Nice try, Pulte! No kewpie doll.

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I must comment on the article by Ryan Rasmussen, Pulte Group, on page 12A of the 4/28 Island Packet.

1. Mr. Rasmussen’s comments defending missing hurricane clips and missing nails in Sun City roof truss connections are what I would expect from someone whose paycheck comes from Pulte Group.

2. Jon Cherry, former manager of Pulte’s SE Division, commented that substituting nails for hurricane clips “was probably a mistake”. Yes, Mr. Cherry, it was a mistake. Pulte installed hurricane clips at these connections in houses built before 2004 and after 2007. HURRICANE CLIPS—NOT NAILS--SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSTALLED in houses built in 2004, 2005, and 2006 at truss-to-truss connections in a Category 4 hurricane zone (130 mph design wind).

3. Pulte submitted to Beaufort County, and Beaufort County approved, substituting TWO 3.25-inch long nails at EACH truss-to-truss connection. Mr. Rassmussen, ANYTHING short of TWO 3.25-inch long nails, properly driven, into unsplit wood, at EVERY truss-to-truss connection is NOT in conformance with the specifications that Pulte submitted to Beaufort County as a substitute for hurricane clips.

4. Ginny Skalski, who did the original story for The Island Packet three years ago, reported that in two houses that she personally inspected that approximately TWO THIRDS of the truss-to-truss connections in BOTH HOUSES either had LESS THAN TWO NAILS or the nails were short, driven in split wood, or missed their target COMPLETELY. The redundancy that you speak about, Mr. Rusmussen, is not applicable when TWO THIRDS of the connections are defective.

Nice try, Mr. Rasmussen; but, no Kewpie doll.

BTW, the editorial above Mr. Rasmussen’s article entitled “Accreditation is only part of restoring confidence” is right on target. Personally, after their record of overlooking barely-attached roof truss connections the first time, and then a second time, along with issuing occupancy permits for houses with known and documented, but uncorrected, building code defects, I will NEVER trust the current personnel in Beaufort County’s Office of Building Code Enforcement or Pulte.
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