Roof leak

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Friday, 2/22, 7:20 PM

We discovered water on floor in foyer. Two spots where water is dripping from the ceiling. Water spot where ceiling meets wall.

In attic ceiling drywall soaked over approx. 6 ft. by 4 ft. area. Water drips from roof sheathing and runs down trusses to ceiling. Sheathing is black, indicating that it’s been leaking over a long period.
Called Pulte emergency service number and reported roof leak.

Saturday, 2/23

It seems that others have previously had problems with leaking roofs, specifically with shingles in roof valleys. http://www.roofer911.com/roofing_valleys.htm shows how to install shingles in roof valleys correctly. My roof doesn't look like that. It's the same with a lot of other houses in my neighborhood.

a ticking time bomb--just like toe nail roof truss connections, stucco, settling floor slabs, etc.

Sunday, 2/24

I posted this message on the Sun City Hilton Head website message board:

"I understand that Pulte eventually fired the roofer that installed shingles in valleys incorrectly. The question is: how many roofs did that roofer install? In the case of hurricane clips, they installed them in 2003 and are installing them today--approximately 2,500 houses in between didn’t get hurricane clips like they should have. I wonder how many folks still think that we don’t need a homeowners’ association (one where homeowners’ problems are addressed)?"

Monday, 2/25

The roofing contractor that came by this morning said "another valley", or something to that effect. The photos below show the story.

The large roof is supposed to overlap the small roof (more water runs off the larger roof). On my roof it's the opposite. The roofers didn't know what they were doing and Pulte doesn't check the work of its subcontractors. The result: a leaking roof.

There are other houses here with this problem. Do you think that Pulte will tell their owners? Or will they say nothing, hoping that not everyone with this problem will call?

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Monday, 3/3

Pulte Customer Service says that work to fix the roof will finally begin this morning, 10 days after our call to their "emergency" service number. They don't show; they don't call--typical of Pulte Customer Service.

Tuesday, 3/4

Today, 11 days after our call to Pulte's emergency hotline to report the roof leak, and after one rainstorm, and right before the next, the roofers came to fix the roof. After shingles in the valley were removed, the causes of the roof leak became obvious. The colored circles are nails. Nails in a valley are a no-no. Water concentrated in the valley goes through nail holes. Paper in the valley was cut. Didn't it occur to the roofer who installed this when the house was built that it might leak? Apparently not. And apparently no one checked the roofer's work.

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A different roofer fixed the valley. He installed a waterproof membrane. Then, when he put the shingles on top of the membrane, he didn't drive nails in the valley. Duh!

coup de tat

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/140246.html

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/141406.html

website

The following article appeared in the May 22, 2008 issue of Bluffton Today (pg. 20):

Sun City’s getting a new home on the Web

Why do Sun City residents pay $9,859 per month for a service used by about 2,716 people? We pay about $118,000 per year for something that 80 percent of us don’t use. Give up? It is our, or should I say Pulte’s, Web site, http://www.oursuncityhiltonhead.net/ Pulte launched this site in 2005. Our then Board of Directors —three residents and four Pulte employee appointments —approved a contract with Intellicommunities to provide the site. Prior to this approval, the Finance Committee, of which yours truly was then a member, debated this site and its annual cost at great length.

In the end, the committee chair, Pulte’s comptroller for our area, told us to just vote “yes” because this had already been decided. As a committee, we were told that Pulte would pick up the cost of developing the Web site and Intellicommunities would provide the first year of service at no cost. Our chair showed us projections by Intellicommunities showing that advertising would pay the cost of this site in subsequent years. Because many people might not like advertising on their screens, all advertising would be on a sidebar, which had to be clicked on to activate it. The first ads started appearing during the second year.

Not, as promised, in a sidebar to be activated by the user, but in plain view, annoying everyone. Why complain? We knew that advertising would support the site, so everything was working as it should. Not quite. Pulte refused to share the revenue with us. It claimed the advertisement was a site enhancement. Wow! I don’t know how much money Pulte charged, but I do wonder whether it ever disclosed the actual usage numbers to its advertisers.

You may ask, so what? There’s advertising on Google and the other search engines. but we don’t pay to use Google or Yahoo. During the past year Pulte and Intellicommunities have gone one better. Now we are receiving e-mail advertising commonly referred to as SPAM. When our local webmaster protested this abuse of the Web site’s mail system to Pulte’s Web project manager, orders came from corporate to fire him. Of course, the advertisement caper is only the latest complaint about this site.

From the start, most users found that the Web site is difficult to navigate, you can’t find anything and it is counterintuitive. Our Board of Directors finally heard us. Last year, the board —controlled by the residents at that time — decided to cancel the site and find a better solution. Unfortunately, the board missed the deadline for cancellation and we were stuck for another year and another $118,000. Let there be no doubt, we are a wired community and we need a Web site. Our local webmaster even offered to design, at no charge, anew site that would cost an estimated $5,000 to $6,000 per year to operate. His offer was not accepted.

Is there any good news in all of this? Yes, the board this year did not miss the deadline for cancellation. The letter has been sent, a request for proposals has gone out and we are now awaiting the results.

I’ll have more about this new proposed Web site next week. Of course, given the history of our site, we will have to ask ourselves, will Pulte really relinquish control of a revenue source?

