roofing job from hell

14 years ago

I had a new roof installed in Jan 2009 and two new skylights. I had architectural shingles and a full layer of water and ice shield underneath to protect the roof from these awful Maine winters. It will never leak the roofer told me, well guess what? It leaks. The roof leaks in the snow, it leaks in the rain, my two new sky lights leak. The roofer is totally ignoring me and I had to file a BBB complaint and his reply was that I had ice dams on the roof and he's not responsible. Not true about the ice dams and even if I did have ice dams the water and ice shield should protect me from leaks.

My question is how can I fix this without replacing the whole roof. You can see pictures of the shoddy roofing job and read more detail on my blog: www.mynewroofleaks.com

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

randy427
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Taking everything you've posted at face value --- GET A LAWYER AND SUE HIM!!! and get a reputable contractor to repair the damage and roof.
0
macv
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I read the blog in the link and couldn't understand the talk about shoveling snow from the roof edge.

I suspect the self adhering roofing underlayment was installed at temperatures below the recommended limits. It might also not be a 40 mil WR Grace product but one of the thinner granular surfaced imitators which would generally not be any more effective than roofing felt since the nails would probably not be sealed.

Are there no photographs of the underlayment installation?
0
Related Discussions
sequence of jobs? -planning roof/a.c. replacement/insulation jobs
Q
Comments (3)
Obviously roof first and best in spring or fall (plus you don;t want the insulation and or HVAC to get wet. Then coordinate the insulation and HVAC depending on the necessary requirements of each contractor.
...See More
house from hell...new home purchase saga
Q
Comments (26)
It does sound like you have had more than your share of problems with your house. It is not always first houses where this happens, either. We were not in our first house very long before exDH was transferred out of state, but our second house had a few problems. I was giving the dog a bath in the front bathroom when I heard water running under the house. Turns out the drain pipe from this tub emptied into the crawlspace through a big hole in the trap! We later learned that the huge floor furnaces were still hooked up to the gas lines - even though the floor furnaces were now under carpet and padding and we had central heat. My next house was a fixer-upper. I knew that going in. I was single by then. I had an inspection done on the house and some of the faults were pointed out to me - the rotten windowsills and bad gutters, the original gravity furnace with asbestos ducts. I had the furnace replaced before moving in. In cleaning the bathroom, I learned that the shower enclosure was not firmly attached to the walls, and behind it it was very moldy. I pulled it down myself and then had to hire someone to sister new boards into rotten wall framing, kill the mold, and put new walls in the tub surround. I used a cheap wall board as a finish product there because I could not afford ceramic tile at the time. This was all before I moved in. Some of the more obvious problems were noted in the city inspection done before the sale, and the sellers were required to have them fixed. The drip-edge molding where the sill met the foundation was gone, and the fascia boards at the foundation were rotten. They were replaced before the sale. My home inspector said the roof was new. He was right. The shingles were all new, but they were laid on top of the bare roof deck on the back side of the house and on top of two older layers of shingles on the front side of the house. The flashing in the back leaked. We did not find out about that for a few years. I knew the gutters were bad, but not until it rained did I learn that the holes in the gutter were mostly above the front porch. The original concrete porch had been removed at some point and a big wooden porch put on. I did not realize that the old concrete porch was not under the wooden one, or that the concrete porch had been the roof of the root cellar. So when it rained, the gutters leaked onto the porch, where the rain flowed down into the root cellar in the basement, across the basement floor, and into the basement drain! I think it was two years before we (I had remarried) had the money for a new porch. Next we got windows and doors, the year after the porch. The back door going from the garage to the back yard had a crack in it big enough to let the snow in. The window sills on one side of the home were rotted (which I knew going in), and when the new windows were installed, we were able to have the contractor fix the rotted wood in the outer walls there, too. I had some boric acid put into the wall before he closed it up, to kill the carpenter ants there. It helped, but we still saw occasional ants for years. Once the old dying apple tree out back was removed, the ants were gone on that side of the house. I had to replace some rotting wood on the garage before they left for good. I went into this house knowing about some of these problems. My home inspector was really pretty useless in finding these other problems. I have never had a home inspector be THAT helpful with a house. We took about five years to get the house structurally sound, watertight, and comfortable. Our house was 50 years old, though, and I know you did not expect your problems with your newer house. The thing I learned hanging out at the Building a Home and Buying and Selling forums is that the building industry hires people who do not know what they are