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Archive for the ‘New Home Construction’ Category

Minimize Stress/Maximize Sanity

Posted on: May 7th, 2013 by Castle Homes No Comments

Building a home can be stressful. Savvy homeowners choose a builder who will make it less so. But beyond making certain the company is licensed and insured and has provided a fair bid and a professional contract, how do owners determine whether a company will deliver on its promises and not tax their sanity? The answers lie in good systems. Companies with clearly defined management systems tend to be better organized, communicate more effectively and minimize unwanted surprises.

Three key systems that are key to a comfortable building process have to do with communications, schedules and responsibilities.

Communications. A recent Consumer Reports survey of more than 900 homeowners confirmed that, when it comes to building projects, miscommunication is the root of most ills. That’s why smart builders have solid processes for keeping homeowners informed at all times. Signs of a company that communicates well include detailed project descriptions (leaving no question about what the finished product will include), the ability to explain financial concepts (where, exactly, the dollars are going) and regular meetings.

Meetings eliminate problems by getting everyone to think through the job. A good example is the preconstruction meeting, where the homeowner meets with the builder’s team to review plans, schedules and job rules. This is also a time for the homeowner to ask questions and make requests (for example that certain trees be protected during construction).

Ongoing meetings, at a schedule agreed on by the builder and homeowner, tend to be shorter and less formal, but keep everyone updated on job progress and let the homeowner voice concerns and questions.

Schedules and Payments. The old adage “fail to plan, plan to fail” may have been penned by a builder: a schedule that details the job from start to finish is crucial to getting things done on time and within budget. Of course weather delays, delivery problems, change orders, and other unforeseen events can shift production schedules over time, but a well-managed company starts with a plan and updates everyone should dates change.

Payment schedules are just as important. The builder receives a percentage of the job cost as a down payment, and subsequent payments on completion of certain milestones: the finish of framing, the completion of mechanical and insulation inspections, etc. Well-planned payment schedules allow owners to clearly understand what is expected of them and helps the builder to manage his resources over the course of construction.

Who, what, when? As a Professional Builder, we invest time to help our clients understand how our team is organized and how to interact with team members. Who will be responsible for the job at each stage, including the final closeout and punch list? Who to contact with questions or concerns, what’s the best way to make contact, and how long before you can expect a response?

Understanding how the builder handles these kind of issues has real payoffs. The answers will indicate how effectively a builder communicates, pays attention to details, and has systems for getting things done on time and according to plan — all of which help make the building process the positive experience it should be.

The Roof Over Your Head

Posted on: November 8th, 2012 by Castle Homes No Comments

A roof is a primary factor in any home’s curb appeal. But more important, it serves a critical role in maintaining or improving energy efficiency, managing water and moisture, and guarding against damage caused by high winds and fire.

Recent upgrades to national building and energy codes place even more responsibility on builders and contractors to deliver roofs that perform at an even higher level, prompting roof manufacturers to up their game with better products and a more systematic approach to residential roofing.

Energy Efficiency. Few people think of a roof having much impact on a home’s energy demand … until you consider that it bears the brunt of the sun’s heat every day. Solar heat can penetrate the roof into the attic, resulting in temperatures that far exceed the conditioned living spaces below. The hot air in the attic seeps into the conditioned spaces through gaps in the ceiling, causing a home’s cooling system to work harder to keep the house comfortable.

The roofing industry’s response has been the advent of so-called “cool roof” shingles. Available in asphalt composition, concrete tile, metal, and other non-wood roofing finishes, cool roofs are lighter in color to reflect the sun’s heat away from the house. The Cool Roof Rating Council and federal Energy Star program verify the reflective quality of various roof finishes to assure their performance.

In addition to the shingles or panels, a cool roof can also be ventilated from underneath. The roofing finish is held off its plywood deck with battens. Vents along the ridge and eave enable air to circulate under the shingles, cooling them from below and insulating the attic from solar heat gain. This circulation also vents incidental moisture from the roof deck, mitigating potential problems.

Managing Water. Obviously, the roof is a home’s first line of defense against moisture and rain. But equally important is the roof’s ability to effectively and quickly shed and direct water runoff away from the house.

The best practice to manage water is to properly install the shingles and appropriate flashing components per the manufacturer’s specifications and standards. Flashings should be constructed along valleys and other V-shaped or odd roof intersections, at the eave corners (called “kick-outs”), and at every penetration, such as vent pipes, chimneys, and skylights. Water should flow down the roof to a gutter and downspout system (which is free of debris), expelling the water harmlessly away from the home and its foundation.

