Syncon Homes has begun to supply Band
Aid repairs to some homeowners in the La Costa tract. These are houses where the homeowners have found
the siding v. wall v. foundation
defect we discussed on other pages of this website.
It doesn't mean that the defect
doesn't exist on other homes in the subdivision. Syncon is making
repairs only for those owners who have taken the time to find it rather
than consider it as, "out of sight, out of mind."
What it does is validate
that the defect we've described truly exists!
It's a fitting turn of events.
The problem remains whether
Syncon's Band Aid repair is the right way to fix the problem. Is
it correct to hide building code violations and conceal their failure to
follow the manufacturer instructions beneath some stucco?
Apparently, some homeowners find
it an appropriate resolution to the defect. We simply hope that
their decision to capitulate doesn't adversely affect them in the
future.
Reminder of the
Defect
As a reminder, Syncon Homes
violated building codes and product manufacturer's installation
instructions when they completed the building envelope on our house and
some other homes in the neighborhood. Their defects have
compromised the durability of the housing structure through weather and
water intrusion, have added to our costs of heating and cooling the
home, and have endangered our health and safety.
If a review of the defect
discussion is desired, the appropriate pages can be reached at the
following links:
Otherwise, here are a couple pictures
of the way the wall and siding is supposed to be built, along with two
others showing the defect in our home:
The Band Aid Repair.
Instead of taking responsibility
for their construction defects and fixing them the right and required way,
Syncon Homes has begun putting Band Aid repairs on some of neighborhood homes. They are
just scratching
the foundation paint with a shovel, applying an adhesive, and then
slapping on some new concrete.
Nothing is being done to properly
set the wall's shear panel on the weep screed and nothing is being done
to place the wall directly on top of the foundation for those areas
where it has been inappropriately constructed. They are simply
concealing the defect behind concrete.
Their repairs will certainly make
the foundation and siding appear as though they comply with the building
codes and the siding installation instructions. However, the
defect will remain. It's an example of putting a
"Band Aid on a Bullet Wound." The injury is still there,
it just can't be seen.
Here are some photos showing the
steps they've taken around the neighborhood:
This was the first house in the
neighborhood to see the results of Syncon Homes' Band Aid repair.
It certainly looks pretty, but the underlying defect still
remains. It's covered, but it fails to bring the construction
defect into code compliance.
Syncon Homes will also be unable
to claim that their repair makes the components as durable as a
correctly built structure. Simply stated, it's an untested and
unevaluated repair that the homeowner will have to endure for the
remainder of their ownership.
Syncon Homes has also placed their
"Band Aid" on another house, but as with the first home, the
"Bullet Wound" of code violations and installation violations
remain. Here are a few pictures of the other Band Aid Repair:
Again, the
defect remains. It's only hidden.
. . . but it goes on
Syncon Homes couldn't even put
their Band Aid repair on the right way! They failed to follow
the manufacturer's installation instructions when they applied the
cement to the side of the foundation.
The product they used is called
Eisenwall. Here's a photo of the product name on the bag they used
on a neighboring house:
According to the manufacturer, as
published on their website, Syncon Homes was supposed to do the
following:
"EISENWALL®
must be water cured after application.
For 2 hours after placement, spray mist the plastered surface with
clean water to maintain its wet sheen. Neglecting
to follow proper wet-curing procedures can lead to cracking.
Wet-curing is
especially important in hot or
windy weather, or
when applying the product one-coat, full thickness."
It needs to be noted that the
instructions say, "must." They don't say,
"it's a good idea," "it's optional," or "you
should consider doing it." They say, the cement "must be
water cured." Yet, Syncon Homes failed to do it.
We watched their installation
work. On both houses, Syncon Homes failed to
"water-cure" the Eisenwall after they put it on.
They failed to "spray mist the plastered surface"
so "cracking" wouldn't occur, especially in the
"windy weather" we had each day.
So what's the issue? The
issue is that the installation of the product, installed to conceal
rather than fix earlier construction defects, is itself
defective.
Since the manufacturer expects the
product to crack, nothing has been accomplished. The cracks will
allow water to infiltrate the structure and provide a highway for
vermin, such as termites, to enter the walls. It may even raise
new problems once the glue under the cement gets exposed to water.
The bottom line is that the entire
situation is unacceptable. The repair isn't a repair, what Syncon
is doing is inappropriate, and the homeowners are being left holding the
bag for a continuing and multiplying defect.
Finally, they go to
the third house
Just as with the previous two
houses, Syncon applied their Band Aid repair to a third house.
Apparently, the owners found the same problem we identified, except they
have chosen to accept Syncon Homes' Band Aid repair.
Syncon Homes followed the same
repair process on this house as they used on the previous two homes.
Unfortunately, it included disobeying the product manufacturer's
installation instructions, again.
Here are the photos showing the
weather conditions, such as the windy day that requires the water cure
process neglected by Syncon Homes, and evidence of the work that they
completed. One place was even marked with a "fix" tag:
Again, Syncon Homes succeeded in
applying their Band Aid repair instead of fixing the underlying
defect. They got away with a cheap repair and succeeded in hiding
any code violations and/or failures to comply with the installation
instructions from the siding manufacturer.
Have there been any
other comments on this subject?
While doing some reading, we came
across a question and answer site that directly addresses the gluing of
old cement/stucco to new cement/stucco. In fact, it's speaks of the same
adhesive used on the houses shown above. Here's the article with
the byline for credit:
What Syncon Homes is using and
doing certainly doesn't sound like something that creates a durable
repair. At most, it sounds like a Band Aid that will hide the defect
until the mandated warranty is over. It's quite clear in the post where
the author wrote; "Jobs we did 10 years ago are now popping
off." 10 years is the point at which the structural warranty on our new
Syncon Homes end.
It's ultimately up to each and
every homeowner to decide if they want to fall for Syncon Homes'
repair. It's certainly the easiest way to go and that's what these
three sets of homeowners have chosen to do. We just hope they don't regret
their decision at a later date.
In our case, we refuse to be
fooled or capitulate. We refuse to fall for an inappropriate repair, one that
allows Syncon Homes to abdicate their responsibilities and one that
places the long term costs for their poor workmanship directly on the
economic backs of their buyers. We refuse to ultimately do what
Syncon has done to us, which is pass on code violations and construction
defects to subsequent buyers.
