• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Cheating on insulation

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

F

Fritzsche

Guest
illinois
There is a rampant problem in the insulation industry called fluffing or cheating. It is where the proper amount of insulation is not installed. It costs the American millions of dollars in shorting of material and billions of dollars every year in wasted energy expense. The FTC has not enforced its regulations promulgated to prevent this problem since 1988. What can be done by an individual or group to 1.) Get the contracted for insulation installed. 2) Force the industry to address this well known problem once and for all.

Voluntary compliance, laws, regulations and codes have had little or no effect over the last thirty years. It seems that legal action is the only recourse. How can it be done?

Dateline NBC aired a story about this problem. The transcript is available at http://www.msnbc.com/news/523773.asp
 


HomeGuru

Senior Member
Maybe these two hardworking national organizations can help in some way.

www.hadd.com
www.hobb.org

The FTC was also involved in construction defects issues long before the insulation issue, and actually completed a good study and entered into agreements with some shoddy big time National builders. The only problem was that things got watered down, politics got in the way, lawyers for the Builders threw monkey wrenches and many things were swept under the rug and not enforced and there was no tracking and monitoring from that time to current to see
if there has been a change for the better.

If there was a special insulation inspection required by the AHJ or in the contract (between Buyer abd Builder not between Builder and Architect) have the architect or special inspector inspect the installation prior to wall, ceiling, attic closing similar to a special inspection for say continuous load paths, that may be of help.
Then the liability is put on the shoulders of the licensed architect or certified special inspector to keep the contractor honest.

There is also the option of a class action lawsuit against all guilty builders but then there would need to be millions of dollars spent on expert inspections, destructive testing etc. to determine the extent of the problem etc.
This allegation is much harder to prove than the defective material claims ie. hardboard siding, pb piping, EIFS, Masonite, Hardie Shake/Slate and other roofing material and building material that class action have already been certified by the Courts.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top