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Why We Are Unhappy
Before I get to the drainage and foundation issues which are the chief complaints, here's some
insight as to why we say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. This is a review of our life in our 1.5 year old Centex
home.
Note: The subflooring issue addressed here is still ongoing. The floor has gradually returned to a
state of hills and valleys. The core issue of the foundation was not addressed and the problem has
returned.
We purchased our Centex home in September 2005. On our final walk-through, we mentioned to
our field manager that the flooring seemed to dip in areas. He assured us the issues would be
resolved. (This is the first time the carpet is pulled up, stretched and retacked).
Shortly after moving in, my husband and I noticed that it felt like were walking uphill in our kitchen.
We told the field manager on several occasions and he dismissed it giving us the feeling that we
were imagining things. We also noticed the upstairs flooring was still not quite right. It actually
seemed worse. We discovered numerous hills and valleys, as we have come to describe them.
Once again, we brought this to the attention of our field manager. He arranged for the flooring
contractor to come correct the problem, again.
Fast forward now nearly a year later. Now the carpet has been pulled up 6 times (stretched, and
retacked 5 times) with contractors and field managers wanting to evaluate the situation and/or for
repair work. (I should also mention the contractor at one time “created” a new seam by cutting the
carpet lengthwise). Also, during that one-year time span, subcontractors have attempted to float the
subflooring, shave the subflooring, and then float it some more (see pics below). ALL 6 times the
contractor moved our furniture and left us with the task of moving the furniture back and cleaning up
the mess they left behind.
With the last evaluation I demanded that they NOT stretch and retack the carpet back down. I told
them to just leave it alone. I had had ENOUGH! This carpet was now so stretched and tacked it was
in lousy condition. My husband asked if new carpet could be provided as this carpet has been
stretched and retacked too many times. The Warranty Office said that replacing the carpet was out
of the question and the best they could do was give us a $500 gift card to Lowe’s. We certainly
would not be able to replace the entire upstairs carpet for $500.
Finally, as a last resort, we wrote a letter to the VP of Centex Homes. Soon after, the Warranty Office
contacted us with a plan. We had to move out of our home. Everything we owned had to be packed,
loaded into a moving truck and stored. We then lived in an apartment for 10 days while our home
underwent repairs.
While we were living in the apartment, Centex replaced the 2nd story subflooring, moved the truss
up and shaved it (we have a sagging ceiling in the master bedroom and master bath areas),
installed crown molding in the master bedroom and master bath to “minimize” the appearance of
the sagging ceiling. They also repaired/refitted/redrywalled/retextured/repainted cracking walls and
doors throughout the house.
We had our household goods delivered back to us and I then had the lovely task of unpacking and
resetting all our household goods where they originally were. A week after moving back in our
home, subcontractors had to be called out again to adjust doors that had JUST BEEN adjusted the
week before at the master bath door, pantry door, front door, and closet door. The pantry door not
only had to be adjusted, but the drywall had to be replaced due to yet ANOTHER crack at the top-
corner and buckling in the center. These types of cracks/buckling are now on nearly EVERY
door/wall area in my home.
We unpacked and settled back in and enjoyed the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. However,
several of our holiday visitors had commented on how they feel like they are walking uphill when
they come in our home. In January, we asked a foundation company to come out for a look. It was
then that we were hit with the news that the front of our home is sitting 3” LOWER than the back of
our home. We were advised to immediately call the Warranty Office for a field manager to come
inspect our home and move forward from there.
In February 2007 Centex had a company come in and take elevations and then had an engineer
evaluate the findings. I was not provided with the elevation findings, only a brief copy of the letter
sent to the field manager saying that I need to keep water away from the foundation and that I need
to water the foundation. WHAT???
I later learned that the engineer/company who filed the report was ALSO the same company that
ENGINEERED the foundation. Another thing I found out much later is that their elevations showed
3.1” difference in my back-to-front measurements. Hmmm…
So, obviously annoyed, I asked the Warranty Office to hire a THIRD PARTY, NON-BIASED
engineering company to evaluate my foundation. In the meantime, I also asked another foundation
company to take elevations just to see what they would find. Now I have 3 companies reporting at
least a 3” drop in the front of my house.
In April 2007, Centex sends another engineering company who I requested be a THIRD PARTY,
NON-BIASED company. They reported that the front is only at a 2.4” drop. They reported that the
foundation is performing as intended. WHAT???
