New Construction Homes - Austin TX Home Builders - Do you ever wonder why some houses are built with a wall that's not square or a wall that seems warped or curved? Take a look at this picture and you'll see part of the reason for this...
This wood is sitting across the street from me waiting to be put on a house. When it was dropped off last week, the wood all seemed to be perfectly straight. Look at where the numbers 589 are. Does the wood look straight to you? To me, it looks like the weight of the wood is giving in, and thus creating a huge sag in the middle of the pieces of wood.
Do you think the builder is going to do anything about it? No, why would they? Their stock answer is that no house is perfect and no two pieces of wood are exactly the same, so you can't expect walls to be perfecting squared. I understand their point, but does it not make sense that the builders can also help prevent much of the issue?
If this wood was put flat on the ground, there would be no room for it to bend and warp, hence there would be many less issues during the construction process of the new house. With the heat we've had, we're in TEXAS, the wood is bending more and more each day. I'm so glad the home builders treat our houses like they were their own (yes, that was said tongue in cheek)!
For the consumers, when you're building a new construction home with an Austin TX home builder, do not settle for warped walls. Have them fixed. This will save you issues in the future for things as simple as hanging a picture on the wall straight. Make sure you have a REALTOR® working for you and with you during your new construction home building process!
**Are You Packed Yet?**
Donna Harris, REALTOR®
RE/MAX Austin Skyline
www.DonnaHomes.com
Donna@DonnaHomes.com
Austin TX Real Estate and the surrounding areas of Lakeway, Bee Cave, West Lake Hills, Cedar Park, Round Rock, Spicewood, Circle-C, Steiner Ranch, and everywhere in between... Hill Country Austin TX Real Estate and beyond. Whether you're buying or selling an Austin home, I'll be with you every step of the way.
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* Why Can't a Home Builder Build a Straight Wall? - New Construction Homes - Austin TX Home Builders * was first published on donnahomesblog.com
Great blog title, Donna. Definitely LOL'ed after reading that and you answered the question well in your post. Cheers!
Donna - It's unfortunate that most builder's don't care and in this case they could have simply put every thing on the ground.
Donna - I think you hit on an important point here: Most problems in any business can be avoided if every part of the process is handled with care. No different than what you and I do. One person or one part of a process being handled poorly severely affects the outcome. Nice blog post!
Aaron, Yes, I guess it was a rhetoric question, wasn't it?!
Michelle, Yep!
Nevin, Very true...
Donna--I can't believe this...but i am sure it does happen more than we know...Thanks, Jen
Jennifer, Watching the houses being built around me, it happens all the time!
Hi Donna... after your personal experience I think you are uniquely qualified to help any buyer looking to build a new home!
I would love to see a TV news crew on site and then confronting the builder.
Great picture and story, thanks for sharing.
Donna, it would probably amaze the average homebuyer if they saw aspects of the home before they were covered by different items such a s sheet rock.
Actually, even if the wood was flat on the ground it would bend and warp. The reason why is because lumber comes from the lumber mill in a "green" state, full of water, sometimes as much as 50% moisture content. As it dries, it cracks, splits, bends, and warps. There's nothing you can do about that other than to dry it at the mill, but then it would absorb water during transit and still warp and bend. Builders hope that nails, bolts, etc., will keep warping and bending to a minimum, but depending on the cut of the wood and how much softwood is in that piece of lumber, it sometimes doesn't work with individual pieces.
hi, Donna:
Ditto what Russel just said... but I'll add to your/his observations: builders are only willing to pay a certain amount for framing home. One contractor I knew told me that a large, now defunct, Austin area buidler only budgeted $1200 for labor to frame a 2500sqft house - like 50 cents per square foot. As a result, the framers rarely throw a level to check for level or plumb, and don't take the time to find the crowning side of the piece and place appropriately. They work with the lumber that's been delivered, so if they cut a piece short, they have to skip it or fudge it (there's no money in going out to get a new piece).
I've been in Million Dollar homes where the walls are bowed and the dining room fixture is not hung in the center of the home... So it's not just the lower end builders either.