Buying and moving into your new home is an exciting time, and most people’s last thought is what happens further down the track. It is important to make note of and understand what your structural warranty covers.
Below is a quick explanation of what is covered.
Foundations and piers.
This is the slab of the home; it is what keeps your new home strong for years to come. The slab itself is sometimes founded on deepened edge beams, concrete bored piers, or screw piles. These add strength to the home and help resist the movement of your land.
Sub-floor and floor beams.
For Double-storey homes, the sub-floor (what you walk on when upstairs) and the floor beams are vital in providing the strength for the top floor of your new home. The use of quality materials helps to provide this.
Lintels.
Lintels are the supporting beams for any door or window openings, they protect the windows and doors by carrying the load that is above them. These lintels can be made of timber or metal, all depending on the size of the opening and what is above.
Load-bearing columns.
For double-storey homes or wide and open single-storey homes, there are sometimes internal walls that also carry weight. These walls are engineered to support the structure above and help to create more strength in your new home.
Load bearing brickwork.
On difficult blocks, we sometimes need to use double-brick walls to protect the timber (or other structural items) These walls become load-bearing and form part of the frame of your new home. When we need to build a home with double-brick walls these become structural and are covered by the new home warranty
Timber and steel in your walls and roof.
It goes without saying that your walls and roof are one of the biggest structural items in your new home. All walls need to be engineered to your design, the location of your land and the wind expected in that area, amongst other things.
For example, the wind conditions in Bacchus Marsh may be much more severe than Wollert or Mickleham.
Limitations.
There are limitations to the structural warranty, and if you wish to check what is included, check out the Consumer Victoria website for more information.
Make sure to double-check the terms and conditions of any extended or lifetime warranties, as it is likely there will be strict guidelines or rules you must follow
All these warranties are based on you as the owner providing ongoing maintenance and general care of your new home, failure to provide maintenance on your new home can void your warranty, which can be costly to you in the long run.
To wrap up, the main structural features of your new home that create your personal masterpiece are covered by a warranty, however, you need to still take due care of your new home to make sure that these warranties are still valid.
Check out our Maintenance page to see how to care for nearly every item in your new home, and to get the best out of your masterpiece.
For more information, please feel free to contact us.
