





Home maintenance - FAQs
We provide all new homeowners with warranty cover for the first two years of ownership. Our warranty provides protection against most defects within this period and is supplemented by additional insurance protection provided in years three to ten (through the ICW or a similar industry regulated insurance scheme). Please see our guides for more information
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A defect is defined as non-compliance, or a failure to perform to the regulatory standards covering all aspects of your new home. It is common for new build homes to have defects, also known as snags, which are sometimes caused by poor workmanship. Most snags are minor and cosmetic, such as a scratch on a window or a crack on a work surface.
Defects do not include damages caused by storms, negligence, abuse, or a failure to maintain a product in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations. A drainage issue caused by the flushing or disposal of inappropriate products or substances into the drainage system. Normal settlement and shrinkage cracks. Condensation or associated problems caused by a failure to adequately ventilate the property.
Please refer to our guides below for more information. Alternatively, please contact the after care team by visiting our ‘Help’ section here.
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Please contact the after care team immediately.
The following situations are considered to be emergencies:
- A water leak that cannot be contained or is penetrating an electrical fitting.
- Gas leaks (you should also call out your gas supplier immediately, who will isolate the leak and have your home made safe).
- Complete failure of the heating and/or hot water system.
- Complete loss of water or gas supply (please check with relevant authority/supplier that the problem is not caused by a temporary supply interruption).
- Loss of electricity supply. You must check first with your supplier to ascertain whether there has been an interruption, such as a local power failure, to the supply. This will only be considered an emergency situation if there is a complete loss of power to the entire unit which cannot be rectified by resetting the trip switch on the consumer unit.
- A failure of locks or mechanisms leaving the property unsecured.
- A blockage in the underground drainage system, causing water to back up in WCs. In such circumstances, please do not allow any more water to enter the drainage system and contact the After Care Team immediately.
Your new home needs a ‘cooling off’ period during the first few months. During this time remember that your house is still drying out, as thousands of litres of water were used in the construction. As you new home dries out, it will release moisture into the air which can create condensation on cold surfaces, such as windows and exterior walls. You can reduce this by keeping background central heating as low as possible, and you may choose to open windows for a while each day, to circulate fresh air around the house. During this period, a few small cracks may appear in the walls and woodwork. This is quite normal and can be cured when you re-decorate. Please refer to our guide for more information.
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The hood above your hob is designed to catch grease and food particles, helping to keep the air in your kitchen clean and free from smells. It may simply be a filter, or it may extract air through the outside wall of your home. If your cooker hood vents back into the room, there will be a charcoal filter that removes strong odours and smoke from the extracted air. This will need to be replaced periodically and in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. You should find a manual for your cooker hood in your handover information pack.
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Your carpet may need re-stretching. Please contact the us if the carpet was fitted by Sky House Co.
This is usually due to shrinkage of the property, which is a natural occurrence. It is not considered a building defect, however if considered to be excessive, please contact us.
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Please have a look at the appliance page in your homeowner information pack, which will give you the correct manufacturers details.
If you refer to your homeowner information pack that you received on completion, you should find these details. If not then please contact us.
Please contact us if the flooring was fitted by Sky House Co.
Sky House Co recommend that you inspect your flooring carefully on legal completion of your new home. We would expect any damage to be reported to us within 72 hours of completion. If reported after then it will unfortunately not covered by your warranty.
This is normal and usually due to the glass manufacturing process. From time to time, glass will contain bubbles or fine scratches that can be seen at close quarters. Glass should be viewed at a distance of no less than 2 meters from inside the room in natural daylight, or 3 meters for toughened laminated or coated glass.
Always check for cables and pipes prior to attempting to fix anything. Please contact us if you are unsure.
Locate the position of the framework by tapping across the wall. The studs are usually about 600mm or 450mm apart and produce a dull solid sound. If you can’t find the studs, make a small hole where you think the stud may be – if you hit the cavity you’ve missed the spot. If the fixing is to go on a stud, drill through the plasterboard into the timber until you get to the metal and use fixings directly to it. Please contact us if you are unsure.
Ceilings are made of the same construction as walls and you should fix to them in the same way – locate the joists and fix to them. If you don’t do this, use a toggle or patent anchors. Make sure you don’t suspend heavy weights from the ceiling, it is not designed for this purpose. Make sure you locate wires and pipes prior to installation of fixings. Please contact us if you are unsure.
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Please refer to your homeowner information pack for information on how to maintain your laminate flooring.
Home maintenance - Guides in this section:
- Reporting a Problem
- Your Warranty
- Maintaining your cover
- Home Maintenance
- Your extractor fans
- Moving into your new home
Answers to the most common issues can be found here using our guides.