Common building defects in Tallawong homes

Across our Tallawong slab, investigation and handover jobs, three themes keep coming back. Under the slab, it is corner bars, cover to steel and termite collars. On the outside of the house, it is movement joints: control joints rendered over, articulation joints that stop partway up the wall, expansion joints left off altogether and weep holes blocked with render. And upstairs, it is water: balconies without overflows, undersized balcony drains, box gutters with no sump and wet area wastes with no puddle flange. None of these are cosmetic.

Slab: re-entrant bars, cover and termite collars.

Facade: control, articulation and expansion joints, and blocked weep holes.

Upstairs water: balcony overflows, drain sizes, box gutter sumps and puddle flanges.

Handover: window opening limits and driveway isolation joints.

Interior finish items are usually the shortest part of the list.

More about Tallawong

Written by our local inspection team from work carried out in Tallawong. Licensed building practitioners, NSW Fair Trading licence 366177C.

Guides for Tallawong owners and buyers

3 September 2026 · 6 min read

Inside corners and the bars that stop them cracking

Why every internal slab corner needs its own reinforcement.

14 September 2026 · 5 min read

The pipe through the slab and the termite that follows it

Termite collars are cheap, small and easy to forget.

26 August 2026 · 6 min read

Bracing a tall house on a narrow lot

Tie downs and strap bracing carry the wind load in a double storey.

Common building defects in Tallawong homes: common questions

Are these problems specific to one builder?

No. They follow the house type rather than the builder: tall, rendered, balconied homes on small lots.

Which of these is most expensive to fix later?

Upstairs waterproofing and balcony drainage, because the repair means removing tiles and often ceilings below.

Can I check for blocked weep holes myself?

Yes. Walk the base of the brick or rendered walls and look for the small vertical gaps every few bricks. They should be open, not filled with mortar or render.