One of the frustrating parts of this industry is how many folks are selling products to homeowners that cannot work as advertised. 

One of the most common stories we are hearing in our region is companies selling radiant barrier under the shingles to entice them into using their roofing service.

The Pitch

The pitch, as I understand it, is that they will save money on their utility bills and qualify for a tax credit.  The sales reps use this as to entice you to sign up for their remodeling company or roofing repair company so they can sell you a roof and offer you this “Free” upgrade.

They will explain how it reflects the suns heat and save you big money on your utility bills.  They will tell you that it will qualify for an energy tax credit on your income tax return and that it is the latest and greatest new feature for your home.

There is only one BIG problem, it won’t work. 

Why Won’t It Work

Radiant barriers require an air space to work otherwise they just transfer the heat to the items/materials it is touching. No air space, no benefit.

Here are some web resources that reflect this dynamic.  You will note in every case that they refer to the need for the air space.

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/radiant/index.html

http://www.radiantbarrier.com/faq.htm

http://www.energyefficientsolutions.com/rbfaq.asp

http://atticfoil.com/radiant-barrier-shingles.htm

Placing any type of radiant barrier between your shingles and decking will not work.  If a salesman is trying to tell you it does, then you should be cautious of all their claims.

Avoid Those Who Don’t Know

There is more to building a home than what you see on TV or reading brochures from manufacturers.  When you work with a contractor on roofing, remodeling or new construction, make sure they understand the science of building.

If don’t understand the basics of radiant barriers, they probably have other areas they lack knowledge in as well.  If they do understand the basics of radiant barrier BUT still want to install a product that won’t work, then kick them in shin for being a jerk and contact a trusted contractor who can give you a choice of options that work.

This will not only save you money and time but it will make your home a more comfortable place to live.

 Questions

If you have a question on how to repair your home or seek out energy saving options, please feel free to email your questions to our offices.  Garabedian Properties is a full service building firm serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.  We offer new luxury homes, premium remodels, green building/remodeling, home care services, storm/roof repairs and commercial building contracting.

Please feel free to leave your comments, drop us an email at mike@garabedianproperties.com or call our office at 817-748-2669. I also encourage you to visit http://www.garabedianproperties.com to see movies on our homes, hundreds of pictures and information on how we can be of service to your family or clients.  Or become a fan on Facebook.

If your family is not quite ready for us at this time, we will be at your service when you are in need or wish to request our assistance.  If you know a family or client who may be in need of our services, we welcome and honor your referrals.

This article relates to storm damaged roofs specifically, however it has relevancy with almost any incident you have filed an insurance claim on.  Wind, water and fire damage claims all have similar issues to storm/hail damaged roof claims.  As roof claims are the most common, we will use them as our example.

Our knowledge of this subject comes from years of working with homeowners and insurance companies to repair storm & water damaged properties throughout our region.  A question we frequently hear is; “Do I have to replace my roof?”

The short answer is NO, BUT.

To the untrained eye, a hail damaged roof looks just like any other roof, so you may take a look and say why bother.  However with exposure to the elements and time, hail damage can create greater problems.  Loose shingles, damaged vents, blistering shingles and other damages can lead to leaks or a roofing system failure. 

Waiting too long to conduct the repairs may forfeit your ability to make any further reimbursement requests from your insurance company when you realize they are needed.  This may create a scenario where your actual out-of-pocket costs could be greater than your policy’s deductible.

Delays may also make your home susceptible to other damages which you may be limited or prohibited from seeking further claim funds from your insurance company.  Such as water damage to roof decking, walls or the rafters.

Your insurance company cannot force you to repair your roof so they use other tools to encourage you to have the work done.  The most common tool at their disposal is the depreciation withholding.  This is where they hold back a portion of your claim until you document the work is completed.  They also place time limits on when you can file for the depreciation or supplemental fund requests.  As they cannot force you to fix the damage, they do want you to be responsible for the consequences of not moving forward on the repairs.

When You Sell

When you sell your home, you have a legal obligation to disclose any items you have knowledge of that need repair.  If you file insurance for a roof replacement and do not replace your roof, you will have to disclose this when you sell your home.  Buyers may request you repair the roof or lower your sale’s price so they can have it repaired.  Either way it could cost more than the insurance proceeds you received.

Another point to remember is your buyer may have challenges getting homeowner insurance or will have restrictions placed on their policy if unrepaired storm damage is found on the home.  This may result in them requesting a repair, a price adjustment or delays in the closing date.

Future Claims

If your home is damaged by hail and you decide not to complete the repairs and another storm hits, you may have a new problem.  Your insurance company may want to see proof you completed the previous work before they settle any current claims.  They may also determine that some of the damage you are claiming from the current storm was actually damage from a previous event and not offer any insurance proceeds for those items.

