By Barry Stone
Dear Barry,Our home is less than two years old and has two main problems, but the builder won't fix anything. The tile floor, installed on a concrete slab, has cracked three times in the same place. Each time the tiles are replaced, the new ones crack within a few weeks. We also have two pocket doors that won't slide freely. If the builder won't address these problems, what can we do? --Thomas
Dear Thomas,
Before communicating further with the builder, you should obtain a report from the most thorough and experienced home inspector available. A competent inspector will discover more defects than you are currently aware of. Send a copy of the inspection report to your builder with a letter giving him X number of days to make repairs. Make it clear that after that time you will hire other contractors to complete the repairs and will hold him responsible for the costs. Hopefully, the costs will not exceed the limit specified for a small claims action.
When ceramic tiles on a concrete slab become cracked, the usual cause is common hairline cracking of the slab. Tile installers who do quality work laminate a slip sheet onto the slab surface before installing the tiles. This allows for slab movement at the cracks, without adversely affecting the tiles. Recurrent cracks indicate that no slip sheet was installed. This is not a code violation but rather an indication of mediocre workmanship.
Pocket doors that do not slide freely typically require adjustments or repairs of a minor nature.
. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be submitted to our "