Durability. A home’s roof also is an important component in high winds or a wildfire. Recent advancements in building products, practices, and codes have made today’s roof even more resilient against these forces of nature.

In addition to using the proper ring-shank nails and fastener spacing to secure a roof’s plywood deck to the roof trusses, water-resistant membranes between the deck and conventional roofing felt paper serves as an effective shield against damage. This would be important should the shingles become broken or loose during a storm and allow wind and water to reach the deck.

Of course, properly fastening the roofing finish to the deck is critical to withstand damage, while a non-combustible material (basically anything non-wood) will help to retard the spread of flames should a fire break out.

By reducing the potential for wasteful energy use, moisture problems and property loss, today’s roofing systems often earn discounts on home insurance premiums because they present a lower risk to insurance carriers.

As a professional builder, it is our responsibility to build the best home possible. In addition to ensuring the proper installation of every roofing system, we also investigate and incorporate additional methods and materials that improve the performance of the roof and our homes overall.

For New Home Buyers, It’s Your Choice

Posted on: August 7th, 2012 by Castle Homes No Comments

The Professional Builder walks a fine line. It is our job to balance a new home’s cost and construction efficiencies while customizing our home design and specifications. We work closely with our clients to develop the ultimate look and feel of their new home so that it meets their needs and reflects their unique taste.

To that end, we encourage and enable new-home buyers to select from an increasingly diverse list of products and finishes before we begin construction. Most often, these selections are from the catalogs or websites of our trusted suppliers and feature familiar brand names with rock-solid warranties. This helps us to build efficiently and keep the budget in check.

Whenever necessary, we accommodate a special request from a homebuyer, assuming the product or system is available and within an agreed budget … or the budget is revised to include it.

This “customization” process is a two-way street of responsibility and respect. We rely on our clients to make their selections on time to avoid delays in delivery and construction.

Castle Homes - 911 Dorset Drive (Lot 12A)

We do our part by establishing deadlines and milestones as part of the construction agreement. We identify when materials and finishes need to be ordered so they are on the job site to maintain our construction schedule. Our schedule also confirms “lead times” — the time between when a product is ordered and when the supplier can deliver it — so that we can coordinate its installation with the proper contractor.

Every missed deadline almost always results in a delay in construction … which invariably translates to additional costs. Worse, it can trigger a domino effect, affecting not just its point in the schedule, but also several others that follow. Homebuilding is a linear process, often requiring one step to be finished before another can start; a glitch can therefore ripple through the schedule, affecting tasks and deadlines that might appear unrelated.

Over the years, we’ve not only come to expand the choices we allow homebuyers to make — from minor structural changes to any number of finishes — but also how to accommodate those choices in the overall scheme and schedule of the project. We leave plenty of leeway for lead times (especially for new or unfamiliar selections) and use technology to find reliable sources for special orders.

Our ultimate goal is to deliver a satisfying experience and exceed our clients’ expectations. We coach new-home buyers to understand the building process and the critical role they play in it, and leave ample time to enable comfortable, unrushed decisions. We are here to advise, offer choices, and ultimately fulfill dreams — as well as build homes that will stand the test of time and evoke memories that span generations.

Foundations of Quality

Posted on: July 3rd, 2012 by Castle Homes No Comments

The word “foundation” evokes thoughts of strength, permanence, and solidity — the basis for everything that follows. A home’s foundation is simply the most important part of its construction and overall performance, if not top of mind among homebuyers and owners.

The reason there are different types of residential foundations has to do with the soil and other conditions of the lot, regional building materials, the skills of the local labor force, and, where possible, needs and personal preference.

Almost all single-family home foundations in the U.S. are built with concrete or masonry blocks or some close variation, such as precast concrete panels or insulated concrete forms; a few are built with steel or treated wood, but those are rare occurrences and for special conditions.

Regardless, a new home has one of the following three types of foundations:

Slab. A slab foundation is a lot like it sounds: a monolithic, horizontal block of poured concrete. The slab is usually supported by relatively shallow perimeter footing that runs along its entire boundary just below the ground. The center of the slab rests on or is embedded with a steel mesh over well-compacted and level ground.

The beauty of a slab foundation is its low cost and fast construction, especially for a simple house footprint or layout. Once the footings are excavated and the formwork and reinforcing steel mesh is placed, it takes only a few men and a few hours to pour the concrete, tamp and level (or “screed”) it smooth, cut control joints to accommodate surface cracks, and embed any connectors for the next phase of construction. Within a day or so, the slab is ready for the structural frame.

