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Performance Standard: Gaps between miter edges in trim and molding shall not exceed 1/16 inch.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will repair gaps exceeding the performance standard. Caulking or puttying with materials compatible to the finish are acceptable.

Performance Standard: Gear finishes used on exterior surfaces may deteriorate rapidly. This problem is beyond the remodeler’s control.

Corrective Measure: None

Performance Standard: Clear finishes on interior woodwork shall not deteriorate during the warranty period. However, clear finishes used on exterior surfaces may deteriorate rapidly, and they are not covered by this performance standard.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will retouch affected areas of clear-finish interior woodwork and match the original finish as closely as practical.

Performance Standard: Cups in strip oak floor boards shall not exceed 1/16 inch in depth in a 3-inch maximum span measured perpendicular to the long axis of the board. Cupping caused by exposure to moisture beyond the control of the remodeler is not covered.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will correct or repair to meet the standard.

Performance Standard: The wall covering shall not peel off the walls.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will reattach or replace the loose wall covering.

Performance Standard: Tile, brick, marble, and stone flooring shall not crack or loosen.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will replace cracked tiles, bricks, marble, and stone flooring, and re-secure loose tiles, bricks, marble, and stone, unless the defects were caused by the owner’s actions or negligence. The remodeler is not responsible for discontinued patterns or color variations in replacing tile, brick, marble, or stone flooring.

Performance Standard: Bows exceeding 1/4 inch in 16 inches are unacceptable.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will replace any wood lap siding with bows exceeding the performance standard, and finish replacement siding to match the existing siding as closely as practical.

Discussion: If the siding is held by nails into studs and is force-fit during installation, expansion caused by increasing relative humidity may cause bulges or waves. Even with proper installation, siding will tend to bow inward and outward in adjacent stud spaces.

Performance Standard: End gaps wider than 1/8 inch are unacceptable.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will repair end gaps that do not meet the performance standard by providing joint covers or by caulking the gap. If the siding is painted, the remodeler will paint the new caulking to match the siding as closely as practical.

Performance Standard: Any piece of lap siding more than 1/2 inch off parallel with the bottom course or more than 1/4 inch off parallel with contiguous courses is unacceptable, unless the owner and the remodeler have previously agreed to disregard the performance standard to match a preexisting structural condition.

 Corrective Measure: The remodeler will reinstall siding to meet the performance standard for straightness and replace any siding damaged during removal with new siding.

Discussion: This defect is preventable. Lap siding can be kept straight by measuring and marking the courses on the comers, snapping lines between the marks, and holding the courses to the marks. However, if the remodeler and the owner have agreed that the floor of an addition is to be on a different plane from an existing floor (e.g., out of level), the siding on the addition may not be parallel and in line with the existing siding.

Performance Standard: Siding that projects more than 3/16 inch from the face of adjacent siding is unacceptable.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will repair or replace any siding not meeting the performance standard.

Discussion: Buckling is caused by increasing relative humidity, which causes the siding to expand. It can be prevented by leaving space between the tongues and grooves for siding to expand, and by leaving the siding outside for a few days to allow it to adjust to the ambient humidity prior to installation.

Performance Standard: Resilient flooring shall not lift, bubble, nor detach.

Corrective Measure: At the re-modelers option, the remodeler will repair or replace the affected resilient flooring as necessary. The remodeler is not responsible for discontinued patterns or color variations in replacing the floor covering.

Performance Standard: Gaps at joints in resilient flooring shall not exceed 1/16 inch in width. Where dissimilar materials abut, the gap shall not exceed 1/8 inch.

Corrective Measure: At the remodeler’s option, the remodeler will repair or replace the resilient flooring as necessary to meet the performance standard. The remodeler will not be responsible for discontinued patterns or color variations in replacing the floor covering.

Performance Standard: Siding shall not delaminate.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will replace delaminated siding unless the delamination was caused by the owner’s actions or negligence. The repaired area may not precisely match the original siding.

Performance Standard: 1/8 inch in 16 inches, or 1/4 inch in 24 inches, are unacceptable.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will install additional nails in siding to meet acceptable nailing schedules and will replace any siding that has bows exceeding the performance standard.

