Rained in during shell construction - what measures should have been taken?

[Elsakling]

I don't know if I'm posting this in the right forum, but if not, maybe a moderator can move the thread.

We have looked at a house built in 2006 and when we walked around the house, the owner told us that it had rained in on a gable that they hadn't covered properly during the frame erection. Apparently, the construction company put in construction fans afterward to dry it out, but they still got a crack in the ceiling that seems to follow a drywall seam. They say it appeared after a while and that nothing more has happened since then.

Now we feel a bit worried that the house wasn't dried properly and that they left damp building materials. Is it possible to check this afterward? What would have been the right thing to do? Are construction fans enough, or should they have replaced everything that got wet? Could the slab have been damaged as well? Tips on how to investigate this further are gratefully received. I guess there is no documentation, so we unfortunately have to rely entirely on the seller's word.

 

[Pumba]

That it cracks in the drywall joints in some places is not unusual at all, rather it's more of a rule that it happens after a while. So I find it difficult to connect that with rain on the frame, probably no connection at all, wood moves anyway. What type of house is it, lösvirke?

The concrete slab can withstand water, you dry it up during construction time.

 

[Elsakling]

It's not unusual for there to be cracks in the drywall seams in some places, it's more of a rule that it happens after a while.
So, at least, I find it hard to associate this with the fact that it might have rained on the framework, probably no connection at all, wood moves anyway.
What type of house is it, lösvirke?

The concrete slab tolerates water, you dry it out during the construction period.

Yes, it is a lösvirkeshus. I also don't know if the crack is related to the rain, but it was the owner who said it. He was also the builder of the house project, so he must have thought it was connected in some way.

 

[Pumba]

Yes, it is a timber-framed house. I don't know if the crack is related to the rain either, but it was the owner who said so. He was also the builder for the house project, so he must have thought it was connected in some way.

Yes, but just because you're the builder doesn't mean you know anything; my neighbor hardly knows what a hammer is, but he was still the builder when the construction company built his house, it just means you chose to build a new house.

Cracking in plasterboard joints is not uncommon, wood is a living material, so it always moves.

That the house is timber-framed is positive; if it had been prefabricated blocks from a factory, these are more weather-sensitive before the house is finished, timber dries during the construction period.

 

[Elsakling]

Sure, but just because you're the builder doesn’t mean you know anything; my neighbor barely knows what a hammer is, yet he was the builder when the construction company built his house, which just means he decided to build a new house.

Cracking in drywall joints is not uncommon; wood is a living material so it always moves.

The fact that the house is stick-built is positive; if it had been pre-made blocks from the factory, they are more sensitive to weather before the house is complete, while stick-built material dries during construction.

Exactly, I also wonder how knowledgeable he really is when it comes to building. That's why I'm a bit worried he might have been duped by the construction company. I heard some people think that boards that have gotten wet should always be replaced to avoid building in moisture. This construction company had just set up construction heaters, hence my concern.

 

[Nyfniken]

Either it's a very honest seller, or there's something really fishy about the house

 

[bjolo360]

If the construction company installed building fans, it means they were aware that the gable was exposed to moisture, and it doesn't seem likely that they would install building fans and then not let the timber dry out (unless they are a really shoddy company that did it just for appearances...)
So if it's a reasonably serious firm, it sounds like a non-issue; the custom-built house was exposed to moisture during construction, but (the advantage of custom building) they dried it out before enclosing the timber.
I wouldn't be too worried, actually....

 

[Elsakling]

If the construction company installed construction fans, it means they were aware that the gable was exposed to moisture, and it doesn't sound very likely that they installed construction fans but then didn't let the timber dry out (unless they are a really shady company that just did it for appearances...)
So if it's a reasonably serious firm, it sounds like a non-issue, the stick-built house was exposed to moisture during construction, but (the advantage with stick-built) they dried it out before enclosing the timber.
I wouldn't be too worried actually....

Hehe, it's just that the construction company went bankrupt sometime around then. At least before the house was fully built. And he mentioned that they tried to avoid fixing it, so I'm a bit anxious. I was mostly wondering if it's possible to check afterward that it was done correctly. But any moisture problems should have shown up after 7 years, you'd think?

 

[Fruppe]

If it's not a "ryggås" roof, there should be an attic above the "problem", go up there and check. Then it might be worth spending a few thousand on an inspector.

 

[Direktörpelle]

That it rains during the erection of the frame is not unusual, houses are built in all weather.
The difference is if there are kits with finished plastered walls standing under the open sky

 

[Enk Projektet]

Bring along an inspector or someone knowledgeable in construction that you know and ask them to check the attic where it was supposed to have rained in....inside the house it's doubtful they would have managed to drywall before the house was sealed....

 

[Elsakling]

Now I guess I have to change my mind. It wasn't a prefab house but a log house, he called it. Do those come with pre-plastered walls?

 

[Pumba]

Now I apparently have to change my mind. It wasn't a site-built house but a blockhouse, he called it. Do such come with pre-plastered walls?

It depends on the supplier, some come more finished than others.

 

[Mikael_L]

Seven years later, the only possible remaining damage should be (inactive) mold. If the house was properly restored and weatherproofed after the incident, the moisture could have dried quickly enough to avoid mold, or it might have dried too slowly, resulting in built-in mold now.

The seriousness of any potential mold currently is debatable. If no new moisture is added, if there is building plastic on the inside, etc., it is probably quite inactive now and shouldn't significantly affect anything or anyone. Nevertheless, everyone understandably wants to avoid mold in their house, no matter how harmless it may seem.

How to determine mold presence inside a wall that has dried, I don't know. I don't think there is a really good method. A mold detection dog perhaps? I've heard that mold detection dogs aren't always reliable; sometimes they indicate where there is nothing, and sometimes they miss. According to what I've heard/read. Maybe someone else knows a bit more?

edit: You wrote, "what actions should have been taken?" It should have been 1. immediately weatherproofed. 2. heating and/or dehumidifiers should have been used, preferably both. 3. surface layers should have been removed as necessary for inspection and moisture measurement. 4. not rebuilt until the moisture level reached the correct state. 5. damaged material should have been replaced.

 

[bjolo360]

Now I guess I have to change my mind. It wasn't a timber house kit, but a blockhouse he called it. Do those come with pre-plastered walls?

One of these, then?
http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blockhus
Doubtful if they come with pre-plastered walls ;-)