Crawlspace. Also called a pier-and-beam or raised-floor foundation, a crawlspace creates a shallow area between the structural frame and the ground using a short perimeter wall of poured concrete (called a “stem” wall) and strategically located short support posts (or piers) in the middle. Combined, the wall and piers hold up the structural beams and joists of the wood-framed first-floor platform upon which the rest of the home is built.

This creates a 3- to 4-foot space allowing easier access to plumbing and electrical conduits and central air ductwork serving the house. It is critical to insulate the underside of the first-floor platform (and also the inside of the stem walls, if possible) to maintain the desired comfort level of the living space above; a moisture barrier on the raw ground and vents embedded in the stem wall will help keep the crawlspace dry and free of water-related damage.

Full Basement. A basement foundation is basically a combination of the two other types. Excavated to about 8 feet below the ground, it features a concrete floor (essentially a slab) and concrete or masonry block perimeter walls with as-needed support posts. The first-floor frame is built slightly above finished grade, creating a platform for the rest of the house.

Accessible from the rest of the house above, so-called “full” basements create at least an 8-foot clearance between the slab and the floor frame above. This full-height area can therefore be finished as living or storage space, utility area (such as the heating and cooling equipment and laundry), as well as mechanical and duct runs.

Most are “daylight” basements, with deep window wells along the perimeter that allow natural light and emergency egress. “Walk-out” types, meanwhile, take advantage of a slope on one side of the basement to create more conventional outside access to the basement … and perhaps even an outdoor living area, such as a patio or garden.

Regardless of the type, a foundation is literally the basis of a home’s strength and performance, from energy efficiency to withstanding high winds. A well-engineered and well-built foundation allows the rest of the home’s construction to go as smoothly and quickly as possible, and maintains its structural integrity. It may not be visible or sexy, but a strong foundation is arguably the best way to maintain housing value.

Excellence vs. Perfection

Posted on: May 29th, 2012 by Castle Homes No Comments

bill-walsh Famous football coach Bill Walsh was known for demanding perfection from his players during practices, even though he knew they would never attain it. His philosophy was if you don’t strive for perfection, you don’t have a chance to achieve it.

As professional builders, we follow the same philosophy; plan for perfection to attain excellence. Like Coach Walsh, we don’t stand a chance of delivering an excellent new home that satisfies a client’s wants and needs if we don’t set and expect the highest standards possible.

In the pursuit of excellence, we coach our homebuyers about the building process so that their expectations are high but realistic. We want our homebuyers to push and challenge us to always do better, but it is also our job to define excellence … and point out the difference between it and perfection.

Our best and most effective method for doing that is listening. Really listening. Not just to find out which floor plan a client prefers, but why and how it will satisfy their lifestyle needs. Not just about which community they want to live in, but also their concerns and questions about the quality of nearby schools, proximity to shopping and public services, and commute routes to work.

In this discovery phase, we craft a strategy for a new home that truly addresses and justifies our client’s reasons for making such a significant investment and sets us on course to deliver it according to those expectations.

It is also critical to maintain a regular and open line of communication during the construction process. As during the planning stage, our first job is to listen to and then educate and inform our buyers about the subtleties of new-home construction that are specific to their concerns.

Responding to a buyer’s question with “that’s just the way it is” or “it’s complicated” is unacceptable. Instead, we strive to deliver details, demonstrate our methods, and ensure that questions are answered to a buyer’s satisfaction. That approach and level of respect for our buyers helps build a better understanding of our work process all the way through the final walk-through and close of escrow.

Finally, a key component of delivering excellence comes after the sale, once a buyer becomes a homeowner. We make sure to communicate our policies and procedures for warranty service — once again demonstrating the difference between perfection and excellence. Ideally, we’ve done an excellent job of building their new home to the point where service callbacks are kept to a minimum; for those small warranty items that crop up after move-in, we work to be responsive and responsible to address them in a timely fashion.

As a homebuyer and owner, it’s okay to want the “perfect” home. The best we can do, however, is to strive for perfection and achieve excellence that satisfies the lifestyle needs of our clients and protects their investment now and well into the future.

Universal Design: Home Design For All Ages

Posted on: April 18th, 2012 by Castle Homes 1 Comment

Universal Design, or UD, is an architectural practice that allows occupants of all ages and capabilities to live independently and comfortably over a long period of time in the same house.

