Check installation and fastener requirements for warranties

[mark handler]

Check installation and fastener requirements for warranties

http://www.dailycommercial.com/life/article_34146de3-0ccf-54d7-917d-d9516a772daf.html

The term construction defects is being used more often these days as homeowners face problems with leaks, construction failures and underperforming building components in homes built during the boom of the last decade.

Lawsuits are on the rise as homeowners experience product failures before warranty periods have expired. Manufacturers, however, are taking the position that their product failures are due to poor installation methods. In the vast majority of the cases, manufacturers do have legitimate cause for not warranting products because installation instructions, especially in regard to fastening, were largely ignored.

A large problem in construction today, at all levels, is the proper use of fasteners during the installation process. Most building component manufacturers have very detailed, written instructions for the installation of their products, which have been lab-tested with very specific fasteners. But, when these products arrive on the job site, instead of job superintendents verifying the correct fasteners and fastening methods are being used, most leave it to the discretion of the local installer who is going to use whatever he has on his truck. Most building items installed with fasteners other than those specified will fail, but it will appear on the surface to be a manufacturer’s defect.

For example, PVC trim boards are the most popular new building product being used in the area. This new product comes already primed and is available in a beautiful wood grain finish. More importantly, it will never rot. If you have ever had to replace rotten, wood trim boards around a fascia or house corner, then you know what a major breakthrough this is in construction technology.

The problem occurs when you install these new PVC trim boards with galvanized finish nails, like the old wooden boards. Because PVC expands a good deal more than wood when subjected to heat and cold, PVC boards must be fastened with special screws. Joints must be special-cut and glued together. If this product is not installed per the manufacturer’s instructions, the product will detach itself from the wall by pulling through a finish nail. When a homeowner sees this PVC board pulled from the wall, they automatically assume a bad or defective product, but that is not the case. Rather, it is a super product that has been poorly installed.

Let’s go on top of the roof and talk about how poor installation is creating leaky roofs. Nothing is more discouraging than water pouring through a ceiling. Immediately, the homeowner believes his shingles are bad. In many cases, the roof will look great, but because it is leaking, there must be a manufacturer’s defect. Not so fast. In an increasing number of cases, the air pressure is being set too high on nail gun compressors. This causes the nails, which are used to attach shingles to the actual roof, to blow holes in the roofing itself. If the head of the nail blows through the shingle, you have just created a leak. Once again, that is not a manufacturer’s defect, but a major installation issue.

I am concerned the growing lack of skilled craftsmen will increase situations of poor installation, especially when specific fastening is called for. It also appears manufacturers are growing weary of substandard installers. In the past, they would warranty jobs in order to maintain business relationships, but liabilities are growing too large.

Du ring construction projects, homeowners should search the internet for the manufacturer’s installation and fastening requirements. Then, they should verify all products are being installed properly because manufacturer warranties are only as good as the installation. Typical builder warranties for construction defects are usually only one year and most builders will blame the product for the failure instead of their installation because of liability reasons.

 

[ICE]

The article starts out with the premise that wrong fasteners is creating a big problem. Then all that's presented is plastic trim and shingles. Are there other products plagued with wrong fasteners? The headline aught to say "Drywall screws are for drywall" and then be a different subject altogether.

 

[MASSDRIVER]

A bunch of misinformation there, but some is legit.

First, don't use the PVC crap to start with. It is anything but "beautiful", and is just another product looking for a reason to fail. Screwing trim on is hack work with a hack product.

We have gone through the same thing with other state of the art (term used loosely) building materials. It puts installers in a bad position as well. Anyone that had done siding the past 20-30 years knows this.

Look at the old MDF and OSB based products. You should always start your nailing from an end, or the middle out so you don't build in compression while nailing. On top of that, if you nail the way the instructions tell you the heads stand proud. Instructions are explicit in that the back of the nail head should just touch the material without breaking the surface. If you are a pieceworker, be prepared to go set all the nails on the entire house before you get paid, even with the blue paper instructions in your hand, the ones that come strapped on every stack. And lets not forget hardiboard with it's insane gaping requirements. But if you don't want it to buckle, that's what you do.

We could get into window leaks resulting from single coat stucco over styrofoam too. It's a product TRYING to fail.

This is just manufactures CYA, claiming installation problems. On the face of it, technically, they are correct. But they should not be producing things that are so knife-edge sensitive to failure. Couple this with the declining skill level of installers, and I use that term loosely, and strict scheduling with tight margins, and you get what you get.

As a matter of fact, we can't even use the terms "carpenter", or "tradesman" any longer. "Installer" is about as accurate as we can get.

And the modern home buyer is a dunce on top of it, and can't even comprehend the idea of maintenance any longer. Nothing last forever, and if you want a multiple generation product, you have to do better than pressed paper and plastic.

And punching nails through shingles doesn't cause leaks. If done right, all those holes are covered by the next layer of material. They may get ripped off in a high wind, but that's not why they leak.

Brent.

 

[ICE]

Years ago I was installing siding (I was an installer) on the waterfront at Sausalito, Ca. It was some lap siding which I can't remember. These were extremely expensive homes and the developer sent a sample to a lab for testing. There were really long walls and three floors tall. The lab said that a 16' long piece of siding would grow 3/4".

The people building this were a bit different. They insisted that the siding be perfectly level with the Earth. I tried to convince them that I need to pull from the top plates and snap a line but they wouldn't agree. So I broke out a transit and the building turned out to be low in one corner...by inches. They hired me to level the building. I replaced all of the studs on the first floor. That took a long time. When we let off on jacks the third floor swayed. I had to sound a horn before I did it because it scared the stud installers on the top floor.

A lot of money went into plumbing the building. Needlessly. The buildings were near 80' long so I doubt 2" would have shown up.....well unless the siding was dead level.

 

[MASSDRIVER]

Years ago I was installing siding (I was an installer) on the waterfront at Sausalito, Ca. It was some lap siding which I can't remember. These were extremely expensive homes and the developer sent a sample to a lab for testing. There were really long walls and three floors tall. The lab said that a 16' long piece of siding would grow 3/4". The people building this were a bit different. They insisted that the siding be perfectly level with the Earth. I tried to convince them that I need to pull from the top plates and snap a line but they wouldn't agree. So I broke out a transit and the building turned out to be low in one corner...by inches. They hired me to level the building. I replaced all of the studs on the first floor. That took a long time. When we let off on jacks the third floor swayed. I had to sound a horn before I did it because it scared the installers on the top.

A lot of money went into plumbing the building. Needlessly. The buildings were near 80' long so I doubt 2" would have shown up.....well unless the siding was dead level.

I love it when people want perfection from you, but somehow neglect the entire foundation. At least they paid.

My dad and I were piecing siding over in Sacramento in the early 90's. If you remember we went through a rash of those vaulted great rooms that had the rakes front and back. We started siding the first one and noticed it was about 1 1/2" out in 9 feet on the low side. Turns out the framers had a block tacked on the 2 story wall up high for some unknown reason. When they stood the rake it butted the block, so they just nailed it on. With the tapered gap. On every house.

Solution? Run the front trim plumb, and cut a 9 foot long taper on the back. Who goes back there anyway? I guess if you can't see it from your house...

Brent.

 

[ICE]

Instructions are explicit in that the back of the nail head should just touch the material without breaking the surface.

I don't see siding often. When I do it's on a Tuff Shed garage. The siding is a 4'x8' sheet of really hard paper. Those installers must not get a copy of the installation instructions. I've seen them miss the stud and blow all the way through the siding. I write a correction and they waste a case of caulk making the mess worse. I wonder what the owners think as this goes on?