities in California (CA), Bakersfield, Sacramento area Elk Grov e, San Diego area EastLake, Moreno Valley, Rancho Cucamonga. Begin your case review by filling out the form below. First Name Last Name Home Phone - Email Street Address City State Zip Please describe your case Submit By leaving this box checked, I agree to receive future advertisements and announ cements from our firm, its affiliates and partners. I agree that submitting this form and the information contained within does not establish an attorney client relationship. I agree that my information will be reviewed by more than one attorney and/or la w firm. I agree that the information that I will receive in response to the above questi on is general information and I will not be charged for the response to this e-m ail question and I further understand that the law for each state may vary, and therefore, I will not rely upon this information as legal advice. Since this mat ter may require advice regarding my home state, I agree that local counsel may b e contacted for referral of this matter. Legal Guide to Construction Defects Determining a Construction Defect Legal Help for Victims and Families Help for Organizations and Associations Statute of Limitations Filing a Construction Defect Lawsuit How We Can Help Verdicts and Settlements Contact a Lawyer

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