Carl Lehmann is a Sun City resident. He can be reached at carfle@davtv.com



The following appeared in the May 29, 2008 issue of Bluffton Today (page 14). It is a follow-up to a May 22, 2008 article.

Sun City’s new Web site is on track

I promised last week to let you know about Sun City’s new proposed Web site. I will; however, before I do that I need to say shame on approximately 80 percent of the property owners who did not vote for the new board members last week.

Now to our new Web site. The board of directors authorized on May 7 the issuance of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the new site. The RFP went to 16 companies judged capable of meeting Sun City’s requirements. The Technical Advisory Committee, under the leadership of Bert Walker, developed the RFP. The committee members worked diligently to make sure the residents’ needs were addressed. They also conducted a survey to see what we wanted. The survey resulted in 76 things that residents thought should be found on any Web site. Suggestions ranged from less confusing/more intuitive to obituaries and mowing schedules.

Some ideas on top of the list included bill paying for our assessments and charges on the activity accounts and a search engine we can use to find what we are looking for within the site. Let’s face it, we love the ability to speak our minds. The new Web site will have a community message board where we can vent our frustrations. Who knows, if it is as easy to access as Bluffton Today’s Vox it might become our internal safety valve.

As envisioned, the site will be open to all comers. No password will be required. So-called portlets, accessible with a password, will protect confidential information. One of these portlets is intended for exclusive use by the board of directors. It seems to me that it would just invite more secrecy by those appointed by Pulte or elected by us to govern our community.

Proposals are due June 6, only 30 days from the date of issuance. Interestingly enough, our current portal provider, Intellicommunities, a Pulte subsidiary, received an advance copy of the RFP. Remember, this is the company that will lose a $100,000-per-year contract if it is not chosen. Is this just another Pulte shenanigan trying to gain an unfair advantage over competitors?

The Technical Advisory Committee will review all proposals and make a recommendation to the board by July 18. The board must make a final decision to negotiate a contract with one company. Given the obvious impropriety of providing an advance copy of the RFP to one company, the question arises whether Pulte has already made a decision to award the contract to Intellicommunities. Pulte appointees control the board. They will certainly make their decision as directed by the home office. Remember, these are the same folks who refused to be included in the board’s code of ethics. Of course, it is possible that Intellicommunities delivers the best and most advantageous proposal. However, it does cast a pall over the proceedings.

Whatever happens, we will get a new Web site, and we can only hope that all proposals will make it easy, make it compelling and make it happen.

Carl Lehmann is a Sun City resident. He can be reached at carfle@davtv.com

SCHH's Gestapo

http://npaper-server.com/bluffton-today;see-wihEMPjsktuIj62g#c-6556

article by Tim Woods, photos by Scott Salisbury, BLUFFTON TODAY, March 10, 2008

PLANTERS SERVE AS SEEDS FOR A MESSY DISPUTE

Sun City homeowners wonder why they’ve become the target of a pot-counting scandal.

Is a flower pot just a flower pot or is it an ornament? That is the question at the heart of a feud boiling over between a pair of homeowners and the Sun City Community Association Management. Drive down Sun City Boulevard, past the new softball field and the dog park, take a left on Concession Oak and you'll see the house that's inspired a flurry of pointed letters. Florika and Heinrich Propfe moved from Germany and into No. 46 a little more than a year ago. Heinrich is a 65-year-old retired tax lawyer; Florika is a 64-year-old former stewardess.

Together, they made a modest fortune as owners of a chemical company. They are fervent horticulturists. Their former estate in Germany was filled with greenery of all kinds and plenty of one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted flower pots to house the plants. When they decided to downsize and retire to the Lowcountry, Florika sold or gave away most of the pots. They had never heard of Sun City until passing it en route to see a house on Hilton Head.

They fell in love with the community. As for what they call the insane number of rules, that's another story. The Propfes have applied and received permission from the SCCA for a number of upgrades to their property - a sun porch, a brick walkway and thousands of dollars of landscaping in their back yard. They also received permission for the covenant maximum of five property ornaments - two terra cotta pine cones, 2 cupid sculptures and a fountain. It's when Florika started unpacking and filling her flowerpot collection that the problems began. The letters from the association began in July and have increased in volume and tenacity since.

"For the most part, we absolutely love this place - so much to do and the people are so nice," Florika said. "But the regulations are absolutely out of control. They treat you like a bunch of loonies here. It's unbelievable. This CAM group, they act like the Gestapo." Florika has placed five flower pots in the front yard and another 19 in the back, all filled with flowers. The couple love to see the birds and the butterflies that visit daily.

Yet in its letters to the Propfes, the association classifies the flower pots as ornaments and asks that they be removed. The most recent letters, dated Feb. 14 and 28, threaten a $50 per month fine for noncompliance. Heinrich has written letters in reply, saying that their interpretation of the guidelines do not show any official mention of flower pots or planters as ornaments. "I have replied to each letter. We do not want to be a violator, we just don't think we're breaking the rules," he said.

"We just want a clarification from them. They don't respond to our questions, they just send us the same letter over and over again. We have asked for a meeting with them and they don't respond." CAM vice president and executive director David Meseroll last week returned neither repeated phone calls nor an e-mail from BT. "We probably got them mad because they’re not used to people standing up to them," Florika said. She's been told by neighbors that other neighbors are reporting her, that it's the only logical explanation why CAM is being so vigilant "I just don't understand.”

