19 replies to this topic

[parklady]

Has anyone else had problems with stucco on their Forecast home - early fading, etc? Any results or cures?

[Terry]

How old is your home? What expectations do you have for stucco?

[Not a Folsom Snob]

I have a Forecast home (3+ years old)and I've noticed homes located off McAdoo (Brock, Mallard, Pintail & Donnelly Circles) fading and/or the paint not applied properly. We are in the final phase of these homes and I haven't notice any on our street with the early fading/paint problem but we've had continued problems with the windows. I've had over 20 window panels replaced and many of those replacements have had to be replaced. It's good that the windows have a 10 year warranty.

[NRB]

I live on Mallard and haven't noticed any problems with the stucco. My home is almost 4 years old now. We've had a roof leak and a pipe leak (that took two years to locate) that had to be fixed and the metal straps on all of the rounded corners inside have popped through the texturing. We also had some plastic parts replaced under the sinks because apparently some people had problems with flooding but they were replaced before any damage was done. Haven't had any problems with our windows either but have quite a few neighbors who have. I'll keep an eye on the stucco now that you have brought it up.

[Susan&Rich]

Dear NOT A FOLSOM SNOB,

We have lived in our house almost four years. We also have problems with our windows being defective, about ten, including our sliding door. At first, we thought the windows needed cleaning and then heard about other neighbors having windows replaced. By that time, it was beyond the Forecast one-year warranty program.

When we contacted Forecast and the window vendor, we were advised that the windows were no charge but the installation was at our own expense.

Could U tell me what happened with your process? Who was your contact at Forecast? Which window vendor? I'm curious since three neighbors on Pintail Circle filed, two of them were not charged, and the third was charged for installation.

I know about the ten-year warranty but not sure who should be picking up the installation cost.

Thanks in advance.

Susan

[tami]

We are purchasing a home in Willowmere Subdivision (I think) does anyone know if those are Forecast Homes? If so has anyone had any problems with windows in that subdivision?

Tami

[Terry]

Absolutely stucco should not need painting (if the job was done right in the first place) for at least 10 years. I don't know what your home warranty is like but I'd be pursuing corrective action.

[parklady]

Susan and Rich - I think we are all getting the runaround. I've also had windows replaced and I was told that the windows were covered for 5 years, but I know better than that. There are many defective windows throughout Forecast homes in Willow Springs, but many homeowners do not look for them or know what to look for. Some homeowners only look for leaks. (The Kaufman and Broad homes seem to have that issue from what I have heard.) But these are instead broken seals which affect insulation, giving the look of paint streaks or shading that cannot be wiped away. They will tell you that happens because of the extreme heat. (???) I get the impression that Forecast is trying to save themselves some money because they would have a significant expense and exposure if all the homeowners came forward. More homeowners should exercise their rights to have their new construction free of major defects (including windows) for 10 years. I see so many issues that people just overlook that will eventually turn around in 10-20 years to be a real nghtmare - like drainage issues (another Forecast weakness). I think there are a lot of homeowners that give up after the first year discovery period. My windows as well as others I know of were replaced at Forecast's expense. I would definitely insist on it. One thing I know for sure - my next home will not be a Forecast.

[john]

Regarding K&B homes having leaks, I can tell you first hand we had to go throught that. They had to tear out a huge chunk of our wall because it was leaking so bad and re-stucco the entire side of the house. It's fine now, I guess that's why you have a warranty on your stucco (it was a stucco thing, there was some sort of leak in the paper on the side of the house).

[Susan&Rich]

Dear Park Lady,

Thanks for additional info on the defective windows. We agree that Forecast is not being honest, or consistent, on their handling of the window replacements. When Alliance Windows came out to measure our windows, they felt some of the windows (which looked defective to us) did not fit into their idea of needing replacements. Then, they advised us that Forecast would need to approve the installation, since we did not feel we should pay for windows with a ten-year warranty. We have not resolved this issue to date. Now we will pursue with more determination. Perhaps, Forecast has not become aware of the communication power of WS and Folsom residents. Will keep everyone posted on progress.

BTW, we checked the exterior of our house and saw no stucco problems. Only thing visible would be paint fading in some areas. We did talk with our neighbor across the street from us. He had some problems with the inside of his living room where a wall was replaced due to a large gap. In conjunction to this repair, the stucco on the outside of the living room was replaced. This happened about two years ago.

SusanandRich

[john]

It's also important to note that we originally thought it was a window leak... then we thought it was a burst pipe from the bathroom upstairs (egads!), and when they tore it all out, they realized the culprit was a tear in the insulation (under the stucco). Just food for thought... it's not always as evident as it may seem.

[parklady]

Susan and Rich -
You mentioned you noticed fading paint on your home. That is the appearance at the start. Then it will fade to a gray to chalky white and all appearance of the paint luster will be gone. It is actually the paint film deteriorating from the bad stucco. It's a combination of a bad stucco job (poor curing) and most likely no primer under the paint topcoat. The minerals or salts in the stucco are eating away at the paint layer. It is not acceptable to have to worry about paint on stucco for 7-10 years or more. And if a stucco job is done right, your should get 50+ years out of it. Forecast will try to tell you it's "natural effervescence" and temperature and climactic conditions. No - it's shoddy and inferior work and we should not accept it. As for the windows - check to see who installed yours - was it Pacific? They installed most of the windows in Willow Springs and were found to have had a very large batch of windows installed that were manufactuered with defective sealant. It is possible that Forecast is only bringing in Alliance to correct the problem because of the problems they have had with Pacific. I would insist on full repair on their nickel - those are your consumer rights for this type of defect. Good luck!

[Susan&Rich]

Dear Park Lady,

Forecast told us that Alliance installed our windows but who knows what is the truth anymore. Haven't had a chance to F/U but it's on our top priority list to get some answers. We agree that many of us homeowners don't feel they have the right to demand more from Forecast. And, unfortunately, many of our neighbors don't even think they have a problem. We have passed the word around our street to enlighten our neighbors to look out for potential problems with windows, and now stucco. Thanks for telling us about the fading paint. We'll take another look this weekend to see if we have anything else that needs addressing. We are so appreciative of this Willow Springs networking. Otherwise, some of us would be operating without a net. Thanks.

Susan and Rich

[parklady]

Susan and Rich - Another common problem is window leaks - many of my neighbors in Forecast homes have them. First thing to look for is of course paint filling the seep holes. You can clear these out with a small screwdriver. Next possibility is bad paper jobs underneath the stucco. It may start as moisture in the tracks, but if you notice after clearing the seep holes, water still comes pouring in and runs down your walls, definitely do something about. Forecast will tell it's normal in a heavy rain - NOT! - You should never have moisture leaking into your home under any circumstances. Oh joy!

[Susan&Rich]

Dear Park Lady,

Thanks again for additional info about window leaks. Luckily, we don't have that particular problem. However, we noticed there's condensation with some of our windows in the front of the house (this side gets sun all day). We have sunscreens so not sure if they are creating the problem or that's related to defective window/sealant problem. Anyway, been trading phone calls with Forecast so haven't talked "live" about who will be paiding for the installation, etc.

Also for the stucco/fading paint, we haven't seen anything that looks like what U are describing. But now, we know what we should be considering as we do ongoing checkups.

We're learning to be more proactive homeowners. Thanks for all your help.

Susan and Rich