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SYNCON HOMES MUDDIES
THE WATER
U.S. INSPECT CLEANS IT
UP!
Syncon's
tactics are exposed!
Perspective
One of the many issues we've
presented throughout this website is the defective installation of the
Diamond Wall Insulation System siding installed by Syncon Homes on our house. We've
shown that they did not follow the mandated manufacturer's installation
instructions, did not heed the directions from an independent
evaluation of the product, violated the building codes, and failed to
comply with the mandated directions from the construction documents.
These failures resulted in a construction defect that has led to habitability and
safety problems in our home. However, Syncon Homes has
consistently failed to
acknowledge the truth of their defect ever since it was discovered on
our house.
Instead of
acknowledging the defect, they've muddied the
waters by complaining about the use of the term "External Insulation Finish System
(EIFS)" to describe the siding type and claiming they used only
"a standard one-coat stucco system."
They're
using these claims as misdirection tactics to draw attention away from the true
issue of their seriously defective" installation. It allows them to
try slide a Band-Aid repair under our nose that only hides the defect rather than
fixing the serious underlying construction defect.
Since we've already addressed the
defect on multiple pages in our website, we will only encourage you to
review them for the complete perspective, including evidence of the
questionable tactics Syncon has employed. However, we created this
page to again address Syncon Homes' issues with the use of the term, EIFS
vs. "standard one-coat stucco." It's something they need to get beyond so they can turn
their attention to the real issue of their seriously defective
installation.
Leading home
inspection company provides proper perspective
We've recently discovered some new
information that ought to end Syncon's misdirection tactics. It
comes directly from one of the leading home inspection companies in the
United States, U.S.
Inspect.
U.S.
Inspect is known for having a strong reputation in the business of
inspecting homes for corporate
relocation companies. They advertise that they represent the
welfare of "nearly every third party
relocation company in the nation." They have built-up some
pretty impressive credentials that establish them as subject matter
experts in their field, which includes inspections of siding systems.
Here is a portion of their webpage
that discusses some of their qualifications. You can also click on
the picture to go directly to their Corporate
Profile page with more information about their credentials and
qualifications.
What does U.S. Inspect
say about EIFS vs. "One-coat stucco?" U.S.
Inspect directly addresses it in a report they have made available on
their website. If you click
here, you will be taken to the entire report. In the meantime,
we've included the portion of the report that makes direct reference to
the EIFS and "One-coat Stucco" issue. U.S.
Inspect makes it very clear when they list and describe the three types
of EIFS siding. It's in the second type of EIFS siding where they
write: "US
Inspect classifies One Coat . . . Stucco with this group (of
EIFS)." They even
show a photo of the siding in this EIFS category. We have no idea
what manufacturer made the product in the US Inspect picture.
However, it looks exactly like the Omega Diamond Wall siding that Syncon
Homes defectively installed on our house. It shows the water
barrier layer that is covered by the following components:
-
Exterior insulation,
-
Chicken wire-type lath,
-
Stucco product, and
-
Finish layer
For
comparison, consider this photo we took of the siding display Syncon Homes
provides in its La Costa tract models. It's a mock-up of the
siding system that Syncon Homes has installed in its La Costa tract and
and our house. We added the
writing on the photo for easy reference.
The cut-a-way looks
identical to the siding shown in the U.S. Inspect EIFS photo. It has the same components and they're installed in
the same order. It shows the water
barrier layer that is covered by the following components:
-
Exterior insulation,
-
Chicken wire-type lath,
-
Stucco product, and
-
Finish layer
Just compare the two photos
for yourself. The similarity can't be denied! It
can't be more clear!
Another Subject Matter Expert speaks to the issue!
We continued our investigation and
discovered another revelation from a person that Syncon cannot deny is a
subject matter expert in the field of EIFS siding. His name is
Robert Thomas who's credentials are given as:
"Robert
Thomas is a nationally-recognized EIFS consultant. He was the
Manager of Technical Services for a major EIFS producer, is the author
of several books about EIFS, and chairs
the ASTM (American Society for
Testing and Materials) committee
on EIFS."
In a February
1, 2005 article in "Walls & Ceiling" trade magazine,
Robert Thomas wrote:
"The key component of an EIFS
that distinguishes EIFS from other stucco-like materials is the
presence of the insulation layer itself. Without the foam,
it is not an EIFS, it’s simply an uninsulated coating system."
Syncon Homes has claimed in a
letter they've provided to their homeowners that they are using just "a standard one-coat
stucco system." As is common practice with "a
standard one-coat stucco system," there would be no layer of foam
insulation on the exterior of the wall. It is the manner in
which "standard one-coat stucco" is installed.
Here is the letter:
However, Syncon Homes installed
a layer of foam insulation as an integral part of their
"Diamond Wall Insulating System." That is the actual
product they installed on our house, not just "a standard one-coat stucco
system."
With the foam in place on our
house, the siding is something else
other than just "a standard one-coat stucco system." It
has "the key component of an EIFS that distinguishes EIFS from
other stucco-like materials," according to the subject matter
expert. It also has the components that a major home inspection company includes as one of the EIFS types.
Again, it can't be
more clear!
Who do we trust? We
trust the evaluations of uninvolved subject matter experts over the
protests
of an involved party like
Syncon Homes. In other words, neither U.S. Inspect nor Mr. Thomas
have any economic
interest in the resolution of our defective construction. They have no
reason to lie. Conversely,
Syncon Homes has a direct economic interest in the resolution of their
defective construction. It gives them every reason to misdirect attention away from the truth and employ a tactic designed to
help them avoid the economic consequences of their poor workmanship on
our house. Of course, please
make your own decision, but we can't see any ability or reason to validate Syncon's
protests over U.S. Inspect's independent statements and Mr. Thomas'
expert statement. It would
beg the true issue of Syncon's defective installation and reward their misbehavior.
The real issue! Even though subject matter experts
have now clearly challenged Syncon Homes' protests and claims, the real
issue remains unchanged. It is: Syncon's
defective construction caused by their failure to follow the
manufacturer's installation instructions when
they assembled our house! It's the
defective construction that needs to be addressed properly and without
delay. It's that simple.
Additional
Information
Thank you for
reading our Subject Matter Expert page. We hope the truth about our house has become apparent
and that it has offered a perspective about the tactics Syncon Homes has
used with us. However,
we strongly encourage you to review other pages we've
provided on our website. They include our
Omega siding
page, Letter page,
HUD page, and many many
more. They
will provide a more thorough perspective of the various construction
defects that Syncon Homes saddled on us. They
will also offer greater insight in Syncon's
misrepresentation and homebuyer treatment. We're sure that you will find them enlightening.
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