We live on a lagoon. We're very peaceful. We're just trying to make our house a little more beautiful," she said. "I see certain people looking at our house with big binoculars, so we have our suspicions. We put a flower pot on the side to hide the air-conditioning unit and we got a letter about that. It’s just all so silly." Heinrich said the president of the community’s garden club has been by the house and asked if the house could be part of an upcoming walking tour. He showed me pictures of a house on the island that has far more flower pots with far inferior upkeep to the Propfes' yard.

"They won an award from Habitat for Humanity for being so pro-environment," he said. "We don't want awards and we don't want to break rules. In a community this big, rules are very important. We just want answers. These pots have a purpose - they house flowers that give us air to breathe." The answers aren't coming, only more questions. A Jan. 11 letter from CAM cited the Propfes for adding more flower pots over the last couple months in defiance of the association's requests. Just one problem: the couple say they were in Germany for three months and did not return until mid-January.

"This whole thing is just so bizarre. We walk down the street and see a house with 10 flower pots and none of them have flowers in them. Yet they haven't received any letters," Florika said. "We want them to be consistent with all this. It gets to the point where I wonder if I'm the crazy one or are they? This is definitely driving us crazy." The Propfes say they've consulted an attorney.

They hope a little attention may force a meeting with Meseroll this week. Meanwhile, a March 19 CAM property inspection of Concession Oak homes looms, with more letters and fines likely. Because the Propfes say they’re not budging. "They’ve crossed a line here. I know there's others that feel the same way, that get these letters with little explanation, just a fine," Florika said. "I don't want to be told what can and can't do to make house a little prettier. They make you feel like this is assisted living and that's not what we signed up for."

“I just don’t understand. We live on a lagoon. We’re very peaceful. We’re just trying to make our house a little more beautiful.” Florika Propfe



April 25, 2008

Here's another gem: http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/461428.html

Sun City Hilton Head, SC has had enough!

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http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/559294.html
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The following article appeared 7/24/08 in Bluffton Today (pg. 11).

SUNNYSIDE UP
Carl Lehmann is a Sun City resident. You can reach him at Carfle@sc.rr.com

You say you want a revolution

Recently a Vox caller opined that the reason for my support for incorporation was that I wanted to be “Emperor of Sun City.” For a moment I wondered whether I could put the crown on my head myself like Napoleon did.

It turns out that it is too late for me to become emperor. Pulte has obviously taken that job. They rule by decree with out consultation with the board or any other resident group. They issue fiats that are not in the interest of the residents and assume the right to fire board of director members for the most nefarious reasons. At least that is the impression one gets from the latest revision to the Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs) and the bylaws for Sun City.

First, let me say that Pulte apparently has every legal right to do what they did. Secondly, I think it is a power grab of unprecedented pro portion which will hurt the community and allow Pulte to run Sun City as a private fiefdom without regard to the welfare of the 12,000 people who live here.

On July 14, Pulte filed the fifth amendment to the CC&Rs decreeing that Pulte will control Sun City until 100 percent of all homes are sold and conveyed to their new owners.

Pulte changed the bylaws and decreed that the developer would have the right to appoint five directors until 100 percent of all homes were conveyed. Previously, control of the board was to go to the residents as soon as 90 percent of all homes were sold. If we thought we already were entitled to three directors’ posts, we were sadly mistaken. Even though we elected three residents, we are only entitled to have two directors. The third director ship is loaned to us by Pulte and can be taken away by Pulte just as they took two resident directors away in January.

Pulte also changed the bylaws to make the earlier removal of two elected resident directors legal. The latest amendment will also permit the removal of a director for along list of new violations, among them releasing information not authorized for release by the board.

Finally, Pulte decided that the residents did not need to be informed of these major changes.

Why is Pulte changing the conveyed home formula from 90 percent to 100 percent? What else but money? Under the 90 percent formula, Pulte would have to pay full assessments for any remaining lots. Using current sales of 300 per year and assessment figures, it could cost Pulte as much as $2.6 million. Using the 100 percent formula allows Pulte to subsidize our budget if there is a deficit instead of paying an assessment for each lot. I am sure the Pulte-con trolled board will not allow a deficit to develop but will instead hike assessments. As the chairman of the Finance Committee suggested, a 10 percent rise is within the possibilities.

What can we do? Here are some ideas. Our three resident board members could resign immediately and no resident should be willing to serve on the board. All board appointed committees could cease their work. Finally, we could get a permit and picket Pulte at the main entrance to Sun City. That will really help them sell homes.
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Check out: http://www.incorporatesuncity.com

Here’s an excerpt from the “Forum” section:

And finally, I read that there are issues with some lagoons as well as other infrastructure in SC that still belongs to the developer. Will incorporation result in taking over the liability for fixing any of that type of issue?

That is a very, very good question, and I want everyone to hear the answer to this one. Pulte has just been fined $28,800 for violation of the environmental laws relative to one pond and another is being pursued at the present time. According to Thomas and Hutton, the engineers for Pulte, once they turn over the lagoons to Sun City, it becomes Sun City's problem to take care of them, but because they didn't build them, there is no liability attached. I wanted a second opinion on that one and have asked D-HEC for clarification. In any event, if there is a continuing liability, then Pulte isn't going to turn them over until we (in Sun City) are satisfied.

