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Monolithic Cladding Concerns: What Property Inspections Will Reveal

After the Leaky Home epidemic of the mid 1990s, many home buyers steer well clear of monolithic cladded houses. The entire monolithic category has gotten a bad name, which is a shame as this cladding style has been used successfully since the 1920s.

If you find your property search is limited by a fear of monolithic homes, this is for you. Instead of avoiding homes, get an experienced house inspector from Straight Up Inspections to examine any property in Tauranga, Rotorua or the wider Bay of Plenty.

Monolithic Cladding

Monolithic cladding gives property exteriors a smooth, seamless look. When installed properly and used in low risk scenarios, it is a safe and attractive exterior cladding option.

In NZ, there are three main types of monolithic cladding:

1. Stucco or solid plaster

2. Texture coated fibre cement sheets

3. Exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS)

Leaky Homes

As property inspectors know, leaky homes don’t leak because they have monolithic cladding, they leak because they were not properly designed, constructed or installed. The classic elements of a 1990s leaky home are untreated timber, flat roofs, insufficient flashings and lack of ventilated cavities between the outer wall coverings and inner lining.

But just as not all monolithic homes are leaky, not all houses with other cladding styles are immune, so it’s wise to always enlist the services of a building inspector.

What Property Inspectors Look For

When you request a pre-purchase building inspection of a monolithic clad property in Tauranga, Rotorua or the Bay of Plenty, expect your house inspector to be very cautious around the following:

• Damage, cracks or flakes in the cladding

• Flashings – are they affixed properly

• Weather tightness

• Sagging ceilings

• Rusted fittings

• Uneven floorboards

• Excessive mould, staining and other signs of dampness

Leaky Home – Now What?

When building inspectors find a potentially leaky home, you have a couple of options: you could walk away or you could use it as an opportunity to buy the house for a bargain and get it properly repaired.

Also, formerly leaky homes that have been properly re-clad could be just fine. A property inspector will be able to examine the repairs so you can make an informed decision.

Don’t limit your property search: with Straight Up Inspections’s services, feel confident that leaky homes will be identified. Book a pre-purchase house inspection in Tauranga or Rotorua today.

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