photos added 3/11/08



submitted 9/14/07

Good morning.

Yesterday, the building inspector and air condition inspector arrived in the morning. The building inspector was James Megens. I never got a card from the A/C inspector, CASA Mechanicals, or wrote his name down. Nobody came to take care of the floor in the bathroom.

Please forward me a copy of the inspection list used to record the findings of Mr. Megens (Foster Inspections).

Regarding the A/C inspection:

I am not pleased with the way he inspected. Obviously, yesterday morning was a cool day. It seemed as though he was inspecting upon the way he felt when he walked in the house, instead of using accurate measurement processes. I'm not an A/C installer, although I am a Technical Account Manager for a large company. I have been onsite and inspected the air flow in Data Centers that use large industrial size cooling units to maintain a constant temperature of 74 degrees inside these rooms. We used digital accurate thermometers and placed them in several areas to gauge which zones are not getting the correct air flow that moves the cool air around specific known hot points (common problem areas). I did not see anything of those methods with your technician.

The test actions he used were: checking with his hand by the output vents (common sense and physical law is that feeling sensation varies according to the moisture on the hands, and in the air of the atmosphere), checking the freon level in the exterior AC unit, and checking the type of filters I use. No air meter appeared during the inspection to test the correct airflow from the vents in question. I try several times to explain him that the problem is the airflow more than the cooling. It seems to be some kind of blockage in certain rooms. This is my first complaint. My second complaint is how he discounted and rationalized every description I offered as being meaningless.

The first thing I said to him was that the temperature in each room is totally different, and the type of coolness and wind velocity coming out of each vent are not the same. I explained to him that my major problem is the cool airflow in the master bedroom overall, which is not cool at all. Then I explained that when I move the temp down a couple of degrees to cool off the home, it takes a long time before the temp gauge recognizes that the home is cooler. I explained that the gauge is in the hallway, and there is no cooling vents there. I don't live in the hallway. I continued, the coolness in my master bedroom is never cool enough and proportional to the temperature in other areas. Moreover, when I set the temp for 74, the A/C stays on constantly and the home will become cooler, but the master bedroom will not be in proportion to the rest of the house. I explained that I have tried different filters, shutting doors, shutting some vents and leaving others open and then reopening them. The change only occurred when I placed ceiling fans in the house and not even then in the master bedroom. He even discounted my solutions by saying that won't change anything. From his opinions fans don't improve coolness sensation. It seems to me he escaped the classes on mechanical convection in school...

His responses in my opinion were very subjective and "feeling" oriented. His responses insulted my intelligence. In my opinion his method of inspection was lazy and very inaccurate. He did not go up in the attic or use any measurement tools to check for air flow or leakage. When I explained that the master bedroom seems to never get any cooler during the day or night, he asked if I shut the door. Yes, I do during the night. He explained, that's the reason! "It builds up humidity". My wife replied, then why have doors that you cannot use them. I felt almost all his responses were contradictory and dismissive like open the doors or better leave them closed.

As I recall all of his responses to our questions regarding why it takes too long for the gauge in the hallway to recognize that the home gets any cooler at all (and other questions) were:

"I thought you told me the home does not get any cooler…. Now you are telling me conflicting stories….(obviously it will sound conflictive if you are not paying attention) The gauge is in the right location because it's by the input vent…even though you don't have an output vent in the hallway, that's the last place to get cooler and you would not want it to turn off before the home gets completely cool….the home will never get to 74 degrees on a 100 degree day the A/C is not built for that…. A stronger fan unit would only cause more internal humidity and that would produce mold in the home…

In summary, we have several problems with the A/C. Different coolness profiles in different parts of the home, temperature gauge placed in a not living area, and airflow blockages. Principal bedroom does not get cool when the rest of the house is cool enough, making us run the A/C unit at lower sets during long periods (with all the increased utility repercussions). Thus, the unit is not working coherently where people is expected to spend most of their time at home. Using my "own hand measurement technique" of your expert, it is clear that airflow is minimal in the master bedroom when compared to other rooms. Despite putting a ceiling fan to help with the problem, plus one floor fan, which run almost all day. How is it possible that we have visited other newer Lennar homes in Hutto with similar square footage to ours, and there, it does not seem impossible to have a cool home?

Charles Fain

Update: 10-9-2007

On Sunday I entered my attic to check around on my own. I noticed several things that need a resolution. I have outlined those below. Regarding the excessive nail popping and uneven ceiling levels caused by truss installation, I will provide my thoughts. I previously heard an explanation for the popping nails as being part normal foundation or wood settling. I understand that this has not been the explanation that has been provided to me at this time. I believe that the current communication between Lennar and me has not been that unsound, although I would like to present my counter argument to avoid that explanation being provided to me in the future. If the nail popping is considered normal, I would also see the same type of nail popping in all areas of the home to include the attic. So, I hope that the structural engineer that recently inspected my home does not provide a conclusion that is states that this is only a cosmetic issue.

Below are areas that have not been repaired or inspected:

• Master bathroom vinyl flooring is peeling from the edges of the floor

Below are attic construction areas of further concern:

• Attic wood in certain areas are cracked, damaged, or structurally unsound
• Plastic or insulation pieces around the trim of the attic have fallen off or were never attached correctly
• Structural integrity of roof using 2 by 3 pieces instead of 2 by 4 wood measurements
• Insulation is not evenly filled at the required 12 inch levels
• The garage has no insulation at all
• I noticed that many pieces of the wood is severely cracked, damaged, and not in sound structural form
• Plastic pieces on the surrounding edges of the attic are falling off or never were installed correctly
• One of your original installers wrote graffiti on a 2 by 4
• An attic door was never installed and is pushing an enormous of hot air/cold air into the home

Here is a list of new areas that need inspection and repair:

• I would also like to have the carpet removed to inspect the foundation for cracks.
• Kitchen counter top is warping
• Driveway crack across entire section

Respectfully,
Charles Fain
207 Rinehardt