Whether or not you agree that we should incorporate, the CISCA initiative sends a message.

Some of us object to being governed for more than a decade by developers. After all, we’re more than 10,000 people in 6,500 houses.

We object to Pulte’s coup de tat replacing our residents with their employees and changing the BOD from resident majority to Pulte majority.

We object to Pulte’s decision to stop installing hurricane clips in roof truss connections in 2004 and we object to their not installing them in more than 2,000 houses built between 2004 and early 2007.

We object to lagoons that are not maintained properly, and perhaps not constructed properly. We don’t want to be stuck with large costs for bringing these lagoons up to snuff. Properly constructed and maintained lagoons are Pulte’s responsibility until they are finished building and we "take over the keys".

We object to being sold houses with stucco that wasn’t mixed properly, and, as a result, raises serious questions about cracks and leakage and mold and rot.

There are other issues as well.

I personally plan on signing the petition. I want to join the “seven” in sending the message. I hope that others will do so as well, even if they decide to vote “no” when it’s time to vote to incorporate.

Pulte's "dirty little secret"

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Why do you suppose that Pulte won't discuss "house issues" with a customer, unless it's the customer's house? And why do you suppose that Pulte-run community associations won't discuss "house issues" at all?

It's simple, really. If "house issues" become public, then pretty soon EVERYBODY will know Pulte's "dirty little secret". Neighbors will talk to neighbors, and discover that they share common problems--cracked floor tiles coming from cracked foundations, defective stucco, defective roof truss connections, etc.

Now that can't be good for business, can it?

Shhhh! Don't betray Pulte's "dirty little secret".
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Pulte/JD Powers

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Pulte is clever. Early on we were sent a survey that we were encouraged to complete quickly and return. As I recall, the survey was not identified as a JD Powers' survey, and some sort of incentive(s) was offered for completing it and mailing it in quickly. (It was a long time ago and much was going on at the time--leaving one State and moving two households (my mother-in-law) to another, etc. The details of this seemingly insignificant survey are a blur with all that was going on at the time.)

I soon learned that Pulte uses JD Powers "excellence" awards to credit their product and marginalize people like me who say that Pulte's construction is shoddy.

It takes more than a few days, or a few weeks, or even a few months, to find the "skeletons in the closet" in a new house. I didn't find the "skeleton" in the attic (deficient roof truss connections) until we had been here for more than a year. I discovered the other "skeletons" (our leaking roof, deficient stucco, poorly built lagoons, collapsed retaining wall, etc.) after that.

I, along with a LOT of other people, was suckered. In our defense, I and others assumed that the 4th largest house builder in the US, advertising itself as "masterbuilder", knows how to build, and knows how to treat their customers. Boy, was I WRONG!

If I had the opportunity today to complete a JD Powers survey on my Pulte home it would be completely different than the one that I completed years ago, now that I've discovered all the "skeletons in the closet".
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THE GREAT AMERICAN DREAM RIPOFF

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Take a look at sites like http://www.hadd.com/respond.php. and http://www.poorlybuiltbypulte.info/ .

Americans are getting ripped off EVERYWHERE by dishonest, reckless and arrogant builders. Builders who cheat their customers with their shoddy construction. They don't check what they build; they don't inspect what they build. They cheat every chance that they get.

And many of the government building inspectors, who people think are "looking out for them", aren't. Many aren't qualified. Many "look the other way". Many are simply "asleep at the switch". Who gets ripped off by their incompetence, dishonesty, or just plain laziness? You do.

Then you've got the salesmen, the realtors, the bankers, the home inspectors, and a long line of others who stand in line to rip you off. The salesmen and the realtors know what's going on. Do they speak out? No. The bankers want your money. That's it--nothing more, nothing less. Many will do ANYTHING to get yours. They lie; they cheat; there is no limit. And, the home inspectors. Do you think that getting a home inspection will protect you? Did you read the small print on the back of the home inspection contract that you signed? A home inspector is responsible for NOTHING. Even the good home inspectors, who give you a one, two, or three hour home inspection, can't find ALL of the shoddy construction; much of it is hidden. Face it; you have NO protection against shoddy construction.

Where is protector government? You tell me. Face it, folks. We're getting ripped off. And so will our children and grandchildren, and their children and grandchildren, unless WE get off our duffs and DEMAND that something be done to clean up this mess.

Here's Pulte, and Beaufort County, SC!

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What a record!

• the hurricane clip debacle
• defective stucco
• leaking roofs
• sinking houses
• cracks in floors
• other shoddy house construction
• stormwater lagoons with MAJOR construction deficiencies
• acres of dead trees in the Hidden Cypress wetland
• collapsed retaining wall
• the coup de tat
• Pulte "making it up as they go along", including rewriting community bylaws
• the website
• impending assessment increases
• manipulation, including heavy handedness:
• . by Pulte
• . by Beaufort County
• . by the Community Association Board of Directors
• . by many neighborhood reps
• . by the NRC
• . by other Board-appointed committees
• . by other government agencies
• etc.

when hell freezes over

Pulte steadfastly refuses to install hurricane clips on roof valley truss connections in houses that they built in 2004, 2005, 2006 and early 2007 at Sun City Hilton Head South Carolina, even though they installed them in houses that they built before 2004 and are installing them in houses that they are building now. Read on.

