A poorly built home is an affliction that worsens with age, tormenting succeeding generations of owners.

And you don’t have to go far in Maine to find a bad one: Trailers that cost as much to heat as they are worth. Basements with running water — on the floor. Roofs that sag depressingly in the middle.

These homes are prone to rot, fire, mildew and a hundred other costly problems.

But there is a better way — building them right from the start, and that was the goal of the first statewide building code adopted last year.

Now, unfortunately, several ill-conceived pieces of legislation seek to gut or repeal Maine’s new Uniform Building and Energy Code, which is similar to codes adopted in 40 other states.

The new code went into effect Dec. 1, but areas that previously had no code have until 2012 to comply.

There have been dramatic changes in materials and construction techniques over the past decade, all intended to make new homes safer, more comfortable, more durable and energy-efficient.

There is dispute over how much complying with the new code will add to the cost of a new home. Critics say it may be as much as $10,000.

Others say it will be more like $3,000 for the average home, which quickly would be recouped by lower energy costs.

The new code simply builds upon existing codes in most of the state’s cities and towns. So, in those places, the additional building costs are likely negligible.

But the changes will be more dramatic in areas that have had no code, where contractors may not have been using the best available techniques or materials.

The code also requires inspections to make sure buildings meet code requirements. Again, in most major communities, this will simply involve having existing inspectors adopt new standards.

However, some smaller towns and jurisdictions have had no code officers.  The state is in the process of training third-party inspectors, but their work will again add to the cost of construction in those areas.

Still, the cost is worth it.

Maine is the most oil-dependent state in the country. One major way to reduce that dependence over time is to better insulate our existing housing stock and to build newer homes to higher standards.

Most of our housing was built when oil was $3 a barrel.  It is now more than $3 a gallon.

We must do better.

Fire deaths per 100,000 citizens have declined by 90 percent in this country during the past century, largely the result of better building codes. Still, 85 percent of all fatal fires occur in houses rather than commercial buildings.

Having strong codes and enforcing them is one of the many things we can do to further reduce the number of fire deaths in the U.S.

Gov. Paul LePage kicked off a red-tape jihad earlier this year. But we should not confuse red tape with meaningful standards. One costs money; the other saves money, and the new codes will do that.

Maine’s building trade groups support the new code, including contractors, architects, engineers and remodelers.

The Legislature should support them by leaving the new code alone.

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The opinions expressed in this column reflect the views of the ownership and editorial board.