From: mariou@astro.astro.ufl.edu (STG colleague)
Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house
Subject: To close or not to close on a new house with a leak!
Date: 23 Jul 92 02:08:09 GMT

Our new dream house is just about ready.  I say just about
because there are many small details (or big details depending
on the way one looks at them ..) to be ironed out.

The most important of those is a leak which the builder has
not been able to solve thus far.  Water comes in from the roof
we presume (somewhere around the cricket) and soaks the insulation
I reckon the dry wall as well).  At first lots of water was coming
in and was accummulating under the staircase space.  The water
was was proceeding to enter the utility room and then the kitchen
where it was forming a great pool!!  Now that was at the beginning
After the sealed this space under the stairs and the water kept
coming in soaking the sheet rock in the garage's corner the lower
wall in the utility room and then the lower wall of the half
toilet and after I pleaded and begged and threatened the builder
decided to finally rip the wall and enter this small closet like
space.  Well it was decided that the water was coming from the
windows above.  They sealed the windows.  Then after a heavy rain
water (lots of water) again flooded the same area.  They went up
the roof and sealed more around the cricket.  They constructed
a french drain we put more gutters.  They water still was coming
in -- less now.

It rained heavily again.  The water did come in.  They sealed again
the roof.  We thought the problem was finally solved.  Unfortunately
today after a torential rain the water did enter again and soaked
the insulation and dripped dripped on the floor.  No this time
it does not enter the laundry or the kitchen.. Thank God for
small favors! But I am still worrying that the sheet rock is getting
slowly damaged since this has been going on now for 5 or 6 months.
Since the roof was placed on the house.

The builder did replace or repaired the sheet rock that had been
damaged at the lower places of the areas I mentioned above.

Now the builder sent paper requesting his last draw.  It is about 13 
thousand dollars and then we own him about 8 thousand for the extras.
I tell my husband to dig his heels and say no way Jose.
Fix the leak then I pay the last draw.

Moreover we are supposed to move in next monday and with this problem
pending I cannot bring my washer and dryer both to be installed infront
of the entrance to this crawl/walk space under the stairs.
If we close it we will not know what is going on.  Until it is
too late and the house collapses .. on our heads! :-)
We must leave it open thus we can not install our appliances.
I must use the neighborhood laundryman in this case.  Which means
I am inconvenienced. 

Would you people out there close on the house (we had this house
built hiring an architect etc.)?  My common sense tells me no
My husband believes that we should perhaps and have faith on the
buildier that he will find the problem but I believe this is naive.

OK the water now does not form pools on the floor yet it enters
the house and soaks the insulation and God knows what else.

I do not know what to do.

Your opinions would be appreciate and they might help even.

One more thing:

The staircase to the second floor bedroom is made of oak
planks which they stained to match the parket floor of the landing.
Well they stained the bloody planks with dirty then more stain
and now we have first of all two different kinds of colours
on the wood staircase one light one dark.  That angers me as well
I say no way -- this is unacceptable.  Sand it down and re-do it

Thanks again

M. Gottesman

Newsgroups: misc.consumers.house