[quote=CDMA ENG][quote=spdrun]Construction quality also has to do with execution, not just initial design, you know. That’s where all of the mass-produced-box builders fall down. If code only requires a 4″ slab, then the problem is with the code![/quote]
Poorly “executed” answer.
CE[/quote]
With the exception of the last sentence, it is a pretty accurate claim. Most, but far from all construction problems are execution rather than faulty design. Builders contract with subs who agree to build to spec, and then cut corners, sometimes occasionally, sometimes consistently. And sometimes, they just do it wrong. Every builder has these same problems.
But I’m not sure this discussion is really about design or workmanship. Generally, the more expensive a house is (as compared with the local market), the higher the quality of the products used to build the house. Builders can use inexpensive products and assemblies and not end up with defects. But cheap finishes make for cheap feeling houses, irrespective of the quality of the installation work.
Toll doesn’t tend to build those houses. Hovnanian does in so cal. But generalizations can be dangerous. It can change from development to development.
(And in some situations, a 4″ slab is perfectly acceptable. And one 4″ slab is not exactly the same as every other 4″ slab, concrete mix and assembly varies. Some conditions call for a thicker slab, irrespective of code.)
