I'm a little behind on this post, but I thought I'd have more to post. I spent the morning of December 27th dealing with various house issues, including getting the engineer's report from the builder's rep. Big surprise, the drainage needs to be fixed. The house isn't level, but it's not structural yet. So, the builder's going to fix the drainage. The recommendations were pretty much in line with what I'd been told by someone else. Course, I've not heard anything from builder rep guy since and he's out of the office until the 28th. Sigh.
There were some other things. Two were complaints I'd lodged when I first moved in - the water pressure and the carpet in the living room. The water pressure was low, but builder rep said it was the city. The inspector picked up on it again. So, since toilet issues in the guest bath, he had the plumber look at it. Well, it was set at almost half of what it was supposed to be! I have water pressure now! I'm thrilled and more than a little peeved that when I reported it in January he just blew it off. Then the carpet. There's a line where the two pieces meet in the living room. Kind of hard to miss. Last January's reply, Oh well. Reply in December was that the seams just needed smoothing. Carpet guy came out. Carpet guy took pictures. He has no idea how they laid the carpet the way they did. The naps for the two pieces are running in two different directions (i.e. one runs N-S and one runs E-W). One piece will have to be replaced. My question: this carpet has been in the house a year - how do you match it after a year? Still waiting to hear.
Guys also came to adjust the sprinklers. Very little English, but they did a great job. A/C guy stopped by to check the study, which is hard to heat and cool due to 12 ft ceilings. End result - they came back out and ran duct work to put that room on it's own duct. I was impressed and it's helped a bit. Some other minor issues were taken care of as well.
However, the driveway is still cracked (almost in two pieces), the roof and gutters haven't been looked at, and no one has addressed the drainage. The post tension cable that wasn't cut still isn't cut. And, of course, none of the interior damage from the shifting has been fixed because I'd like to have the cause fixed first. And, now I get to wait another week to hear from the builder rep. I'm getting more than a little peeved.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Decision made....
I've come to a decision regarding the house. I did look at others, both online and in person. The in person looks were for new construction. I looked at floor plans similar to mine as well as townhomes. I like the idea of a townhome, especially since the one I saw was geared more toward working professionals than families. The size wasn't bad, but by the time you account for stairs, and other layout features, the builders had sacrificed in the kitchen. Nice kitchens, just small. I'd prefer a bit more room in the kitchen since I like to bake and I'm trying to cook more.
The look sees were to help me determine what to do. What I decided to do was stay where I am... commit to this house. May sound strange, but given the current housing market and the fact that new homes are still available in my neighborhood, I don't think it would be all that easy to sell my house, especially with the problems I have right now. The only way that would work well for me would be if the builder bought it back and I don't see that happening. So, I'm staying put.
The builder is responsible for everything that is happening. Many neighbors have problems with their driveways, but most of their problems have occurred at the joints, where mine is cracked across the middle. The builder did send out an Engineer last Monday, after I stated in an e-mail that I was considering it. Actually, I think it was a technician and he had the personality of a limp dishrag. His demeanor reeked of "I've got better things to do than be at a new house determining if it's moving, but we have to accommodate the flaky female." He would have done the whole thing without talking to me if he could have. He only did a cursory look of the problems in the house. I pointed out the cracks in the brick of the house, but I'm guessing his "inspection" of the rest of the house was as lackadaisical as his "inspection" of the interior of the house. I asked his thoughts. He didn't have any. He said the sloping by the house was good. I just looked at him. He then said the sides did have some problems. His final statement. He'd take the numbers back to the office and someone (the way he phrased it, it's not him) would put them in the computer and then they'd know. The report should be to me this coming week. I won't be surprised if they say, nope, not a problem. And, then I'll probably have to go get another engineer, one that I pay, not the builder. We got more rain this past week. Several days worth and on Friday night it came down hard. As you can guess, the sides of my house are really soggy, I can see more seams showing up in the ceiling, one crack is wider, and one seam has now cracked. I'm not sure I want the builder to do the repairs as I feel some of them are due to poor workmanship. My alternative though, is to pay for it myself and I don't think I should have to do that. I'm really trying to hold out though until the cause of the shifting is complete, otherwise, I'll be repairing every six to eight months or so or figuring how large a crack I can live with while the house settles.
