We have had ongoing problems with the shower in our master bathroom since the day we moved in. 1st) a leak from a pipe in the wall. 2nd) Shower floor grout breaking up and popping out. 3rd) Caulking needing repair & replacement, house was only 6mths old. The above items were “fixed” by the builder’s site service person. Leak repair was prompt. The rest was like pulling teeth. Now our home is just over two years old and we are stuck with paying thousands of dollars to rip apart our master bathroom. The first sign of trouble was the caulking having to be replaced constantly, then the grout on the shower floor breaking up again and finally floor tiles and lower wall tiles popping off. After closer inspection we found that the wall board behind the tile was soaked and the hardpack base was crumbly and wet. We decided to remove more tiles to see just how bad it was. IT WAS BAD! We had to rip out the entire shower to the studs. Found the early stages of MOLD, dripping vapour barrier and water stained subfloor under the showers rubber liner. Water had been collecting at the bottom of the shower behind and under the tile and then sucked up (wicking) by the wall board behind eventually saturating the wall board behind the tile and then working its way back down. Since we could not find any tile to match the other tile in the bathroom we have had to replace ALL tile. This situation is the result of poor workmen ship, low quality products and service men who the builder thinks can fix everything and anything. This time a PROFESSIONAL will be completing the job with quality products. It is time that the building code be moved into this century and force these thieving homebuilders to stop building homes with inferior products and ancient practices. We also need much more strict inspectors on site. Mike Holmes is so right. Have any home you are buying new or resale inspected. We have heard from others that Mason Homes is making cuts where than can to save money. I.e.) going to minimum code for stud spacing. (increasing stud spacing from 16 inches oc to 24 inches oc is structurally acceptable and accepted by the building code) YIKES!
- Approximate cost of services:
- $312,000.00
- What could this company do to improve their services?
- Build above and beyond the Ontario building code and inspect the work their trades do.
- Any advice to offer fellow homeowners facing a similar project?
- Check out any home builder, do your homework. Have a home inspection done.