doing. A ten year-old house should not have the problems yours did, but sometimes they do. If the guy who installed your door knew nothing about proper flashing, it would all rot out, just as you saw. Housekeeping is right in the reply above about not having to fix everything right away. I was up nights worried about the proper sequence for fixing things. It is no fun at all to have more projects to do on your house than you can do or can afford. Eventually, though, you get things done and you begin to like the house. Keep focused on what you liked about it in the first place. Even buyers of new houses have some of these problems. There is one poster on Building a Home who had to have her unfinished home demolished because it rotted to the point of being unfix-able before she even moved in. Just looking at things, no one would ever know to expect these problems. And the home inspectors really don't do enough to ferret them out. You CAN't see some of these problems without tearing off molding or getting into walls. Talk to a lawyer if you want to think about suing. Watch DYI network and subscribe to Handyman magazine. You will learn a lot, I did. We ended up loving our house. I hope you get that back with yours, too.
...See More
Remodeling nightmare with a contractor from HELL
Q
Comments (41)
Here is what I obtained from our village website. They only provided "tips". I have included my comments to some items. More detail would have been helpful: Tips on Home Remodeling Getting Started The Village of xxxx allows homeowners to act as contractor for their own home remodeling projects. It must be noted, however, that a permit is required for all projects in which an addition or alteration will be done at the property. (comments: I can understand additions, difficult to define "alteration" e.g. cabinets replacement, carpet replacement with hardwood flooring, or replacing existing vanity and tub, or replacing existing fluorescent light with regular light.. etcare these "alteration"? or alteration of the structure of the home?.. this is a grey area dont understand this.. this can be interpreted different ways unless there is a definite definition for this) Additionally, projects that require the alteration of the roofline of the existing structure must have drawings sealed by a (STATE) licensed architect or structural engineer. Lastly, check the covenants for your subdivision before proceeding with any work; individual subdivision covenants may have special requirements and restrictions. Obtaining a Permit Although many people consider obtaining a permit to be a burden, it does have a critical role in any construction project. Having a permit entitles each homeowner: · Provides inspectors to answer questions. · Offers some security from contractor fraud. (some security? What does this mean? With permit contractor fraud did happen. With "zero" security from the village) · Allows inspectors an opportunity to verify that the contractor is working in a professional manner.(does this mean that the inspectors verify the quality of work and also the behavior of the contractors? Define what does it mean by "verify that the contractor is working in a professional manner" again.. this can be interpreted differently by inspectors according to their likeness unless there is a definite definition) Tips on Hiring a Contractor · Insist on a written contract. Obtain a written contract and make sure you understand the terms. Include a time frame for the completion of the project, but do not rush. Include terms of a payment plan and agree as to who will handle additional unforeseen expenses. · Make secure payments. It is not unusual for a contractor to require some money up front before construction starts. Make certain, however, that payments do not get ahead of work that has been completed. Never pay the full cost of the job up front. If a contractor insists on full payment up front, look for a different person. · Conduct interviews with potential contractors. Remember the contractor is working for you. Be certain that you are comfortable working with this person. Additionally, talk with friends and neighbors: people who have had experiences with contractors (good or bad) are always willing to share their knowledge. · Check with the Better Business Bureau. Checking with the Better Business Bureau will give you an opportunity to assess a potential contractors work history. · Verify the handling of inspections. Come to an agreement as to who will handle the permit and inspection process. If the contractor is scheduling the inspections, ask for copies of the results and keep them with the permit. · Make sure the contractor has insurance. Without insurance you may be liable if a worker is hurt in your home. The Village of XX does have an ordinance requiring all contractors working within the village to be licensed and bonded. · Ask for at least 3 references. Make sure that the sources had work done that was similar to your proposed project. · Get at least 3 bids. Check material pricing with that of your local building supply store to see if the price quoted is fair. · Establish a reasonable timeframe. If the contractor states the project will take 8 weeks, do not insist on 6 weeks; doing so might affect the quality of work. Revised
...See More
Stepmother from hell
Q
Comments (23)