And, to firm up my commitment to the house, I celebrated my birthday by buying new furniture! Yep, three new pieces coming at the beginning of January. I got a new TV credenza (which should be much better suited for the size of the tv I got last year), a new coffee table (I've had my current one for almost 18 years and it was given to me, meaning it was old when I got it), and a buffet for the dining area. The buffet was the one piece I didn't think I wanted, but it's the one I'm the most psyched about. What storage it has! Of course, this means, I have to de-clutter some spaces, so that's what I'll be doing over my Christmas break. We have a week and half off, so after traveling to Louisiana for Christmas, I'll hunker down and organize my house in preparation for my new furniture. I'm also trying to program in time to visit with friends as well. Definitely looking forward to the time off.
And, for a kitty cat update. I finally got freaked enough about her and the bald spot she created that on my last visit to the vet I got a diffuser for Feliway. It's a hormone based product that is supposed to sooth stressed kitties. I call it kitty aromatherapy. I had no expectations, but was getting desperate. I think it's working! It appears she's getting fur in her bald spot and she's much more her "old" self. She's not hiding in her chair under the dining room table. She comes into the kitchen with me in the morning, follows me at night. And, last night, for the first time in almost a year, she helped me change the sheets on the bed. The Feliway isn't cheap, but if it works, I'll stick with it.
The look sees were to help me determine what to do. What I decided to do was stay where I am... commit to this house. May sound strange, but given the current housing market and the fact that new homes are still available in my neighborhood, I don't think it would be all that easy to sell my house, especially with the problems I have right now. The only way that would work well for me would be if the builder bought it back and I don't see that happening. So, I'm staying put.
The builder is responsible for everything that is happening. Many neighbors have problems with their driveways, but most of their problems have occurred at the joints, where mine is cracked across the middle. The builder did send out an Engineer last Monday, after I stated in an e-mail that I was considering it. Actually, I think it was a technician and he had the personality of a limp dishrag. His demeanor reeked of "I've got better things to do than be at a new house determining if it's moving, but we have to accommodate the flaky female." He would have done the whole thing without talking to me if he could have. He only did a cursory look of the problems in the house. I pointed out the cracks in the brick of the house, but I'm guessing his "inspection" of the rest of the house was as lackadaisical as his "inspection" of the interior of the house. I asked his thoughts. He didn't have any. He said the sloping by the house was good. I just looked at him. He then said the sides did have some problems. His final statement. He'd take the numbers back to the office and someone (the way he phrased it, it's not him) would put them in the computer and then they'd know. The report should be to me this coming week. I won't be surprised if they say, nope, not a problem. And, then I'll probably have to go get another engineer, one that I pay, not the builder. We got more rain this past week. Several days worth and on Friday night it came down hard. As you can guess, the sides of my house are really soggy, I can see more seams showing up in the ceiling, one crack is wider, and one seam has now cracked. I'm not sure I want the builder to do the repairs as I feel some of them are due to poor workmanship. My alternative though, is to pay for it myself and I don't think I should have to do that. I'm really trying to hold out though until the cause of the shifting is complete, otherwise, I'll be repairing every six to eight months or so or figuring how large a crack I can live with while the house settles.
