The construction crew has just shown up at the building site. You are very excited because the foundation of your new Houston home will be laid today. You have spent the last year working on the perfect location and plans for the home of your dreams. You start to get a nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach. Did you choose the right construction company for this project? Should you have paid a little more money to ensure a better quality home?These are probably questions that you considered when choosing the company to do your build. Doing your homework ahead of time when choosing the right construction company can save you some costly mistakes. In this article, I will be discussing the pitfalls of improper building practices.
Improper training, inadequate quality of materials, and negligence are the major reasons behind poor workmanship and construction methods. It is vital that a construction company make sure they have a qualified, well-trained crew to build your home. Hiring a crew that is inexperienced and will work for lower pay will save the contractor money and increase the profit margin, but at what cost to you and your family?
Negligence can happen on a construction site when the work is behind schedule. Trying to make up time and finish a project in a timely fashion can cause people to rush, sacrificing the quality of their work. These mistakes will place a heavy financial burden on the homeowner for the life of the home. I will be covering two sectors of building design that should be regarded as important if you are to avoid unplanned post-occupancy maintenance.
Main Building Components
These include windows, walls, floors, doors, and roofs. There are construction companies that will try to save themselves time and money at any cost. Contractors will not use materials left from earlier jobs. However, they have no problem using old materials that are out-of-date to save money. The more money they can save during construction, the more money in their pockets. This will cost you when you have to fix the issues caused by them cutting corners. Using sub-par windows and doors will cost the homeowner because they will not hold up over time.
Having a subcontractor cut costs on the foundation of your home is probably the scariest thing to happen during construction. This can cause safety issues, as well as costly repair bills. A poor foundation will affect doors and windows as well, causing them to sag, crack, and become uneven in a short amount of time.
Internal Finishes for Your Home
When picking finishes for your home, it is important to choose well-made products – not just pretty ones. Changing high-end fixtures for inferior ones can ensure a large profit for your construction company, but not for you. Having the wrong finishes in your home can cost you a pretty penny. It will not take long for cheap fixtures to start falling apart. Fixing these will not only cost more money for you, but it will also take time to get the right fixtures installed. This can be a major inconvenience for your family.
The first step in building a new home is not in the planning or choosing a construction company and architect. The first order of business is to educate yourself on good building practices. You should also ask friends and family about recommendations for construction companies they may have. You can check with the Better Business Bureau to see who has complaints filed with them. Do not go with the least expensive company just to save money. There is a reason they are so cheap. They will not do the quality of work you deserve. You could actually pay more in the end.
You need to have a good balance when making your decision. You need to find the best people that are within your budget. It is up to you to hire good people and make sure they are doing the job you hired them for. You have invested too much time in making sure your dream home will happen. Spend a little more time to make sure your dream home does not become a nightmare for you and your family after you move in.
But even if your home develops different problems due to improper building practices, mistakes, negligence, or poor workmanship, most of them can be fixed. If you’re concerned about foundation damage in your newly built Houston home, don’t hesitate to contact us at Allied Foundation. Since foundation problems can occur in old as well as new buildings and usually get worse over time, having a team of experienced professionals inspect your foundation could help you stop the deterioration before it affects your entire home.
