Northwest Indiana Discussion

I saw on the other board, there seems to be something about his sub-divisions, is it true, have they filed BK?

You can place the blame for that squarely on your city officials. If they refuse to pass laws that require minimum lot size, square footage, % of exterior brick, builders will construct the most profitable subdivisions they can by cramming as many homes as possible into their subdivisions. At least the places behind Jewel aren't as bad as what Merrillville has allowed.

How bad are the one's in Merrilville Sparks? I walked into several of the model's over here behind Jewel in Dyer. Extremely shotty construction with no craftmanship. Cheap textured panel boards that were painted instead of drywall. Divits in the floor when you walked on them. I forgot what they use for their electric wiring through out their homes but it begins with an R and it's not good. Should a homeowner ever have an electrical problem they will have to take the walls out in order to fix the problem to get to the wiring. I think they are in trouble as they have sold off all their furniture in most of their model homes for extra cash. LOL. That's usually not a good sign. Problems out in Lake Hills and the POA not fulfilling their duties to the residents due to a shortage of funds. Some people's decks are painted and some aren't for example.

They bamboozled the Cedartucky town council to let them do just about anything they wanted.
They came in, tore up the land, and there it sits idle land.
The actual work is seemingly done by some VERY suspect subs.
But remember, THE TIMES loves Olthoff, so they must be good

My error.
There are 2 or 3 townhome like structures in various phases of construction.
Of course they are those vinyl clad beauties we've all come to love them for.
No imagination, no creativity, soon to be a sea of tan, or off tan, or light tan.
Perhaps the folks at Olthoff are right in adopting the Henry Ford " The Model T comes in any color you like, so long as it's black.), philosophy.

I forgot what they use for their electric wiring through out their homes but it begins with an R and it's not good. Should a homeowner ever have an electrical problem they will have to take the walls out in order to fix the problem to get to the wiring. quote]

Romex. It is a coated electrical wire chiefly used in home construction in rural area's. It is cheap, can crack and expose wiring over time, and I would strongly recommend not using it for safety reasons. Mice and other vermin can easily chew through the coating, which exposes the wires, thereby causing a short and a possible structure fire. Conduit is the safe alternative, and the only wiring I would want in my home.

You know Freedom Fighter the thing that gets me is that this is perfectly legal for Olthloff to use! Towns have no say in this matter due to it being legal. Romax....thanks, I will try to remember that. If anyone knows people who own an Olthloff home please make them aware of this situation. They have the right to know.

Not that I'm a big fan at all, but in defense of Olthoff perhaps we should consider that most electrical contractors utilize romex wiring in residential construction. It is, by Indiana State Building Code, an acceptable product. Now let's do some research; how many fires in the State of Indiana were started by electrical malfunction specifically related to Romex wire?

Just because it hasn't happened yet don't mean it wont. Do you know what electrical contractors use romax at the present time.? Also, I'm not sure on this but wasn't there some big fire in Merrilville or Crown Point apartments or townhomes which had been constructed by Olthloff? If you happen to remember that, then what was the cause of those fires? I honestly can't remember. If there is a possibility of problems with romax and even fires then why is this legal? I guess there's not much burden of proof just yet. Anything to save a buck nowadays.

I believe that the fire in Merrillville was actually an arson. As for electrical contractors using romex... I would safely say that 99% of those in NWI use it unless specifically required to use other materials as indicated by the architect/engineer (although this is rare in residential construction). If you check the home that you are living in, I would bet that it is wired with Romex. Note though that exposed wiring, in garages and unfinished areas, can be required to be enclosed in conduit depending upon the city code and inspector. Each municipality has the freedom to adopt "local codes" that can exceed the State Building Code.

oh.. and by the way; Romex (generic name) has been in use since the 1960's. Studies have been done to determine the level of degradation of the earlier materials and the original "romex" did not fair well (NFPA report based on 30 homes over 10 states). It is suggested that anyone purchasing an older home have the home inspected by an qualified electrician to determine the soundness of the electrical system. Additionally, overloading of circuits is one of the more common causes of electrical fires. Today's codes call for more outlets than in the past and the current use of GFI and Arc-fault devices are a major improvement over past practices. All homes require a Certificate of Occupancy prior to anyone moving in. This means that everything about that home has passed the necessary inspections deeming it safe for habitation. Request a copy of this Certificate (usually it's required by your mortgage company anyway), if you have any doubts.
Sorry that I got off subject..... and now back to Olthoff Homes