New-home moisture raises red flag
Q: We’re having some serious problems with the windows inour new house. They sweat, let dust blow in, freeze up, and are drafty — eventhe picture windows. In cold weather, water is running down the windows, andthey won’t open. Our heating bill went from $30 dollars in December to $295 inJanuary. The contractor has been out a couple of times, and I also had arepresentative from the window company come out. They are trying to tell methat this is “normal new-home moisture” and that the house needs afew more months to dry out. We paid for upgraded windows, and we’re alsoworried because the one-year warranty on the house is about to expire. Now thecontractor won’t return my calls. What else can I do? –Stan Y., via e-mail
A: Firstof all, given the extent of the moisture problems your house is having, I wouldfind it very hard to believe that it’s because the house has not “driedout,” especially after a year.
You havedone the right thing by getting the window reps out there, but I doubt you willget much satisfaction on that end. If you are also satisfied that you have doneall you can to contact the contractor and that he is ducking your calls at thispoint, the next thing to do is the one thing I am always reluctant to advise –contact an attorney that deals with construction defects. Have the attorneystart by sending the contractor a registered letter. In the letter, explainbriefly but clearly what the problems are and how long they have been going on.Give him a specific deadline for remedying the situation, and tell himspecifically what your next steps will be. Those steps would typically be toinitiate an action against him with the state contractor’s board, and then fromthere possibly some type of civil litigation.
The letterserves several purposes. It will put him on notice that you are deadly seriousabout the problem and about your resolve to take further action. Moreimportantly, it will help establish a paper trail that clearly shows theseproblems started well before the end of your 1-year warranty problem, so yourclaim for damages and repairs should survive the warranty’s ending.
Pleaseunderstand that I am not an attorney, and I cannot give you any legal advice.Your attorney can assist you with the specific wording and content of theletter, as well as with any further actions you should consider.
Q: I need to repair the siding on my home, and mycontractor gave me two options — repair my existing T 1-11 or replace thesiding with new material. He suggested HardiPlank, which I like because of thewarranty. However, my neighbor said that the nails on that material will rust,and it’s not a good idea to use it. What is your recommendation? –Lucy B., viae-mail
A:Virtually any nail can rust under the right circumstances. However, I havenever heard of rusted nails being a problem specifically related to HardiPlank,and I would have to question where your neighbor got that information. Ifrusting is a particular concern in your area due to high moisture levels, youmight want to talk with your contractor about using stainless-steel nailsinstead of the standard galvanized ones. Other than that, I have always foundHardiPlank to be an excellent product, and I would have no problemsrecommending it.
Q: I live in a condo complex that was converted in 1979from an apartment building built in 1968. In the last couple of years, a numberof plumbing changes have been made to the building, including adding asprinkler system and installing washers in many of the units. Now the sound ofwater in the pipes is getting progressively louder, and I am concerned thatperhaps the old pipes are not adequate for the increased load. What would yousuggest? –Peggy A., via e-mail
A: Thetype of noise you describe could be coming from a couple of different things,including an increase in water pressure from the city or the changes in waterflow that you mention resulted from the recent remodeling. Increasing thevolume or the pressure of the water flow through a pipe that is too small tohandle it or that is inadequately supported can definitely cause additionalnoise.
Youmention that this is a condo, so I would start with the condo association. Askfor more details about the remodeling, and ask to speak with the plumbingcontractor doing the work so you can share your concerns. Next, since theaddition of a sprinkler system and laundry areas requires a plumbing permit, Iwould also contact your local building department for more details aboutexactly what is being done to the units and how the water is being distributed.Finally, you could check with your water utility office at the city and see ifthey have increased the water pressure to your building recently.
Remodelingand repair questions? E-mail Paul at paul2887@hughes.net.
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Copyright 2007 Inman News
