Porch Uneven in New Build with Construction Services

MuddyClear on 26/05/2023 - 16:15
Last edited 26/05/2023 - 17:08

My friends house is near completion. She is complaining that the porch tiling is uneven. It progressively gets higher on the right side, up to 6mm. See image: https://ibb.co/pzkGb97

The builders response is that it was done on purpose and is perfectly fine to allow water to run off. The builder is referring to this section of porch as the porch sill but I think it is still the main porch area.

Is this a defect? And should she accept it?

The builder is Construction Services aka Hickinbotham/Statesman Homes

Thanks

Home & Garden

Comments

  • El cheepo on 26/05/2023 - 16:31
    -1

    Its for water run off.

    If she’s not happy or suspicious, contact another contractor and get an expert opinion rather then depend on Ozbargain.

    • Ocker on 26/05/2023 - 16:44
      +1

      Why not have the run-off to the front and thereby avoid a very dangerous trip hazard?

      • MuddyClear on 26/05/2023 - 17:18

        Exactly my thought

      • El cheepo on 26/05/2023 - 17:44

        Because I am working with the limited information i have.

        One photo of a raised section and saying “I don’t think it looks right” doesn’t give a full picture of the alleged design flaw.

        There’s plenty of weird or not well thought out designs in many homes.

      • magic8ballgag on 27/05/2023 - 08:29
        +1

        The hazard for tripping is minimal, as you're already lifting your foot to clear the door frame.

    • MuddyClear on 26/05/2023 - 16:59

      She will get a second opinion if the builder doesn’t fix it.

      • El cheepo on 26/05/2023 - 17:45
        +1

        If it’s not a mistake but actually just a stupid design, what makes you think they will fix it?

        • MuddyClear on 26/05/2023 - 17:52

          Won’t know until she gets a second opinion. If she is going to pay for an inspection they will inspect the whole house, which is probably a good idea anyway

          • El cheepo on 26/05/2023 - 18:23
            +1

            @MuddyClear: Can’t hurt to do for any new build.

            But don’t be surprised if its just a bad design and not a building flaw.

  • ttt888 on 26/05/2023 - 16:38
    +2

    Good builder.

  • JafferMoney on 26/05/2023 - 16:39
    +3

    Nice tripping hazard there. Is it a relatively cheap build? You generally get what you pay for…

    • MuddyClear on 26/05/2023 - 17:01

      A big company like this should not accept defect work

      • JafferMoney on 26/05/2023 - 17:21
        +2

        Hmm…well for example Metricon is a big company and there's been a heap of their work that is shoddy. There's even a large Facebook group named 'Metricon disappointed Home Owners' with 15k members: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1662076677393845

        They almost went under as well.

        Better to pay more at the start to avoid all these issues, this is a visible one…who knows what there will be in the years to come.

        • MuddyClear on 26/05/2023 - 17:25

          There's even a large Facebook group named 'Metricon disappointed Home Owners' with 15k members.

          I speculate there would be less defects with Metricon then Statesman Homes/Hickinbotham overall

          who knows what there will be in the years to come.

          A lawsuit I would imagine

      • Protractor on 26/05/2023 - 18:17
        +1

        Big builders employ contractors,contractors employ subbies, subbies recruit mates, mates can't build.
        All the above still get paid. Home owner grinds teeth till the mortgage is paid off.

    • Protractor on 26/05/2023 - 18:06

      Almost every person having a home built via the major building firms NEVER get what they pay for. The dumps built via first homers grants? Check out them mid build if you ever get time. Nobody cares. This 'dodge' won't improve in the foreseeable future.But 6mm off any dimension is almost perfection these days.

      Love to know what the Raven strip is hiding. 30mm gap under the door hanging on the incorrectly fitted frame??
      Ozb should go into the building inspection, insurance law, investment advice business. The porch tiling could be the least issue. Get a pro (independent) inspection done

  • Caped Baldy on 26/05/2023 - 16:48
    +1

    Where does the water run off to?

