We're not too happy right now. Just two days of rain over past week or two and our crawl space is already getting mold! DH is surprised it happened so fast, considering how dry our climate is here, up until that point (I mean it was high fire danger just a few weeks ago, all summer). The head framer (of a crew of 3, sometimes 2) is off this week and part of next for his wedding. One of the other guys had a fan in his trailer, so they set that up underneath yesterday. DH talked to the head framer for a few minutes on the phone last night, asking him about the mold. His basic response was it was our problem to deal with! Seriously? They are the ones (with his dad as general contractor) building this brand new house and we are supposed to accept it with mold? Then he's like "well, you can go underneath and spray with bleach....or you can have someone come out and mitigate it, it costs like $3500". DH said "I'm not doing it - I'm paying you guys to build me a livable house". Then later the contractor called and said the two guys working this week would bring another fan with them in the morning to get set up. Do you think they brought it? Nope. He said he is now having this problem with all the houses he is in the middle of....apparently the glue material they are now using in the floor joists is causing the mold, when it gets wet. So, this is supposed to be our problem to fix and pay for? How about you do what you said (more than once) you were going to do: "we're sending full crew out and contractor would be living on site to get this framed and dried in quickly". They cannot get this dried in before bad weather (which is pretty much here now) when they send 2 guys (a few days in the past 5 1/2 weeks there have been 3 working) and they don't start until 9am (at earliest), take an hour lunch, and are done by 4 or 4:30 each day. Tomorrow there is only going be one guy working. The other guy has the day off, again. He just had all last week off. Unbelievable.
So, I ran into town this morning to our little hardware store to see if they had a box fan and picked one up, as well as DH has been wanting one of those little headlamps you can strap on your head. Surprised they had one of those, too! He went down in the crawlspace to put in the fan and look around with his new headlamp. Said it's not good down there.
Not to mention, there is probably now mold up in our shop attic. When they were installing the soffits on the shop DH asked several times......what about the vents?!! They just said "we'll add them later". Then later came and went. Then their answer was they'd get them done, we don't need them installed until cold weather. We won't have an issue until the weather gets cold. Ok, now it's in the 30's every night, with the inside being heated. I guess the one framing guy, who is coming tomorrow, is going to be putting in the vents. Doesn't it seem like it would have been way easier to cut the vent holes in the soffits at the time they were installing, rather than after the fact?
Oh God Lord, now I know why I will NEVER build! I always said I wouldn't as I couldn't take the stress, but I do hope it gets sorted out quickly for you.
ReplyDeleteNo, you can buy a house with mold there and covered up.
DeletePutting a fan on mold just makes it recede. You have not cured anything. Bleach will not keep it from coming back! Take a camera and take pictures before they fiddle with it and make it look cured. You are just putting bandaids on cancer.
ReplyDeleteNow that you have mold, you might have trouble getting insurance, or it will be higher, and you will not be able to use the insurance if you have a problem later on. Mitigation is the way to go. Plus, it is mandated here for the owner to admit there has been a mold problem if they are going to sell.
If you talk through email, repeat all this in an email to him. If he agrees with what you say he said, you have proof for suing him. If he sort of ignores you, that is still an admission.
You have been royally screwed by these people. Do not let them cover it up. By that, I mean don't let them make these places inaccessible to your husband. Fans will not help except to make it dry out, but the mold still exists.
Yes, we realize the fans aren't getting rid of what is there now , but they should help keep more from growing and dry it out in the crawlspace, but will still have to be fixed. The reason there is mold is because the house is not dried in yet. If they had gotten the roof on before the wet weather came, we would not be having this issue. Though a week ago they were telling us it's ok if the wood gets wet some before the roof goes on - it happens all the time (I'm sure it does). One way or the other it will get resolved/fixed - just going to be a headache.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are able to get resolution soon. It must be so frustrating to deal with this.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I'm sure it's not quite as bad as DH is making it out to be. He exaggerates most things. But, I'm sure some of it will need to be resolved.
DeleteMake copies of all your emails. Email them everyday requesting that they put all manpower on your house to get it roofed in. Each day document the exact hours they work and who is working. Take pictures underneath the house and in the attic to show if the mold is getting worse. Put all of this in a notebook because when you go to mitigation it will be more than we said/they said. You will have a documented visual time line.
Deletevery good ideas! I told DH to take some pictures while he was under there
DeleteOne other thing - Google anything you can about the glue used in the floor joists developing mold if it gets wet. If it is common knowledge among contractors the builder is negligent in not getting the house roofed in time. Since he is a resident of that area he knows when cold weather usually starts and should have roofed your house by now. It might be worth your time to do a consultation visit with a lawyer to see if you need to do anything else.
ReplyDeleteI am so sorry you are dealing with that, how stressful! It will be nice when you are tucked in for winter and can enjoy your beautiful new house. Hang in there!
ReplyDeletethank you! It will all get worked out one way or the other. Sooner rather than later I hope :)
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