Orlando Sentinel - 04/25/05
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/southwest/orl-asecwethomes25042505apr25,1,5002778.story?coll=orl-news-headlines-swest
Builders make few fixes to halt leaks
No big changes as storm season nears
By Dan Tracy
Sentinel Staff Writer
April 25, 2005
Five weeks before the June 1 start of hurricane season, and seven months after a trio of storms drove water into thousands of new Central Florida homes, builders are doing little more than tweaking the way they do business to ensure it won't happen again.
Despite a 65-page report released late last year by the Florida Home Builders Association that called for modifications in key construction techniques, no substantial changes have been made to the Florida Building Code -- and none is expected before July 2006.
Many of the region's largest production builders still refuse to fix hurricane-related water damage. That has prompted two lawsuits by almost 90 angry homeowners, and four other groups are threatening.
Even companies that are repairing last year's damage have opted for only incremental changes on this year's construction site. That means more caulk, more emphasis on correctly installing doors and windows and more paint on exterior walls.
Observed Bob Olin, Orange County's top building official: "We've noticed a trend toward more attention to detail."
Builders say that's enough to avoid a repeat of August and September, when hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne left more than 2,000 waterlogged homes in their wake.
It could work, critics such as veteran home inspector Ron Resch said. But, he added, builders need to hire more skilled labor and supervisors, and slow their ambitious production schedules enough to emphasize quality over quantity to be sure of building watertight homes.
"If they built the houses according to code and followed the manufacturers' instructions . . . we wouldn't have these problems," said Resch, who acted as a consultant on a 2003 series by the Orlando Sentinel and WESH-NewsChannel 2 that found widespread evidence of shoddy new-home construction.
Finding fault
The main defense of all the builders is that their homes met the statewide construction code because they passed the standard checks made by city and county building inspectors during various phases of construction, such as when the concrete pad was poured or the rafters were hung.
But building inspectors do not look for quality or fit and finish details, such as whether a window is watertight or the exterior paint is properly applied. Rather, they check almost exclusively on the structural integrity of a house, ensuring hurricane straps are intact and the trusses support the roof correctly.
The study done last year for the state home-builders association did not blame the leaks on any one defect. Instead, it outlined a number of causes, including poorly designed foundations, block walls and roof vents; cracks in the stucco or "cementitious" material covering exterior walls; sloppily installed windows and doors; and cheap dryer vents. It also noted that most homes built before 2000 did not leak, possibly because they had been repainted.
Many of the problems highlighted by the report -- including cracked stucco, leaky windows and improper installation of flashing -- were among the most common construction flaws revealed in the Sentinel/WESH series that examined 406 homes built in 2001. Often, the series found, the faults could be traced to undertrained workers hastily completing tasks for builders seeking to cash in on Central Florida's booming new-home market.
The builders' study recommended several code changes, as well as voluntary modifications in construction practices that would result in redesigned foundation slabs, improved expansion joints and windows that funnel water out of a home rather than allowing it to puddle inside.
But the only change to the building code that seems likely this year would permit roofs to be built without air vents, which can allow wind-driven rain to blow into the attic, down the walls and into the house. Such a bill is moving through the state Legislature.
Other changes are unlikely because the members of the industry-dominated Florida Building Commission, which oversees the code, have said they still are studying the issue and will not be ready to pass new regulations until July 2006. That's when the code is next scheduled for revisions.
But that shouldn't stop builders from changing the way they do business, said commission Executive Director Rick Dixon. The code, he said, sets minimum standards, meaning builders are free to use higher-quality supplies or different procedures if they improve the product.
"Good construction practices typically precede code changes," Dixon said.
Reacting to damage
It is impossible to say what all area builders are doing in response to the hurricanes. With more than 1,300 members, The Home Builders Association of Metro Orlando represents a wide range of contractors, from small custom operations that construct several houses a year to major companies that build more than 1,000.
But many of the builders, including many of Central Florida's largest, are reluctant to change. Ryland Homes, which has been sued by more than 80 homeowners demanding the company repair hurricane-related damage, won't admit to doing anything differently.
"We have studied the very detailed report from the FHBA and have matched their recommendations against our existing practices. We are testing many of their findings to see if there is any way possible to improve our product," Keith Bass, Ryland's Orlando-division president, wrote in a statement to the Sentinel.
Others, such as production builders M/I Homes and Levitt and Sons, have made small adjustments. M/I, for instance, has assigned one person to make sure every house is properly caulked, said Dana Bennett, the company's Orlando-area president.
M/I also is applying two coats of paint, including a primer coat. Previously, M/I workers sprayed one coat of paint on a house and then went over it with a wet roller.
Levitt is applying a heavier, more expensive paint that is supposed to fill in small stucco cracks and is more resistant to wind and rain, said Alan Levan, chairman of the Fort Lauderdale-based builder.
Accepting responsibility
M/I and Levitt are among the 10 production builders that have agreed to repair water damage caused by last year's storms. Other production builders, including Ryland, have denied responsibility, saying the hurricanes constituted an "act of God" that voided warranties because they could not have been anticipated, relieving builders of repair responsibilities.
Production builders account for at least 80 percent of the 29,000 new homes that went up in Greater Orlando last year.
Ryland spokeswoman Lori Booker declined to specifically address the lawsuit against the company, which was filed in March.
"We're still proud of every house we've built. Even one unhappy homeowner is too many," she said.
Another of the region's largest builders, Mercedes Homes, has agreed to make repairs -- but has been sued by seven homeowners unhappy with the work. Mercedes spokesman Bud Brewer said the company is "disappointed that these homeowners have chosen this route" and has offered to buy back several houses. But the owners have refused, he said.
Builders fixing homes say their motivation is doing "the right thing" and preserving their companies' reputations.
"We have a long history of good customer relations. Even though it was an act of God, we thought it was important [to repair the damage]," said Levan, who said his company has spent more than $4 million repairing 695 homes in Central Florida, regardless of the warranty.
The FHBA, meanwhile, has offered one class to go over the hurricane study and recommendations. More than 120 contractors attended the meeting in Maitland six weeks ago, said Jack Glenn, the group's technical-services director. He has scheduled another in July, when 15,000 builders and construction officials are scheduled to meet at the Orange County Convention Center for a conference.
The leak report also is available on the FHBA's Web site and has been viewed more than 9,000 times, spokeswoman Edie Ousley said.
Dan Tracy can be reached at 407-420-5787 or dtracy@orlandosentinel.com.
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