    Generally, water should flow to a drain or off the balcony. It's a pretty bad trip hazard and worse when wet.

    • MuddyClear on 26/05/2023 - 16:57

      Given the slop I would say to the right side of porch

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 26/05/2023 - 16:54

    lmao

  • blitz on 26/05/2023 - 17:37
    +3

    That raised tile before the door would really annoy me. It looks like an amateur job.

  • Oldbugga on 26/05/2023 - 18:29
    +6

    Formally advise builder of construction fault in writing and ask for correction. I personally would not accept 6mm variance. Dealing with same builder and know that firmness is required. Currently supervising a build by same builder and have already recovered $6000 from billings to contract detail. Certainly withhold last payment until corrected. Have had long experience in pre-handover inspections and successfully caused many corrections to faults and paint quality before handover. Stand Firm

    • Protractor on 26/05/2023 - 22:06
      -3

      Nice job interview,dude.

  • timthetoolman on 26/05/2023 - 19:23

    At least they caulked it as well as they tiled it 🤷🏻

  • loropy9 on 26/05/2023 - 19:32

    It looks like they intentionally sloped the porch to the right. Maybe there is a runoff on that side? My porch is tiled, sloped sideways and looks very similar. It helps get the rain water away from the house quickly.

  • Donaldhump on 26/05/2023 - 19:39
    +1

    thats a b.s excuse if I have ever heard one, get them to fix, or escalate. I could tile better than drunk with my left hand.

  • bcarp on 26/05/2023 - 22:52

    I must say I don't see the problem. It's not a trip hazard. There's already a lip about 100mm away, so people will already be looking out for this. The highest number of trips in a home occur in hallways, not in bathrooms, doorways, etc.

    I'd hazard a guess that you have two different slabs, or perhaps the house is on a slab & the porch is on a different slab. The higher tiled area seems to match the horizontal (lack of) slope of the doorsill. The lower (porch) tiled area seems to have a left-to-right slope to allow water run off. Perhaps this follows the underlying natural ground level? I doubt this is a builder problem. Maybe a design issue if you don't like it, but doesn't seem a big deal to me in the whole scheme of things.

    • MuddyClear on 26/05/2023 - 23:16
      +1

      Perhaps this follows the underlying natural ground level?

      Ground is horizontally level

      perhaps the house is on a slab & the porch is on a different slab.

      Same slab

      Maybe a design issue…

      Highly unlikely at this stage of investigation. So far it looks like the tiler did a poor job and did not screed to porch to level and just tiled as is - the concrete slab for the porch is clearly not level

      • bcarp on 26/05/2023 - 23:51

        Oh well, my theory is out the window!

      • skid on 27/05/2023 - 08:02

        Yeh, if this is the case, then it is defective. The slope should be going away from the door, not sideways. Water should run the opposite way of where the red arrow is pointing.

  • 2esc on 27/05/2023 - 08:24

    Need better photos to really judge. Is the 6mm all the way across in front ofvthe door or one side?

  • narbe on 27/05/2023 - 08:54

    I'm building at the moment, and i would have to agree with the others get a building inspector for every stage. too late now though.

    In any case I would be less worried about 6mm variance and the fact the porch slab looks like its same level as the door. There should be a step down and concrete needs to be below the weep hole(75mm for inspection). The tile needs fall away from the house.

    If the porch is integrated into the main slab then that little step is a bit odd. Check out QBCC guide and tolerance guide if your in QLD, basically an minimum requirement to building. (I will say that others are correct building right now workmanship is poor , ill be laughing that was the only defect i had)

  • Euphemistic on 27/05/2023 - 12:40

    Can’t see what the rest of the tiling is like. So o can’t tell how they would better blend the two together, but from the photo provided it looks like a trip hazard and that’s pretty ordinary

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