Design Concepts, Inc.

Review: [redacted] built us a Log home from a [redacted] Log home kit. He is an authorized builder of log homes.The house is almost complete and we did a punch list that he refuses to fix.There are cracks over and 1/8" wide in the tongue and groove siding on walls and also on the wood floors on the 2nd floor. There are boards that are dirty and cracked that we feel should be sanded down or replaced. There are some loose flooring and steps that need to be addressed and also caulking around the outside chimney needs to be done.We have gone over this with Mr. [redacted] and he has refused to repair.Desired Settlement: We want the problems fixed either by himself or another contractor. Which bill will be sent to MR. [redacted] if another contractor is involved.

Business

Response:

The punch list that was referred to in the complaint was emailed to me on April 3 but could not be read. I went to their house on April 4 and picked it up. How could I respond to a punch list that was never given to me? You might want to verify the information in complaints before responding to them. Design Concepts, Inc.[redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear belowMy husband and I walked thru the house with Mr. [redacted] last month in regards to the punch list. He looked at all the places we had marked with masking tape stating what needed to be fixed and said he was going to turn it into his insurance company. A couple weeks later my husband tried to talk to him about some of the items that needed to be repaired and he said " I don't want to discuss it" and walked away.

Regards,

Business

Response:

I reviewed the consumer response and find that the response is not completely accurate, but I will not elaborate on that. With the exception of the T&G interior siding and the gaps in the flooring, all other items have been completed except one task which will be completed this coming weekend. We are also completing other tasks, which were not mentioned on any punch list, in writing or verbally. A couple of those are rather large tasks, which could not be completed until the temperature got warm enough (above 50 degrees F). Those tasks are scheduled to begin next week and should be completed within 1 1/2 weeks. To date Mr. [redacted] has not evidenced any desire to work together to get the problem with the interior siding and flooring focused in the right direction for a resolution. He appears to be fixated on insisting that our Company did an inferior job and ,therefore, are totally responsible for correcting the situation. When we initially completed the installation of the interior siding and flooring, he spoke very highly of how good it looked. That was before the material dried out after installation. The material that was used was a log package with lumber purchased by the [redacted] from [redacted] Log Homes, not provided by our Company. Our contract with the [redacted] was to construct the house in accordance with [redacted] drawings using material provided by [redacted] in a contract between the [redacted] and [redacted] Log Homes. It is our position that [redacted] Log Homes is responsible. Since he is unwilling to pursue this as a resolution, we are at an impasse. [redacted]

Consumer

Response:

I have reviewed the response offer made by the business in reference to complaint ID [redacted], and have determined that this proposed action would not resolve my complaint. For your reference, details of the offer I reviewed appear below.Please see inspection report and attached photos.Inspection Date: May 5, 2015Commissioning Party: Mr. and Mrs. [redacted]Inspection Site: [redacted]Product Installed: 2” X 6” Tongue and Groove pine boards, site finished.Persons Present during Inspection: [redacted] builder, and Mr. and Mrs. [redacted], the homeowners.Statement of Claim: The hardwood floors on the second floor of the home are separating, with some gaps being ¼” wide.Mr. [redacted] Stated:• The flooring came with the log cabin kit, [redacted] Log Homes.• The flooring came in open bundles and was delivered to the job site in June or July of 2014. The bundles were placed in the bedroom area on the main floor.• In August of 2014, the flooring was installed using 2 ½” staples, by Mr. [redacted], on the second floor. There were no moisture tests done on the flooring.• At the time of the flooring installation, the house was in the process of being built, with no roof, and few walls complete. • Mr. [redacted] was told to install the flooring at that time, by [redacted], the contractor. Mr. [redacted] questioned the installation, since the building was not complete, but Mr. [redacted] told him to continue with the flooring installation.• There are walls built onto the flooring.• The boards were installed tightly together, when they were installed.• Mr. [redacted] was given a [redacted] instruction book by Mr. [redacted], about 2 months ago.1Mr. and Mrs. [redacted] Stated:• The flooring on the second floor has been rained on, snowed on, and has had ice on the flooring, because the roof was not complete.• The flooring was installed in the end of July, 2014/beginning of August, 2014.• The separation was noticed about 2 weeks after the heat was turned on. The home was closed in when the heat was turned on. • That they (Mr. and Mrs. [redacted]) tried to discuss their concerns with Mr. [redacted], but Mr. [redacted] was not cooperative. Because of this, the [redacted] representative, [redacted] was contacted and he came to check the home. He stated that [redacted] has a 1/8” gap tolerance and he agreed that the flooring was not to Southland’s standards.Observations:• The second floor boards are stapled to the log beams which are 16” OC. There is no actual subfloor under the flooring.• There are 2 staples, 2 ½” long, every 16” to 17” which are where the log beams are located.• The flooring has banana boards, end gapping of 5/16”, and side gapping of 5/16”. The tongue of the boards can be seen in the gaps.• Site temperature, at the time of the inspection, 77.7 degrees F. Site relative humidity, 38.9%.• The boards measured 4 15/16” and 4 7/8” wide.• Moisture content of the flooring, using a Ligno DX/C pin meter: 5.2% to 6.7%.• Levelness measured, using a Bosch self-leveling laser: In the upstairs hallway, with the length of the boards- 1/8” in 6 feet; across the boards-1/4” in 6 feet. In the large bedroom, with the length of the boards-1/8” in 6 feet; across the boards-1/8” in 6 feet.Conclusion:The flooring was not installed as per 2010 [redacted] Log Homes, Inc. installation instructions, “Install your floor decking after your house is “dried-in.”. When Mr. [redacted] instructed Mr. [redacted] to install the flooring in the incomplete building, this created the incorrect environment for the wood. The wood absorbed moisture during rain, snow, and ice, which caused expansion in the boards. When the heat was turned on in the closed in building, the boards dried out and shrunk.

