Post-Post-Settlement Inspection

The post below has been in my drafts for a while.  I still haven't submitted my survey and plan to do so honestly in the next week.  I have more I want to do with this blog, but here is the "airing out" from the last list.  This was all over a month ago, so outside of what's already typed I haven't added much.

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So, the PM came and brought a young guy along with him that works for a general contractor.  The guy spent most of the day addressing various items on our list.

The PM walked in and saw our blue tape marking the drywall imperfections and went "Whoa!"  He explained that they'd take care of any workmanship issues that are visible in natural light from 4-5ft away, but nothing else.  That set the tone for some of the meeting and I explained that a majority of the spots we marked fall into his criteria.

See below for a list:

-Cracked white stair banister to be replaced.
The banister was replaced, but the replacement is not a perfect match.  It isn't noticeable unless you're looking for it, but the top of the spindle is wider than all of the others.  Even after the second painter (see below) was in, they did not stain around the base of this where the old one used to touch. 

-The floodlight above the garage needs some work.  It doesn't detect daylight properly to stay off and the motion sensor only works when around 6-8ft in front of the garage.  Anything closer or further and the light does not engage.  The unit cycles itself on and off regularly and this likely caused the failure of the initial bulbs in the unit.  We replaced the bulbs, but have not been able to solve whatever issues there are with the sensor.
This item was taken care of. The light was never taken out of factory test / store display mode when it was installed.  It now works properly (after we bought new bulbs to replace the originals that had blown from being left in test).

-Haven't received paint touch up kit.
We received the kit.

-The basement stair paint touch up wasn't done (mentioned to painter at pre-settlement).
WAS NOT COMPLETED.  The painter was a jerk and couldn't stop talking crap about the PM.  He said he was told there was only a few items at our house and he slipped away as soon as he could, having only addressed about 2/3 of the items he was supposed to.  I let the PM know in no uncertain terms that the original painter was disrespectful, rude, and did shoddy work.  I told them he would not be allowed in our home again. The PM set us up with the service painter that typically does the 1yr drywall reviews.  These guys were great and attentive.  They took their time and ensured they asked along the way if everything was satisfactory.  This stair paint was left incomplete even after second painter came in, but it was a minor item and I'm not mad about it.

-The railing going into the basement makes a very loud creaking sound when any weight is applied.  Seems to be coming from the mounting bracket in the center of the rail.
Fixed by adding additional railing brackets.

-The wood railings going upstairs are very rough. Enough to scratch hands in places. Sand/poly?
Another item not done by the original painter...  The second guys sanded and cleaned these up.  They are great now.

-The walls at the sides of the master bath shower door don't look to have been touched up.  Blemishes don't show with only vanity lights, but in sunlight or brighter lights they are very rough.
These areas were skimmed and repainted.  Unfortunately the painter is awful at his job and it looked better before he covered the grout unevenly in paint where the wall meets the shower door.  The second painter addressed this and cut in a nice even line.

-Both of the shower heads in the master bathroom leak from the fitting where the head itself meets the arm.  They visibly spray water back onto the tile behind them and also drip water down at a steady rate from the bottom of the fitting.
Plumber tightened them.  All set.

-The carpet tack strip where the master bedroom transitions to the master bathroom tile needs adjustment (padding?).  The tack strip comes through the carpet completely in this doorway and has cut a foot open.  The spikes are visible in the carpet when looking in this area.
This item was interesting.  The "official" reply according to PM is "don't walk on it."  When that was obviously unsatisfactory, they hit the area with a hammer to dull and bend the tacks.  Problem solved.

-The garage door track isn't properly aligned where the primary upright meets the curved section (both sides).  It looks to have risen slightly when concrete was installed (I remember it opening smoothly, like the rear garage door still does, before the concrete was poured).  Door opens very rough because of this.
Some sockets and a hammer solved this.  The garage door installers bent the rails back into place and now everything is smooth.  (Update:  the garage door track still isn't perfect, but it is easily solved with some bracing we planned to install for shelving anyway).

-The pantry doors receivers, mounted to the door casing, are not aligned causing the doors to not close flush. Same issue in northwest bedroom (only bed with double doors).
Fixed.

-The HVAC doesn't keep within 3 degrees.  Temperature upstairs is 8-11 degrees hotter than thermostat temp downstairs.
Still in process, but mostly resolved.  We opened up the upstairs dampers and closed some of the downstairs.  There is still some balancing to be done but I will focus in on that once we have some additional time.  The house is much more comfortable now.

-The HVAC setup whistles from the cold air return on the first floor.  It is quite loud and is an unpleasant frequency.  It is much louder in the great room/kitchen area than it is in the basement standing next to the unit, so it seems to be caused by the air movement and something that could be adjusted?
The position of the grill covering the cold air return was causing this.  The airflow around the fins was acting like a reed. The installer flipped the grill in all directions and we chose the one that was most quiet.  That said, with the grill removed the system is completely silent.  We'll be looking into other grill options that can quiet this area down.  Maybe something with a flat front and larger holes?  Not too concerned with the aesthetics.

-The metal doors (front, mud room, and back yard) all have paint that is bubbling and peeling off.
The painter told us he's never seen this before and asked how it happened.  He was attempting to blame us and he only partially addressed these.  The second painter did a great job sanding and blending these in.

-The garage/mud room door hinge springs may not be tight enough?  Door doesn't always shut itself.
The door was deemed to be closing properly.

-Free fertilization.  Could you provide more details on that?  Do they just come out and walk the lawn with a spreader and fertilizer or is this something more?  We planned to call and set this up in September.
Didn't have much info.  Was told to call and that it was dependent on the time of year.  I signed up with Carefree Lawn Care and have not called the original landscaping company as they haven't done a great job around the neighborhood.  I really wish they had used a bit better seed...

-What brand/style are the towel rods?  We want to know to order matching hand towel holders and other bathroom accessories.
One word: Kinsley.  That is all they have for me.  I did a quick search and didn't find anything.  I do have the contact number for the supplier they use, though.

-The hot water heater blower is very loud when engaged.  Is this normal?  It can be heard from anywhere in the house.  Would rubber isolation mounts help?
Everyone thought I was crazy on this.  The plumber went down with me and we noticed that the PVC vent pipe was resting against a joist.  We pulled the pipe up half an inch off the joist and... near silence!  For now we put some insulation between the pipe and the joist.  I'll find a permanent solution in the future.  Now it doesn't sound like an earthquake when the water heater is running!

-Scratched faucet handle in kitchen not replaced from pre-settlement.
Plumber swapped this without issue.

-The upstairs bath (not master) has white material mixed in the grout all over the room.  Not sure what it is, but it seems to be mixed in as we tried to wash the floors and it didn't come up.
The assumption was that this was from sanding joint compound.  It was removed by scratching out with a fingernail.  Glad it wasn't my nail.