Any time that a construction company or general contractor fails to build to industry standard, local or state building code or their work fails, a construction defect exists. However, the type of building will affect the defect as different building types use various types of materials to different extents, not to mention the size of the Norcross, Georgia, building itself.
Are condominium defects and restorations a real issue?
Yes. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development during the three decades between about 1970 and 2000, over 2 million condominiums were built. Experts believe there are likely between 5 and 10 million condo projects in use across the country at this point.
All these projects need periodic maintenance. Each project needs substantial renovations every 10 to 20 years, which means condominium defects and restoration issues are huge issues in the industry.
Condominiums have unique issues
Unlike other structures, condos are usually built much higher than most other residential and commercial structures. This can add significant cost to defect remediation. In addition, the support structures needed to create a solid foundation are engineering feats that, when not engineered or constructed correctly, can be extremely costly to fix, if they are fixable at all. Foundational footings and piers, especially for high rises, can cost several million to replace.
Concrete issues
Another significant issue for condos is concrete work as these structures tend to use much more concrete than other structures. And, as condos age, so does the significant amounts of concrete these buildings use. As cracks form, weather can quickly make those cracks worse and destroy large pieces of concrete if those cracks are not quickly mitigated, especially if we get freezing winter temperatures.
The most common concrete issues affect the foundation, decks (attached and detached, driveways, walkways and sidewalks, curbs, drainage infrastructure, etc. Concrete reinforcements can also become a huge issue if there is exposure to the exterior. This was the issue that many experts believe led to the Champlain Towers project collapse in Surfside, Florida, which killed 98.
For those in new or existing condos worried about construction defects, you do not have to fight construction litigation alone. There are construction litigation attorneys who can fight on your behalf, even if you have to fight your own condo association.