Hello

I'm a retired civil engineer living in Sun City Hilton Head, SC. Retirement is great! But, sometimes it doesn't seem like I retired.

My friend of 25 years, Bucky, moved here when I did more than three years ago. A while ago Bucky asked me to take a look at what his home inspector found. (Bucky had a home inspection done as he was nearing the one-year anniversary of buying his new house.) The photos at the bottom show what I saw. These are (valley) roof trusses sitting on top of the main roof trusses. Wow! It looked like I could kick the top (valley) trusses right off the bottom (main) trusses!

The building code for Hilton Head requires that a house be capable of withstanding a 130 mph 3 second wind gust. I got to thinking, "How many other new homes are like this?" I went to Pulte Homes (the builder), Beaufort County SC Office of Building Code Enforcement, and the SCHH Community Association. Pulte chose not to respond. The Community Association said that their charter doesn't permit them to address "house issues". Beaufort County Office of Building Code Enforcement said that they "are aware of the problem" and that "trusses will strapped and installed per code , including houses already completed". That was in January 2007.

When nothing happened, I went to our local newspaper, The Island Packet. They ran a series of articles starting in April 2007. In May Beaufort County requested that all homeowners in Sun City who are concerned about their roof to contact them. They received over 2,000 responses. As a result the County contracted for limited re-inspections on roof truss connections for over 2,800 houses here (built between 2004 and early 2007) because Pulte decided to stop installing hurricane clips on roof truss-to-roof truss connections in 2004.

Truswal, a roof truss expert, recommends that hurricane clips be installed at the ends of valley trusses and at every other connection in between. Before 2004 Pulte included Truswal’s drawing (showing these recommended locations for hurricane clips) in their construction drawings.

According to Pulte's engineer, two 3.5-inch long 16d "toe" nails can be used instead of a hurricane clip. The re-inspections revealed many bad connections (one nail, no nails, protruding nails, short nails, nails that completely missed the truss underneath, nails driven right on top of each other, split wood, gaps between the top and bottom trusses, etc.) Pulte's and the County's "fix" for the defective connections was to insert a "toe screw". They also found houses with missing bracing and some missing trusses.

Pulte decided to resume installing hurricane clips in their new houses that they're building here, but Pulte refuses to install them in the houses that they built here in 2004, 2005, 2006, and early 2007.

In my research I discovered a March 2002 report written by Dr. Lawrence Twisdale, PhD, PE for the state of Florida entitled Development of Loss Relativities for Wind Resistive Features for Residential Structures. This report states that: (1) hurricane clips have been an industry standard since the mid 1960s; (2) toe nail roof connections shouldn't be used in hurricane-prone areas; and (3) a hurricane clip is more than twice as strong as a three nail toe nail connection. (Pulte's spec calls for two nails). Dr. Twisdale also says that "putting screws into split wood may not be adequate".

Googling "roof hurricane Pulte" will get you newspaper articles and blogs about this. All the same, I'd rather be golfing. But you do what you gotta do.

What if...?

What if it was discovered that the manufacturer of your brand new car put retreads on it and on all of its other new cars, but sold them as being new? They had been putting new tires on new cars, but then they decided that they could save a few bucks by putting retreads on each new car instead (just don't tell anyone).

What if you went to the manufacturer and they wouldn't talk to you about what you found? How would you feel about the manufacturer?

What if you tried to warn other people who bought the same model car that you did that they're riding around on retreads that they think are new tires? What if there was a club with nothing but owners of the same model as your new car? What if you went to them and said "You need to warn your members that they think they're riding on new tires, but they're really riding on retreads." What if the president of that club said "It's not in our charter to address car issues." How would you feel about that club and its president?

What if the government inspectors who were supposed to be protecting you when your new car was being built in the factory are saying "It's no big deal!" How would you feel about those government inspectors?

I hope that you see the analogy: new car/new car manufacturer/auto club/government inspectors vs. new house/builder/community association/county inspectors.

Beaufort County Office of Building Code Enforcement

On 1/30/07 I sent the following “citizengram” to Beaufort County Office of Building Code Enforcement (BCE) via the County’s website (bcgov.net):

I discovered a suspect connection between roof trusses in a Sun City house that appears incapable of withstanding a hurricane. I have reason to believe that this suspect connection may be present in all the houses of this type, and perhaps other types too. Potentially hundreds of houses. There is a sketch and a photograph at http://spotted.blufftontoday.com/pages/gallery.php?gallery=308897.
Needless to say, people who buy houses here have an expectation that they will withstand a hurricane according to current code. If this is not the case, then these homeowners need to be notified and the problem corrected.

On 1/31/07 I received the following email from BCE:

Subject: Roof Trusses
Date: 1/31/2007 11:15:33 A.M. Eastern Standard Time
From: edwardn@bcgov.net
Reply To:
To: rkoenigsc@aol.com
Dear Mr Konig ,
I have just gotten off of the phone with Frank Gardener , the manager of the Buffton office . He is aware of the truss problem . Mr Phil Napolitono has been instructed to ensure ALL trusses are strapped and installed per code , including houses already completed . Mt Gardeners phone number is 757-1500- extension 325 . Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention . Please confer with Frank regarding future follow up at Sun City .
Thank you again .
Edward T. Nelson , CBO , CEAP

I called Mr. Gardener and he was unable to provide any information. He referred me back to Mr. Nelson. I also had telephone conversations with Mr. Napolitono and with Arthur Cummings, Director of the Office of Building Code Enforcement. I requested calculations for the roof truss connections from both. They have not provided the calculations, nor have they provided an explanation as to why they won’t/can't provide them.

