|
|
|
|
::: COMMUNITY NEWS
South developer Reynen & Bardis now studying 32 homes for possible
foundation problems Previous coverage: South developer Reynen & Bardis is addressing foundation problems in 17 homes (January 12, 2004) Published Wednesday, January 28, 2004 South developer Reynen & Bardis has added another 15 homes to its list of homes that may have foundation problems because of the type of soil they are built on. "It's all happened in the last 30 days," said Francis Furtado, president of homebuilding operations for Reynen & Bardis, on Tuesday. "There were 18 days of rain in December, then we got a bunch of people who saw what they thought was unusual cracking." The company was already working with 17 homeowners who have experienced problems with cracking in recently built homes. Furtado characterized 11 as having critical to moderate problems. The remaining homes were judged to have issues related to normal settling. Those 17 houses didn't include homes Reynen & Bardis has already repaired or bought back because of problems with subsidence, which is the technical name for the settling.
Since 2000, the company has built 205 production homes in Units 7, 8, and 9 on the South, according to Rancho Murieta Association records. As part of its efforts
to deal with the foundation problems that have occurred in some
areas, the builder changed to a post-tension foundation, which is
recommended for use on expansive clay soils. In this process, cables
are built "It's helped tremendously," Furtado said in October. "That is the foundation we feel is best for the subdivision." The 15 homes that have now been added to the builder's list are all post-tension foundation homes, Furtado said. The first 17 do not have that foundation. The problem, he admitted, is "getting more complicated." But there is one constant. "It's obviously driven by moisture." The pockets of Ione clay soil under the homes expand when they get wet and exert pressure on the foundations. To keep moisture away from the foundations, Furdado said Reynen & Bardis is retrofitting homes that are experiencing abnormal settling with cut-off walls to prevent moisture migration. The walls consist of a two-foot underground trench goes around the house and uses pipes to direct water away from the foundation. Going forward, the cut-off walls will be part of new home construction, said Furtado. Reynen & Bardis and Corinthian Homes, an R & B affiliate, are currently building two subdivisions, the Crest and the Greens, for a total of about new 180 homes. The company switched to post-tension foundations within the last two years. The 10-inch-thick engineered slab foundations added $5,000 to the cost of the homes, Furtado said. At the same time, the company also purchased a 10-year home warranty through Home Buyers Warranty Corporation, a national home warranty provider, as insurance against future problems. Furtado said, "We purchase the warranty on behalf of the buyer." Reynen & Bardis provides the first-year warranty, which covers cosmetic repairs referred to as "fit and finish," he said. "Normally, a builder is pretty much done with a home" after the fit and finish work is addressed. Last year, when South resident Matt McGuire's new post-tension foundation home developed cracks, Reynen & Bardis referred the matter to the warranty company and relied on its assessment that the problems were related to normal settling, Furtado said. McGuire pursued the matter on his own and obtained a soil engineer's report on the home that says the foundation has suffered "severe foundation movement" due to the shrinking and swelling of the underlying soil. Since going public with his dissatifactions with Reynen & Bardis, McGuire has heard from other homeowners who are having problems with their post-tension foundation homes. About 10 homeowners have contacted him and he recently held a meeting at his home to discuss the problems they're experiencing. Another meeting is scheduled for early February. Furtado said appointments
have been set up to inspect the 15 post-tension foundation homes
on his list. All the homes will be evaluated and graded on their
level of settlement, he said. "We don't know what the level
of Minor settlement issues will be addressed by Reynen & Bardis, he said. McGuire's home is also scheduled to be inspected early next month, Furtado said. If necessary, Reynen & Bardis will appeal the earlier HBW report on the McGuire home, and have the warranty company perform another inspection, Furtado said. "HBW is responsible for taking care of these things. ... Somebody's going to have to fix the house."
|
|