Thanks to changing demographics, UD is gaining mainstream acceptance. In addition to Baby Boomers looking for well-designed conveniences as they enter their retirement years, an increasing number of multi-generational and blended families (now one-third of all households) seek new homes that accommodate a wide range of ages and capabilities.

Done well, the UD elements of a new home are subtle, almost undetectable… until you need them. Then you’ll thank your builder for having the forethought and concern for your needs, whether for a young child, an elderly parent, or someone recovering from a short-term injury or long-term disability.

While you may have to look closely, here are some strategies that incorporate good universal design:

Wider hallways and doors. It doesn’t take much square footage and certainly no more construction time or cost to design and build slightly wider hallways and doorways. Not only does that subtle change make a home feel larger and more comfortable, but also easier to navigate.

Cabinet features. Long desired for bigger base cabinets, pull-out (or roll-out) shelves are an increasingly popular option for tall and upper wall cabinets, making their contents more visible and accessible. Regardless of age or physical capabilities, accessories such as lazy susans, door shelves, slotted drawers, and flip-down fronts enhance the storage capacity and accessibility of kitchen cabinets and bath vanities. Soft-close drawers,meanwhile, protect against pinched fingers.

Hard-surface flooring. Yes, it’s slightly more expensive than wall-to-wall carpeting, but a combination of hardwood, polished flat tiles, colored concrete, and resilient floor surfaces throughout the house is not only easier to clean and promote healthier indoor air quality, but also easier to traverse. Where needed, area rugs can soften the surfaces.

Lever handles. For doors, sinks and showers, a single-lever handle instead of a knob (or two) is both fashionable and easier to manipulate. A lever is a better option when you have an armful of groceries, are just able to reach the handle, or lack the strength for gripping. For faucets and showers, levers also allow easier temperature control, which mitigates scalding hazards. Also look for “D”-shaped handles or grips on cabinet doors and drawers instead of conventional knobs.

Appliances. Wall ovens and warming drawers, dishwasher and refrigerator drawers (set side-by-side, not stacked), French-door style refrigerators, and microwave ovens with flip-down doors are just a few examples of appliances that are not only popular but also deliver UD benefits of accessibility and safety.

The market for products and systems that enable attractive yet more accessible home design and function is growing. Professional builders and their home-buyers have many options to create a more accessible, beautiful and contemporary home that suits a wider variety of lifestyle needs now and in the future.

Weathering A Storm : Shelters For Homeowners

Posted on: April 13th, 2012 by Castle Homes No Comments

Spring weather can be very volatile in the Middle Tennessee area during the transitional period from winter to summer with almost two-thirds of the year’s tornadic storm activity taking place in March, April and May.

Building for almost two decades, Castle Homes has seen an increase in the requests for storm shelters in new home building and renovation according to Castle Homes President Alan Looney.

Looney and Castle Home’s Project Manager Brett Wright were recently interviewed by Fox 17’s Meteorologist Chris Justus for a story on storm shelters.

Ranging from $6,000 to $9,000, the storm shelters can be retrofitted to existing homes. Castle Homes has been using TSW for several years with homeowners installing the storm shelters in the garage area similar to a recessed cellar.

Wright says, overall, a cellar type storm shelter is much safer than an above ground closet type structure when considering in many cases the slab of the home is the only remaining element of the home.

“If a storm decimates a home, the concrete slab is usually all that is left. When faced with a serious storm, you will be very grateful for this option,” Wright said.

One smart Castle Homes customer has used the storm shelter, which resembles a pit found in a gas station, to sharpen the blades on his lawnmower!

For more information, click here contact Castle Homes.

Custom Home Building With Castle: Safety First

Posted on: April 6th, 2012 by Castle Homes No Comments

There’s no getting around it: construction can be a hazardous job. We say “can be” because professional builders respect those hazards and equip and train their workers and subcontractors to mitigate safety issues as much as possible. By doing so, professional builders protect their businesses and clients from liability.

The federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) provides specific guidelines and regulations for homebuilders and contractors regarding the prevention of accidents on a residential job site. The penalties for failing to comply with those rules range from hefty fines to shutting down the job until violations are corrected.

Professional builders not only comply with those regulations, but also often take extra steps to help ensure a safe working environment on every project, and to help keep everyone out of harm’s way.

Inspection. As directed by OSHA, professional builders continually inspect their job sites for potential hazards, and may even have a safety manager that regularly visits each site. Common hazards may include ladders or scaffolding that are unsecured or set on uneven ground, unmarked trenches, or an incomplete or missing first aid kit.

