news-record.com

GREENSBORO - A lawsuit filed against Portrait Homes alleges that the home builder directed a subcontractor to install firewalls with thinner material than state law allows, a claim that Portrait denies.

Portrait previously said it would fix the problem. Nine months have passed since the error's discovery, and although Portrait has repaired the problem in some homes, others still don't have adequate firewalls.

The thinner firewalls - with a burn-through rating below the state requirement for townhomes - were discovered in at least 100 homes in September.

Portrait first proposed to repair the problem with a fire-retardant paint that Guilford County inspectors said would not suffice. Inspectors in Greensboro and Winston-Salem approved the paint repair.

And as repairs began this spring in Portrait townhomes in Guilford and Forsyth counties, the contractor for the original work filed suit against Portrait, asking for $92,722 in payment for back work. Portrait denies allegations of wrongdoing.

On Wednesday, Guilford Superior Court Judge Catherine Eagles ordered that Portrait and drywall subcontractor Colors Painting go into mediation, a standard step in civil lawsuits.

Meanwhile, residents and municipal inspectors say they are unhappy with how slowly Portrait is completing repairs.

Paul Holst, regional manager for the Illinois-based home building company, said Friday that he expects all the repairs to be made within two months.

"The repairs, they're right on schedule," he said.

But that's not fast enough for Ralph Shaw, who has been outspoken in his questions about the error and repairs at his home.

He still doesn't have the proper firewalls in place. The inferior firewalls have a burn-through time of about a half-hour less than the state's two-hour minimum.

"Nothing's been scheduled to fix the drywall," Shaw said. "I've talked with a number of my neighbors, and they are more in the dark than my wife and I."

Holst said that the manager in charge of the repairs recently returned from a vacation.

"There's no ducking or dodging going on. He was just flat out on vacation," Holst said.

Shaw has filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, contacted a state representative and the state insurance office.

Rep. W.A. "Winkie" Wilkins, who represents Person and Durham Counties, said that he'll take a timeline and information packet that Shaw sent him and distribute the information to Guilford and Forsyth delegations.

The state requires inspections for a home's footings, foundation, slab, framing and insulation.

A separate check for firewalls in townhomes is not explicitly named.

Currently, it's up to the contractor to follow through on plans submitted to and approved by local inspectors.

In response to the Portrait problem, Guilford County inspectors now require a firewall inspection in townhomes.

Shaw hopes that the General Assembly will pass a bill to require a firewall inspection for townhomes across the state, although it's too late in the current legislative session to introduce a bill.

Contact Gerald Witt at 373-7008 or gerald.witt@news-record.com