Yet another "need a contractor" thread... (Houston, San Antonio: lender, new home)

[Inventurous]

I've searched but didn't find very much that was recent. We're in the process of purchasing a home and I'd like to find out who the reputable contractors are in case we end up having repairs done ourselves.

In particular, for windows, we might need most of them pulled and replaced, with stucco and paint restored, painted, etc. I reached out to Samuels Glass, but they strictly do the glass portions, so I'd like a good rec for this type of work.

The reason I think they may need to be pulled and replaced is the inspector noted that they were not installed with proper flashing, there's water damage around some of them, and it seems the stucco goes over the frames. Before the seller has someone squirt sealant all over them, I'd like to get a proper assessment.

Also need a good roofer, although based on the recs I found here, I will probably reach out to Roland's first.

After that comes HVAC, an electrician and someone for the sprinkler.

I don't trust Angie's List and am trusting Homeadvisor less and less, so any suggestions appreciated.

TIA!

[austindoxie1972]

Here are my suggestions:

Rolands Roofing -- Used them recently and was very happy
Circle Electric for electricity work. I've also used Hill (but they are VERY expensive); Circle is reasonable
Alamo City Handyman -- good general work (flooring, misc items); I've been happy with them, not cheap but I don't mind paying for honest people and solid work

Rolands has a handyman service, but I can't find the name. The company had great reviews online when I was looking at them. I'm sure Rolands Roofing will provide the name if you call.

Hope this helps!! Good people are hard to find.

[flashfearless]

Try giving Richard Specia a call.

Home

(210)*771-1016

[TrapperL]

How to explain this to you and not offend you might be a problem but I'm noted for being direct so here it is. Buying or building a stucco home in the San Antonio area is 100% stupid. Stucco isn't the issue, the soil is. We pretty much live on clay soil, Houston Black Clay to be exact. You can compare it to a sponge in that it shrinks when dry and expands when wet. You can have up to 16" of vertical displacement meaning the house literally is going up and down from the driest time of the year to the wettest, 16". That's why builders recommend that you water the foundation to control how dry it gets. Ever go into a subdivision that's a few years old and it looks like a drunk monkey put in the curbs and streets? That's the soil moving around and it's happening under your house too. Builders will use a post tension or cable slab. The advantages are that it will flex instead of breaking. This is good. But stucco, which is going to have to go along for the ride, it doesn't flex at all. Look at it like it is a huge cracker on the house. Any movement at all and it's broke. It is a HIGH maintenance siding in our area. I have told a lot of the national builders that stucco is stupid only to get the deer in the headlights look. Builders are money managers, no intelligence required, otherwise, you wouldn't have stucco here.
I'm going to question your inspection report. If the stucco goes all the way to the frame of the window, how did he determine that there is no window flashing since it would be behind the stucco? Semi irrelevant since the windows leak. So here's the questions, is it a 2 story? How many expansion joints are on the house on the long walls? What is the finish coat on the house- plain paint or does it have a soft feel to to it like a coat of rubber (elastomeric paint)? Stucco does not turn water at all. It must have a sealer on it. There many different types from a slurry like Thoro-seal or an elastomeric coating, assuming this is true stucco and not spray gun crap. If it's spray gun stucco, get out of the contract now. You don't want this house at any price if it's spray gun stucco. The fix is removal and putting up a new type of siding like Hardi-Plank. What subdivision is this house in?
Since you're having Rolands look at the roof, have them look at the stucco. They might be able to take care of it. Otherwise, I'd suggest calling someone like Keller Materials and ask for a stucco specialist. They'll have folks that trade with them that they know do good work and pays their bills.

[Inventurous]

Thanks all for the input!