If violations are found, they are quickly reported and remedied to get the company back into compliance, and corrected for the next job. Guardian UltraFit DS fiberglass insulation with Nashville Insulation Company

Education and Training. It is critical to continually educate workers, totrain and equip them to recognize and avoid construction job site hazards and accidents. In addition to a written safety and health program required by OSHA, professional builders often conduct what’s called “Toolbox Talks” on the subject of safety, perhaps showing a video, presenting a report, or (even better) showing workers a real-world example of a common hazard and how to remedy or avoid it.

Builders who are dedicated to safety also equip their crews with the latestin safety gear, from guardrails on ladders and scaffolding to hard hats, gloves, eye protection, and personal harnesses — and keep that gear in optimum working order. These builders also require their trade partners to follow these same safety procedures with their employees.

Incentives. Smart builders often use incentives to help ensure safety. A worker who reports or remedies a job site hazard may earn a bonus, time off, or some other reward that recognizes his or her initiative and sets an example for the rest of the crew.

Builders may also track and publicly post job site safety achievements, such as the number of days without an accident or time lost to a job site injury. Those accomplishments may earn the company recognition from OSHA or acknowledgement from the company that insures the builder against liability and worker’s compensation — lowering the builder’s overhead costs and enabling them to be more competitive for future jobs.

Including Owners. Savvy and safety-conscious builders know that their homeowner clients will want to occasionally visit the job site to seeprogress, make decisions and discuss concerns. Safety is no less a priority for those instances.

Homebuyers can go a long way to keeping themselves safe on the job site by following the same rules and procedures as the crew. We encourage them to wear hard hats and safety goggles and avoid visiting and walking through a house under construction without supervision, after hours, and on weekends, as they may not be aware or are unprepared to avoid hazards.

5 Key Questions for Your Home Builder

Posted on: March 22nd, 2012 by Castle Homes No Comments

You’ve finally decided to build that dream house and have invited us into your living room or have cornered us in our sales center. Now what?

As a professional homebuilder, we are prepared to answer any questions you have as you make a purchasing decision, arguably one of the most important financial choices in your life.

But while we encourage and welcome this dialogue, we often find that home buyers aren’t typically prepared for that opportunity. In many cases, the questions we get are limited to how much does a new house cost (or cost per square foot), what are the carpet or cabinet choices, and whether we can cut a deal.

While those are valid questions, we think they only scratch the surface of what home buyers need to know to help ensure a satisfying experience with our company or any professional builder. So here are the top five questions we think home buyers should ask when they are on the cusp of building a new home with us…and why they matter:

1. Who will run the job?

We will assign a site superintendent skilled in new home construction to be your main point of contact from ground breaking through the final walkthrough. It is important to know who that is, and how to contact him or her, to get the most accurate and up-to-date information and answer questions about your new house. We believe this gives you the best of both worlds; a dedicated supervisor as your day-to-day go to person along with availability from our entire staff in support of you and your new home.

2. Will workers be there all day, every day?

Understanding how we work and the pacing of a typical new home construction process is critical to having a positive experience. In fact, sometimes (if not often), there are very few people on the job site, but that doesn’t mean things aren’t progressing. There maybe an inspection scheduled or a delivery on the way that will trigger crews and subcontractors to return and continue their work…perhaps even later that day, if not the next morning. We keep a tight schedule and our business depends on being efficient, but there are occasional lulls in the process that we’ll point out when we go over the building schedule with you.

3. How often can I stop by the jobsite?

Your site superintendent will set up a regular schedule for you to visit the site, ask any questions, and discuss the project and its progress, usually at key points in the process. Unscheduled visitscan affect the schedule and pace of work…and be dangerous depending on the work going on.

4. Can you supply references?

We are happy to provide you with a list of people who have recently purchased homes from us, and we encourage you to call them and ask about their experience and level of satisfaction as you make your own purchasing decision. Any professional builder should have references at the ready, including financial partners, trade contractors, materials suppliers, and others we work with that can provide perspective on our professionalism and track record of performance.

5. How do you handle changes?

Most people don’t ask this question because they can’t envision making a change to a decision during construction, but it happens all the time. We work diligently with you to create a detailed list of specifications for your house before we break ground, but we also have change order policies and procedures in place — which we share with you up front and in the sales contract — to account for changes after building begins.

Armed with the answers to this handful of questions, we think you’ll be more confident in your homebuying decisions and more likely to be satisfied with the end result.