Orlando Sentinel - 11/02/04
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/weather/orl-asecpaint02110204nov02,0,7439019.story?coll=orl-home-headlines
Investigators seeking answers about leaky homes zero in on paint
By Kelly Griffith and Dan Tracy
Sentinel Staff Writers
November 2, 2004
Most of the homes that leaked through the walls during this year's hurricanes were built since 2000 -- when Central Florida's building boom took off -- say building officials investigating the problem.
Though they have not yet reached a conclusion about the cause, these officials are looking hard at the paint -- or the lack of it -- and how it was applied to the exterior of the houses, most of which were mass-produced by regional or national builders.
Hundreds of homeowners have reported that water seeped through their walls during the hurricanes, even though the homes had no obvious breaches. The theory many hold is that wind-driven rain passed through thinly applied paint, as well as the porous, stucco-like material covering the cinder-block walls.
The poor performance of these production-built houses comes as little surprise to many industry critics and tradesmen, who maintain the builders often scrimp on workmanship and materials in an effort to put up homes faster and more cheaply.
"The bucks aren't always there to do it right," said John Firestine, an Apopka house painter for 30 years who said production builders don't pay enough to hire quality painters to apply quality paint. Instead, he and others say, builders use inexperienced workers who move swiftly through new subdivisions, swiping on one thin coat of stucco-like finish followed by a single coat of paint.
Builders dispute such claims, saying they pay fair wages, use high-quality supplies and meet standards set by the Florida building code. With few exceptions, they say they are not responsible for damage because hurricanes are unforeseeable events that release them from responsibility.
". . . Water intrusion through block walls, caused by the recent series of hurricanes, is not warrantable," said an e-mail from KB Homes, one of more than a dozen large builders to refuse homeowner requests for free repairs. Production builders have generally not commented on the water-intrusion issue, though the local and state home-builders associations have said they are looking for a cause and possible cure.
Water likely seeped through the block walls of more than 1,000 houses in Central Florida during hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne. The Orlando Sentinel and WESH-NewsChannel 2 have logged more than 700 calls and e-mails from unhappy homeowners.
Paint typically provides the principal waterproofing for walls. Cinder block is covered by a thin layer of concrete-like material and then painted. But if the paint is too thinly applied, or there are even hairline cracks in the stucco-like material, water can penetrate.
Cracks are widespread
Such cracks are common; a survey by the Sentinel and WESH of 406 homes built in 2001 found that more than 60 percent had cracks in the stucco, walls, driveways, floors and decking. Often, cracking occurs because builders don't give the concrete foundation pad enough time to "cure" -- up to 28 days is recommended -- before putting up the walls. Experts say this increases the likelihood that, as the pad settles, walls will sprout cracks.
Builders and inspectors say minute cracks in outer walls are "normal" and say it is the homeowner's responsibility to keep them covered with caulking and paint.
"They keep telling me, 'Oh, it's normal. Concrete is porous; stucco is porous; you should expect this,' " said Katrina van Oudheusden, 26, who bought her $122,000, 1,625-square-foot home 16 months ago in Minneola's Oak Valley subdivision. Two rooms were soaked by water that seemed to blow through the blocks during the storms.
Builder Maronda Homes filled cracks on her outer wall and repainted this month. The company did not return phone calls from the Sentinel.
A regionwide investigation headed by Orange County's chief building official, Bob Olin, suggests that van Oudheusden's example is typical. Most complaints, Olin said, involve homes built since 2000.
More homes, faster work
During the past four years, the number of homes built in Central Florida jumped from nearly 17,000 per year to roughly 25,000 per year, almost a 50 percent increase. Builders complained that shortages of skilled tradesmen forced them to rely on workers whose principal training is on the job. These inexperienced crews were pushed to work faster and, many say, cut corners to keep up with soaring demand.
Before the hurricanes in August and September, the quality of the paint jobs on these homes had not really been tested, Olin said.
"Once we got there," he added, "apparently we needed more [paint]."
Florida's building code, however, sets no standards for how much paint should be used or how it should be applied.
"You can have one contractor and four different [paint] crews and four different applications and four different qualities," said Don Strube, owner of Color Wheel, an Orlando paint manufacturer.
One of the biggest issues that affects quality, some builders say, is how fast many production homes are built. For example, the maker of the stucco-like material applied over the cinder block recommends that it be applied at least a week -- and ideally a month -- before it is painted to allow it to cure.
"We recommend seven days," said Paul Owen, technical-services manager at Cemex USA in Brooksville, which sells about 100,000 tons of the cement-based material a year. "But nobody does it."
'It's a sticky issue'
Owen said too-little curing time could reduce his product's strength and water repellency.
"It's a sticky issue," he said. "Application is a big part of these kind of products."
By contrast, custom builder Dale Rex of Windermere Construction and Remodeling Inc. each year builds only a "handful" of higher-end houses -- starting at $250,000 -- allowing him to take more time and use different products from a production builder.
For instance, Rex said he uses a high-quality "elastomeric coating" that offers more waterproofing and can seal cracks better. It's able to stretch with cracks as they expand. He also uses a primer/sealer and applies two full coats with rollers.
Tract builders typically use acrylic latex paint, spraying it on and following up with a roller to ensure the coating is even.
The cost difference can be considerable, said Ken Kohl of Longwood, a painter for 35 years. Acrylic latex paint sells for $14 to $34 per gallon, he said. Elastomeric costs about $20 per gallon but requires two or three times the amount of paint to do the job. Too often, he said, builders use the cheapest paint.
"If you go ask for contractor-quality paint, that should be top of the line, but it's not. Contractor-quality paint is the lowest-quality paint," Kohl said.
The issue of quality is important. How well a particular paint covers a surface depends on the amount of resin in it. The resin-to-pigment ratio determines how well the paint will stick to the porous block, as well as its ability to withstand sunlight and moisture, experts say. Better paints contain more resin.
Most homeowners, though, are like Carlos Lopez. The 33-year-old truck driver says he knows nothing about the makeup of paint. All he and his wife did was pick out the color for their new four-bedroom home in Legacy Park, a subdivision being built by Standard Pacific Homes in the Four Corners area of Polk County.
"It was just done," he said, adding that he has no idea why water seeped into one room of his house during the storms.
Kelly Griffith can be reached at kgriffith@orlandosentinel.com or 863-422-5908. Dan Tracy can be reached at 407-420-5787 or dtracy@orlandosentinel.com.
