I need your home building expertise

[Rigo]

Understood CX. I wish I would have made my house bigger like it was supposed to be. I cheaped out and made the architect shrink it. The original plan was about 200 ft bigger. I'll keep y'all updated as time goes by. I have have some benches in the the showers that are something I've never seen before. Maybe make another thread on that later on. They are metal and fastened to the studs.

[makethatkerdistick]

On the upside, that is 200 fewer sqf. to heat and cool. I always wished my house had an extra 200 sqf, but I have come to terms with it.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

I’m very interested in the architect’s response to the builders explanation.

[Rigo]

I just got off the phone with the Architect and he was a lil upset. He told me that he's designed hundreds of homes with that type of roof. He also said that yes maybe it would have been problematic but there would have been a solution to it so it wouldn't leak. He said it was 100 percent the framers fault for not bringing it up and asking for help. He said the framer probably just wanted to do it the easiest way possible since he didn't know what he was doing.

The architect said he has designed many homes for my builder and Im the first to ever have this issue with his plans or this problem. Im gonna keep it for now, even though I should make him tear it down. Again, my wife likes it and she's the boss

[Tool Guy - Kg]

Please encourage your wife to read my post.

I think many of us were expecting your architect to say just that. Here at the JB Forum, we want you to get the best possible advice. For most people, building a house is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. In a fantasy world, it's a magical, joyous experience. In reality, it takes a fair amount of endurance and pain you were hoping to avoid. We are rooting for you and the wife to get what you want...what you really, really want. Even if we have to encourage you to experience some temporary pain to get there.

When it comes to design, it's helpful to talk things out. It's nice to point out how certain features, such as shapes or colors, compliment or contrast each other. Identifying relationships like this can add clarity and conviction to how you "feel" about a design. In that spirit, I'll say the following in an effort to help you and your wife come to either: firmer grips with your current decision to keep the roof as-is, or to help you see something new. And so...

I think the roof, as designed, is very attractive. The amount of 'movement' from the number of ridge lines and valleys that make up the roof is well balanced with the amount of features going on with the face of the house and variety of window shapes. Also, there's 7 forward-facing roof facets and 5 forward-facing siding facets. It's a relatively common design 'rule' that odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye than even numbers. (Talk to your architect about this and I'm sure he will say the same.) Altogether, I think it's a very attractive house design with lots of curb appeal.

I think the roof, as built, looks like someone forgot to do something. There isn't enough "going on" with the roof in comparison with the face of the house it sits atop. It feels unbalanced. Not obviously so. But unbalanced. The roof design feels too "light", to my eye. As it stands, you've got 6 forward-facing roof facets...that even number identifies one reason, to me, my feeling why something doesn't quite feel right with the roof.

I think it's obvious what some of us are encouraging you guys to do, but we realize it's your house and your decision. We've been involved in a lot of projects, so we can offer hindsight that may contribute to this discussion. We've seen the regret of homeowners from previous projects from decades past...and some of our remodeling projects are to fix those past regrets. We know what it costs to change things in the future and the cost is rather high. If you stay with what you've got and regret it later, the cost will be too high to fix it. I'm trying to impress upon you that, no matter what, you still have a very easy "fork" in the road in front of you....it's not in your "rear-view mirror", unless you and the wife desire it to be. I wish you guys the best.

[cx]

Rigo, I don't always agree with ol' Goldstein, but I do on this one. Pretty much to the letter.

I built only one new house for a couple who had been through the experience before. The previous experience was not a happy one. The site was a bit difficult, the location rather remote, the plan they brought me could be made to fit, but needed to be made to fit. It was not the easiest situation and they were predisposed to be disappointed. We managed to make them happy customers by listening to their desires and their comments during construction when things progressed such that they could see just what they were building and began to have the "couldn't we do this" thoughts and comments. We are friends to this day and I have even done some remodeling of the house 25 years later. Good experience all around, and educational for me, for sure.

It's important that your builder be on the ball all the time and listen to you. You're paying him. Probably paying him well. Sometimes he actually can't reasonably do what you want, but in cases where he didn't do what he knew you wanted and agreed to do, there is just no excuse for his not immediately making that situation right. If he's not aware of that obligation, you really do have a problem.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Rigo]

I tried guy's, but she's stuck on liking the simplicity of the roof. Bubba, you are 100% correct on the curb appeal. CX im like your clients, I am use to bad luck, heartache and grief in life. The only thing I have is patience. My wife is bipolar and my son is 11 with autism. Sorry probably too much information. I knew from the start what you guy's were wanting me to do. Im gonna keep moving forward and hope it comes out nice. I know in my heart you guy's just want the best for us and I appreciate that so much.

[PhilWA]

I agree with these other guys about the architect's plan looking better than this end result. This would be my worst nightmare, and you seem to be taking it in stride far better than I would.

As a far-more-than-fair settlement for unauthorized design changes, I would think you'd be within rights to demand a significant discount from the framer's fees and to vacate the 20% markup or whatever the GC tacks on top of that subcontractor fee? This new design would have been less materials and labor costs than what they originally bid on (your architect's original plan). Your builder may be eager to get the design change contractually documented to avoid future litigation if you were to change your mind later? I have been very interested in seeing how you resolve this issue, thanks for sharing your (difficult) experience!

[Rigo]

Phil I also agree with you and the rest of the crew here. My builder hasn't even mention changing the contract other than today he called again to apologize and to say what was done was not under contract. And I am within my right to anything I want. His call was also about the custom windows not being done cause the guy who was suppose to make em went down with covid. So he's going with another company. Now he is gonna eat the extra cost and get me black framed windows in aluminium.i guess that's a start.

[cx]

These will be thermally broken aluminum window frames, Rigo?

What were the original windows?

[Rigo]

CX, he said they are dual pane tempered insulated windows.

[cx]

Not the glass that concerns me, Rigo, it's the frame. Properly thermally broken aluminum frames are not common. We had a place here in San Antonio making them for a while, rather good ones, but they turned up missing some years ago.

Even in far south Texas you don't want to be using thermally un-broken aluminum frames on anything that extends from interior to exterior of the house. Bad JuJu, that.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[Rigo]

I'm gonna go see he house tomorrow and I'll ask the builder to clarify.

[lochrie22]

If it's black you want I would recommend using Black Fiberglass windows from Milgard.

We have been using these on our higher end homes with great results

[Rigo]

Block is going up nice. Still no windows, the builder came down with the kungflu. I had the framer widen that lil roof above the door. I blurred him out in the pic, he still thinks he did a good job on the roof... I shoulda kicked him off that scaffolding, when I was going over his work...