As I was researching some local TRCC reports I stumbled upon a report that shows this engineer
company as the engineers representing Centex in the TRCC report…Hmmm…
Last month (July 2007), we hired our own engineer who confirmed that the front of our home is 3.6”
lower than the back of our home. Oh joy, we are still sinking.
In my research I have found that The American Concrete Institute (ACI) states that the acceptable
construction tolerance for slab-on-grade foundations is 1.5”. The Texas Residential Construction
Commission (TRCC) also recognizes anything over 1.5” to be out of tolerance. I have copies of my
Plat which shows my elevations to be fairly level before framing began.
I also read studies that indicate structural failure occurs when foundations reach an out-of-tolerance
measure of 3.5".
Other Issues
• DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE! June 2006: We lost the use of our backyard and garage for 10
days while contractors busted up our driveway and dug up our yards to install a French Drainage
System, which does not appear to be working. I would also like to add that Centex declared that
maintenance of the French Drainage System would be the responsibility of the Ridge at Willow
Pointe HOA. View Document That means OTHER community homeowners will be paying to
fix/maintain ALL FRENCH DRAINAGE SYSTEMS installed on the North side of Briar Street
(personally, I was hoping to see my dues go to a park or pool for the kids).
Anyway, the subcontractors damaged our 10 x 10 EZ-Up Canopy beyond repair when they
attempted to move it to dig up the yard. We did not complain about the damage, though we should
have.
Our home was cut into a hill. The homes above us do not have proper drainage. Therefore, their
water comes down the grade, over and between our railroad ties and sits in our backyard and
against our foundation. This has been a problem since we moved in NOT a sudden problem with
this season's rain. This has been ONGOING!
• Shower had a hole in the bottom, cracked fiberglass surround and a broken seal that resulted in
water damage to our drywall and moulding. We had asked the Warranty Office to come out several
times as we were going to have 15+ people in the home as family visited. Subcontractors finally
showed up the day my family was arriving and fixed the crack, but then informed us we couldn’t use
the shower for 3 days. As a result of the leaking (pre-repair), we probably have mold now.
Subcontractors have come out 6 times to repair this bathroom wall and it is still uneven and
concave. Of course, I had to clean up after them each time. I have cleaned up more post-work
messes than I can possibly count.
• Dining room window had to be completely replaced because
the sinking foundation had put so much pressure on it that it
would not open (you can see where the
bricks have cracked under pressure in the photo to the right).
When the window contractor arrived to replace it,
he told me it was
a miracle it did not shatter on me when I had tried to open it.
•Retaining walls that are blowing out.
Our home has a retaining wall made of railroad ties. There is a large volume of
water that comes through these railroad ties on a LIGHT rainy day
(Video: The Waterfall)
Elsewhere in the community, Centex has been installing rock
walls in lieu of the railroad ties.
Why?
Probably because the railroad tie walls have been consistently
failing.
What’s Happening Now
While engineer reports show our home has an out-of tolerance foundation, Centex still insists our
home is fine. During our engineer inspection in April, the field manager acknowledged that we had
a huge problem. He even pointed out how spongy the soil was around my foundation by pushing
his foot into the soil and it sank in. He pointed out cracks that were foundation related. He even
recommended that we write to Centex and ask for a new home as a solution to this problem. We
did. I wrote a heartfelt, emotionally exposed letter to the VP of Centex. Centex said NO. I asked for
Pillars and Piers on this home, Centex said NO.
In July 2007, my husband visited the Guadalupe County Appraisal Office. He showed them four
photos of our foundation problems. We lost $47,000 in value on our home. Even if Centex had
agreed to install pillars and piers on our home, we would still lose approximately 20% in value
because, as realtors have assured me, nobody wants a house with foundation issues; even if the
foundation was repaired and has a lifetime warranty. We can’t fix it and we can’t sell it.
Our home has had, and still has, too many troubles to begin to list. We have had subcontractors in
and out of our home to fix problems since BEFORE closing. We closed on the home with complete
faith in Centex; that they would fix the issues that should not even be an issue in a new home. We
were NAIVE.
We have been inconvenienced beyond comprehension. This home is effecting our happiness,
family life and even creating health problems (insomnia and extremely high blood pressure).
Is this the "Exceptional homeownership experience" that Centex raves about on their website?