And, to firm up my commitment to the house, I celebrated my birthday by buying new furniture! Yep, three new pieces coming at the beginning of January. I got a new TV credenza (which should be much better suited for the size of the tv I got last year), a new coffee table (I've had my current one for almost 18 years and it was given to me, meaning it was old when I got it), and a buffet for the dining area. The buffet was the one piece I didn't think I wanted, but it's the one I'm the most psyched about. What storage it has! Of course, this means, I have to de-clutter some spaces, so that's what I'll be doing over my Christmas break. We have a week and half off, so after traveling to Louisiana for Christmas, I'll hunker down and organize my house in preparation for my new furniture. I'm also trying to program in time to visit with friends as well. Definitely looking forward to the time off.
And, for a kitty cat update. I finally got freaked enough about her and the bald spot she created that on my last visit to the vet I got a diffuser for Feliway. It's a hormone based product that is supposed to sooth stressed kitties. I call it kitty aromatherapy. I had no expectations, but was getting desperate. I think it's working! It appears she's getting fur in her bald spot and she's much more her "old" self. She's not hiding in her chair under the dining room table. She comes into the kitchen with me in the morning, follows me at night. And, last night, for the first time in almost a year, she helped me change the sheets on the bed. The Feliway isn't cheap, but if it works, I'll stick with it.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Never take anything for granted...
We all know this. But, sometimes we're reminded in ways we'd rather not be. This past Wednesday, I learned that a friend and former co-worker's son had been killed in a car accident. When my dad died, planning his funeral was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I can't imagine having to plan your child's funeral. Nor can I imagine how hard it will be to celebrate Christmas this year and in future years without him. We naturally expect to outlive our parents, but the sudden death of anyone, especially your child, is particularly hard; unimaginable as a friend said. He had a wife and three small children. We know God has a plan, but when things like this happen, it's hard to see that plan and we never truly understand it. And nothing anyone can say or do will make the hurt go away. A hurt I know will be with them for the rest of their lives.
This time of year, we naturally think about the excitement - Santa Claus, gifts for family and friends,decorating the tree, church activities... This year, I'm reminded that while most of us are celebrating, many families will be struggling with loss. And, there is a strange twist in all this for me - he has the same birthday as my brother (though a different year) and will be buried on my birthday.
This time of year, we naturally think about the excitement - Santa Claus, gifts for family and friends,decorating the tree, church activities... This year, I'm reminded that while most of us are celebrating, many families will be struggling with loss. And, there is a strange twist in all this for me - he has the same birthday as my brother (though a different year) and will be buried on my birthday.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
It's Heaving!
What is heaving, you ask. My house! In case anyone has wondered what I've been doing for the past month (obviously not blogging), I've been trying to figure what was going on with my house. There was trip to a conference in South Carolina thrown in there, but this has taken up a good deal of my time.
And, the answer is the house is heaving. Currently, the four outer corners of the house are higher than the inside. As mentioned in previous posts, I've had some issues with the house. When ceiling cracks kept popping up and then seams started showing up in the ceiling (where the sheetrock panels meet), I figured it was more than normal settling. Have I mentioned the driveway? It's got a crack in it big enough to stand a small pole up in and it's not level. So, I took a walk around the house and looked closely. You guessed it. I've got cracks in the brick on two sides of the house. I've also popped two corner caps, but everyone says that happens and it doesn't affect anything it just looks terrible.
Given the fact that my one year warranty from the builder is approaching the end, I decided to have the house inspected. What an eye opener. Yes, I know they tend to go overboard, but even keeping that in mind it was still a little unsettling. The first house I owned was also new and I never had any problems with it. Certainly not to the extent that I got a home inspector out there. And, when I sold it six years later, the inspector basically found nothing.
So, what did my home inspector say/find? Well, the number of cracks I have and the number of seams showing up are NOT normal (ya think?). They are signs that the foundation is shifting. He said he has never seen a driveway as bad as mine, even on 30 year old homes. The drainage sucks, but I knew that and have been trying to tell the builder that for some time. They made a half hearted attempt to fix it, but it didn't do anything. Let's just say I'm really soggy on both sides of my house.
