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Foundation problems - Beachboy - 10-19-2007
Not sure where to start with this. First off my house is already completed. Been living in since June of this past summer. But while home was going through the many stages of being built I noticed foundation was downright ugly looking. The day it was poured, it was raining. Was that a bad idea on their part? It was a steady drizzle coming down. But after slab was poured I never saw them smooth out the foundation? Perhaps since they knew house was gonna be tiled in kitchen and fake wood floor(laminated) throughout rest of house. But almost the entire house edges of foundation are not smooth with clean lines. It's like the edges were busted off or fell off from being soft. Anyway it has made it easier for centipedes & other tiny creatures to invade our house. Plus, some spots of floor are just uneven, like a fun house.
I need suggestion, or options...please!? I know I have one year after house is completed to voice my beefs with house.
I'm pretty pissed to say the least, and I probably shouldn't be apathetic about this whole ordeal . I also come to find out contractor who built house is not contractor at all! He using someone elses...you know what! But I'm not a vindictive person, I don't want to ruin his life I just want things made right!
I'm all ears gang!
I also noticed right now that foundation in garage is cracked all the way across WAs there an earhtquake last night?
Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...
Edited by - Beachboy on 10/19/2007 10:04:29
RE: Foundation problems - janeadams - 10-19-2007
A couple of things...
when our slab was poured, the person doing the work for us spent extra care on the surface to create an extremely smooth one for the acid wash (finish floor). We had drizzle for a couple of hours during it, but it can still be done well with care. They used straight concrete powder during the smoothing and drying.
I would wonder if they did a good job of tamping the cement as it was poured if your edges are so rough. Ours are fairly smooth, though not nearly as much as the surface. Our guys took the boards off before they left on the day of the pour, and did some touch-up. 3 years ago, so don't remember completely!
How about skim-coating it with thinset or stucco? We also caulked the interface between the floor and the walls.
No earthquake last night... check out the site below on HVO's website.
http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/
Jane
RE: Foundation problems - John S. Rabi - 10-19-2007
quote:
I don't want to ruin his life I just want things made right!
I'm all ears gang!
You should have built on Post & Pier!
I am not sure what can be done with the foundation after the house is built but I sure would ruin this guy's life and I am sure the GCs on this forum agree with me.Aloha,
John S. Rabi, ABR,CM,CRB,FHS,RB
http://www.JohnRabi.com
Typically Tropical Properties
"The Next Level of Service!"
RE: Foundation problems - Bob Orts - 10-19-2007
Foundation problems can lead to problems in just about every other part of the building if it's substandard.
Here on the mainland, I have a simple rule whenever I get a complaint over building issues. Get It Independently Evaluated By A Qualified Inspector!
It could be cosmetic with no worries. It could be minor problems easily fixable. It could be structural that requires a complete replacement.
The second item I always suggest (hand in hand with the inspection) is to notify the appropriate agency that licensed contractors. All licensed contractors expect to have complaints filed against them; it's the nature of the beast. If it turns out to be nothing, it's dropped.
If you bought a new tire for your car and it starts thumping halfway out of the dealer’s parking lot, wouldn't you expect them to fix it immediately? Wouldn't you complain if they refused? What makes a contractor any different? Not to mention the value of the tire and car versus the value of the foundation work and house!
RE: Foundation problems - rbonplaza - 10-19-2007
Beachboy, was your "contractor" named Michael? A really nice black guy who talked a great story?
RE: Foundation problems - Beachboy - 10-19-2007
quote:
Beachboy, was your "contractor" named Michael? A really nice black guy who talked a great story?
no, he is a white dude. Like I said, I just want things fixed before I'm out of time to complain. There were several things that pissed me off with this house, but I bit my tongue because my agent gave me one of her homes for six months free while this house was being built.
There is plenty of small things that really piss me off, for instance. Ceiling light fixture/fan in both bathroom came without light bulbs. Light bulbs have to be specially ordered from internet! Granite counters in kitchen could have been cut & measured better in my opinion. Baseboards and floor had plenty of gaps, and were nevver caulked...probably one one several entry points for centipedes too?!
Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...
RE: Foundation problems - Kahunascott - 10-19-2007
This seems like another case of not doing your homework before contracting with a builder.
