Walker Construction Company

We moved into our beautiful new home in February 2010. Within a couple of weeks, we noticed that the faucets in the master bath and the hall bath were leaking from the joint connection at the wall. We called Mr. Walker who then sent out the plumbers. They attempted to fix the problems but did not and were called out a second time. Problem appeared fixed but on March 9, 2010, I discovered that the carpet in my master closet was soaking wet from where the faucet was leaking in the wall cavity. Mr. Walker said, "Put a fan on it." Plumbers came out AGAIN, welded, and hopefully fixed the master bath problem. I pulled up carpet, pad, and tack strips. It was all replaced. Mr. Walker not happy that I did that. March 25, 2010, the children discover massive mold behind toilet in hall bath. Shower valve was leaking into wall cavity. ServPro was hired (that is a different story...will write report). Mr. Walker tells me to "not overreact and become a hyperchondriac" when I asked him to have the mold in the wall cavity removed. We discovered that ceramic tile in the shower surround was applied over sheetrock...a HUGE no no...and was soaking wet and had to all be removed. Containment set up, walls torn out, mold everywhere for weeks. Since the shower surround was removed, I asked that the dented tub be replaced. We came to an agreement on replacing with a one piece shower/tub unit to prevent further problems and Mr. Walker will pay for it. And they were supposed to close up the 4 sq ft hole open in my slab that is under this tub from the plumber mistakes. With the exception of the one time Mr. Walker and I have words over him just walking into my home unannouced and yelling at me, the rest of it goes without a hitch. Project finished May 3, 2010. I ask Mr. Walker to replace tile in master shower also as it is placed on sheetrock. Find out that the shower tub is actually a drop in tub and has no tile flange to prevent water from running behind tile and into wall cavity. Mr. Walker ignores me. I get a squeegee for the shower. August 4, 2010-Neighbor is helping me build a deck on the back of house and we discover water standing two feet deep in the post holes against the house. We dig down and drill 1/2" hole into foundation block. Water pours out for twelve hours. Contact Mr. Walker. He refuses to do anything. Says I didn't pay for that tub from back in April. Therefore, my warranty was voided. August 11, 2010-First day of school, we get up to find that the water heater had flooded the house and garage. Mr. Walker's plumbers had neglected to terminate the end of the pop off pipe into a drain or to the exterior as required by code and so my house flooded. It was 100 degrees outside and mold developed quickly. Mr. Walker refused to come out. Next day, the plumbers did show up and quickly changed out the T&P valve on water heater and the Pressure Reducing Valve on the water line. They blamed the failure on a "water spike" from the utility company. Mr. Walker would not send anyone out for cleanup. As I had many items still stored in garage and it 100 degrees outside, this caused a big problem. Inside, my hardwood was soaked, the baseboards, and walls were wet. Worse, the spot that we had just had to have mold cleanup performed was wet again. I had to file a claim with my insurance company. By the time it was all said and done...and the insurance company doesn't cover mold cleanup...I lost thousands of dollars worth of possessions that were not covered by insurance. My children and I (and our cats) had been sick since we had moved into the house due to mold. This cleanup goes on for months...well into winter. We can never get the humidity in the house below 60% and have to run a heavy duty dehumidifier at all times. The HVAC guy (Mitchell Air) comes and cannot solve problem. He cannot even fix the front room that maintains a 10 degree temperature differential from the rest of the house. I am getting frustrated. After some research and contacting the civil engineer on the job, it turns out that Mr. Walker did not put the required fill on my lot to raise the footers above the water table. So, he puts my footers in about 4 feet too deep, builds a stem wall that is 7 courses of concrete block tall, fills it with 50+ inches of gravel, and then puts my slab on top of it all. This was not noticeable at first since there was about 3 feet of fill dirt placed on the exterior of the block. This is causing my foundation to work as a giant french drain and naturally wicks all the water from the surrounding ground to under my house. And, it turns out, it is vaporizing through the 4 sq ft hole under that tub causing moisture and mold to continue in the home. The engineer tells me that the sump pumps are "a bandaid...you're hemorraghing." He says at the end of the day, do you really want this house? Well, no, but