New Floor Problems II

Well Monday I had both the contractor and the floor people out and they both just said I don't know. The floor people had a moisture meter and took readings all around the floor and then punched a hole in the floor under the stove and checked. They said that it all checked out ok. But said that I would need to have someone haul dirt under the house and level the ground an make sure there are no places water could sit. Plus I would need to make sure that air can circulate to keep it dry under the house. The house is on a slope and drains pretty well there is a drop of over 7 feet from the front of the house to the Lake which is about 300 feet from the front of the house. The front of the house is about 16" off the ground and the back is over 4'. So it seems water would have a hard time collecting under the house. lt's only 30' total with over a 3 foot drop. I told them that I would have the skirting changed to all vented panals in the back of the house as the front has no skirting and the south side has no skirting. They said when I get that done they will again discuss the problem and see what they would do. No one was going to step up and take any responsibility or admit to anything at this time.

I'm so mad right now that I am thinking of just calling another floor co to come out and put down another floor. I know thats what they want me to do. This would take care of it for them. But I'm going to be hard headed and still try and get something done for the $2,400 I have already spent.

It seems that it's always someone elses fault when something goes wrong. If there was a water problem I know that I would be the one responsible to get it fixed. They said it was real muddy under the house when they fixed the bathroom floor. But it had just rained for 2 days and it was a hard rain. The day they fixed the floor they had a guy under the house and he said that there was some small puddles under the house around the piers where they had sunk into the ground. I don't know if this is enough to cause the floor to swell up like it did. There are now 3 turtle areas in the kitchen. Where do I go from here?

 

I'm mad as a hatter just reading this and it isn't my floor!! My suggestion would be to hold their feet to the fire. Things like this often end up in court and a paper trail is vital to your case, if you go that route. I'd write down a review of the meeting you just had with your understanding of the out come. Give them a list of potential remedies you'd like to see happen immediately. For instance, have an independent inspector diagnose the problem and then the responsible party can take care of it. Or, tell them to tear it all out, figure out what happened, and the one responsible can foot the bill. Give them a dead line by which the remedies must be accomplished, at the end of which another builder will be hired to repair the work and the responsible party sued for the cost. Supply them with a copy by way of certified mail. In any case, don't let them slow leak you. An honorable builder would have that floor out of there and be working on the problem already. This doesn't look to me as if the builder has his customer's best interests in mind. It smells of a "string along" and my jaw would be tight right now. Also take some pictures of the issue to go with your paper work. In most states I've worked in, the courts take a dim view of this sort of thing and, if it's well documented, the plaintiff normally wins. If you can do it, how about printing out all of the activity in the previous thread and supplying them with it? That would let them know you aren't flying blind here. Keep a copy to go with your own documentation. Ground water! How absurd. If that were the case, the old floor would have been a mess. (was it?)

 

That's exactly what it is ...

a string along.

and if they successfully string you along long enough for the legal guarantee period to expire, they will most likely lie and say it wasnt brought to their attention until after the guarantee expired, therefore they hold no liability becasue conditions on the work site have changed dramatically in that time and they cant be responsible for that.

I have seen it before.

A reputable company will act and rectify the situation promptly, so they are neither doing business reputably or ethically and you should tell them as much.

Bottom line is that it isnt your responsibility.

The responsibility as far as you are concerned and as far as the law is concerned is the people you contracted and paid for the work.

Give them a timeline .. a short on ... then tell them you have contacted an attorney (and you really should speak with one) and will hire another company to do the work and they will be responsible for the charges.

Smokey is right.

keep all of this well documented from beginning to end and take pictures if you can ...

the problem nbeeds to be rectified theough who you contracted and paid for th work. Or a court.