This is the second part of our mini-series on how good construction companies prevent bad building defects and we write this to inform and educate all those who may be embarking on any building project or even doing extensive renovations for the first time.

In part 1 we spoke about patent and latent defects, with patent defects being the easily visible ones that can be immediately fixed, and latent defects as being serious structural ones that can often only be detected after years and then require major reconstruction.

The latter is the main focus of these articles but obviously, any highly experienced construction company that knows what they are doing will try to avoid any defects at all and there are definite ways to do this.

We spoke in the first article about checking the drawings thoroughly, choosing the right materials and following the manufacturer’s instructions to the letter as being the first three – now let’s have a look at a few more…

A good chain of communication

Every professional involved with the project should be able to liaise and contact any of the others on short notice and without hindrance. From designers and architects to planners, the construction team, and sub-contractors, if anyone has any questions regarding anything they are not sure of or wish to question they need to be able to do so with a good chain of communication. This is often why the construction company will choose the project team themselves as they already have a good rapport with them.

Get it in writing

From the planning stage to the final handover, every step of the process should be formally documented and kept on file, especially if changes are made to any aspect of the project. Certifications for the correct work having been done all through the project should also be documented. If many years later defects are detected, this documentation could be important for verification of where something may have gone wrong.

Choose sub-contractors wisely

Speaking of sub-contractors, every project is only as good as its weakest link and it only takes one weak link performing an important structural task to create what will ultimately become a latent defect. If it is not picked up or reported on, the whole team will be blamed in the end. Good construction companies will conduct background checks and ask for previous project histories – and usually stick with the good sub-contractors on many projects.

Regular site visits

This is exactly why the Project Manager of the construction company overseeing the project needs to perform regular site visits at every stage of the building project and not just once in a while. These regular ‘quality control’ inspections can avoid a lot of remedial work at later stages.

Consult the experts 

To ensure that you have this kind of thorough approach to your next construction or renovation project you can rely on the construction firm that has been preventing bad building defects for a quarter of a century and producing some of the finest homes and commercial buildings in the Cape.

Davel and Lottering Construction has a ‘6-point Project Cycle of Services’ to ensure that if you choose us for your next construction project you’ll never be in for any rude surprises. View some of our many successful projects and arrange a no-obligation consultation to talk to us today about your building or renovation dreams and aspirations for 2023.

Happy holidays and a fabulous New Year to you all – and thanks for your support in 2022!