According to the home inspector - the gutters are installed wrong, the roof was put on wrong (and there are raised nails on a portion of the roof allowing shingles to flap in the breeze), and one of the post tension cables from the foundation was never cut and sealed (you can actually trip over it) and another wasn't sealed properly after it was cut (the builder didn't this was a big deal, but the home inspector did, so I'm not sure what to think). Those are the biggies; there were some other smaller issues.
The next step was to have a foundation company come and look. He's the one who determined it's heaving. Basically, it was built during a drought and then we got a LOT of rain. Add poor drainage to the mixture and you get a house that moves. It's not going to fall down around my knees, but I can expect cracks and other things to continue to happen until the house "settles" - in about 5-8 years. I also think some of my problems are due to poor craftsmanship. The builder is a good one. The only thing I can figure is they did a lot of the work on my house on a Friday afternoon.
Needless to say, I'm not a real happy camper. My first house was a breeze; that's why I bought new again. You don't expect these types of problems with a new house. I've requested the builder pony up for repairing cracks, etc in the house for an extended time. Not sure what they are going to do. Not sure what I'm going to do. I expect there will be movement again as we head into winter. Question is - do I want to commit to the aggravation of cracks and other fun stuff or do I want to bail? I just don't know right now. If anyone has any thoughts on the subject, please share. :)
And, the answer is the house is heaving. Currently, the four outer corners of the house are higher than the inside. As mentioned in previous posts, I've had some issues with the house. When ceiling cracks kept popping up and then seams started showing up in the ceiling (where the sheetrock panels meet), I figured it was more than normal settling. Have I mentioned the driveway? It's got a crack in it big enough to stand a small pole up in and it's not level. So, I took a walk around the house and looked closely. You guessed it. I've got cracks in the brick on two sides of the house. I've also popped two corner caps, but everyone says that happens and it doesn't affect anything it just looks terrible.
Given the fact that my one year warranty from the builder is approaching the end, I decided to have the house inspected. What an eye opener. Yes, I know they tend to go overboard, but even keeping that in mind it was still a little unsettling. The first house I owned was also new and I never had any problems with it. Certainly not to the extent that I got a home inspector out there. And, when I sold it six years later, the inspector basically found nothing.
So, what did my home inspector say/find? Well, the number of cracks I have and the number of seams showing up are NOT normal (ya think?). They are signs that the foundation is shifting. He said he has never seen a driveway as bad as mine, even on 30 year old homes. The drainage sucks, but I knew that and have been trying to tell the builder that for some time. They made a half hearted attempt to fix it, but it didn't do anything. Let's just say I'm really soggy on both sides of my house.
According to the home inspector - the gutters are installed wrong, the roof was put on wrong (and there are raised nails on a portion of the roof allowing shingles to flap in the breeze), and one of the post tension cables from the foundation was never cut and sealed (you can actually trip over it) and another wasn't sealed properly after it was cut (the builder didn't this was a big deal, but the home inspector did, so I'm not sure what to think). Those are the biggies; there were some other smaller issues.
The next step was to have a foundation company come and look. He's the one who determined it's heaving. Basically, it was built during a drought and then we got a LOT of rain. Add poor drainage to the mixture and you get a house that moves. It's not going to fall down around my knees, but I can expect cracks and other things to continue to happen until the house "settles" - in about 5-8 years. I also think some of my problems are due to poor craftsmanship. The builder is a good one. The only thing I can figure is they did a lot of the work on my house on a Friday afternoon.
Needless to say, I'm not a real happy camper. My first house was a breeze; that's why I bought new again. You don't expect these types of problems with a new house. I've requested the builder pony up for repairing cracks, etc in the house for an extended time. Not sure what they are going to do. Not sure what I'm going to do. I expect there will be movement again as we head into winter. Question is - do I want to commit to the aggravation of cracks and other fun stuff or do I want to bail? I just don't know right now. If anyone has any thoughts on the subject, please share. :)
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