Leaking screens, backward niches and ponding gutters at Truganina handovers
Water related handover findings and why each should be fixed before you move in rather than under warranty.
In short: Water finds every weakness. At handover we look for the ones that will cause damage later, inside and out.
Showers and screens
A shower enclosure leaking at handover, found on a Truganina home in July 2026, is a major item. So is an ensuite screen letting water escape onto the floor. Either one wets the floor junction every day until it is fixed.
Niches that slope the wrong way
A shower niche should fall towards the shower so water drains out. One Truganina niche sloped backwards towards the wall, so water would sit in it against the grout and membrane.
Taps, mixers and water hammer
A mixer leaking at its pipe connection and pipes banging with water hammer when taps are shut off are plumbing items for the builder's plumber before handover.
Gutters that hold water
Gutters need enough fall to drain. One that ponds will corrode early and overflow in heavy rain. Box gutters need their joint to the rainhead sealed, because a leak there is hidden inside the roof.
Water at ground level
Air conditioner condensate draining onto the ground beside the house and incomplete grading away from the slab both keep the clay at the footings wet. On Truganina's reactive ground, that is worth fixing at handover.
Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Truganina. Licensed building practitioners, Building & Plumbing Commission registration CDB-U 53425.