Either way you could be left short of having the funds needed to repair your home when it is needed.

Insurance Is To Help Make It Right

Your policy is there to help you repair your home.  Any perceived gain you may envision from not conducting the repairs will seldom serve you well in the long-term.

Work with a trusted contractor and he or she can explain the process, offer you value solutions and help get your property back into  “>tip top shape.  A well cared for and properly repaired property offers you value for the long-term.

Competitive Bids

One last note, it is often ingrained in us that we need to get competitive bids on all home improvements.  I will save my quality over price post for another time.  However, selecting the “cheapest” roofer seldom serves you well in storm repairs.  Your deductible is a constant so if you find a roofer who will work cheap, there is little benefit to your family.  It only saves the insurance company some money.  I seriously doubt it will save you any headaches. 

Remember your insurance company does NOT warrant the repairs, they only pay for you to get the work done.  You are the one who will have to chase down the bargain roofing company if you have a leak or they leave a mess after the fact.

Choose a trusted local contractor to do your repairs.  He will work with your insurance company to find a fair price and provide you the warranty care you deserve.  Local contractors that you know where to find and have a prominent role in the community have more to risk than a storm chaser with a sign on his truck.

Other Options

Ask your roofing contractor/builder about Class IV, Impact Resistant Shingles.  These are designed to be hail resistant so you may avoid replacing your roof from hail damage in the future.  They also offer insurance discounts which you can enjoy every year even if there is not a hail storm.

Questions

If you have an insurance claim but are not sure of your options, please feel free to email your questions to our offices or call your insurance agent and ask them to explain your options.  Make an informed decision before making one that could cost you big money when you least expect it.

If you have a question on how to repair your home, please feel free to email your questions to our offices.  Garabedian Properties is a full service building firm serving the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.  We offer new luxury homes, premium remodels, green building/remodeling, home care services, storm/roof repairs and commercial building contracting.

Please feel free to leave your comments, drop us an email at mike@garabedianproperties.com or call our office at 817-748-2669. I also encourage you to visit http://www.garabedianproperties.com to see movies on our homes, hundreds of pictures and information on how we can be of service to your family or clients.  Or become a fan on Facebook.

If your family is not quite ready for us at this time, we will be at your service when you are in need or wish to request our assistance.  If you know a family or client who may be in need of our services, we welcome and honor your referrals.

Many times you hear home buyers observe that “it is a quality home because it has granite counters and crown molding”.  I also have heard “he is a quality builder because he builds million dollar homes”.

 All I can say to that is BULL HONKEY.

 Often when home buyers describe the quality of a home, they are describing the features and amenities.  We refer to these elements as “eye candy”.  Sweet stuff that gives you short term satisfaction, won’t fill you up and gives you an upset stomach when the reality sets in.

 Amenities and features are important elements in a home, but please don’t confuse them with quality.  Cramming all the amenities in the world into a home does not mean it was put together well. 

 Building the largest home on the block does not mean the builder understands how to build a home (construction science).  I could make a living taking buyers on tours of “million dollar homes” that were designed and built by individuals who know as much about building homes as I do about cold fusion. 

 Hint, I don’t know much, hence I am a home builder and not blowing up nuclear bombs (probably a good thing).  Yes, I know cold fusion and nuclear bombs are not one in the same, kind of proves my point.

 Quality is not what you do but how you do it.  Quality is the “meat and potatoes” of a home.  When you have a well built (quality) home, you have a sense of satisfaction that often comes after a big steak meal.  No sugar rush but a sturdy well built home that performs well and justifies the price you paid for it.

 Examples;

 Granite counters which are currently found in many homes; however their installation, seam location, matching slab colors and aligning them on the cabinets can vary greatly.  It would come as no surprise that the cheapest (lowest skilled) installers usually do the poorest installation job.

 Wood flooring are in high demand, however, upon closer examination you will discover not all floors are the same.  Some are made up almost entirely of 2’ or 3’ long boards.  We call these leftovers.  The end result is a wood floor that looks choppy and pieced together.  The better (quality) installations use longer pieces and blend them so the end seams are not all together.

 The best carpenters miter, glue and sand their splices (were two moldings come together).  They also work to minimize splices or place them in inconspicuous areas.  This takes time and forethought, not just throwing the molding up on the wall.  As you suspect, these carpenters cost a bit more and take a bit more time. 

 When you see this attention to detail in the visible elements of a home, you can have greater confidence the builder showed that same level of detail in the parts you can’t see, such as the wiring, foundation, framing, duct work, plumbing, etc…

  “Quality is not what you do but how you do it”.  So please, before you become enamored with the eye candy of granite, crown moldings and rubbed bronze faucets, look deeper into the home.  Just as with real candy, any short term sugar rush you receive will wear off but the issues the eye candy was hiding can give you an upset stomach.

