Letterkenny building defects expert Damien McKay featured in this week’s RTÉ’s Primetime special investigation into defective blocks used in homes in Donegal. McKay says he has inspected “over 220 houses in the past two years, but the number of houses affected is estimated to be in the thousands.”
The current controversy surrounds defective precast concrete blocks – with high mica content – being used in the construction of buildings in Donegal, mainly in the north east of the county, extending to and including Letterkenny and Inishowen. Damien says the first symptoms of defective concrete blocks in your home “may be cracking on the surface of external walls. You could easily mistake this for normal settlement cracks or defects in the external plastering. The cracks generally start to show on the surface 6 to 7 years after construction. Find out more about signs and symptoms here.
“Needless to say, it’s a nightmare for homeowners who are facing huge costs associated with remedial works, difficulties in renewing home insurance on their property, and loss in the value of their home.” Damien, who
- Getting certification from Engineers on partial remedial works.
- Limited redress options as some have purchased their home from a Developer who is no longer in business or previous homeowner with no traceability or proof of which company supplied the materials.
If you have any questions about defective concrete blocks, seeking redress or other building defects, you can call Damien on +353 74 9129243 or email damien@consultingengineers.ie