Before I get to the drainage and foundation issues which are the chief complaints, here's some
insight as to why we say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. This is a review of our life in our 1.5 year old Centex
home.
Note: The subflooring issue addressed here is still ongoing. The floor has gradually returned to a
state of hills and valleys. The core issue of the foundation was not addressed and the problem has
returned.
We purchased our Centex home in September 2005. On our final walk-through, we mentioned to
our field manager that the flooring seemed to dip in areas. He assured us the issues would be
resolved. (This is the first time the carpet is pulled up, stretched and retacked).
Shortly after moving in, my husband and I noticed that it felt like were walking uphill in our kitchen.
We told the field manager on several occasions and he dismissed it giving us the feeling that we
were imagining things. We also noticed the upstairs flooring was still not quite right. It actually
seemed worse. We discovered numerous hills and valleys, as we have come to describe them.
Once again, we brought this to the attention of our field manager. He arranged for the flooring
contractor to come correct the problem, again.
Fast forward now nearly a year later. Now the carpet has been pulled up 6 times (stretched, and
retacked 5 times) with contractors and field managers wanting to evaluate the situation and/or for
repair work. (I should also mention the contractor at one time “created” a new seam by cutting the
carpet lengthwise). Also, during that one-year time span, subcontractors have attempted to float the
subflooring, shave the subflooring, and then float it some more (see pics below). ALL 6 times the
contractor moved our furniture and left us with the task of moving the furniture back and cleaning up
the mess they left behind.
With the last evaluation I demanded that they NOT stretch and retack the carpet back down. I told
them to just leave it alone. I had had ENOUGH! This carpet was now so stretched and tacked it was
in lousy condition. My husband asked if new carpet could be provided as this carpet has been
stretched and retacked too many times. The Warranty Office said that replacing the carpet was out
of the question and the best they could do was give us a $500 gift card to Lowe’s. We certainly
would not be able to replace the entire upstairs carpet for $500.
Finally, as a last resort, we wrote a letter to the VP of Centex Homes. Soon after, the Warranty Office
contacted us with a plan. We had to move out of our home. Everything we owned had to be packed,
loaded into a moving truck and stored. We then lived in an apartment for 10 days while our home
underwent repairs.
While we were living in the apartment, Centex replaced the 2nd story subflooring, moved the truss
up and shaved it (we have a sagging ceiling in the master bedroom and master bath areas),
installed crown molding in the master bedroom and master bath to “minimize” the appearance of
the sagging ceiling. They also repaired/refitted/redrywalled/retextured/repainted cracking walls and
doors throughout the house.
We had our household goods delivered back to us and I then had the lovely task of unpacking and
resetting all our household goods where they originally were. A week after moving back in our
home, subcontractors had to be called out again to adjust doors that had JUST BEEN adjusted the
week before at the master bath door, pantry door, front door, and closet door. The pantry door not
only had to be adjusted, but the drywall had to be replaced due to yet ANOTHER crack at the top-
corner and buckling in the center. These types of cracks/buckling are now on nearly EVERY
door/wall area in my home.
We unpacked and settled back in and enjoyed the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. However,
several of our holiday visitors had commented on how they feel like they are walking uphill when
they come in our home. In January, we asked a foundation company to come out for a look. It was
then that we were hit with the news that the front of our home is sitting 3” LOWER than the back of
our home. We were advised to immediately call the Warranty Office for a field manager to come
inspect our home and move forward from there.
In February 2007 Centex had a company come in and take elevations and then had an engineer
evaluate the findings. I was not provided with the elevation findings, only a brief copy of the letter
sent to the field manager saying that I need to keep water away from the foundation and that I need
to water the foundation. WHAT???
I later learned that the engineer/company who filed the report was ALSO the same company that
ENGINEERED the foundation. Another thing I found out much later is that their elevations showed
3.1” difference in my back-to-front measurements. Hmmm…
So, obviously annoyed, I asked the Warranty Office to hire a THIRD PARTY, NON-BIASED
engineering company to evaluate my foundation. In the meantime, I also asked another foundation
company to take elevations just to see what they would find. Now I have 3 companies reporting at
least a 3” drop in the front of my house.
In April 2007, Centex sends another engineering company who I requested be a THIRD PARTY,
NON-BIASED company. They reported that the front is only at a 2.4” drop. They reported that the
foundation is performing as intended. WHAT???