Check, check, check before you build, build, build. What you are describing appears to be a failure in the base material or subgrade. If the subgrade wasn’t stabilized and the base material is inferior and or not compacted correctly you will get cracks. The bad thing about this type of failure is that you can’t do a thing about it. The failure is below the concrete and you can’t repair it. The best you can do is fill in the cracks every year and live with it.
That’s not entirely true you might be able to drill horizontally under the slab and pump it with non shrinking grout and that MAY stabilize the pad. It may or may not work and it is quite expensive.
"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings, I look for my dreams and a pocket full of gold" Led Zeppelin
RE: Foundation problems - Beachboy - 10-20-2007
quote:
This seems like another case of not doing your homework before contracting with a builder.
Check, check, check before you build, build, build. What you are describing appears to be a failure in the base material or subgrade. If the subgrade wasn’t stabilized and the base material is inferior and or not compacted correctly you will get cracks. The bad thing about this type of failure is that you can’t do a thing about it. The failure is below the concrete and you can’t repair it. The best you can do is fill in the cracks every year and live with it.
That’s not entirely true you might be able to drill horizontally under the slab and pump it with non shrinking grout and that MAY stabilize the pad. It may or may not work and it is quite expensive.
"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings, I look for my dreams and a pocket full of gold" Led Zeppelin
you know, if I could remove my leg for the sole purpose of being able to kick myself in the arse I would! But my entire situation is somewhat complicated.
Do I have a legal recourse at all? When that one big earthquake hit us a month or so ago. I was at home and watched as my floor seemed to buckle under the quake. It all seemed in slow motion!
To top it off, found another centipede last night in my kid's bathroom!
Handle every situation like a dog,If you can't eat it or hump it,piss on it and walk away...
Edited by - Beachboy on 10/20/2007 08:28:16
RE: Foundation problems - Kelena - 10-20-2007
My guess is that many foundations in Puna are poured in the rain. However, that is just one of your concerns and this is a clearly a situation for experts. You suspect that something went awry in the construction of your house, but are not quite sure. It is possible that there was an intervening event, and it is also possible that the foundation was not put down correctly, leading to what you observed. It is also possible that because the foundation was not put down correctly that it was not able to withstand the intervening event (earthquake). Don't know. The tile on my lanai was cracked after the earthquake.
Bob Orts has given you some great advice: have it inspected. I would first catalog your concerns so that the inspector can focus on what you think went wrong. In the meantime, with respect to legal recourse, you should consult with a Hawai'i attorney (military intelligence, jumbo shrimp, Hawai'i attorney) ASAP with respect to any statute of limitations (SOL = s... out of luck). You may need to sue first, and ask questions later to preserve your rights. If you have time, then you can try aloha. I would always "do aloha" in writing. If you call, follow up with a letter that "memorializes" (or sets forth) what you talked about. Perhaps he can and will fix (unlikely). A demand letter is usually the next step. Then court if you have time. No non-Hawaii attorney can advise you on the SOL because a non-Hawaii attorney cannot practice there.
But generally, when you are aware that there may be a problem, the clock starts ticking, if not before that time. You may have to a have a little outlay to understand your options better. Ignore anything other than an advice from a licensed member of the Hawai'i Bar, and I ain't talkin' anout Luquin's.
As for the centipedes, in my inexpert opinion that may be a separate problem. It is pretty clear from what I have read that these monsters get into the best built houses.
I am sorry you are having this problem and hope that you still feel that you made the right move for you and your family. I suspect you did. HNL prices continue to go up despite the downturns elsewhere.
RE: Foundation problems - Kahunascott - 10-21-2007
Some of the things an inspector is going to ask are:
Was a proctor taken of the subgrade and base material? ? (Sample to test)
What were the results of the tests?
Did you test the compaction of the subgrade and base material after installation?
Was the proper amount of water added to both materials to acquire the maximum compaction?
Who did the test and did you review the data for accuracy?
Despite all the aforementioned preparatory work before laying the concrete, an earthquake will still damage the strongest of components.
This is why I continue to leave certain phases of construction to the professionals. I strongly recommend using a company like Kopohocats construction management firm to do the phases of construction that you are not familiar with. I'm a Project Manager with a large construction firm in Hilo and even I used Cat's company on sections of our home.
"Many dreams come true and some have silver linings, I look for my dreams and a pocket full of gold" Led Zeppelin
Edited by - kahunascott on 10/21/2007 09:28:50