Our brand new Ryland home
was completed late November, 2003.
It's leaked every rainfall since.

See the news page for the latest updates!
(last updated 08/27/2008)

 

In May of 2004 (about 6 months after closing) we began to notice strange stains on baseboards and damp, dark-colored grout lines in the kitchen tile. What we would discover in the coming months would be incredibly sad and disturbing -- our first, brand new, under a year-old Ryland home located in Central Florida had most likely been secretly leaking directly through the block behind the drywall every time it has rained since it was completed!

When the non-stop rains came across central Florida from hurricanes Frances (September 4th) and Jeanne (September 24th) the problem graduated from almost unnoticable signs to a full-on water intrusion and mold problem.

Most likely, we would have been left to discover this problem years later in the form of health problems from the constant exposure to hidden wet walls and a growing mold and mildew problem.

Warranty Shmarranty

To make matters worse, our multiple warranty requests to address the leaking that had been happening up to and during the hurricanes have been fruitless. Ryland's warranty department, without even inspecting the home, told us it was our problem and that they were not responsible.

To this day, they still have not followed through and we have been forced to begin removing drywall, and removing carpet and cabinets that have been irreparably damaged with severe mold and mildew.

Should Have Bought A House Built In The '60s

They didn't leak (unless there was a tree going through it). And we're not alone. At least 13 Ryland home communities and communities of other builders are also having the same problem with their new homes. Exactly the same problem. Unfortunately for us, we went with Ryland homes because of their reputation for quality construction and good customer service.

Boy, were we were duped.

Still waiting for Ryland to stand by their work

In the meantime, other builders like Levitt & Sons have almost immediately began repairing their customer's homes.

And even slightly amusing is the people in our neighborhood who think they don't have any problem because they don't see any damage! With so many Ryland communities and hundreds of homes affected, I find it hard to believe that they don't have something going on behind their drywall.

Who knows when/if Ryland will ever make good on what has been and incredibly miserable first home buying experience. For now, this site details some of the facts of my ordeal.

Hindsight Is Always 20/20

Had I known what I know now about tract builders and their rush to slap together whole communities as fast and cheap as possible, here's what I would have done differently with building a new home:

• Hired a smaller, insured and experienced custom home builder rather than a tract builder like Ryland - regardless of reputation
• Required that the foundation slab be allowed to settle properly for at least 28 days before putting up any walls
• Required that house wrap be used on ALL levels of the house, including lower block portions
• Required that a lathe and true stucco be applied to the entire house rather than a cementitious coating on the block
• Required that elastromeric paint, applied correctly, be used on the exterior
• Hired TWO experienced home inspectors before closing
• Been present on the job site during work to watch over work as it progressed

It's Not Just Me

If you have a Florida Ryland home built since 2000 and don't think you have any damage, I beg of you to take part in the Group Effort anyway. If you do not have visible damage now, it may be hidden behind your walls (and already growing mold) or you may have problems in the coming years.

At the very least, hire a home inspector and/or purchase an electrostatic hygrometer that can check for the presence of moisture or mold in the walls before deciding not to participate.

 

See the news page for the latest updates!

 

. . .