Shoddy construction of Spanish properties creating Costa del Damp

The last decade has seen a construction boom in Spain largely to cater for the many expats seeking a sun-soaked life on the beautiful costas. Until the recent economic downturn, new developments seemed to appear almost overnight, such was the speed and spread of new-build properties in Spain. Not many of the proud new owners of these properties would have even considered that damp could become an issue in their home; surely not in a brand new construction in one of the warmest and driest climates in Europe? But damp in Spain is becoming a very real and costly problem in many new-builds, as drain and damp experts, Pipetek (pipetek.net) have discovered.

Managing Director of Andalucia-based Pipetek, Jim Fraser, explains: “The massive building boom in Spain has seen some builders cut corners in their rush to complete developments. This has been a problem in some new-builds for years, but until recently it was poor finishing and attention to detail that would suffer, rather than anything more serious. But we saw a significant increase in call-outs for damp-related issues in new-build properties throughout 2008 and a pattern has begun to emerge of a worrying link between shoddy construction and ongoing damp problems”.

This increasing problem is popping up all along the costas of Andalucia, according to the technical reports from Pipetek. These detailed and unbiased technical reports are provided to each client following a call-out and any work undertaken for any issues relating to pipes or drainage. More and more of these reports are showing findings of damp in properties that would never normally be afflicted. Fraser is certain that in most cases, the culprit is rushed and poor construction. “We assess each client and each issue independently and without presumption. We combine years of experience in pipe and drain clearing in Andalucia with state-of-the-art CCTV surveying and camera analysis to come to the root cause of the problem. We have been staggered by the amount of damp on the Costa del Sol and other coasts in Andalucia, most of which are in new-builds.” Pipetek issued 120 technical reports on damp issues in 2008 alone; 70% of which were on newly constructed buildings.

Fraser and other experts agree that the most likely cause is a slap-dash approach to building new developments along the coast as quickly as possible to cater for the huge demand. This greedy and shoddy approach by some construction companies may become a thing of the past now demand has decreased in the downturn, but the legacy of cutting corners is unfortunately going to be felt by many home owners who may start to wonder if they have in fact moved to the Costa del Damp.

Pipetek are experts in everything to do with pipes and drainage, and carry out work in and around Andalucia, whether it’s a blocked drain on the Costa del Sol or a water leak in Andalucia. If you have a problem with damp in Spain, or drains in Andalucia, visit pipetek.net for more information.