the house is 5 years old and i have discovered that it was buith without a house wrap and just OSB and hardie plank and now i have crumbing siding and mold on the inside the code requires it in our area and it was not put on and the house is done so has everything got to be undone to fix?//////////////////
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of the siding and trim should come off, the windows and doors should come out, and the exterior re-done.
house wrap
thats what i though found builder still in buss get a lawyer?
That
is probably what I would suggest.
If it was code and it wasn't done then you have a legitimate beef. But you'll almost certainly need a lawyer, and you may find that your builder will take a powder as soon as several such cases are lined up in court.
(It would be nice if you could similarly enter a claim against the inspection authority, but I'm guessing they'd claim immunity.)
Of course, if the builder skipped the housewrap he likely also skipped several other critical steps, and simply fixing the housewrap/siding won't fix the house.
wait just aminute
The first step I think would be to contact the builder and give them a chance to repair problem.
If this does not work then contact a lawyer.
I tink it is only fair to contact builder first!
Blindsided by a subpoena is no way to start the repair process.
By all means, though, if they balk enlist higher powers!
I'm thinking it's better to first get some independent evaluation of the situation. (If we knew where the OP lived, someone might be able to suggest someone to look things over.)
You go to the builder with just a homeowner's crude knowledge of what ought to have been then if the builder is even slightly sleazy he'll try to fast-talk his way out of it. The OP needs to have enough info going in to know whether the builder's blowing smoke or not.
And if the builder did "forget" to install the houserwap, no way should he do repairs on the place -- they need to be done by someone knowledgeable and competent.
OK
I think meeting somewhere closer to an educated complaint is a good idea!
Still if the builder is able to repair (properly) the infraction of quality should he have first crack at it.
I know of a few stories where the builder was never made aware of the problem untiol he was served a subpoena after faulty work was repaired by other contracters.
I believe swooping in with lawyers is not the first step ever!
JIm
"I tink it is only fair to
"I tink it is only fair to contact builder first!"
True.
But that first contact can be thru a lawyer's letter and not a subpeonna. That way the right language is used, things are properly documented, and the builder knows you are serious.
I like fair dealing up front, buit I am all for putting the screws to the hacks who disregard proper building practices. There are hundreds of thousands of homes built in the last decade that will have HOs discovering this same problem soon.
and there we have it.
i think I can agree with that and the educated research mentioned below..
that is what this place is all about!
jim at great white
I would suggest a little research on your own first
I would suggest you do some research on your own first. Here's the problem.
the following:
Current acceptable practices
The opinions of others and how they do things
Local Code
Product requirements
ARE NOT all the same thing.
Unfortunately CODE and CURRENT ACCEPTABLE PRACTICES are not the same everywhere.
AND "The code requires it" can be very vauge. Code requires it under what circumstances? Is it not required under certain types of siding?
As an example in Pennsylvania, until recently many municipalities left it up to the homeowner or bank to have a home inspected. Municipalities that did have inspectors didn't all follow the same code..........and in some the inspector made up his own code.
There are lots of $500K and up homes in my neighborhood with not so much as felt paper under the siding. LOCAL CODE excluded housewrap from under CERTAIN KINDS OF SIDING. All built between 6 and 14 years ago. That's before they got serious locally about following a single code.
FInd out what code governs your area and home. Read it carefully. look for the lopphole and make sure it's not there.
Chances are, if your builder screwed you? He screwed everyone else...........and he's not going to want to fix yours and admit liability.
what if the builder doesn't even know there is no house wrap,maybe he relied on other people and they were just to dumb to know better .
I am seeing alot of this nowdays ,I am doing a kitche bath reno for someone with a sore back they use to be in the trade ,
I had forgotten my screw bin to hang kitchen cabinets ,they said they use drywall screw ,the guys was just to dumb to know better
I went and got my screw bin
I was installing the sink yesterday the guy is telling me where to put the trap he is telling me the wrong place ,
he said he does it like this all the time ,for years now, 'so he has been wrong for years
I have actually fixed cabinets that had fallen from this guy and his drywall screws .
just not enough knowledge of proper methods