Nothing happened for more than two months. Homeowners were not notified. Valley trusses in “already-completed houses” were not strapped. In April I went to The Island Packet and they ran a series of articles on the problem, ultimately resulting in the re-inspection of more than 2,800 homes built between 2004 and early 2007. Pulte decided to stop installing hurricane clips on valley truss connections in 2004.

Pulte says that two 16d toe nails, 3.5 inches long, can be used instead of a hurricane clip. Experts disagree.

By the end of July about half of the 2,800 homes had been re-inspected. The Island Packet reported that many defective connections were found. Many connections had only one nail or no nails at all. The wood is split in other connections. Some nails protrude from the truss below and other nails miss the bottom truss completely. Some nails are short. At some locations there are gaps between the valley (top) truss and the main (bottom) truss. (see photos) Pulte’s and the County’s “fix” was to insert a screw into the defective connections. Experts take exception with this “solution”.

In an 8/18 article in Bluffton Today Arthur Cummings is quoted as saying: “We’ve found a few that have the proper connections missing…” A " few" bad connections is simply not consistent with the facts. MANY deficient valley truss connections were found. A 10/21 story in The Island Packet says: "In some Sun City homes, county inspectors did not note that some valley trusses weren't properly connected to supporting trusses, putting the roofs at risk of failing during extreme winds....roof repairs ranging from minimal to extensive have been ordered in hundreds of the homes."

Building inspectors from Beaufort County told residents here throughout the re-inspections that the deficient connections are “no big deal”. On what authority? What qualifications do Beaufort County inspectors have to make such statements? Three engineers, one with a PhD in civil engineering, and author of a report for the State of Florida that addresses residential construction in hurricane-prone areas, and another structural engineer who has made residential construction his life's work, all say that toe nail connections shouldn't be used in hurricane-prone areas. Where are Beaufort County's experts who have similar qualifications? The fact is that not a single engineer from Beaufort County has stepped forward to agree with the position of its building inspectors.

In summary, Beaufort County's Office of Building Code Enforcement:

1. failed to properly inspect roof truss connections in over 2,000 homes built between 2004 and 2007.

2. granted occupancy permits for houses with previously-noted deficiencies without those deficiencies being corrected.

3. when notified of the problem, failed to notify affected homeowners in a timely manner.

4. when calculations were requested, failed to provide them. Nor did they provide an explanation as to why they didn’t provided them.

5. made false and misleading statements to the public.

May 2, 2008

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/487222.html

WHITEWASH

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http://www.islandpacket.com/266/story/564283.html

Sun City resident calls roof trusses report a "whitewash"
By MICHAEL WELLES SHAPIRO
mshapiro@islandpacket.com
843-706-8142
Published Thursday, July 31, 2008

Inspectors who checked 2,749 homes in Sun City Hilton Head for roof truss problems say they found about 55 homes where major repairs were needed and hundreds more needing minor repairs.

One resident, however, said the county downplayed the magnitude of the problem.

The eight-month investigation was performed by a private inspection company, England Enterprises, and county inspectors.

The county called for the inspections last year after stories in The Island Packet showed that many homes that county inspectors had approved had roof trusses that were installed improperly.

Trusses are triangular wooden frames that normally support a roof, but in extreme winds prevent roofs from lifting off houses.

In many cases, trusses in Sun City homes were not fastened together properly, the stories showed.

The county's building codes director, Arthur Cummings, summed up the results of the inspection in a brief e-mail he sent earlier this month. His e-mail said there were serious truss problems requiring repairs in about 2 percent of the homes inspected, or about 55.

Cummings' department employs the inspectors who initially checked the trusses to make sure they were installed properly.

Sun City resident Ray Koenig said the county's assessment doesn't address thousands of smaller repairs done on roofs in Sun City.

"Thousands of screws ... were installed," said Koenig. "They weren't installed for nothing."

Koenig, who first called attention to the truss problem, called Cummings' report a "whitewash."

Records from the first 739 roof inspections, provided to the Packet by England Enterprises, showed that 90 percent of the roofs needed at least one repair.

Many of the repairs involved installing screws to strengthen truss connections or adding lumber to reinforce trusses.

County administrator Gary Kubic said the county focused on whether Sun City homeowners were satisfied that problems were being fixed rather than on the details of the problems. Kubic said he's been assured that inspectors have re-checked every home where truss problems were suspected and that Pulte Homes, the developer of Sun City, has followed up with repairs.

The episode raised questions about whether the county's inspectors were doing their jobs effectively, so to restore confidence in the building codes department, Kubic ordered a review by an accreditation organization.

That review, which began 9 1/2 months ago, has been delayed because Cummings did not until recently provide records needed by the organization.
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http://www.islandpacket.com/opinion/story/565136.html

Inspections incomplete without full repairs report
Published Friday, August 1, 2008

Beaufort County officials could have dispelled any questions about the true extent of the problem with improperly installed roof trusses in Sun City Hilton Head homes by detailing every repair made. Anything less invites speculation.

