LeakyGarage
Member
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2014
- Messages
- 10
I had a garage built a little over a year ago. I'm not posting as my current user id to keep the exact company name out of it at this time. The basic specs on this garage are roughly 32x80x13. This is a metal garage that is 10' tall on top of a block wall that is approximately 3' tall. One company did/supplied everything for the build. This means from demolition of old site/concrete to completely new slab to completed metal garage with insulation, 8 2x3 windows, 1 man door and one 10x10 roll up door. Inside was not finished.
Several months after competition I noticed the building was leaking around the seam where the concrete meets the bottom of the building. This leaking is still going on today. The company has been contacted by phone and email numerous times. Most of the time I get “someone will be there tomorrow at 7am”. No one shows up. This has happened about 4-5 times. About 3-4 times, someone has shown up. They have covered the windows with caulk (did nothing to help). They have caulked the seams around the bottom of the building (did seem to help one area that no longer leaks). They have trimmed insulation around the bottom edge stating that is could be wicking water up into the inside from it (this is also the same area that no longer leaks). Sometimes one side of the building leaks during a rain but not the other, then the next rain the opposite side leaks. The back wall has never leaked and the front is covered.
Today the owner comes over again to look. Almost as soon as we start talking he says “I don't know what to do, if I can't fix it I'll just give you your money back and come and take it back”. I have paid 50% upon completion last year with 5yrs of payments setup. I have now paid 1 year of those, so 4 years left. About 2 months ago I told him that I was not paying anymore payments until it was fixed. This was after contacting him and being told again that someone would be there the next morning and it took 29 days for someone to show up and caulk some more.
I contacted the owner in writing last time that I did not want more caulk just covering everything that I wanted a permanent solution. Too which he never replied. My concern is not the money I have spent on the building if he wants to walk away, it is the THOUSANDS I have spent on the inside. This includes: wiring the complete garage (minus lighting), sealing the floor, painting/waterproofing the block wall, installing 3/4” plywood walls, additional insulation. I owe about $15k on the rest of the building. I have put over $7k into the building that would be completely lost if they refund my money and come get the building as is. This does not include any labor that I have put into it because I have done everything myself. Would I be able to make them pay me back for that also? Everything I installed would be worthless now. Plywood is cut and hung, electrical is cut mounted and operational. I don't want them to go this route but I don't want a building that leaks either. What about my garage they tore down, concrete slab they removed and the tree they cut down to install this garage. I don't think they can make us whole again or back to square one if they wanted to.
This also comes with the fact that I have not even mentioned to them the numerous cracks that have appeared in the concrete. I also have a few places where the clock wall cracks from the top to the bottom straight thru the middles of some of the blocks. I'll try to include pics of them because to me they aren't that bad, but I am no expert. They are bigger than hairline but they haven't seemed to get bigger in a year now, just more of them show up. Concrete is 4” 4000psi as was independently test as such. All items were done with permits, inspections and a written contract for payments. Everything is on the up and up. Nothing shady about any of it at this point. I don't believe they have spent 10 man hours working on my leaking since this started. That does not seem excessive to me at all for an almost $45k investment.
Today before leaving I asked the owner again about removing the bottom trim piece, removing 2 rows of bolts and installing a 12” flashing around the entire perimeter of the garage and he said “if the trim comes off I'll just take the building back and give you your money back”. This honestly seems like a ½ day job for 2 guys to do and maybe $100 in materials. I have no idea why he is going to this extreme so fast. These are the only calls I have made to them and all payments up until stopping them were on time and no issues either.
What would you recommend? What do you think of the pics? Any specific pics or info needed to help answer questions? I'm worried about wood damage and the hidden damage from possible rust.
Thanks
Leaky
Several months after competition I noticed the building was leaking around the seam where the concrete meets the bottom of the building. This leaking is still going on today. The company has been contacted by phone and email numerous times. Most of the time I get “someone will be there tomorrow at 7am”. No one shows up. This has happened about 4-5 times. About 3-4 times, someone has shown up. They have covered the windows with caulk (did nothing to help). They have caulked the seams around the bottom of the building (did seem to help one area that no longer leaks). They have trimmed insulation around the bottom edge stating that is could be wicking water up into the inside from it (this is also the same area that no longer leaks). Sometimes one side of the building leaks during a rain but not the other, then the next rain the opposite side leaks. The back wall has never leaked and the front is covered.
Today the owner comes over again to look. Almost as soon as we start talking he says “I don't know what to do, if I can't fix it I'll just give you your money back and come and take it back”. I have paid 50% upon completion last year with 5yrs of payments setup. I have now paid 1 year of those, so 4 years left. About 2 months ago I told him that I was not paying anymore payments until it was fixed. This was after contacting him and being told again that someone would be there the next morning and it took 29 days for someone to show up and caulk some more.
I contacted the owner in writing last time that I did not want more caulk just covering everything that I wanted a permanent solution. Too which he never replied. My concern is not the money I have spent on the building if he wants to walk away, it is the THOUSANDS I have spent on the inside. This includes: wiring the complete garage (minus lighting), sealing the floor, painting/waterproofing the block wall, installing 3/4” plywood walls, additional insulation. I owe about $15k on the rest of the building. I have put over $7k into the building that would be completely lost if they refund my money and come get the building as is. This does not include any labor that I have put into it because I have done everything myself. Would I be able to make them pay me back for that also? Everything I installed would be worthless now. Plywood is cut and hung, electrical is cut mounted and operational. I don't want them to go this route but I don't want a building that leaks either. What about my garage they tore down, concrete slab they removed and the tree they cut down to install this garage. I don't think they can make us whole again or back to square one if they wanted to.
This also comes with the fact that I have not even mentioned to them the numerous cracks that have appeared in the concrete. I also have a few places where the clock wall cracks from the top to the bottom straight thru the middles of some of the blocks. I'll try to include pics of them because to me they aren't that bad, but I am no expert. They are bigger than hairline but they haven't seemed to get bigger in a year now, just more of them show up. Concrete is 4” 4000psi as was independently test as such. All items were done with permits, inspections and a written contract for payments. Everything is on the up and up. Nothing shady about any of it at this point. I don't believe they have spent 10 man hours working on my leaking since this started. That does not seem excessive to me at all for an almost $45k investment.
Today before leaving I asked the owner again about removing the bottom trim piece, removing 2 rows of bolts and installing a 12” flashing around the entire perimeter of the garage and he said “if the trim comes off I'll just take the building back and give you your money back”. This honestly seems like a ½ day job for 2 guys to do and maybe $100 in materials. I have no idea why he is going to this extreme so fast. These are the only calls I have made to them and all payments up until stopping them were on time and no issues either.
What would you recommend? What do you think of the pics? Any specific pics or info needed to help answer questions? I'm worried about wood damage and the hidden damage from possible rust.
Thanks
Leaky
Attachments
Last edited:
