KB Home wants to fix this large crack in the sub floor with a staircase tread bracket. Who knows how far this crack goes and will most likely continue to crack. Another quick KB Home fix. I'm glad that they screwed up not wrapping the stair with carpet properly, hiding their shoddy workmanship. The pictures below minus the crack in the lip which they are fixing with a bracket is ACCEPTABLE AND DOES NOT NEED REPAIR. Please think twice before buying a KB Home, this has been a nightmare from day one. Scroll down for photos.

Date Inspected: 02/24/2010

Date Opened: 02/23/2010

Installer: Spraggins Installation Date: 8/9/2009

Problem Area: MBR, Hallway, Living Room, DR, Stairs

Complaint Date: 02/23/2010

Soft spots, floor bubbling in hallway, chipping, popping up, large crack in subfloor.

Service Request #: N/A Claim Number:

Consumer Name:

Second Opinion: No Work:

Size Involved in Claim: 1084

Color Name/Number: Jatoba - 77729

Any Additional Labor: No

Type of Surface: Laminate

Manufacturer: Armstrong

Style Name/Number: 77MM77729

HARDSURFACE INFORMATION3

Moisture Barrier: Unknown Trowel Notch: Not Applicable

Subfloor (Wood): Yes Subfloor (Concrete): No

Fasteners: Not Applicable Spacing of Fasteners: Not Applicable

Pets: 1 cat Adults: 1

AC System: Central electric Children: 0

Rolled: No Roller Weight: N/a

From End: N/A Joists on Center: 24"

Adhesive Used: Not Applicable Floor Protectors: Yes

Owner Occupied: Yes Patch: Unknown

Facility Type: House Rental Property: N/A

Construction: Laminate/Click Finish / Wearlayer: Factory Finished

Relative Humidity: 51.6 Temperature (°F): 73

Acclimation: N/A Installation Type: Floating

Inspection Date: 02/24/2010

Address Inspected: [Same As Consumer Address]

Meter Type: Protimeter MMS+ Maintenance: Bruce Laminate Cleaner

Heating: Electric Replace Transitions?: No

Grade: Above Grade Which Transitions?:

Humidifier: N/A Existing Floor: OSB

Dehumidifier: N/A Underlayment: Unknown

Moisture Readings: 115, 128, 11.1% Subfloor Type: OSB

4

Conclusion: The lifted corners and edges are caused by coreboard cracks which can occur during installation or

can be the result of damage resulting from too much vertical deflection. The vertical deflection

exhibited here is caused by the installation of the floor over an insufficiently smooth subfloor, and

this is the responsibility of the installer.

This report is based on information available to the inspector at the time of the inspection as well as

its review and finalization as prepared by the Inspect Solutions’ review team. The observations and

conclusion are made to a reasonable degree of certainty. Inspect Solutions reserves the right to add

to and/or to modify these findings should additional information become available.

Observations / Tests: Product is a laminate plank installed continuously in the living room and dining room on the 2nd

floor, and continuously in the hall, master bedroom, 2nd bedroom, and 3rd bedroom on the 3rd floor.

Customer complained of vertical movement in planks, chipping, popping, and softness in the floor.

Product was installed in August of 2009, and the customer noticed the concerns when she moved in

September of 2009. The builder was notified at the time of walk-through. Some repairs have been

made to the subfloor as well as to the laminate itself, and 2 of the upstairs bedrooms have been

completely replaced.

According to the consumer, it is unknown if the product was acclimated prior to its installation, and it

is unknown if the HVAC was operational before, during, or immediately after installation. The HVAC

has been operational since the consumer moved in. Product is installed over an unknown

underlayment of ¾” oriented strand board over engineered “I” joists set 24” on center. It is unknown

if moisture tests were taken prior to installation, but the subfloor was leveled, according to the

consumer.

There is 1 adult in the household. Pets include 1 cat. Customer cleans the floor with Bruce

Laminate Floor Cleaner on a regular basis.

Inspection revealed lifted corners and edges occurring in several places both on the 2nd and 3rd

floors. These lifted corners and edges are generally about 1/32” higher than the adjoining plank,

and they can be pushed down flush by hand. Some slight end joint peaking was observed

throughout the installation, particularly in the hallway on the 3rd floor. Noticeable vertical movement

and “softness of the subfloor’ were also observed in several places throughout including at the edge

of the steps in the hallway on the 3rd floor and where the living room meets the stairs to the 1st floor.

Close inspection of the smoothness of the floor showed it is out of plane by as much as ¼” in 6’. A

moisture test of the product with a Protimeter MMS+ meter showed low moisture content with

readings of 115 to 128. A moisture test of the subfloor where it is exposed at the top of the stairs on

the 3rd floor showed moisture content of 11.1%. Inspection of the subfloor in this area showed it is

cracked and damaged. Inspection throughout showed no evidence of moisture damage, joint

swelling, etc.

Close inspection showed adequate expansion space throughout. The total uninterrupted distances

are 37’ lengthwise by 17’ widthwise. T-moldings have been used between the 3rd floor bedrooms

and hallway, but no T-moldings have been used between the living room and dining room. The end

joint stagger is generally 5-6” with the exception of a few places with an end joint stagger of 1” in the

upstairs bedrooms.

Temperature at the time of inspection was 73 degrees with relative humidity of 51.6%.

INSPECTION DETAILS5

Name 3: Lifted edges which can be pushed flush

Name 1: General appearance

Name 2: Lifted edges

6

Name 6: Slight end joint peaking

Name 4: Lifted edges

Name 5: Lifted edges

7

Name 9: Damage to subfloor at stair edge

Name 7: Slight end joint peaking

Name 8: Damage to subfloor at stair edge

8

Name 12: Lifted edges

Name 10: End joint stagger

Name 11: Lifted edges

9

Name 15: End joint peaking

Name 13: Lifted edges can be pushed flush

Name 14: Hallway

10

Name 18: Moisture reading

Name 16: Moisture reading

Name 17: Moisture reading

11

Name 21: Out of plane condition

Name 19: Moisture reading

Name 20: Out of plane condition

12

Name 24: Small end joint stagger

Name 22: Out of plane condition

Name 23: Small end joint stagger

13