I have a 4 story house in the Oakland Hills. It had numerous construction defects that allowed water penetration with wind-blown rain. I had leaks on my decks over living space, my roof, and around my windows. I met owner Mike Terry and had a job plan developed. Gelber was the assigned job foreman.
Rain Defense started work to fix the decks. As work progressed the scope of the job expanded as more water damage was discovered, eventually the job totaled slightly over $100,000. Sticker shock, Yes! But here is what I got for it:
-2 Old crappy leaking tile decks removed, and replaced with new technology. It is lighter weight, which is good in earthquake country. The decks are seamless, and I can walk barefoot on them in the sun without burning my feet. I no longer have grout to maintain. They are pretty.
-Custom drain hardware was used. Off-the-shelf components were not forced into the job, so gaps and filled cracks were not an issue. Scuppers and drains were fabricated to match the specs
-scaffolding was required
-3/4 of the stucco was removed (the stucco was the main cost driver). We started with trying to do local repairs, but at some point you must decide to patch or replace. There were simply too many patch points, so we stripped it top to bottom.
-railings removed, then reinstalled with stainless hardware
-dozens (yes, dozens) of windows were removed, reflashed and reinstalled
-dryrot was repaired with competent carpentry
-House got a tyvek wrap, and 2 layers of tar paper
-Color integrated stucco was replaced
-Downspouts were replaced
-fascia and downspouts were painted to match
-2 "highnailed" mis-installed crappy roofs were replaced. Premium materials, and correct techniques were used
-interior sheetrock was repaired and repainted in 5 rooms.
-exterior GFI outlets were replaced, and covered with new waterproof boxes.
-exterior fixtures were meticulously sealed, with attention to detail to prevent water intrusion
-job was cleaned up beyond my expectations
-many days of multi-people crews, lots of labor.
Observations: The job took longer than I would have liked, but I was emphatic that I wanted it done correctly, not quickly. Also, the incremental discovery of damage extended the project duration. When you open the walls, expect surprises, and expect to pay for those surprises. Also, the technique requires setting time between coats, which also requires patience. The quality of work was high, but a few avoidable scratches on my windows were disappointing. The demo of the exterior stucco caused some sheetrock damage on the interior, this may have been avoidable but damage was minor and repaired. My plants got smushed, but they will grow back--somewhat unavoidable given the scale of the job. This was a large and long job, but Mike stayed reasonably involved as the owner. As the owner, he was also working with other customers--don't expect 100% of his attention. Gelber was my man on the spot, meeting numerous times after business hours to accommodate my work schedule. (Didn't need Mike with Gelber around--sorry Mike) Be explicit with requests, write down issues and have them added to the crew's punch list, they will fix them. This was a big job, and I put a great deal of trust in the crew but was not disappointed. They stand by their work with a 5 year warranty. read more