Shell construction density

Good evening,

We have purchased a condominium. The building is in shell construction, i.e. the walls inside are plastered, and the screed floor is already installed. Our apartment is on the 2nd floor below the attic apartment with a large terrace. This terrace has a black covering, and for some time now, about 3cm of water has been standing on the entire terrace around the attic apartment due to rainfall. Over the weekend, we noticed that in our future living room (which is located below the aforementioned terrace) water is dripping from the ceiling. Is this really not a problem at this stage of construction? And how can we check whether it will completely dry out later? Because the water on the terrace is not being pumped off and seems to remain there for a longer time.

Who can help us with this?

Thank you very much!

Hello Ayona,

this black coating on the future terrace is a sealant, bituminous I assume because of the color. This sealant is probably defective if water drips into the room below - that must not happen, especially since the floor apparently is already installed.

Furthermore, the fact that water remains standing shows that there is still no functioning drainage system for the terrace. Normally, i.e., properly planned and executed, the terrace floor is constructed with a slope towards a drain so that water flows off and does not remain standing. The planner may have intended to create the slope of the terrace floor using screed, which would currently still be missing.

Write the defect (complaint) to your contractual partner; it is best to attach photos showing that water remains standing on the terrace and water is dripping through the ceiling.

A partially dampened component can be dried quite well, but if the flooring is already installed, the floor covering will suffer from the water... in any case, it must be checked urgently by your contractual partner.

Hello Hertweck

Thank you very much for the rapid response!!! It is such that the construction on top of the attic terrace is only at the stage where, after the - I'll call it the normal shell construction - there is a black coating (tar??) on it and then a thin dark (rubber??) mat. Drains are there - only - since the entire floor on the terrace is not finished yet, they of course still stick out too far, so that the water cannot drain. We were there again yesterday and my husband and I have the feeling that something is dripping down exactly around this drain. I will take a photo of the drain so that you can see exactly how it looks (photo to follow!!). Below us there is underfloor heating and screed. The concrete on the ceiling is sprayed light blue. We also saw yesterday that in the block next door the same problem exists, terrace at the same level, but the ceiling in the apartment below is already plastered (gypsumed?). There too it seems that something is leaking around the drains.

In response to my inquiry to the construction company, they said: Regarding dripping water, I can reassure you. The construction is not yet completely sealed, so this can happen. As soon as all the insulation is installed, this issue will be off the table.

Only - we are laypeople and I just have to accept this answer and hope that it is true.

By the way, the building is a 3-story block with attic apartment and 75 m2 terrace. Flat roof.

Thank you very much for your help and have a nice evening!!

Ayona

Good morning Hertweck

I am contacting you again because I simply don’t know how to proceed now. The problem with the water is still not resolved – but step by step:
In the meantime, I have found out that there is a so-called vapor barrier on the terrace above. Since the water cannot drain, there is surely 3-4 cm of water on the terrace. Down in our kitchen, water has been dripping for days now. The floor is not installed yet, but I am very worried that the concrete of the ceiling will be damaged by the constant flow of water. Moreover – the building should actually dry out, but it cannot do that like this. We are actually supposed to move in in less than 9 weeks. I have already written twice to the site management of Fortimo about the situation, but I am always dismissed quite harshly; in short – we should not interfere.
How should I behave now – send a registered letter with photos so that we have evidence later if defects occur? I have already had sleepless nights about this...

With best thanks!!!

Ayona

Attached are two pictures...

and even closer!