Skip to main content

Contractor refuses to fix insulation void from a Closing Repair. Claims "Warranty doesn't transfer" & "It was just a top-off". Am I crazy?

The Situation: I live in Seattle WA. I have a South-facing bedroom on the 2nd floor that is significantly COLDER than my North-facing rooms. I finally bought a thermal camera and checked the ceiling. Result? A massive blue (cold) spot covering half of the ceiling. It turns out the attic insulation is completely MISSING in the half furthest from the attic hatch.

  • Ceiling Temp (Insulated side): 64°F
  • Ceiling Temp (Missing side): 37°F (Outside temp is 33°F)

The Background (Closing Repair): This insulation work was done in June 2025, as a condition of the home sale (Closing Repair).

  • Invoice says: "Fill ALL insulation cavities" and "Achieve depth equivalent to R-49".
  • Original condition: Inspection report says attic was less than R-19.
  • Reality: They were supposed to add at least 10+ inches of blown-in insulation everywhere. They clearly skipped this corner.

The Contractor's Response: I contacted the company with the invoice and thermal images. Their excuses were mind-blowing:

  1. "New Owner, No Warranty": They claim the warranty is non-transferable.
  2. "It was a Top-off": They said since it was a "top-off" over old insulation, they can't warranty it.
  3. "We did what we were told": Implied the previous owner asked them to leave it like that(?).

My Argument:

  1. Incomplete Work, Not Warranty: I'm not claiming a defect on old material. I'm stating they failed to install the product in that corner. The spot is still <R-19, meaning they never added the material they were paid for.
  2. Code Violation: Leaving a void violates WA State Energy Code (WSEC) and manufacturer instructions ("No voids or gaps").
  3. No Certificate: I checked the attic hatch and panel, and there is NO Insulation Certificate posted, which is required by code in WA.

Question: The contractor is stonewalling me. Is it valid for them to deny fixing a "missed spot" just because ownership changed? Some 'untrustworthy' AI told me that I can report this to L&I (Labor & Industries) and the City Building Dept for code violations. Is this true? Any advice on how to handle this effectively? Thanks!

submitted by /u/Sweaty_Treat_9028
[link] [comments]

source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1qmd1ux/contractor_refuses_to_fix_insulation_void_from_a/
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

North Carolina – “One to Buy; Two to Sell”

I realize I will likely have to contact a real estate attorney but also hoping to hear insights and experiences from others! I have a house in NC that I bought by myself in 2009, and paid off, in full, in 2022. I got married in 2023. My spouse and I have not lived in the house as our "marital residence". We have maintained separate residences even after we got married. (That a separate topic!). I am now selling this house. Realtors have told us that my husband has to sign the deed at time of transfer but I am not convinced since the house has not been our marital residence. The realtors like to use the phrase "one to buy; two to sell", which seems like a broad-stroke statement which is not applicable under all circumstances. And of course, the realtors don’t realize the details of my specific circumstances: I purchased and paid for the house in full prior to marriage Only my name is on the deed And most importantly, we have never lived in the house as a marit...
Post a Comment
Read more

Question With Tricon "Pending ID".....

My wife and i, along with 2 other peopl applied to rent a house, and our application says "Approved, Pending ID". Anyone else know what that means? Do we pretty much have the place or are we missing something? submitted by /u/Itskrueger [link] [comments] source https://www.reddit.com/r/RealEstate/comments/1orixqj/question_with_tricon_pending_id/
Post a Comment
Read more

Aren't comps/CMAs useless with buyer credits at close happening now?

I'm looking into buying a new construction townhouse in my HCOL US city. I'm seeing builders offering interest rate buydowns worth $20k-$60k on $800k homes (rather than just lowering prices) in order to keep their comps high for their other units, now that buyer demand has been declining. I asked my agent about these, and he said these buydowns aren't even the full story: buyers can write all kinds of other credits into an offer, like their closing costs, prepaid sewer fees, etc. Apparently cash buyers can just write in a "buyer credit at close" for any amount in their offer. So a new townhouse that appeared to sell for $800k in the MLS might have actually been a cash offer with a $100k+ buyer credit at close, meaning the buyer only spent $700k or less in total, but to the rest of the world they can only see the $800k! So that made me realize I can't trust comps/CMAs for other new construction townhouses. The sales prices could be way lower than they appear...
1 comment
Read more