what can I do? He also informs me that the back of my lot is a wetlands. First I've heard of that. I am not happy. I would not have bought this lot had I known. In the meantime, on December 27, 2010, I discover that the carpet is wet in the doorway to my bedroom which is next to my master bath. I discover that despite the massive amounts of caulk that I installed in the shower, because there is no tile flange on the tub, water is running behind the tile and into the wall cavity. The sheetrock is moldy. The door frame is moldy. The carpet, carpet pad, and tack strips are moldy. The hardwood outside of the door is moldy. The baseboards are moldy. And I wondered why I remained seriously ill throughout November and December. I call Mr. Walker...and he actually comes out! He looks it over, says he sees nothing, and that I voided warranty and he wouldn't fix it anyway. I prepare a letter that includes all warranty issues and send it certified mail. He replies with a letter that says until I pay him the $8300 ServPro bill (first I had heard of that...he hired them) and for the tub, then we'll "talk." After contacting the county building and zoning department, I find out that a Certificate of Occupancy was issued on my house even though all of the inspections weren't performed. The secretary that issued it no longer works there. The inspector that was supposed to have inspected it no longer works there. The director of the department, Pat Payne, no longer works there...he retired. On February 4, 2011, my insurance company had sent the flooring guy back to redo some of the hardwood that was installed after the water heater incident. He was pulling up hardwood next to the hall bath and discovered massive amounts of mold under the wood. We opened the wall cavity and found that everything was wet under the tub. This moisture had leaked under the wall and out into the hallway under the hardwood. After having a plumber inspect for leaks, it turns out to just be the moisture coming through that 4 sq ft hole! I hire inspectors. Walker refuses to do anything (no surprise by now). I will have to repair on my own. The humidity level under the tub is a constant 95%. Throughout February and March, my grandson and I, with the help of my wonderful neighbor, David, dig 120 feet of trenches for french drains and two 3 feet deep pits to put in sump pumps. I spend over $2000 just in materials for this job. My grandson and I mixed concrete and sealed the hole under the tub. Weeks later after it cured, I coated it with concrete water sealer. I haven't been able to afford an electrician to come out and run outlets for my sumps so I have to open a window and plug them in when I am home only. The good news is now the humidity under the tub is staying between 45 and 47%. In June, I was finally able to patch the 5 foot by 2 foot hole in my hall wall that has been open since February. Then I had to have surgery to remove a cyst that appears to be caused by mold exposure. I take the rest of my savings and I hire an attorney. I am suing Mr. Walker under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act for fraud and negligence, for breach of contract, breach of warranty...well, you get the picture. And I am asking for rescission...that he be made to take the house back. Mr. Walker, in turn, brought the plumbers into it as third party defendents. We have a trial date set for September 13. So, I am left...broke and broken down...trenches in my yard that still need covering and sump pits that need finishing. My yard is a mess and my neighbors have been wonderfully tolerant of the piles of dirt. We discovered that my grandson has a medical condition that causes a heart problem and has been ordered to NOT move anything heavier than half his body weight. He weighs 120 pounds so now he can't lift much. We have to move dirt in small quantities. I will have to replace the master tub and the shower surround at my cost. It has to be done because the smell of mold is quite strong under that tub. NEVER PUT CERAMIC TILE OVER PLAIN SHEETROCK IN A SHOWER SURROUND. IT IS AGAINST THE BUILDING CODE FOR A REASON...IT CAUSES MOLD. I have a hole opened up in that wall, too, from the water damage. I keep a hepa filter and a dehumidifier running at all times under there. Don Walker refuses to help. I am so sick and tired but we will get it done. BTW, my neighbor, David, has the same problem with water under his slab and ...at his own expense...had to put in a sump pump. Mr. Walker was aware of the problem but did nothing. David is now selling and moving out of state. I have since discovered that Mr. Walker is abhorred throughout Hamilton County. He has several ongoing lawsuits. He owes people hundreds of thousands of dollars. I will probably never collect anything. My story only serves as Caveat Emptor...if you are dealing with Don Walker...Buyer Beware!