ICF concrete forms for house build.

[sweld]

i thought you sold it???

 

[storm1972]

Very close to a swamp, but these houses were out of it.

Inspectors are a joke. Didn't even call for a back fill inspection and got it in the mail that is passed, turns out inspector showed up as we were pouring the walls.....Were coming up to deadline so called for framing earlier, that way we'd get more time to finish it. It passed, roof wasn't even completely sheeted, no strapping or anything in. A complete joke. Electrical and framing were a tiny bit better but nothing great. In my opinion an electrical wire loose enough to droop about 6" is NOT acceptable, even if it has adeuate staple spacing. But inspector still passed it.....Biggest problem is inspectors aren't held liable for anything so they don't care.

Some higher end builders care, but the starter type home ones don't. If they can screw over people to save one dollar on a house they will and don't think for a second they don't think of ANYWAY possible to do it.

As far as framers framing for cheap, if they got that much to do my house it was WAY to much, whoever framed my house deserves to be paid NOTHING. Plus, I don't work like that, if I can't do it properly and make money on it I won't do it. Was a bunch of young guys who shouldn't be left to nail 2 2x4's together. The frost wall in the basement stud spacing ranges from 16-28", almost none are even within 1/2". They framed walls in halfs and they are off by stupid amounts, and they don't even know how to make a corner, but I guess that's why drywall is so loose in so many corners. And the upper floors show the same, no walls are even close. Some stub walls, the trim has up to 1/2" gap. The finishing sucks, but there is NO way to cover that garbage up. Ya it's a half stub wall and you see the gap underneath, but so easy just looking at the wall to tell how crooked it is. About 50% of inside corners are cracked....And guess why because there is no backing. Once I was putting on my shoes and leaned on a wall for balance I though I was going to go threw it, cracked the corner BADLY because it moved so much. Small walls like 4" or so because a door is most of it, vary like a inch because the walls are so bad.

It is downright sad. Even in the basement, the stuff open is pathetic to say the least. I am fighting with them through new home warranty SIXTY things they need to come back and fix......If that's not a joke I don't know what is.

I am honestly back and forth about suing my builder. In a way I want to, maybe things would change a bit but I can't say for sure. When I made a offer and told them their "garage pads" were garbage and wanted money back or I will buy elsewhere they gave me back $3500 towards it. Down the road after, still doing the same garbage. They even have to come back and redo my driveway on their own dime. But still using the same garbage trades.......Sad part is, since I do concrete for a living I told their site super how they could do 1000x better pad for the same cost easily, except they'd have to have strait walls, not be out by a 1", and vary in height by 2". I guess their attitude is if 1/50 people complain they are still more profitable doing garbage. This isn't a small builder either, probably in the top 5 biggest in edmonton atleast. Somehow though, they are ranked high in customer satisfaction, but I don't buy it, 100% of neighbors i've talked to say the same thing, they are garbage.

I guess that is why i prefer to stay as a small contractor, if there is no money in the said job ( even with me exceeding code requirements) i simply dont even look at it, i would much rather contract a job, and have my apprentice and myself do all the work, at least i then know that when its complete that I wont have to return, ive been kind of lucky with the trade because i have done just about all aspects of the builds myself excluding electrical, plumbing.

 

[Cyle]

i thought you sold it???

So did I....Mortgage company changed their mind and screwing me around on porting my mortgage.

 

[Cyle]

I guess that is why i prefer to stay as a small contractor, if there is no money in the said job ( even with me exceeding code requirements) i simply dont even look at it, i would much rather contract a job, and have my apprentice and myself do all the work, at least i then know that when its complete that I wont have to return, ive been kind of lucky with the trade because i have done just about all aspects of the builds myself excluding electrical, plumbing.

Ya the only way to know it's done right is doing it yourself or a really trusted worker (which is almost impossible to find). We've so far only had the plumber who didn't screw up, and 3rd electrican. Everyone else has to be babysat. I can't believe the stupidity of people over the years. People in their 40's who can't even read a tape measure, yet say they've been around construction for 20 years+. I've never done plumbing but I wired my basement myself, easier then dealing with someone who might just be a knightmare. Plus saves cash and it's not hard if it's basic.

Part of the reason i'm considering getting out of construction as a job. Sick of dealing with hacks and people who don't give a ch!t. It kinda sucks because I do enjoy being around home building quite a bit. I'd rather be in a job where i'm not a grown man babysitter.