Taradale chief acts to stop the rot

By ANNE GIBSON

The developer of New Zealand's biggest terraced housing projects has changed its building techniques, designs and choice of materials on $100 million worth of new residential developments because of the rotting homes crisis.

Taradale Properties founder and chief Tim Manning said this week he would stop the rot and had made significant changes to five multi-density housing projects worth $100 million to be built in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Queenstown.

He had asked that the large-scale projects be redesigned and had altered specifications for materials and building techniques, ditching kiln-dried timber in favour of treated timber.

Sheet cladding systems had been substituted with the more traditional fully plastered cladding systems.

The positioning of external decks had also been altered to prevent water being trapped internally and leaking into other parts of the units.

Manning has also commissioned a full investigation of leaks at four Taradale developments - the $30 million Sacramento development of 122 units in Botany Downs, the 61-unit Vista Rosa in Mt Albert, the 44-apartment Norfolk Pines development at Albany and the 105-unit Grange in Albany.

The Weekend Herald reported on September 14-15 that furious residents at the four developments had complained of leaks and were preparing to take legal action against Taradale, but Manning denied that.

He said this week that initial estimates showed only about 70 units in the four developments had water problems.

But this was yet to be confirmed by a full investigation, which Manning promised to release in about a fortnight.

In the past six months, Manning said he had asked that his 91-unit Monterey multi-density housing project in the Churton Park/Johnsonville area of Wellington be revamped.

Earthworks have already started on the site at 230 Middleton Rd in Glenside where the units are due to be finished next year.

The extra work had cost him $500,000, which would put up the asking price for each unit by about $5000, which was money well spent if it prevented water problems.

Manning called in a new architectural practice to change many aspects of the Monterey design to stop the potential for water ingress.

"We're applying completely new systems to our new developments and getting architects, engineers and builders to state in writing that their developments won't leak.

"We're also getting a peer review of the design and construction systems, using people like quantity surveyors and project managers to examine plans and designs for the new developments and asking whether all aspects have been considered - whether the flashings specified are adequate, whether the cladding will work.

"It's completely revolutionised the way we do things. In the past six months, I've completely turned my business upside down. With as much of the information we have now, we can guarantee our buildings are water-tight."

Asked if he would state this in contracts for people who bought units in Taradale developments, Manning said he was not keen to open himself up to potential law suits.

"What I can say is that we have done everything we can to make sure there are no leaks, but you can't give an unconditional guarantee, so I wouldn't put it in the contract."

Manning said the rotting homes crisis was the biggest problem his business had faced since he started in 1988.

Taradale

* If you have information about leaking buildings,
email the Herald or fax (09) 373-6421.

Further reading
Feature: Leaky buildings

Related links