Miscellaneous
Coverage 1st Year Only. Workmanship and Materials.
Fireplace and Wood Stove
11-1-1
Observation: Fireplace or chimney does not consistently draw properly.
Performance Guideline: A properly designed and constructed fireplace and chimney shall function correctly.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor shall correct as necessary if the problem is caused by a design or construction flaw.
Discussion: High winds can cause temporary negative or down drafts. Negative drafts can also be caused by obstructions such as tree branches, steep hillsides, adjoining homes, and interior furnaces.
11-1-2
Observation: The chimney is separated from the structure.
Performance Guideline: Newly built fireplaces will often incur slight amounts of separation. The amount of separation from the main structure shall not exceed 1/2-inch in any ten-foot vertical measurement.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will repair gaps that do not meet the performance guideline.
Discussion: Proper repair can be affected by caulking unless the cause of the separation is due to a structural failure of the chimney foundation itself. In that case, caulking is unacceptable.
11-1-3
Observation: The firebox paint is damaged by a fire in the fireplace.
Performance Guideline: Heat and discoloration is a common occurrence.
Corrective Measure: No action is required of The Bolster Contractor.
Discussion: The owner should obtain the proper paint from the manufacturer if he or she chooses to touch up the interior of the firebox for aesthetic reasons.
11-1-4
Observation: A firebrick or mortar joint is cracked.
Performance Guideline: Heat and flames from normal fires can cause cracking.
Corrective Measure: No corrective action is required of The Bolster Contractor.
11-1-5
Observation: A simulated firebrick panel has cracked.
Performance Guideline: This is a common condition.
Corrective Measure: No corrective action is required of The Bolster Contractor.
11-1-6
Observation: Rust is observed on the fireplace damper.
Performance Guideline: This is a common condition.
Corrective Measure: No corrective action is required of The Bolster Contractor.
Concrete Stoops and Steps
11-2-1
Observation: Stoops or steps have settled, heaved, or separated from the house structure.
Performance Guideline: Stoops and steps shall not settle, heave in excess of 1 inch, or separate in excess of inch from the house structure.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will take whatever corrective action is required to meet the performance guideline.
11-2-2
Observation: Water remains on stoops or steps after rain has stopped.
Performance Guideline: Water shall drain off outdoor stoops and steps. Minor amounts of water can be expected to remain on stoops and steps for up to 24 hours after rain.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will take corrective action to ensure proper drainage of stoops and steps.
Garage
11-3-1
Observation: The garage floor slab is cracked.
Performance Guideline: Cracks in concrete garage floor greater than 3/16-inch in width or 1/8-inch in vertical displacement are unacceptable.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor shall repair to meet the performance guideline.
Discussion: Proper repair can be affected by thoroughly cleaning, filling, and troweling the surface using latex-fortified cement mixture or other materials designed to fill cracks and bond concrete.
11-3-2
Observation: Garage concrete floor has settled, heaved, or separated.
Performance Guideline: The garage floor shall not settle or heave in excess of 1 inch, or separate in excess ofinch from the structure.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will take whatever corrective action is required to meet the performance guideline.
Discussion: The repaired area may not match the existing floor in color and texture.
11-3-3
Observation: Garage doors fail to operate properly under normal use.
Performance Guideline: Garage doors shall operate properly.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will correct or adjust garage doors as required, except where the owner’s actions or negligence caused the problem.
Discussion: The Bolster Contractor is not responsible for the door operation if the owner has installed a garage door opener.
11-3-4
Observation: Garage doors allow the entry of snow or water.
Performance Guideline: Garage doors shall be installed as recommended by the manufacturer. Some snow or water can be expected to enter under normal conditions.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will adjust or correct the garage doors to meet the manufacturer's installation instructions.
Driveways and Sidewalks
11-4-1
Observation: Asphalt driveway develops cracks.
Performance Guideline: This is a normal condition.
Corrective Measure: None.
11-4-2
Observation: Standing water is observed on an asphalt pavement surface.
Performance Guideline: Standing water greater than 1/8-inch in depth shall not remain on the surface 24 hours after a rain. It is not unusual to have some standing water after heavy rains.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor shall repair or replace the affected area to meet the guideline if the warranty covers the driveway. Patched areas will generally be noticeable and not blend in with the rest of the driveway.