County Council certainly shouldn't be satisfied with a brief summary from the man whose department didn't properly inspect the homes in the first place.

County administrator Gary Kubic moved to address concerns by bringing in an outside inspection team to look at trusses in 2,749 homes where problems were suspected because of a change in construction methods. But he's fumbled the ball near the goal line without a complete report.
This isn't just about whether Sun City homeowners have stopped complaining. It's also about how county building inspectors did a very important job.

Kubic wanted to restore confidence in the department through the independent inspections and repairs and through a review of department operations by an accreditation organization. An important part of restoring that confidence is to fully disclose what inspectors found at Sun City.
Kubic also should have pushed harder for the accreditation review to be done much more quickly than it has. There's little excuse for building code director Arthur Cummings taking nine months to provide information to the organization. A site visit is now set for this month, 10 months after the county hired the group for $20,000 to review the department.

As for the Sun City inspections, Cummings writes in an e-mail that repairs were made to meet "structural requirements" on about 2 percent of the homes inspected, or about 55. Screws were added at every truss-on-truss intersection, which he said exceeds code requirements for wind speed. Some repairs still need to be completed and will be done over the next several months based on homeowner availability.

But Cummings says the county didn't ask for detailed repair reports from England Enterprises, the company paid about $150,000 to inspect the trusses, so he couldn't answer specific questions about the total number and types of repairs made. England Enterprises tells us it didn't keep the individual reports after it finished its inspections.

It also should be noted that the outside company didn't inspect all of the homes that came under scrutiny. County staff inspected several hundred homes. When county staff took over, Kubic said that inspectors who previously had worked in Sun City wouldn't do the new inspections.

The county should have asked for detailed reports. Here's what the Packet found when we looked at the company's reports on 739 homes inspected in July 2007:

• 668 homes needed at least one repair.
• Trusses in 319 homes needed between one and nine screws.
• Trusses in 266 homes needed between 10 and 29 screws.
• Trusses in 60 homes needed between 30 and 49 screws.
• Twenty-two homes needed 50 or more screws.
• 136 of the 668 homes also needed additional lumber to close gaps between trusses. The trusses are supposed to rest on each other.

The county should have a complete record. That is information we paid for. Without it, we've been cheated of a meaningful process.

The county spent lot of time and money to correct mistakes and restore confidence. Why stop short of that goal?

half ass

What's this with the "50% rule" where Pulte and/or Beaufort County is trying to tell us that if HALF of the connections on the valley trusses in our homes meet their specification of two toe nails per connection that it's OK? HALF? (I love the way that they make it up as they go along!) What a standard! HALF IS OK! In my book, we've got a term for that:--it's called "HALF ASS"! How reassuring for those of us who bought Pulte homes here that half right is good enough for Pulte and Beaufort County!

And, what's this about only inspecting the valley trusses over the garage? Whose bright idea was this? In a hurricane the unsecured valley trusses over your bedroom won't blow off--just the ones over your garage! It must be the same person who came up with the "HALF ASS" rule!

Kubic

On October 10 I met with Beaufort County Administrator Gary Kubic for the first time. I suggested the meeting in response to an article in The Island Packet in which Mr. Kubic expressed his desire to “restore public confidence” in Beaufort County’s Building Code Enforcement office. Restoring confidence in the County’s Building Code Enforcement office is no small task. We met for well over an hour. The County eventually hopes to obtain accreditation for BCE.

We discussed Beaufort County’s actions since the valley truss connection problem was first discovered. I thanked Mr. Kubic for the County’s initiative in re-inspecting more than 2,800 homes here. I criticized some County staff for reacting slowly to the problem when it was first identified, for being unresponsive to information requests, and for statements made since. We discussed differences between nails, screws, and hurricane clips.

The County intends to issue a final report on the truss connection problem in Sun City. Details of what will be included in the final report have not been determined. I hope that the final report documents the full extent of the Sun City roof truss connection problem. I hope that it addresses valley truss connections in areas other than over the garage. I hope that it addresses standards for measuring compliance with approved plans and specifications: 5% defective is OK? 10%? 25%? 50%? More? I hope that it discusses Pulte's and the County's "fix" for the defective truss connections. I hope that it provides homeowners with advice from experts on the merits of using hurricane clips rather than nails or screws.

It’s a matter of record that many bad valley truss connections were found that didn’t meet Pulte’s specification of two 3.5-inch long, 16d nails, properly driven and properly spaced, in unsplit wood, at each connection. While Beaufort County’s role in Sun City's roof truss connection problem has ended, homeowners here are still left with deciding whether or not they should install hurricane clips. For what it’s worth, I recommend that they do.

There are other issues that need to be addressed here: stucco, lagoons, noncompliant caps on furnace vents, roads, drainage, etc. Pulte and the Sun City Hilton Head Community Association have proven in the past to be unresponsive. Let’s hope that this changes.



Below are photographs of a model of a valley truss connection (bottom chord of the valley roof truss sitting on the top chord of the main roof truss). The first photograph is the front and the second is the back. On the front side of the connection: two toe nails per Pulte's spec and a "toe screw" fix. On the back side of the connection: hurricane clip.