Please feel free to leave your comments, drop us an email at mike@garabedianproperties.com or call our office at 817-748-2669. I also encourage you to visit http://www.garabedianproperties.com to see movies on our homes, hundreds of pictures and information on how we can be of service to your family or clients.  Or become a fan on Facebook.

If your family is not quite ready for us at this time, we will be at your service when you are in need or wish to request our assistance.  If you know a family or client who may be in need of our services, we welcome and honor your referrals.

Well the brilliant minds who run our government have passed some new mandates for the installation of lawn irrigation systems.  I am not sure if these are just relevant to the State of Texas or the country, however, they did sneak up on the building industry when they were implemented.  Now, please don’t get me wrong, properly installed and MAINTAINED sprinkler systems will reduce water waste. 

Fun Fact – Every bit of water that has ever existed on the earth still exists.  It is just a matter of what form it is in now and where it is located.

We have all driven by a property and witnessed small gushers from broken heads or a sprinkler watering the street and not the lawn.  The funny thing is more often than not it is a city system not a homeowner’s that is flooding the street.  However, creating new rules that will make irrigation systems more costly, add more time to the installation, create opportunities for foundation damage and expose more of the system to damage is not the best means of addressing the waste of water by “some” homeowners.

The irrigation systems installed now require additional permitting, inspections and different types of design parameters.  All of these elements add costs to the project.  In addition the new process turns a one day job into a two to three day job.  The more times your sprinkler contractor has to drive to a job, do work, leave and then return, the more costly it is to complete the project.

Here are some of the challenges these new regulations will put upon homeowners.

Time

It will take several days to complete a project that used to be completed in one day.

Time is added to the process as your irrigation installer must submit a much more detailed permit package to the town.  These permit applications require review by a staff member who is usually working on other projects so he/she may not get to it immediately.  Once the permit is approved, your installer must install the system and then wait for an inspector to come out to inspect the installation.  If that inspector is behind on inspections, enjoying a holiday that city staff’s often get that we builders do not.  If it happens to rain before the inspector gets there of during the day of the inspection you could be loose even more time.  The installer cannot cover up your trenches until he gets the inspection so the landscape installer, grass installer, fence company and general clean up folks have to wait.  A typical yard that could be irrigated, landscaped and sodded in a few days may take a week or longer.

Fun Fact – A homeowner can install a mini weather station or link your sprinkler via the internet to a service that will automatically adjust your water usage based upon wind, rain, temperature, etc…  No special permit or law required.

Foundation Damage

Most builders and warranty companies require a fully irrigated foundation.  History has shown us that a majority of all foundation problems occur from unequal moisture content arround the foundation’s perimeter.   To battle this builders have placed irrigation systems completely arround their foundations.  However the new regulations may make it so that we must use different components or are not allowed to place any heads in certain areas.  One of two things will happen, different components will vary the moisture level at different areas of the foundation creating risk factors AND the cost of the system will be more as more zones and components are needed to irrigate the same area.

Future Damage

One of the components that is being mandated/utilized for many areas is a soaker system.  Now on first blush most folks say, hey that is cool and makes great sense.  However here are some problems.  The soaker hose is placed directly under the grass.  When I say directly I mean you have dirt, then they put down the hose then they put down the sod.  Why do they do that, because such little water comes out of the soaker hose that if they bury it in the dirt, the grass would die because the roots are so short.  (this post will go up early but I will be adding a picture of these hoses in a bit so please check back).

A couple of problems this presents; 1 – these hose goes down like a snake/web so if you were to dig in that general area for any reason you are pretty much sure you are going to hit it, 2 – if you ever have to service it or replace it you will have to dig up the entire section of grass to get to the hose and put a new one down.  Gone are the days of just swapping out a broken head.

Cost

These systems will cost more due to permitting, design, components and time.  Warrantying them will cost more as well.  As you can imagine, the landscaper will pass that on to the builder and the builder will pass that on to the homeowner.  There is no free lunch.  If you ever wonder why houses keep getting so expensive it is because every time we turn arround someone is passing a rule or fee that adds a few dollars here and a few dollars there.  Pretty soon it adds up to real money.  Just wait till you see what all the “climate change” laws do to your new home’s price.

So…..

 All too often in life our government (at the urging of well meaning citizens) tries to compensate for some individuals not being as cognisant of their actions but mandating rules to make everyone’s life more difficult and more costly.  Although I am sure these new regulations will cut water waste somewhat, I am not sure the lost time and additional costs to a homeowner will show these to be the most cost effective means of water reduction.

