My Albi experience; Builder is evasive and do not support their work. First roofer assessed the attic trying to locate evidence of the source or water and look for further issues. This did not yield anything definitive; investigated the exterior elements of the roof and the rounded cantilever's roof on the south side of the house. A number of installation issues overall. These include: 2 missing shingles, a number of exposed nail heads, all vents on the roof required sealing, unsealed holes throughout the perimeter of the roof from where the stucco scaffolding was secured for safety. There are a few potential sources of the water staining. The drill holes from the scaffolding safety attachments are a possible place where water can get through. The other potential source is a piece of de-laminated under-sheathing (the plywood that covers the roof trusses and that they secure the shingles onto) above the cantilever on the main roof. The plywood has lifted and the nails are rusted showing evidence of longer term water intrusion.
Many installation errors and a number of defects that need to be addressed before they cause bigger issues with water intrusion. Roofer (3 roofers in total including Albi roofer) recommended an overall roof service to eliminate the potential sources of water.
Regarding (detached) garage (listed on initial builder home warranty provision as well as final house certification, will provide both); the vapour barrier was not sealed properly. Damage to the insulation and the trusses appeared to be from moisture entering the attic at various points. This occurred where the barrier interacts with features that break the continuity of the plastic material which include the light fixtures, attachments for the garage door opener and the corners. The roof insulation when installed did not leave an air gap between the trusses and the exterior wall. This causes a moisture trap in the attic. There were condensation marks on all the trusses including some mold. The roof sheathing has been affected to the point where it has lost its integrity and when pressure is applied it cracks and de-laminates. Recommendation - insulation should be removed from the roof and replaced with new material and a correctly installed vapour barrier and due to the damage to the sheathing it would need to be replaced now.
The roofer that Albi sent out indicated that the garage issue should be an Albi issue and he would make a recommendation that they repair it. He had similar comments about the rest of the roof, part would be a maintenance issue (missing shingles etc.) and the other work that likely caused the leak would be caused due to poor workmanship. He is making the recommendation that Albi repair it; "it is 100% their fault".
This process was months in duration, I had to prove the garage was part of the home, Albi was the builder etc. This was all piecemeal; weekly request of documentation. I was asked to contact home warranty with a specific person indicated by Albi; this process began again. Now, several months down the road, 4 roofers, 1 architect, 2 home inspectors and I had to pay for the repairs with no compensation from Albi.
I suggest you read this before considering Albi.
- Approximate cost of services:
- $500,000.00