Mr. Kubic got it right when he said that the hurricane clip is a better connection than the toe nails or the toe screw. Everyone else that I've showed the model to has got it right also--a hurricane clip is a better connector than the toe nails or the toe screw. Hurricane clips retail at Lowe's for about 50 cents apiece.

SCDLL&R

The governing board for registration of professional engineers in SC, South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation (SCDLL&R), doesn't have a problem with Pulte's engineer's role in substituting inferior toe nails for superior hurricane clips in valley truss connections in Sun City houses, despite the fact that experts say that toe nail connections shouldn't be used in a hurricane-prone area and that hurricane clips have been the industry standard since the mid 1960s. Pulte's engineer concurred with Pulte's substituting inferior toe nails for superior hurricane clips. As a result, over 2,000 homes built in 2004, 2005, 2006, and early 2007 lack hurricane clips at valley truss connections.

They also don't have a problem with Pulte's engineer making public statements that the houses in Sun City are "robustly constructed" even though Pulte's engineer had not inspected the houses in question. In many Sun City houses more than half of the valley truss connections didn't meet Pulte's spec of two 3.5 inch long, 16d nails, properly driven and properly spaced, in unsplit wood. All these houses lack hurricane clips at valley truss connections. Clearly, they are not "robustly constructed".

In my thirty years as a professional engineer I understood that protecting the public is a PE's #1 responsibility. The SC PE board doesn't see it that way.

why toe nail connections shouldn't be used in hurricane-prone areas

Most of us think of roofs as supporting gravity loads—snow, the weight of the roof, the weight of someone(s) on the roof, the weight of roofing materials stacked on the roof waiting to be installed. But, governing design forces in a hurricane-prone area work in the opposite direction to gravity loads—uplift forces try to tear the roof off. (see figure 1 below)

Toe nail connections are inappropriate to use in hurricane-prone areas because toe nails are oriented in the same direction as the uplift force. Only the pullout resistence of the nail counteracts the uplift force. Over time, with repeated cyclic loadings, nails can loosen and their pullout resistance becomes reduced. (see figure 2 below)

Hurricane clips are appropriate connectors in a hurricane-prone area because nails in hurricane clips are perpendicular to the uplift force. Nails in hurricane clips depend on the shear resistance of the nails to resist the uplift force. Shear resistance of nails is much greater than their pullout resistance. (see figure 3 below)

Dr. Lawrence Twisdale, PhD, PE, in his report for the State of Florida entitled Development of Loss Relativities for Wind Resistive Features for Residential Structures, Final Report, Version 2.2, March 28, 2002,
(http://www.floridadisaster.org/brm/RCMP/Wind%20Loss/) verifies this analysis.

another engineer's view

http://www2.islandpacket.com/blogs/post/24445

and yet another

Subject: RE: roof connections
Date: 8/29/2007 9:37:13 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
From: ltwisdale@ara.com
Reply To:
To: Rkoenigsc@aol.com

Mr Koenig, it looks like you have discovered something significant.

There is more literature on connection strength and toe-nailed connections. Split wood reduces the strength of toe-nailed connections. The only way to determine if the connection is adequate if the wood is seriously split, would be strength testing of similarly nailed joints.

While, toe-nails are still allowable in some codes, hurricane prescriptive standards have not allowed them. Straps or clips are more reliable. Screw, if done properly, would be better than nails, but if the wood is split, the best solution would be a wrap around strap. I think you could make an argument for straps as the solution for all split wood connections. Otherwise, it would seem the builder would have to do testing to show adequacy.

How are the main trusses connected to the wall frame. What windspeeds were they designed to? What building code was in effect when the houses were built.

I would try to get the builder to go back and put in clips or straps. Or, if the builder is correct in that toe nails are adequate, and your engineer confirms that to be the case, then perhaps your association could negotiate a cost for them to put in straps instead of screws. That is, the builder will have expense of going back into each house, and if a homeowner wanted to have straps, then the homeowner would only have to pay the incremental cost.

If the code doesn’t allow toe nails in your area, then you have a legal case to get straps put in.

If they used the wrong size nails, that is also a problem.

If the wood is split, I would think you could force them to use straps to ensure the integrity of the joint. Putting screws into split wood may not be adequate.

Other considerations for your association---Do you have impact resistant shutters on your glazed openings. That is something you should consider for your home.

Soffits are another problem these days. Gable vents and other roof vents are also pathways to get water in the house. Windows and doors are very leaky and water intrusion is another common problem.

We hope to update the study you quoted as there has been a lot of research since 2001. We have recently completed a new series of wind tunnel tests that will hopefully be used to improve the loads on roofs within a few years.

Lawrence A. Twisdale, Jr. PhD. PE
Applied Research Associates, Inc.
8540 Colonnade Center Drive
Raleigh, N.C. 27615
919-582-3336
Fax 919-582-3401


A March 2002 report written by Dr. Lawrence Twisdale, PhD, PE for the state of Florida entitled Development of Loss Relativities for Wind Resistive Features for Residential Structures states that: (1) hurricane clips have been an industry standard since the mid 1960s; (2) toe nail roof connections shouldn't be used in hurricane-prone areas; and (3) a hurricane clip is more than twice as strong as a three nail toe nail connection. (Pulte's spec calls for two nails). The full report can be downloaded at http://www.floridadisaster.org/brm/RCMP/Wind%20Loss/.