Hi, Wow..your story is so similar to mine as far as how your step mother is acting. My mom passed away 2 years ago after a lengthy battle with COPD and kidney failure. My dad checked out of their relationship emotionally quite a few years ago, but stayed with my mom out of pure loyalty. He also was never a really good father, or grandfather either. 2 months after my mom passed, my dad started living with a woman he met on an online dating site. She had just lost her husband a few months prior, and it seemed they had quite a bit in common. I struggled with his new relationship at first, and wondered how in the world he could move on while the tears from my moms funeral were still fresh in my eyes. I decided that my dad couldn't spend the rest of his life alone, so I gave his new woman a chance. We got along really well at first- and she was eager to meet and care for my two young kids as she was not allowed to visit her only grandchild. I didn't really dig into the reason why at the time, but I wish I had. The first entire year we knew her, she showered us with gifts, household items, money if we needed it- my daughter had so many gifts for Christmas that year that she got tired of opening them. She even loaned my sister some expensive luggage to take on a trip to California. She encouraged us to visit my dad, and said she would never try to replace my mom, but wanted her own relationship with us. A few months into their relationship, my dad had to have a 5 bypass heart surgery. The surgery was at my dads girlfriends urging. He proposed to her just before he went under anesthesia, and made her his DPOA. Then, the alienation started, with my younger sister. Shortly before my dad met this woman, my dad discovered that he could "keep" my mom's life insurance money. Before then, we were under the impression that we would have to give it all back to the state to pay for her time in all the different nursing homes. My dad called each one of us kids and told us that 20,000 dollars would be coming our way. He set it up with his bank, who informed him to only take small amounts out each time. So we each got 1000 to start with, and were told when we needed the rest to let my dad know. Shortly after my dad moved in with his new fling, each of us kids were informed that the money was going to stop, and all of the rest would be going to pay for my dad's medical bills. I was disappointed, but understood that dad needed to pay for his bills. My sister was irate- and called wanting to talk to my dad. She was angry, and before she could say much, my dad's now fiancee grabbed the phone away and scolded her for making my dad upset because he had just had surgery. Things got worse from there. It ended in names being exchanged, and my dad's fiancee reminding my sister that she needed to return her luggage. I understood my dad's fiancee's point, and agreed that my sister should return her luggage and should never have acted that way. From that day on- that's all we heard about "Your sister is a thief and won't return my luggage." then it went to my sister was an alcoholic and probably sold the luggage to pay for beer. Before long, my sister was a piece of crap, a thief, and no one should trust her. A few months after that whole fiasco, I became pregnant. My dad's fiancee jumped all over that, refused to let me even drive to my appointments, and demanded that I let her take me to every one. She even bought me lunch afterwards. We started becoming close, and I allowed her into the sonogram room and even into the exam room when I had my appointments- I told people she was my mom. When it came time for the baby shower- she took control of it all and pretty much wouldn't even let my mother in law help. Everything was over the top- and I didn't even really bat an eye. A few months after my son was born, we had a family crisis. My sister felt like she had lost my dad, didn't get along at all with his fiancee, and felt completely alone. She threatened to commit suicide. I called my dad, pleading with him to get in contact with my sister, and instead he told his fiancee. She right away got on the phone and set up a trip to go see her- my kids and all. Asked me if I could be ready to go the next morning, and we did. When we got back from the trip to see my sister, everything changed. The once happy, carefree, go getting, loving woman that I thought was with my dad flipped a 360. Every time I called or wanted to stop by, it was like I was bothering her. If I called asking if my dad and her wanted to watch the kids, I was bothering her. Then she started sending all of the kids things she had at her house home to me My dad started having the same cold attitude towards me. One day, I got tired of walking on eggshells and asked: Whats going on? What has changed? She pretty much laid into me about how horrible of a person I was- I never thank them for anything they do, don't return things, I'm just trying to take my dad's money..and it went on and on. I was in tears by the end of it. We hadn't had any communication between the two of us until a few days ago when she sent me an 8 page handwritten letter- again telling me how horrible, selfish, etc. I was. I read the letter to my mother in law, brother, and husband, then threw it away. My dad married this woman about a month ago-in what he told me was a private ceremony with just one of my uncles and my grandma there. Found out yesterday both of her children were allowed to be there. I'm hurt, and feel like I've lost my father..
...See More
newhomeowner-2009
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Just sue him, as unfortunately I have to do with my roofer. Except I can take mine to small claims, and I'm not sure that's the case with you.
0
sdello
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I think you have other fundamental issues but FWIW, ice and water shield is designed to flow at higher temps, so there is some wisdom that the material will seal better after seeing some summer weather. From your descriptions it sounds like he did not fold the ice and water shield down on the fascia boards but instead stopped it under the drip edge. If you have gutters ice dams will form at the gutter and water will back up under the drip edge and in.

