New house/ need advice on the poor construction please!?

Question

We had a new house built. when it is windy, I hear the siding against the house rattle and it makes an awful noise like someone beating sheet plastic while scraping and tapping metal nails against the wood against the house. it is loud and actually keeps me up when Im trying to sleep at night. I spoke to a neighbor who says they don't have this problem. the builder foreman says he doenst think he is "going to find anything" I m not educated enough about building to know what is wrong and how to fix & because of this I dont nkow how to get this resolved. I should nt have to feel like I need to persuede them to try. I do know something is wrong. Please, any experienced people in any field of knowledge, Help!

thanks

Answer 1

The siding should not make any noises at all.  You paid for a new house and that is what you expect to have,  Send a reciept requested letter to the builder demanding that the sidng be repaired and properly installed, and demand a deadline on when he intends to have this done for you.  If he refuses to reply or repair, go to small claims court, or an attorney if you can afford one, and have them contact the builder.  Sounds like a big bother, but it will be worth your time.  Keep in mind the builder hired a sub-contarctor to install the siding, so he may be a little hesitant to accomodate you, because he will then have to go after the "sub" to make things good.  But that's his problem, not yours.  He may have already had enough problems with the "sub" that he might have already let hin go.  No luck with your request and you should sue the builder and report him to better business bureau, as well as local Chamber of Commerce.

Answer 2

when vinyl siding is installed on an exterior wall the nails are not driven in  completely to allow for expansion as the seasons change, there is a space where the wind is getting under/behind the siding and causing it to vibrate against the house, find this space and seal it and you solve your problem.

Answer 3

Ok, here is the problem.  Your siding is vinyl and because it is the installation instructions from the manufacturer requires a certain number of siding nails per lineal foot to secure it to the substrate.  Now this type of siding needs to be able to move with the heat and cold.  In other words it needs to expand and contract.  Because of this requirement the nails cannot be driven "Home" (tight), instead they are left slightly loose.

That explained one of two things may be occuring.  1. There are not enough nails per lineal foot and when the wind blows against the walls it creates "wind up lift" (the wind turns upward as a pressure release).  The uplift causes a vacuum at the wall surface and actually pulls the siding out away from the wall.  Now, because the velocity of the wind changes it also causing rapid in and out vibrations resulting in the noise you hear.

2.  There are enough nails in the siding but they are too loose and then the wind uplift senario still applies.

I hope that I have helped you.