Discussion: Some waviness in siding is to be expected because of bows in studs. However, proper nailing of siding will straighten most bows.

Performance Standard: The coating shall not separate from the base on an exterior stucco wall during the warranty period.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will repair areas where the coating has separated from the base.

Performance Standard: Some waviness in lap siding is to be expected because of bows in studs. Thermal expansion waves or distortions in aluminum or vinyl lap siding, sometimes called oil canning, are unacceptable if they exceed 1/8 inch in 16 inches.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will correct any thermal expansion waves or distortions exceeding the performance standard by reinstalling or replacing siding as necessary.

Discussion: This problem is caused by the siding being nailed too tightly to the house instead of loosely “hung” in the center of the nail slots, or by not allowing adequate room for the siding to expand at the ends.

Performance Standard: Gradual fading or change in color caused by sunlight occurs in nearly all vinyl and aluminum sidings and cannot be prevented by the remodeler.

Corrective Measure: None.

Performance Standard: Exposure to natural light may cause spots on and minor fading of the carpet.

Corrective Measure: None.

Performance Standard: Readily visible nail pops on resilient flooring are not acceptable.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will correct nail pops that have broken the surface. The remodeler will repair or replace, at the remodeler’s option, resilient floor covering in the affected area with similar material. The remodeler is not responsible for discontinued patterns or color variations in replacing the floor covering.

Performance Standard: Any such blemishes that are readily visible from a distance of 6 feet under normal lighting conditions are unacceptable.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will repair such blemishes only once during the warranty period. The remodeler will repaint repaired areas. A perfect match between original and new paint cannot be expected, and the remodeler is not required to paint an entire wall or room. The remodeler is not required to repair defects that are covered by wallpaper and, therefore, not visible.

Performance Standard: Stains extending more than 1/2 inch from the: nail and readily visible from a distance of more than 20 feet are unacceptable. This performance standard does not apply if “natural weathering” is specified for the job.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler can choose either to remove stains that do not meet the performance standard, or to paint (or stain) all the siding a color selected by the owner.

 Discussion: Stains may be from oxidation of nails or leaching of extractives from the wood. Use of galvanized nails (even double hot-dipped) will not necessarily prevent staining. Clear water-repellent sealer applied immediately after installation of siding will retard leaching and rusting.

Performance Standard: Exterior brick and stone shall be free from mortar stains detracting from the appearance of the finished wall when viewed from a distance of 20 feet.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will clean the mortar stains to meet the performance standard.

Performance Standard: Patterns at seams between adjoining pieces shall be aligned to within 1/8 inch.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will correct the flooring to meet the performance standard.

Performance Standard: Resilient floor tiles shall be securely attached to the floor.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will attach loose resilient floor tiles securely to the floor. The old adhesive will be removed if necessary to re-secure the tiles.

Performance Standard: None.

Corrective Measure: None.

Performance Standard: Setting nails and filling nail holes are considered part of painting and finishing. After painting or finishing, nails and nail holes shall not be readily visible from a distance of 6 feet under normal lighting conditions.

Corrective Measure: Where the remodeler is responsible for painting, the remodeler shall take action necessary to meet the performance standard.

Performance Standard: Trim edges at inside comers shall be coped or mitered.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will finish inside comers by coping or mitering.

Performance Standard: Painted or finished surfaces shall be free of observable mildew and fungus at the time the job is completed. However, mildew or fungus may form on painted surfaces over time because of warmth and moisture.

 Corrective Measure: The remodeler will remove mildew and fungus before completion of the job. Subsequent mildew or fungus formation is a condition the remodeler cannot control. The owner is responsible for future cleaning of the painted item as necessary to prevent or remove mildew and fungus.

Performance Standard: Cracks greater than 3/8 inch in width are not acceptable.

Corrective Measure: The remodeler will repair cracks in excess of the performance standard by tuck pointing, patching, or painting. The remodeler will not be responsible for color variation between original and new mortar.

Discussion: Small hairline cracks resulting from shrinkage are common in mortar joints in masonry construction.