Another note is that ice and water shield membranes are NOT the fix for ice dam issues. They are the secondary barrier to prevent water from coming inside AFTER the ice dam has formed. Proper attic ventilation and insulation will prevent the ice dams from forming in the first place. So if ice dams are a problem you should address those issues in addition to the roof problems.

In a properly insulated, vented, and roofed house you should not have to remove snow from the roof at all other than concerns about the additional weight on the structure from accumulating snow.

Sorry for your troubles and I hope this helps.
0
dave777_2009
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You CAN'T fix it without replacing the entire roof.

I've been to your website (newroofleaks) and read that... An actual roofing pro - MIGHT be able to fix this without replacing the roof - but he/she is starting with a lousy foundation. A BAD roof job.

Do yourself a favor. QUIT playing around, and posting stuff all over - and pay a reputable roofing firm to FIX your leaking roof - BEFORE your weather gets really cold again, and snowy.

While your doing that - please be aware of some other stuff...

Here is Washington state - ANY licensed contractor MUST have a Bond posted with the state. You state that the contractor got rid of his insurance a day before signing the roofing contract with you... If he is an actual licensed contractor - he probably still has a Bond witht the dept. of Labor & Industries.

The dept. of Labor & Industries does not like it - when people hire themselves out, and are not licensed. When made aware of said individuals - they will go after them.

Plus - if he IS licensed - the posted Bond can help you out...

Also - although it does not seem right or correct - since you have not actually paid the contractor in 'full' - he can file a Lien against your house. Getting the lien off is a mess and more grief. Filing a lien against your house is easy for a contractor to do... (at least it is in the state of WA.)

The reason I know the above is because my lovely wife is a Real Estate agent, and gets to study stuff related to houses and liens, etc.

So, while being fully justified with not paying the contractor in full - he can retaliate - and easily file a lien against you...

To take care of this stuff - you really need to do three things asap. Quit playing around. KNOW that you are going to do them... Then DO them. Like on MONDAY.

1. Get bids to fix the drywall hole in your ceiling. Don't be hiring unknowns. Hire an actual honest friend who KNOWS drywall OR hire an actual drywall firm. No lowball, done on the cheap....

2. Hire a reputable roofing company to FIX your roof asap. Take out a substantial loan if you have to... But get your roof FIXED immediately. The rain and wet weather experienced for five months from Jan - May2009; and then the coming wet weather - are NOT doing your house any good. Your insulation is being ruined, you have the potential for termites and other pests, rot setting in... on & on... Get your Roof fixed asap.

3. The contractor doesn't care. No way in hell is he going to fix the 'ceiling hole'. He hasn't even fixed your leaking roof which cost you over $6K Why in the world would you want this unresponsive individual to come back and 'work' on your house???

SUE HIM!! You state the employee came on out all angry, and stated you had to shovel 3 feet of snow off the roof... I haven't read where the Contractor came on out and inspected the roof, and determined why it was leaking... The employee is not responsible. You did not sign a contract with the employee. You signed a contract with the contractor. SUE HIM!

Take him to court. Just do it. Doesn't matter if the attorney will cost you $10k (Probably won't.) From your descriptions this seems pretty open and shut. If this guy owns a house, so he has some real property - SUE HIM!

Lawyers are not all bad. I have a friend who is an attorney. Nicest guy you've ever met. Very smart. I've called attorney's out of the yellow pages, never met them - they've listened to my plight and steered me straight for totally free. All of the jokes about evil attorneys are really sad. Bad apples in any trade. A lot of good reputable attorneys exist. Look in your yellow pages, and call a few attorneys up, talk to them, and hear what they have to say...

Call a lawyer referral service. In Seattle, a referral from the lawyer referral service gets you a half hour with an attorney - going thru your paperwork, etc. for only $32. Then full rates. But you get a real good feel for the attorney, and the probable outcome, etc. Plus - they'll tell you if your wasting your time or not.

I've only been to court once; in my entire (52yrs) life. (Which I won.) But I tell you what - I'd be suing this dude. No joke.

Bottom line. Get your roof and ceiling fixed asap. Be aware of the serious potential for a lien against your house - unless you take the contractor to court. So do so. Take them to court.

Your playing around, and your house is getting ruined... I understand your frustration - but just move on, get the work done, and take strong legal action against the other - at the same time...
0
newhomeowner-2009
14 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Before you do the work, take pictures, pictures, and more pictures. Preserve some of the physical evidence if you can. Photograph the work in progress and after it is completed. Then sue.
0

roofing job from hell

Comments (6)

randy427

macv

Related Discussions

newhomeowner-2009

sdello

dave777_2009

newhomeowner-2009

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US