As I was researching some local TRCC reports I stumbled upon a report that shows this engineer
company as the engineers representing Centex in the TRCC report…Hmmm…
Last month (July 2007), we hired our own engineer who confirmed that the front of our home is 3.6”
lower than the back of our home. Oh joy, we are still sinking.
In my research I have found that The American Concrete Institute (ACI) states that the acceptable
construction tolerance for slab-on-grade foundations is 1.5”. The Texas Residential Construction
Commission (TRCC) also recognizes anything over 1.5” to be out of tolerance. I have copies of my
Plat which shows my elevations to be fairly level before framing began.
I also read studies that indicate structural failure occurs when foundations reach an out-of-tolerance
measure of 3.5".
Other Issues
• DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE, DRAINAGE! June 2006: We lost the use of our backyard and garage for 10
days while contractors busted up our driveway and dug up our yards to install a French Drainage
System, which does not appear to be working. I would also like to add that Centex declared that
maintenance of the French Drainage System would be the responsibility of the Ridge at Willow
Pointe HOA. View Document That means OTHER community homeowners will be paying to
fix/maintain ALL FRENCH DRAINAGE SYSTEMS installed on the North side of Briar Street
(personally, I was hoping to see my dues go to a park or pool for the kids).
Anyway, the subcontractors damaged our 10 x 10 EZ-Up Canopy beyond repair when they
attempted to move it to dig up the yard. We did not complain about the damage, though we should
have.
Our home was cut into a hill. The homes above us do not have proper drainage. Therefore, their
water comes down the grade, over and between our railroad ties and sits in our backyard and
against our foundation. This has been a problem since we moved in NOT a sudden problem with
this season's rain. This has been ONGOING!
• Shower had a hole in the bottom, cracked fiberglass surround and a broken seal that resulted in
water damage to our drywall and moulding. We had asked the Warranty Office to come out several
times as we were going to have 15+ people in the home as family visited. Subcontractors finally
showed up the day my family was arriving and fixed the crack, but then informed us we couldn’t use
the shower for 3 days. As a result of the leaking (pre-repair), we probably have mold now.
Subcontractors have come out 6 times to repair this bathroom wall and it is still uneven and
concave. Of course, I had to clean up after them each time. I have cleaned up more post-work
messes than I can possibly count.
• Dining room window had to be completely replaced because
the sinking foundation had put so much pressure on it that it
would not open (you can see where the
bricks have cracked under pressure in the photo to the right).
When the window contractor arrived to replace it,
he told me it was
a miracle it did not shatter on me when I had tried to open it.
•Retaining walls that are blowing out.
Our home has a retaining wall made of railroad ties. There is a large volume of
water that comes through these railroad ties on a LIGHT rainy day
(Video: The Waterfall)
Elsewhere in the community, Centex has been installing rock
walls in lieu of the railroad ties.
Why?
Probably because the railroad tie walls have been consistently
failing.
What’s Happening Now
While engineer reports show our home has an out-of tolerance foundation, Centex still insists our
home is fine. During our engineer inspection in April, the field manager acknowledged that we had
a huge problem. He even pointed out how spongy the soil was around my foundation by pushing
his foot into the soil and it sank in. He pointed out cracks that were foundation related. He even
recommended that we write to Centex and ask for a new home as a solution to this problem. We
did. I wrote a heartfelt, emotionally exposed letter to the VP of Centex. Centex said NO. I asked for
Pillars and Piers on this home, Centex said NO.
In July 2007, my husband visited the Guadalupe County Appraisal Office. He showed them four
photos of our foundation problems. We lost $47,000 in value on our home. Even if Centex had
agreed to install pillars and piers on our home, we would still lose approximately 20% in value
because, as realtors have assured me, nobody wants a house with foundation issues; even if the
foundation was repaired and has a lifetime warranty. We can’t fix it and we can’t sell it.
Our home has had, and still has, too many troubles to begin to list. We have had subcontractors in
and out of our home to fix problems since BEFORE closing. We closed on the home with complete
faith in Centex; that they would fix the issues that should not even be an issue in a new home. We
were NAIVE.
We have been inconvenienced beyond comprehension. This home is effecting our happiness,
family life and even creating health problems (insomnia and extremely high blood pressure).
Is this the "Exceptional homeownership experience" that Centex raves about on their website?
House 1 Videos:
The Bowling Ball
Test
The Waterfall
The Bowling Ball
Test
The Waterfall
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