11-4-3
Observation: Exterior concrete flat work is pitting or spalling. Pitting is evidenced by concrete that has flaked or peeled from the outer surface. Spalling is evidenced by concrete that has chipped.
Performance Guideline: Exterior concrete surfaces shall not pit, spall or disintegrate. Aggregate pops are normal; minor scaling is not controllable at all.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will repair defective concrete surfaces using materials designed for this purpose. The Bolster Contractor is not responsible for deterioration caused by salt, chemicals, mechanical implements, or other factors beyond The Bolster Contractor's control.
Wood Decks
11-5-1
Observation: A wood deck is springy or shaky.
Performance Guideline: All structural members in a wood deck shall be sized, and fasteners spaced, according to appropriate building codes and manufacturers' instructions.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will reinforce or modify, as necessary, any wood deck not meeting the performance guidelines.
Discussion: Deflection may indicate insufficient stiffness in the lumber, or may reflect an aesthetic consideration independent of the strength and safety requirements of the lumber. Structural members are required to meet standards for both stiffness and strength. When an owner's preference is made known before construction, The Bolster Contractor and the owner may agree upon a higher standard.
11-5-2
Observation: The spaces between decking boards are not uniform.
Performance Guideline: The spaces on opposite sides of individual deck boards shall not differ in average width by more than 3/16-inch at the time of substantial completion of the project, unless otherwise agreed upon by the owner and The Bolster Contractor.
Corrective Measure: One time only, The Bolster Contractor will realign or replace decking boards to meet the performance guideline.
Discussion: The spaces will naturally tend to change over time because of shrinkage and expansion of individual boards. The Bolster Contractor is only responsible for correct spacing at the time of substantial completion of the project.
11-5-3
Observation: The railings on wood decking contain slivers in exposed areas.
Performance Guideline: Railings on wood decks shall not contain slivers longer than 1/8-inch in exposed areas at the time of substantial completion of the project.
Corrective Measure: One time only; The Bolster Contractor will repair railings as necessary to remove slivers prior to substantial completion of the project. Repair of slivers after that time is an owner maintenance responsibility.
Discussion: Slivers can develop when unprotected wood weathers. The proper finishing of wood surfaces helps prevent slivers from forming.
11-5-4
Observation: A wood deck is out of level.
Performance Guideline: No point on the deck surface shall be more than 1/2-inch higher or lower than any other deck surface point within 10 feet on a line parallel to the house, or in proportional multiples of the preceding dimensions (unless a slope is incorporated in the design).
Remodeling Specific: The owner and The Bolster Contractor may agree to intentionally build a wood deck out of level in order to match or compensate for inaccuracies in the existing structure.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will repair the deck as necessary to meet the performance guideline.
Discussion: A slope of approximately 1/8-inch per foot is desirable in the perpendicular direction to shed water and prevent ice build-up.
11-5-5
Observation: Wood decking boards are split, warped, or cupped.
Performance Guideline: At the time of substantial completion of the project, splits, warps, and cups in wood decking boards shall not exceed the allowances established by the official grading rules issued by the agency responsible for the lumber species specified for the deck boards.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will replace decking boards as necessary to meet the performance guidelines
11-5-6
Observation: A wood deck has stain color variations.
Performance Guideline: Stain color variations are not acceptable if they result from improper stain application or failure to mix the stain properly. Stain color variations resulting from other causes-such as weathering or varying porosity of the wood used to build the deck-are common and are not covered by this guideline.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will restain the affected area to meet the performance guideline.
11-5-7
Observation: A nail head protrudes from a wood decking board.
Performance Guideline: Nail heads shall not protrude from the floor of the wood deck at the time of substantial completion of the project.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will refasten nails whose heads protrude from the floor of the deck so that the heads are flush with the surface.
Discussion: Nails should be driven flush when the deck is installed, but they may pop from the deck over time as the wood shrinks and expands.
11-5-8
Observation: Nails on a wood deck are "bleeding."
Performance Guideline: Nail stains extending more than 1/2-inch from the nail and readily visible from a distance of more than 3 feet are not acceptable.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will eliminate nail stains to meet the performance guideline.
Discussion: This guideline does not apply if "natural weathering" or semi-transparent stains are specified.
11-5-9
Observation: A wood deck railing lacks rigidity.
Performance Guideline: Wood deck railings shall be attached to structural members in accordance with applicable building codes.
Corrective Measure: The Bolster Contractor will repair wood deck railings as necessary to comply with applicable building codes.