TrapperL - I'm never offended by an honest and insightful perspective. In fact, you sound much like our inspector when it comes to stucco. He's not a fan either, but then again, we've been shopping for about 18 months and I can't remember a home built after 2000 that isn't all or mostly stucco in the areas we're shopping. Our current home is entirely stucco (Deerfield), and we haven't had issues other than hairlines cracks, but that doesn't mean I disagree. His perspective is that it's fine the 5% of the time it's done right, and he always suggests bringing in some kind of stucco expert to inspect it. New home is located in Shavano if that matters.

With respect to the windows, I may have assumed the stucco is over the frames based on something Samuel's glass had mentioned, or maybe because of the stucco trim around the windows - not sure if that's correct and I'll try to post some photos if I get a chance. The inspection report does state improper and missing flashing, etc. almost throughout. Also, unlike our current home, this new one seems to be lacking expansions joints, but since it's on '03 construction, I'm hoping that any issues would have presented by now.

We'll have to make a call on what to do in the next 24hrs regardless. Hate to walk away since it's the layout and size we've been looking for in one of our preferred neighborhoods and we managed to lock in a great rate from the lender that we might not be able to replicate, but I'm not paying a premium if we're not comfortable with the condition.

[TrapperL]

Yeah, the location makes a difference due to soil variations. Parts of Deerfield are on rock and some on soil. The part of Deerfield towards Blanco Road is mostly on soil even though the topo is extreme. I handled several houses in litigation there and one in particular was a real wreck. The engineer didn't call out the correct fix and I was on a fixed time schedule with the court. Got real crazy on that one.
I've attached a link you need to look at. There are different ways to flash a window. The link shows the, now, most common and there is no metal flashing. This is commonly known as Method B flashing. I do NOT agree with it at all although I've used a modified version of it, my modification. Basically the window is set in a silicone caulk before it's placed in the opening. Then the FortiFiber "flashing" is put on it starting at the bottom and working the way up. That way any water that gets to it will run off and not under it. But here's the issue. From the time the flashing, which is an asphalt based adhesive and subject to our summer heat, gets covered with the siding, whatever that might be, the "flashing" can come loose and literally fall off of the wall. Seen hundreds of houses like that. The mason is not required to replace or repair it and frankly doesn't care, he just wants to get in, get out, and get paid. He's only making peanuts anyway so he doesn't care. Now it's covered up and the potential for it leaking is high. I modify it by running a bead of adhesive caulk around the edge before applying it and then put staples in the caulk line- it isn't going to leak and it isn't coming off.

http://www.fortifiber.com/pdf/instal...g_method_b.pdf

If the windows have a stuccoed trim around them, I'd bet the farm that it's Styrofoam, that's the common material used to build up the trim. If it looks something like this, you need to know it is subject to rot just like wood and any water that gets to it will be there a long time causing issues. The biggest issue I find with this kind of stucco trim is that it still requires caulk at the top and sides ONLY. The painter is supposed to take care of it but 95% of the time it never happens at the top. They do the sides because the super can see it but he can't see the top. It can save the painter several tubes of cheap caulk and some man hours. Remember, the subs building these houses aren't making squat. They are the absolute cheapest the builder can hire.

[Inventurous]

Just to bring this full circle, we ended up walking away from the deal after things got a bit messy. Late seller disclosures combined with some sketchiness combined with warnings from our inspector and repair contractor regarding the lack of stucco weep screeds, lack of flashing, etc. Too bad...it was 1 in 100 as far as layout and location, and we probably won't see such great financing terms again.

Thanks to all who replied!

[Lodestar 77]

So sorry it didn't work out, I "feel" your disappointment! :-( I wish you success in your search for the "right" house/home for you and your family.

[austindoxie1972]

Appreciate the update -- and sorry to hear things didn't work out. On the other hand, it seems that maybe you dodged a bullet with some great inspectors/contractors reviewing the property. Best of luck in the search!

[Azure110]

There is a big house in my neighborhood that is pretty much all stucco. It has been sitting unsold for quite some time now and that is not usually the case with the other homes on the market in my neighborhood which go pretty fast. Not sure if the stucco has anything to do with it being unsold though.