Owners fear leaks in building-boom homes

By JO-MARIE BROWN

A housing boom in the Bay of Plenty over the past 10 years has thrust many homeowners into the leaking building crisis.

A public meeting held in Mt Maunganui yesterday by the National Party to discuss rotting homes was told that more than 1000 dwellings a year were being built in Tauranga, about half of them with the smooth plaster finishes now suspected of leaking.

The city's population has grown 36 per cent since 1991, and the number of people living in the western Bay of Plenty has risen 28 per cent.

Yesterday, about 60 residents spoke about their concerns and listened to a lawyer, a health expert and a Tauranga District Council building official explain the situation and the options.

The council's senior buildings officer, Rob Wickman, said up to 50 per cent of new homes in the region had been built using monolithic cladding panels and plaster, which, in a growing number of cases, were not proving to be weathertight.

"Hundreds of them are being built in the district. [Monolithic cladding] is very popular, especially in Tauranga and Papamoa and in beach subdivisions," he told the Herald.

Terraced homes and apartments, which have been plagued by leaks elsewhere in the country, were also very popular in Mt Maunganui, where the high price for land has prompted people to try to maximise their investment.

But the council says it has no idea how many houses may now be rotting, as no homeowners have filed legal claims against it.

Many people were reluctant to complain for fear their homes would not sell in future or might be devalued, Mr Wickman said.

"We don't know the extent of the problem at all."

Yesterday, he listened as one Te Awamutu homeowner spoke of rotting carpet, sagging ceilings and cracked stucco plaster.

Dave Widdowson estimates his eight-year-old home has lost $120,000 in value because of leaks.

Legal action against the builder had already cost him $10,500, and Mr Widdowson was unable to sell the house.

"I'm going broke. I've got a house that's worthless."

Builders, architects, tradesmen, and building certifiers came under fire at the meeting but local builder Frank Woods received a round of applause when he spoke of having negotiated a settlement with a dissatisfied homeowner.

Mr Woods paid $16,000 to fix plaster cracks in one home last year and was in favour of compulsory arbitration as proposed by National.

"For me it was okay because I made the decision to do it voluntarily but others ... will have to be compelled."

Certified Builders Association chief executive Garry Shuttleworth told the Herald that Tauranga had one of the highest proportions of houses using monolithic cladding in the country.

The building boom experienced in areas such as Tauranga, Papamoa, Pyes Pa, Katikati, Bethlehem and Te Puke, could have contributed to the situation, he said.

"Many builders have been unable to get subtrades when they want and have had to compromise on the quality of those subtrades in order to get the job finished."

Yesterday's meeting was the fourth organised by National around the country.

Homeowners were encouraged to make submissions to the select committee investigating the issue of rotting houses.

The deadline for submissions is October 21.

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

Further reading
Feature: Leaky buildings

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