Yes I hold almost every green certification a builder can hold.  Yes I turn out the lights when I leave a room and yell ( I mean instructively remind) at my kids if they leave the sink running.  However, the most effective tool in living a “green” life and being conscious of not wasting resources is not some politician mandating special interest rules but common sense.  Well you can’t legislate common sense and politicians can’t take credit for it so we have laws that cost everyone money and may create more problems than they solve.

So please don’t be mad at your builder or landscaper when your home price edges up and takes a bit longer.  AND please remember that when you are digging in a flower bed and destroy the soaker hose that is 1″ deep, that is not a warrantable event.  Maybe you can call down to Austin and see if one of our legislatures will come fix it for you.

Please feel free to leave your comments, drop us an email at mike@garabedianproperties.com or call our office at 817-748-2669.  I also encourage you to visit www.garabedianproperties.com to see our entire website.

Although it may feel and look the same, not knowing the difference in concrete mixes could lead to foundation failures after your builder is long gone.  Many times folks will think if the concrete is hard, all is well.  Sorry, not the true, often foundations and driveways fail because the mix did not gain the strength it needed to perform as intended.  The strength of a concrete pour is effected by numerous factors, however, today we will focus on the actual concrete mix that is ordered by the builder.

Most foundation designs require a mix that tests out at 3,000 psi (pounds per square inch), which is a means of measuring the strength of mix when cured after 28 days.  The most common mix that is ordered to accomplish this is a fly ash mix which substitutes a recycled mix (fly ash) for a part of the cement mix.  When prepared properly this mix can achieve a 3,000 psi strength, however, there is little room for error. 

Many of the green building programs suggest using the greatest fly ash concentration possible in the concrete mix.  It may be earth friendly (jury is still) but how much more in resources and material will be needed to fix the failures due to the concrete not performing at the strength level needed.  Being “green” is not always the best answer.  I will blog more on how “green” is not always responsible in building and no amount of government mandates or PR can change the laws of physics and economics.  Sorry, I digress, back to the hard cool stuff, concrete.

One way to determine if your builder is serious about foundation strength is to ask what type of mix he uses for his concrete.  If he doesn’t know, I would be concerned.  Many of the top tier builders use a true 5 sack mix, which means that there are 5 sacks of mix in every yard of cement.  The more mix the stronger the concrete, in some cases we use 6 sacks or more.  (Trivia – the more Portland mix in the concrete the hotter the concrete pours).

The 5 sack mix is designed to test out at 3,500 psi or greater (some test out at over 4,000 psi).  This additional strength helps your foundation meet the unforseen pressures on your foundation.  We refer to this as a margin of safety. 

You may ask why if this mix is stronger would anyone ever use another mix.  There are several reasons a builder may not use the stronger/better mix;

1 – Many builders just don’t know building science.  If you discussed concrete mixes or psi, their eyes would glaze over and they would start to day dream about tee times.  They came into the home-building industry as a means of getting rich (excuse me as I laugh, I am sure they have now discovered, that ain’t going to happen, OK I am back).  You could walk these guys through a house and they couldn’t tell you how a foundation works, much less know how to estimate material or how a wall should be braced.  If you really want to perplex them, ask them some code questions on electrical or plumbing.  If you want a professional builder to oversee your home, this guy would NOT be your guy.

 2 – They turn their foundations over to subcontractors on a turn-key basis and trust them to do what they need to do to get the foundation poured.  The builder may not show back up to the job site until after the foundation is poured.  That is not to say they don’t care but only they are not as concerned about these types of specifications of your home.  If you want a control freak to oversee your new home construction, this builder would NOT be your guy.

3 – They just want to save money and if the fly ash will save them a few hundred dollars that is what they will order.  If something happens they will worry about it later or hope the warranty company covers it.  If you want someone who is willing to invest in the right materials and workers to build your home, this guy would NOT be your guy.

Other factors that can affect concrete strength includes the weather, how much water is in the mix, how long of time between each truck pours, quality of the concrete, how long the concrete has been in the truck, how the cables are positioned in the foundation, obstructions in the beams, mud on the rebar/cables, quality of the labor, weather, etc..  You just cannot back up a truck and pour concrete wait for it to get hard.  The difference between the top tier builders and the “discount Joes” begins at how they pour their foundations.  More on that to come.

There are thousands of ways for builders to take short cuts on building your home that you will NEVER be able to detect or understand.  The guys (and gals) who take the short cuts are often the least expensive builders.  Over my nearly 2 decades in this industry, I have seen countless families go for the lowest price only to regret the decision.  A well built home starts with the foundation, if your builder is willing to use the “good stuff” you are off to a good start.  If he is not, then………

Please feel free to leave your comments (once I figure out how to do that), drop us an email at mike@garabedianproperties.com or call our office at 817-748-2669.  I also encourage you to visit www.garabedianproperties.com to see our entire website.