When we are children we go to school to learn how to read and write and use math. As we get older we begin to focus on learning a specific trade or occupation, but maybe not always.
During a recent job I found deficiencies to the basic structure of a newer home, three years old, that were so incredible that it begged a few important questions.
First where did these guys learn their job? Who taught them framing and structure? Can they or do they look at and read plans. And the big one, why wasn't this caught by the local municipal building inspector?
Reasonable questions I believe. When a home is built it is assumed that the people who are doing the work have some level of skill. That those who are in charge and coordinate the build are educated and overseeing the process. Again these would be reasonable assumptions.
The first photo shows the foundation wall at the lower left. On top of that shown by the arrow is the sill plate. Perpendicular to the sill plate is the rim or box plate. That is the two vertical boards in the picture. What you may notice is the sill plate extends over the foundation wall. And that as a result the rim joist is only supported by the edge of the sill and not the foundation. This was found in another location in this basement, the other areas were not visible.
The next picture shows a support pier for one of the main structural beams for the home. Notice there is an askew metal plate under the column. This caught my eye immediately. My first reaction was there are no concrete footings under the piers. The homeowner confirmed this because he too had become suspicious. He had drilled test holes next to one of the piers. Nothing but dirt! The kicker was one pier was able to be removed by hand.
Other problems discovered were small and shoddy shims under the main structural beams and cut through trusses.
This home by the way was a high end home costing a few million dollars.
But here in Connecticut home builders and general contracts are not required to have any training in order to go into business and do their jobs. I think it shows, wouldn't you agree?
James Quarello
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
James, right on. One strange trend that I have noticed is that lots of architects no longer include extensive detailed drawings of specific building components indicating "best practices" of how the build the thing. They leave the details to the builder and it is no wonder that strange things happen. I think that all building plans should be required to show actual schematics of what is expected at the detail level----especially all structural and flashing details. Sure would save a lot of headaches later on. Architects seem to be in the "limit their liability" mode like everyone else. What I want to know is how have we come to accept that it is OK for architects to not provide this info?
Charlie, I was not aware of this trend, but that does explain somethings. I think your right, it's probably CYA with the architects.
James, I worked with one architect on a second story remodel and asked him for details on some beam connections and he told me---"You are the builder---that is your job. Contact the engineer."
Sounds like a case of laziness and I don't give a s*** to me. Contact an engineer, isn't he supposed to know that stuff?
You would think. I think that all architects should be required to have the applicable PE license for what they are "architecting"---but that is just me.
James,
I agree with your premise but Nutsy, an expert in structure, is mad at you so he refuses to comment.
Steven, He's mad at me! My goodness I am totally surprised. I was just having a little fun with the bushy tailed rodent. All though I'm not surprised, his kind are a tightly wound species.
Wow James you need to start marketing new construction inspections in your area. You can help alot of people.
Frank, I do market the service, but no one wants to pay for an inspection they feel they get for free from the town.
Robert, That is the problem. It is a production mentality, get in, get it done, move on to the next one. Subs look to cut cost at the homeowners expense and no one is watching the store.
Pay no attention to the skitzoid squirrel. He's nuts.
James - I do a lot of new construction inspections -- pre-drywall and just before the final walk through. Of the two the pre-drywall may be the more important because the house is skeletal and you can see things.
I find more problems on new construction than on old. I have talked with an architect friend about this and frankly I don't think the problem is with the architects. He says that the specs are right, loads calculated, etc., but that doesn't guarantee that the drawings translate into the final product. The problem, I believe, is the old addage that you get what you pay for. The builders around here (Northern Virginia) routinely go to 7-11's or other known locations and pick up "carpenters," "plumbers," "electricians," and so on ad nauseum. You simply can't pick up good people that way.
A couple of times I have called the county and they have sent someone out in response who subsequently condemned the work I called about. Typically, especially in a row of townhouses, a mistake or improper technique in one house translates throughout and into the rest.
My wife has a cousin who is a plumbing supervisor for a large commercial builder who also routinely wants to pick these guys up and he is fed up with it. He says that they typically have to rip out what was done by these "plumbers" to get the work in properly. The "boss" has an ostrich mentality or is not smart enough to see that extra work is needed to cover for all this poor workmanship. You can't save money by hiring incompetent workers.
At the inspection, my clients often ask me if this or that is a good builder. My answer is that it depends on the supervisor on site and the subs. They determine the final product. Good post!
Jay,
That great you're able to get that kind of work. I bet your clients are then able to move into a good, well built home.
Amazing that contractors in your area hire people off the street. I guess they have never heard the adage; There's never time to do it right, but there is always time to do it over.
Doing it twice costs more money. Apparently this mathematical fact hasn't occurred to some of these guys down your way.
Jay,
You do new construction inspections in just 2 phases? I'm doing them in 4, but may cut that to 2-3. I think as long as you can get in before drywall, and can spend some time, you can see everything. My problem on one I'm doing now, is that the house is going up way too quick. In just under 2 weeks, they already had the roof on, interior framed, HVAC ducts in, and plumbing roughed in.
James,
Here in FL, the GC's have to have education, testing, and licensed, but that still doesn't keep them on the site, watching the subcontractors. I've seen one General Contractor actually building multiple houses at one time, and can't possibly keep an eye on the multiple work crews.
Good post, and great pictures. There's one advantage here in FL - probably 90% of my homes are Slab on Grade, and none with basements.
Andrew - I used to do foundation inspections, but found that the county does them anyway and the clients did not want that extra layer of expense. At that time the grading isn't done, sill plates aren't on, and often the steel beams aren't in yet so the inspection is hard to sell to a client. What do you do in four visits?
One thing I am finding is that they are rarely stapling insulation anymore. That adage above applies about not doing it right the first time (I say that one to supervisors all the time...). Once I told a supervisor that if you don't staple insulation I will be back in a year and demonstrate that the it has slipped down inside the wall. He would have to come back to remove drywall to fix it because some walls are a third or more without insulation. He didn't believe me. I had to laugh, saying that with my IR camera I not only see where it has slipped, but also take a picture that's definitive proof of how much! His response, "You can do that now?" "Yes, I could do it five years ago!" His face said it all.
Andrew - the GC's need all that here too! Here's the problem -- they pick up their "experts" at 7-11. One of these experts has an entrepreneurial spirit. He hooks on with a plumbing company or electrician and "learns" the business. He figures out that he is earning whatever from this GC and could earn much more on his own. He tells the boss he wants to take the local test. His GC goes with him, ostensibly to "translate" the test questions. In fact, he is giving the worker the answers. The GC thinks he is improving his business with another "licensed" person on staff. The newly licensed joker goes out and starts his own business. Does he know what he's doing?? My experience - usually not. Yet he is wiring or plumbing houses!! Why not? He's "licensed!"
The word that comes to mind is "wow" ...
Andrew, The builders are licensed in FL., that's an improvement over CT. Like I said not here. Anyone can, and many do, go into the building or contractor business with out any background.
Jay, Wow, sums it up nicely. I would add scary.