May 24, 2024
Firstly, yes I know it’s been a while since my last post – I’ve been away from home for a number of months during the last year and when I’m here in Melbourne I’m working six days a week. I’ll try to do better 🙂
Before I fill you in on today’s inspection, I want to give you my latest post handover report. In case you missed them, you can find the last two here and here
Post handover report – 12 month
As you’ll soon learn, there’s plenty of talk from Henley, not much action. Most of the problems outlined in my previous reports have not been rectified. In November I had a meeting with my Site Supervisor, one of their Construction Managers ( who cannot read construction drawings), a plumber and a Henley Home Assurance rep, all on site to discuss how they all missed that the site had a major drainage problem.
A few days after the meeting the plumbers returned to site and partially fixed the problems. Gone is the lake that was forming out the front of my home, though there remains a number of issues with the drainage on site.
To understand why I’m so pedantic about the site drainage you need to understand the problems with moisture near waffle pod slabs. This website makes clear what the dangers are and I’d recommend anyone doing a knockdown/rebuild with Henley to take a look.
Finally I have some good news to report – Henley finished the installation of my air conditioner and it’s a ripper. It should be, it cost me over $10K !
Other than that, not much is happening. I’ve been to busy to commence landscaping but I will make the time in spring, even if it means I temporarily cut back on work.
Henley Home Assurance 12 month inspection.
Today I met with a Henley Home Assurance representative for a scheduled 12 month inspection. I’d never met the guy before but he was quite personable and knowledgeable. Henley could do with more people like this.
This inspection was primarily to discuss any post construction issues I’ve found and for them to walk me through the status of my warranties, as well as my post handover obligations on things like the effects of my landscaping decisions on site drainage. Lucky for me I haven’t started landscaping – Haha !
Other than the problems outlined in my previous posts there’s been relatively few problems, which is pleasing. Obviously, I was exasperated that in over 12 months Henley has not fixed my warranty claim on my defective sink in the powder room. For over a year we have been getting wet feet each time we wash our hands. In which universe is this okay?
Yes, I brought up the drainage issues discussed above. Many photos were taken and vows to fix the problem were offered. Let’s see if Henley has any integrity left…
One problem I detected last week was a crack in one of the concrete plinths out the front of my home. It’s not a big deal now, but it may become one if Henley don’t get onto it in the next month or so.
Also outside the house is a minor problem with the cracking of the grout around all of the external taps, as seen in the picture below. Again, not a big problem now, but it will only get worse.
Another issue I discussed was not just incompetent workmanship, but an attempt to cover up the structural defect after it was pointed out to my Site Supervisor & Construction Manager before handover. Item 12 on this Independent Inspection Report outlines a structural problem with an expansion joint around my laundry door. Instead of fixing the problem, as I requested Henley do, they actively covered it up by simply siliconing over the top of the problem.
By any reasonable measure, Henley lack integrity. Their homes also lack structural integrity.
One final item which was brought up by Henley’s representative was small back marks on my white caulking around the base of my ensuite shower. Henley say it’s black mold or mildew, I can’t remember which he said it was. He claimed it was not a Henley problem nor cleaning problem, he claimed it had to do with the PH of my cleaning products (shampoos, soaps etc) which sounds crazy to me. I’ll look back through my inspection reports to look at issues identified in this area of the ensuite. If I find anything, I’ll be writing another blog post.
I’ll do my best to post a little more regularly than I have been recently. If there’s anything you want me to write about you can sling me an email via the Contact Us link