Four Seasons Sunrooms/Advanced Builders (8345 Hall Rd, Utica, MI 48317 ph#586.254.4466) began the installation of a glass enclosure at the end of September. Completion was not attained until June. I write completion because as of the spring of Tom Leninger, owner of Advanced Builders/Four Seasons of Shelby Twp, MI, sent his crew out once again to address the problems he created, but won't admit to it if that makes sense. I will first tell you what resulted when Tom Leninger's Advanced Builders crew did their work.
1- Black Mold (stachybotrys) growth is present in approximately 50% of the attic space (see below for the reason).
2- Condensation builds in the attic and drips down the exterior wall - it drips the black mold down the brick and has stained it.
3- Also, it drips over the doorways where you enter the enclosure (spring/fall-see below).
4- door jams and floors are covered with stains
5- The roof deck was cut short of the fascia board thus allowing water to enter behind the fascia board.
6- The roof deck (overhang) on the short side of the enclosure was removed and a small portion of the roof was left unsupported. Now that small portion has dipped/dropped due to lack of support.
7- The gutter that was placed on the enclosure came in two pieces. The Advanced Builders/Four Seasons crew seamed the two pieces with caulk that was, and I measured it, slightly more than an inch high. Obviously this prohibited the flow of water from the dead end of the gutter to the downspout.
8- The downspout - The hole from the gutter to the downspout was 3/8 of a diameter. Again, obviously this greatly reduced the flow of water to the downspout. This was detected when we noticed the water overflowing the top edges of the gutter.
Tom Leninger has been contacted repeatedly regarding these problems over the past SEVEN years. Our main concern is the black mold. His track record of sending out one of his workers is about once every 6 months. When they arrive, they bring out the caulk gun and go to work trying to stop the "leaks". Never once, addressing where it is coming from.
What Tom Leninger did to the structure of this home is inexcusable. His crew removed ALL of the air intake vents in the rear of the home, without any consideration as to what the result would be. These vents comprised about 25 percent of the air infiltration into the attic. What this did was to remove the source for the rear half of the home that pushed the hot air out of the attic.
During the fall and springtime especially, the warm days and cool nights caused a freeze thaw to occur in the attic. The hot air can't get out; it condenses and freezes over night, warms under the morning sun and drips along the wall that the enclosure is located. This was all confirmed by two State of Michigan licensed inspectors. I approached Tom Leninger a few years ago to tell him this is what is occurring. He said you don't know what you are talking about and preceded to tell me to get a new roof, that's the problem.
A new roof was placed on the home. The water still dripped. Then he said you don't have enough insulation in the attic. New insulation was blown into the attic. The water still dripped. After going back and forth, now we are at the six years after payment was made time and his crew says more insulation is needed between the enclosure and the home.
His crew removes the aluminum trim on the inside of the enclosure which met the wall of the home, only to find there is no insulation-they forgot to put it in six years ago. They put it inthe water still dripped. We still have the problem of static air in the attic of the home due to Tom Leninger's crew removing ALL of the air infiltration vents (soffit venting) around the rear of the home.
So over time, the unbelievable levels of moisture in the attic have produced an environment for BLACK MOLD. After the discovery of BLACK MOLD, we had two State of Michigan licensed inspectors, with excellent credentials and longevity in the field, inspect the home. Both reports that were generated listed the presence of the BLACK MOLD, and related problems as deriving from the removal of the air infiltration vents, which led to the moisture build up in the attic.
There was also an opinion from two other licensed contractors that gave us estimates for additional work to help to correct this problem that said they agreed with the two inspection reports. When Tom Leninger was presented with this information, he said, they don't know what they are talking about. He said he has been in business for twenty years and that the lack of air infiltration would not cause this problem.
The additional work that was performed by an area contractor has yet to prove if the situation will be helped. The fall season will determine this. Tom Leninger was presented with the invoice for the work on or about May 22, and failed to respond as to whether he would pay for the work performed.
The last and final visit that was made to Tom Leninger was on June 19 because he would not return the phone calls. When I entered the Four Seasons Advanced Builders location, I was first told that Tom Leninger was with a client. I could see down the hall that he WAS the client.
See folks, he was getting his hair cut in his office. His office girl told me he would call me later. He called three days later and told me he thought I was one of his subcontractors - that's why he didn't come out of the room. Glad I'm not one of his subcontractors. He said he'd get back with me. Still waiting.
Oh yeah, one more thing. When Tom Leninger sent out his salesmen the first time around, he left a contract that had a FIVE-year limited warranty written on it. It was left to be reviewed. When the salesmen returned a few days after to pick up a deposit, the signed copy the salesmen left, had a ONE-year limited warranty on it. Call it what you want, I call it dishonest, and reprehensible business practices.
Thanks Tom Leninger.
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