The unfortunate reality of new construction in the United States

A common picture:

Bramwell-McKay Masonry Restoration & Consultants gets called to inspect a project- a newly built 3-5 year old apartment complex, mall, retail or office facility. Despite these buildings being practically brand new, we observe copious amounts of damage, deterioration, water intrusion and so on. Structures that, based on their age, should be entirely sound and free from any deterioration whatsoever, seem to be crumbling at a rate you could see day-to-day, before your eyes.Why is this? The answer is simple: Builders are building for the short term, not the long term. Our building philosophy here in the United States does not truly consider the long term. Most commercial builders and designers, for example, consider the life span of a building to be about 7 years (coincidentally, the same amount of time it takes to sell off such facilities). Thus, passing the deterioration issue off to the next owner.The solutions to the issues with these buildings seem to entirely elude most builders. With dozens of companies trying their hand at a quick fix in a desperate attempt to "Just keep the water out!" What they don't understand is that these are band-aids and nothing more. The water will continue to infiltrate, the deterioration will proceed, and the problem will inevitably go beyond the point of no return.The unfortunate reality is that the means and methods in which these issues are resolved seem to be entirely lost in the modern world of masonry and construction. After the industrial revolution, we lost nearly all our master-masons to the steel industry, leading to a hundred years of improperly built structures, and very few individuals who possess the knowledge of how to deal with it.The European philosophy regarding the construction and maintenance their structures is entirely the opposite of what we see here in the US, and it's the philosophy we hold here at Bramwell-McKay. That is, "Build it for your grandchildren."In Europe, it is not uncommon to see buildings such as castles, cathedrals and even homes in the four-figure years of their life that are in near-perfect condition. This level of craftsmanship, evidenced by the longevity of these structures alone is the standard we exercise at Bramwell-McKay. It has been our 40-year mission to bring the same level of knowledge and expertise back to the masonry and construction industry in the US. Providing consulting, education and execution.