Regards,

Business

Response:

As I have stated before, the problem with the flooring was generated by [redacted] Log Homes when they sent material to the site without making sure the material was dry. The moisture content should have been ay 8% or lower. Having been a builder for [redacted] since 2002, we had never had a moisture problem, so I did not deem it necessary to check the moisture content in the flooring. Had we checked it, I don't know what we could have done with no facility on site, or available to us to dry the material out. We did store the material in the house and protect it until the installation. The handbook that was referred to in the complaint, was a handbook sent to the Owner of the job we went to after the [redacted] job. Even though we have been [redacted] builders for some length of time, that was the first handbook we had ever received. After I read the section regarding installing the second level flooring only after "drying the house in", I called the vice president of design at [redacted] to review that requirement with him. At that time, he stated that he did not agree with that change to their manual, but had been unable to get it changed. He agreed with our approach to placing the flooring, because four major load points had to be supported by the flooring for the roof system. He agreed that there was no way to construct the roof system without putting the flooring down. The flooring did get rained on after it was installed, but we have done that many times in the past without any negative effect. It is our contention that if the material had been at a satisfactory moisture level, subsequent rain would not have opened up the cracks, because there not have been any place for the swelling of the material to go. It was installed tight and would not have affected by the rain to the extent that it was because it was placed while it was at a high moisture content. In the new [redacted] construction manual, they also make reference to using the roof sheathing, which is 7/16" thick, as a work surface until the roof system is put in place. If I was to bring that condition to the attention of OSHA, I believe that the project would be shut down. To me and out fellow workers, that is extremely unsafe. We have seen a log dropped on 3/4" subflooring and the result was an instant hole through the subflooring with the log ending up in the basement. I would not allow our workers to work with only roof sheathing as a walking surface. Contrary to what was stated, the material was not ever covered by snow or ice. In the "Observations" section, Several of the statements lead me to believe that whoever made the observations, did not know much about log home construction. There is never a subfloor placed under the 2nd floor flooring, because the under side of the flooring functions as the ceiling for the first floor. Additionally, there is no way the floor can be maintained completely level because of the nature of the log beams which function as joists. They move when any one walks across them and several always are twisted, which changes the height from the joist beside it. I proposed to Mr. [redacted] that our best effort at getting this situation cleared, was to collectively go after Southland, not each other. He had no interest in pursuing that approach, so here we are without a resolution . By the way, I checked the moisture content of the T&G interior siding on the house I am building now, and it was between 5&6 % moisture. This is where the [redacted] flooring should have been. Something negative has happened to [redacted] material. It is my belief that they are cost cutting at the expense of their customers.