Moisture intrusion on new homes in FL

[Matt T. Batson]

Here in the sunshine state we are getting a lot of rain water intrusion on new homes.
In some cases it is penetrating right through the stucco and CBS...

like here
http://myleakyrylandhome.com/photos/...styhiddenstuff

I have found that pretty much every builder in florida from centex to mercedes and DR Horton and many others has had problems.

I know that much of the penetration can come from the expansion joints, especially at the joint between top and bottom floor...and of course openings like windows...

However, I'm finding that the water appears to be simply penetrating right through a solid wall. No cracks in the stucco or anything.

Is this because the builder skimped on a sealer or paint?

They have a water removal company with blowers in the homes right now and they have found mold at the baseboards.

[Carl Brown]

Wood framed walls and or CMU?

[Carl Brown]

IMO

Until they understand the CMU needs a moisture barrier over it the homes will not even start to stop leaking.

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by cbrown1

IMO

Until they understand the CMU needs a moisture barrier over it the homes will not even start to stop leaking.

Helps to know the basic fundamentals of proper flashing installation also-----

[Carl Brown]

Originally Posted by dduffy

Helps to know the basic fundamentals of proper flashing installation also-----

Flashings??

[Dale Duffy]

Originally Posted by cbrown1

Flashings??

Yeah, you know, when they drop their drawers (FLASH) the poor bastard that just bought the piece of scrap wood-------

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by cbrown1

Flashings??

Yeah!! Flashings......those very, very expensive pieces that builders can no longer obviously afford!!

I have to visit a 6-7 year old home this week with multiple water entry points, mainly at windows. On Friday, the large building company's owner (who has gone from praising me to hating me), a warranty corp representative and a private consultant showed up at this house to investigate the problem. Yesterday I was talking to the owner about a visit some time this week when the above return to investigate further.......

Should be wery, wery interesting.......I worked against this builder before, haved worked for and against the warranty corp and know the private consultant!! Owner needs an equalizer to sift the BS from the BS (Bullsh!t from the Building Science)

[Shawn Rowe]

I do moisture testing throughout Florida and have found moisture coming through block, through the small hair line "typical" cracks seen on every
home, around windows and flashings, etc.
The bottom line is that nothing is installed correctly. I have yet to see a builder install stucco to the ASTM standards and no one uses any type
of drainage assemblies at the second floor transitions, ....the list goes on.
CMU soaks water up like a sponge and don't be fooled by thinking that infrared will pick it up because it may not.

Builder hate people like us that come in there and tell them its WRONG when it "PASSED CODE".

Builders hate people like me that come in there and physically show them how their homes LEAK by water testing their walls.

[Carl Brown]

And everytime the HAVC kicks on it sucks the water into the structure.

Anyone ever have their air running in Florida on a hot afternoon when the pop up showers come thru or when the humidity is high, let alone the storms of late?

[Linas I. Dapkus]

Originally Posted by srowe

I do moisture testing throughout Florida and have found moisture coming through block, through the small hair line "typical" cracks seen on every
home, around windows and flashings, etc.
The bottom line is that nothing is installed correctly. I have yet to see a builder install stucco to the ASTM standards and no one uses any type
of drainage assemblies at the second floor transitions, ....the list goes on.
CMU soaks water up like a sponge and don't be fooled by thinking that infrared will pick it up because it may not.

Builder hate people like us that come in there and tell them its WRONG when it "PASSED CODE".

Builders hate people like me that come in there and physically show them how their homes LEAK by water testing their walls.

Nice sprayrack

[Shawn Rowe]

Originally Posted by ldapkus

Nice sprayrack

RMG is a great company! You can make your own as long as you know how to calibrate it and has to meet AAMA/ASTM standards to be of use in a court of law.

[Brian A. MacNeish]

Originally Posted by srowe

RMG is a great company! You can make your own as long as you know how to calibrate it and has to meet AAMA/ASTM standards to be of use in a court of law.

Shawn:

This may be of historical interest to you:

From 1990-1992 when I set up and managed an IAQ/air balancing subsidiary for an engineering firm under the name of ------- Environmental Services, I did some air/water leakage testing of windows as a sideline using some of the calibrated duct leakage testers we had purchased.

http://www.airflowinstruments.co.uk/...e%20Tester.pdf