Donbecker Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 Hi all,As some of ya may be aware, the wife and I bought a new house. Prior to moving in, it rained and there was a leak. The leak went from the second floor down thru to the first floor. The builder told us that the roof hadn't been completed (ie, the flashing was missing) and so this wasn't a defect per se. So we move in. Now I'm seeing stuff like a truss bulging from the ceiling (looking up at the ceiling I can see it making a visible impression). Also, the door nearby wouldn't shut (ie, the frame had shifted). The builder comes out to test for the leak, they run water over the roof for half an hour with a hose, come in, touch the drywall and say that there is no leak. This doesn't make sense to me, as the water damage had to come from somewhere. They say they can fix the ceiling, but that they'll only do it once. I would think that they would need to tear out the drywall to figure out whether there is a leak or not, but they don't want to do that...Have any of you folks had a similar problem? Any suggestions of what I should do? Should I pay to have a home inspector come out? I have the feeling that the builder is just trying to wait it out until our home is past the one year warranty period. Please let me know if there is any other info that would help you give me more advice on this.Thanks in advance, Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie44 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 My suggestion is document, document! Take pics of the damage and when you first noticed it. Then note when you notify them. I would demand they get out ASAP and fix both. If all else fails make a complaint with the Registrar of Contractors Office. Let me know if you have problems after giving them the chance to fix it. I know a good roofer, in fact he's coming out this week to work on my roof. I also know a very reputable home inspector. I'd give them the opportunity to fix it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donbecker Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 Thanks Eddie. The issue isn't whether they'll fix the drywall. The issue is...what caused the drywall problem in the first place? So they'll come out and fix it, but if there is a water leak (that they can't see because they won't remove the drywall) it may end up damaging the drywall again...So they state that they'll fix it, but if it "comes back" that they don't have to fix it again. It goes round and round, I'm not really sure what to do, I just want the thing fixed, ya know? My fear is that there is a water leak and over time it will cause big $$$ issues down the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie44 Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I would go up on the roof and take a ton of pics. Then go inside and take pics. Call them out and hope the service guy has some sense of customer service and fixes it right. If you get a leak again I'd call them out again. If they refuse I'd sick the RofC on them. I'd keep the RofC as your ace in the hole. Most tradesmen don't like to hear the name of that agency and might f it up just cause you threaten them with that. If you need confirmation that it's fixed properly you'll probably have to pay out of your pocket for a home inspector or another roofing company. Either way your builder has an obligation to fix the problem once you report it to them whether the house runs out of warranty or not. Most people don't realize that there is a one year warranty but houses are warrantied for "major defects" for 10 yrs I believe. That is state law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Steve Mulvey Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I had a water leak at my palazzo and it was caused by the dehumidifier in the AC/Furnace unit having been improperly installed. You are probably right that the developer is trying to outlast you so as to avoid fixing the cause. I would speak to the building dept. in the city you are in and ask them to help with an inspection. Things like bad flashing should be caught by building inspectors methinks...Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Togo Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I had a water leak at my palazzo and it was caused by the dehumidifier in the AC/Furnace unit having been improperly installed. You are probably right that the developer is trying to outlast you so as to avoid fixing the cause. I would speak to the building dept. in the city you are in and ask them to help with an inspection. Things like bad flashing should be caught by building inspectors methinks...Steve is it a NEW home? if so, what builder? my continental home had a 10 year warranty on some things - i don't recall what was included, but i think the roof would be - as that's technically the most important part of a house!!!!If i'm not mistaken, the 1 year is not the warranty, it is the 1 year walk through of a new home - to fix defects like you say - regardless if it passes the one year, most homes should have a longer warranty than 1 year - try contacting their "main office" and see if you can get some paperwork on the issue - or read through the paperwork you should already have concerning such problems! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dvl4evr Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I would call a home inspector. Depending on the size of the home it may cost you up to $500.00, but at least you're getting the opinion of an independent party. If this situation goes anywhere legal the fact that you had an independent licensed party provide an opinion will be favorable to you. If you need the # of a good inspector, PM me. A long time friend of mine has been an inspector for I believe 3-5 years & I can give you his #.Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donbecker Posted January 2, 2007 Author Share Posted January 2, 2007 Thanks for all the replies on this. I got ahold of an inspector...when I described the situation to him and then pressed him for what he would do that my builder hadn't done already, he said he would recommend another inspection by a roof specialist. WTF? Needless to say, I called up a couple of roofers, none did the inspection, but said that I should contact the registrar of contractors. I called the builders warrantly line..apparently the issue has been escalated to management and I'm waiting to hear back about it.Thanks again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigfoot Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 I hear those "keiko" (sp?) roofing comercials on the radio all the time. I think they advertise they do free inspections if I'm not mistaken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratch Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 What type of roofing material, tile, shingle? Do you have any attic space, or is it no clearance? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigfoot Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 Try this...Ky-Ko Roofing...website says they do inspections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Kens06 Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 The main point needs to be, at what point of construction did the unfinished roof leak!!If the walls are studs and the floors are plywood, low priority for cause!!If the roof wasn't finished and they went ahead with drywall, then got caught by rain, THAT'S a problem!!Drywall, after absorbing water, never returns to normal!If it just wicks up, from standing water, the baseboard covers the damage.If a wall gets soaked, they can cover the flaws by giving you 'textured walls' FREE!!That is all great except for the fact that the water contains microbes that can survive in extreme environments!!I know of four schools that I built in IL that the drywall had major water damage.If the damage wasn't visable when the state inspector came by two days later, it wasn't replaced!Ten years later, mold being circulated through the HVAC system was making the kids and faculity sick!The mold was found growing on the inside of classroom walls and the spores being distributed thru the HVAC system using the above ceiling space as a plenum!!Didn't mean to get so involved, but this kind of stuff should not be taken lightly!!Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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