What is a leaky home?
A leaky home suffers from systemic water ingress due to failures in the building envelope such as roofs, cladding, and decks. Not incidental leaks from plumbing or poor maintenance. Leaky homes are often caused by a combination of poor design, substandard materials, and inadequate construction practices. Lack of maintenance can 

be a contributing factor or worsen a leaky home.

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What are the most common causes of leaky homes?
Typical causes include:

• Poor construction methods and processes. A general lack of building skill.

• Complex roof designs or roofs with little or no overhangs. 

• Inadequate detailing and flashings at junctions between claddings and different materials

• Lack of cavity systems behind cladding 

• Penetrations like vents, satellite dishes, and lights not being properly sealed

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Why are internal decks such a risk?
Internal decks are notorious leak points. Water can penetrate into the structure if the deck isn’t constructed to a complete level of weathertightness.

The only reliable fix is to strip it back to the structure and rebuild it to current best practices. The deck can collapse in extreme situations if water is left to work on the structure 

through gradual or constant leaks.

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How can I tell if my home might be leaky?
Signs can include:

• Musty smells or visible mold

• Cracks in plaster or bubbling paint

• Warping floors or swollen skirting boards

• Water stains on ceilings or walls

• Excessive condensation or dampness​

• Some leaks may not show up until damage is past the point of being repairable. 

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Can roof and gutter issues contribute to leaky home?

Blocked gutters, valleys, poor gutter design, and water being redirected onto lower roofs can create water entry points—especially during heavy rain. Internal gutters are especially prone to failure if not regularly maintained. Most plastic gutters last no more than 15 years before starting to distort or collapse. Once the shape is lost then the 

gutters ability to control the water reduces and problems can begin. Metal gutters often rust out due to chemicals or salts in the air and settling into the gutters after the rain subsides. Gutters are often left to deteriorate as the price of replacement work has become more expensive and sometimes more than the owners can afford. 

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Why did older homes perform better, even with fewer regulations?
Many older homes used simpler, more weather-resilient designs such as steep roofs and weatherboard cladding. Ironically, some newer homes with more regulations and oversight were built using poor methods or materials that caused weathertightness problems.

 

​If my home was built in the late 1990s or early 2000s, should I be concerned?
Yes. Homes from this era are particularly at risk due to widespread use of monolithic cladding and design trends that prioritized aesthetics over function. Many of these homes fall under what is now referred to as the “leaky homes crisis” period in New Zealand. Its not only monolithic claddings that can be leaky. Weatherboards or variations of weatherboards can leak as well. 

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How do wind, rain, and heat affect leaks?
Wind-driven rain can force water into tiny gaps, while heat and differential air pressure can draw moisture through cladding or sealant joints. Leaks often don't show up immediately but appear months or years after construction.

 

Can I fix a leaky home myself?

If you have a leaky home it's important to understand that applying paint, sealant or even redoing finishing details won't necessarily fix the issue.

You may need materials to be stripped off and different materials reinstalled or you may even need to redesign and rebuild in a different way. This is where engaging

an experienced weathertightness specialist can save you thousands of dollars and years of heartache of pursuing the wrong remedial works. 

You can make the problem worse or you can lock the problem in so you have no idea what’s happening inside the walls and lastly you can waste time and materials and actually make the job more difficult to assess and repair. Leaky home remediation requires expert input at the beginning of the remedial process. Not the end.