Are these pole barn trusses defective, or are they okay to use?

[LD1]

If the truss supplier will not replace the ones you do not like.....tell him to come and pick up the whole lot, because you are not going to pay for them!

Alot pf people have said this very same thing in this thread.

But the issue is.....He has most likely already paid for them. I dont know any truss MFG that is going to deliver to a private individual, BEFORE they get paid.

So then the issue becomes.....customer thinks trusses are defective. MFG assures customer that trusses are fine, and has experts, engineers, computer programs, etc all on their side to back up their trusses.

Maybe they will replace the ones you dont like? Maybe not. But if this ever ended in court.....who do you think they are going to side with? The lumber experts, with engineers, engineering designs, and science + physics on their side? Or the amateur-builder homeowner who has an opinion and no facts.

 

[ju2tin]

Thanks for all the feedback, everybody. Here is an update:

I called the pole barn building company, who had ordered the trusses from a truss-building company that supplies them with all their trusses. The pole barn company sent out a rep to look at the trusses and he said they were just barely acceptable given the required level of quality. Because he found 9 out of 17 trusses with some issue, he called the truss company and had them replace the entire stack of trusses. (Because they give the truss company lots of business, they had the clout to do this.)

FWIW, I had put down just a 10% initial deposit by this point. I had not made either of the remaining two payments under my contract with the pole barn company.

The new stack of trusses was much better. I suppose I could point to one or two tiny flaws, but there were no huge chunks of wood missing at the joints, and the pole barn company says that I got a good-quality batch the second time. The trusses are now holding up the roof of my barn, which is almost finished already, and they seem to be doing a fine job of it.

So I guess the lessons here are (1) Don't settle for marginal-quality product, and (2) Work with a company that can go to bat for you if there are problems with suppliers.

Thanks again to everyone who shared their advice. :thumbsup:

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Good for YOU, for taking the steps to get what you deserved in the first place!

SR

 

[fried1765]

Thanks for all the feedback, everybody. Here is an update:

I called the pole barn building company, who had ordered the trusses from a truss-building company that supplies them with all their trusses. The pole barn company sent out a rep to look at the trusses and he said they were just barely acceptable given the required level of quality. Because he found 9 out of 17 trusses with some issue, he called the truss company and had them replace the entire stack of trusses. (Because they give the truss company lots of business, they had the clout to do this.)

FWIW, I had put down just a 10% initial deposit by this point. I had not made either of the remaining two payments under my contract with the pole barn company.

The new stack of trusses was much better. I suppose I could point to one or two tiny flaws, but there were no huge chunks of wood missing at the joints, and the pole barn company says that I got a good-quality batch the second time. The trusses are now holding up the roof of my barn, which is almost finished already, and they seem to be doing a fine job of it.

So I guess the lessons here are (1) Don't settle for marginal-quality product, and (2) Work with a company that can go to bat for you if there are problems with suppliers.

Thanks again to everyone who shared their advice. :thumbsup:

SO...... the armchair experts here on TBN decided that your trusses were just fine!
Those same experts also decided that you had already paid for the trusses.
Now the FACTS come out!
Kudos to your pole barn building company!
If they had even started to put up those 9 trusses" with some issue", I would have told them I simply would not pay!
Fortunately your pole barn company has some integrity.
I had a structural (crooked) issue with Morton buildings many years ago.
Morton took care of the issue, and without any question.
I am a total Morton supporter to this day!

 

[TheMan419]

Glad your builder took care of you. We had truss questions too when we built our barns. Thankfully our builder was the same way. Sent lots of business to truss co and got things sorted out for us.

 

[LD1]

SO...... the armchair experts here on TBN decided that your trusses were just fine!
!

Apparently the person the pole building company sent out deemed the acceptable too (though just barley). But still agreed to swap out the trusses.

 

[fried1765]

Apparently the person the pole building company sent out deemed the acceptable too (though just barley). But still agreed to swap out the trusses.

Yup...... "just barley"

 

[Sawyer Rob]

No doubt, the "just barely" part, was to save some face!!

SR

 

[/pine]

No doubt, the "just barely" part, was to save some face!!SR

These days...squeaky wheels get grease... Company PR guys know full well how devastating a negative comment, post or review can be on a company's social media pages...most will go out of their way to prevent it...

As for the original trusses (they're not pianos)...they either met or surpassed the engineering specification or they didn't...there is no "just barely" bs...

 

[TomSeller]

Tomseller
You can not pay chevy prices and expect to receive a Cadillac. As /pine states there are acceptable defects allowed in the rated trusses.
Others have questioned the mold. Lumber has internal moisture so treating the lumber would be a extra cost

Since when? Residential contractors can charge Cadillac prices, do the math. If they show you nice glossy Cadillac references they need to deliver a Cadillac.

I work in the contracting business and I know the game. I don't hesitate to redo work for my clients if something slips by.

If a good customer thinks work is shoddy, remedy it for them, make them happy and ask them to refer you. I don't think the OP came across as unreasonable at all. If I was in the construction business and he pointed those out when the trusses were delivered, I'd replace the trusses. It they were pointed out after the building was done, I would shore them up.

Life is too short to leave reasonable customers with a bad taste in their mouth. If you owned a restaurant and a customer complained about a meal, would you blow them off and tell them most meals are good but some are "acceptable defects" and that is just the way it goes? I guess you could but you wouldn't have my business more than once.

How you respond to a customer"s complaint is often how you are measured and remembered. Have some pride in your work, leave behind happy customers.