The Entrepreneur Network for Small Business, Home Business & Business Opportunity

The Entrepreneur Network for Small Business, Home Business & Business Opportunity

32. Customer Service

Congratulations!! You are moving into your home and it is an exciting time. There is one subject that needs some conversation - Your Warranty. Most homebuilders give some form of a warranty on their product, your state may require builders to have a warranty and dictate the minimum standard that they have to abide by. In general this should be a part of your conversation prior to contract, but most of us get wrapped up in the purchase and this conversation does not take place until around the end of the process. No matter, your contract documents and your closing doc's should have your warranty information included. During the homebuilding process you should ask for a copy of your builder’s customer service policies and procedures so you can review them prior to closing.

Your home, for warranty purposes is broken down into three categories. Each homebuilder has their own name but generally it is - One - Two - Ten Year Warranty. Each one corresponds to the warranty. The One Year covers those things that you can see, cabinets, flooring, drywall, faucets and light fixtures to name a few. These items you can touch and see. The Two Year covers the systems in the home; these are the plumbing pipes behind the drywall, the electrical wiring behind the drywall, your A/C duct work to name a few. You electrical plugs and outlets are generally considered one year - the P-traps under the sinks are considered on year. The last is structural warranty - this is your foundation, your framing and any thing that was engineered and should be covered for a period of Ten Year. This is a simple way of determining what is covered and for how long. Some places, things like insulation can be in the One Year or the Two Year category. Items like drainage might have a 30 day coverage or first major rain, trees are covered for 3 to 6 months depending on the tree, sod 30 days, and some items might not be covered by your homebuilder at all, like custom blinds or upgraded low voltage items. It is important to read and understand your warranty. You also need to understand how to file for service. Some homebuilders will take service request over the phone and some will not unless it is an emergency. Some might require you to fax or email them your request. What ever your homebuilder's requirement, you should always have a record of all of your service requests. Even if your homebuilder will take a service request over the phone you need to follow up with a written request by mail or fax. Never sign a service request for work that is not 100% completed.  Make sure that when something is fixed your warranty for that item should be expended. This is to ensure that an inferior item was not used and will continue to need repair. When you have your buyer introduction keep all of your manuals because the manufacturers have warranties that could be for as long as five years. No matter how great your homebuilder isand the great name brand product he uses in your home there is always a chance that your home or an item in your home will need customer service. Never do service verbally, and always make sure there is a written policy on what is covered and how to get service. Some states will dictate this for your homebuilder and make it a requirement for them to maintain their license.  Service is important, but hopefully you will have little or none.

31. Finishing

Your homebuilder has been finishing your home since day zero.  Getting your home ready for you to take posession started when you sat down with your Sales Consultant and picked a plan. Finishing your home is, along with frame punch, as we have discussed the most difficult phase of construction.  At every step along the way we have punched the work, we have had building inspectors, engineers, and you on your planned builder - buyer interactions in the form of frame walks, lot walks, etc., look at the work and workmanship.  When all meters and inspections are complete or in a stage of completion your homebuilder will conduct a 'QA' inspection.  Homebuilders use various names for this inspections, but basicly it is a Quality Assurance Walk to insure the home is up to the homebuilders standard of completion prior to having you scheduled for your 'Introduction to the Home'.  Remember your 'Final Walk' should not be a punch-out session, it should be a true introduction to how everything works and to go over your warranty information.  If your home is not ready for you to walk - DON'T.  I know sometimes it seems like we do not have a choose, but the worst thing you can do is take possesion of an incomplete home.  Once you move in you are at the homebuilders mercy.  When you close on your home you are saying it is acceptable and complete.  Once closed, your home goes under the homebuilders warranty program and policies.  Somtimes that can mke getting construction correction made a little more difficult.  When you sign your closing papers in the details you are saying you have no agreements with your builder and/or construction manager that are not represented in your closing documents.
Once your QA,(homebuilders quality assurance walk) is complete you are ready for your Buyer Intro Walk.  You will more than likely start in the kitchen, there are two reasons for this, one is that  you have a place to sign all of the paper work and write, second,  this is where the most 'stuff ' needs to be checked out.  Most CM's place all of your manufacturers warranty manuals in the kitchen draws and if you think about it the kitchen has the most to go over. Remember when you do your walk to spend the most time in the places that have things, like kitchens and baths.  Look in your closets and open and close every door and cabinet. Don't forget to check the tops and bottoms of doors for paint and take a stool so you can check the top shelves in your pantry and closets.  Spending a little time now will make you and your homebuilder happier in the future.  Your homebuilder does not like customer service and you shouldn't either, especially if it is something that should and could of been caught and corrected during the construction process.  Do not foget to spend some time outside looking at the exterior of your home and your sod and landscape.  Walk your fence and check it for nailing.  Most of all 'ASK QUESTIONS'.  Every question you have should be answered or you should be told when an answer can be given to you.  Your home is built for life and you should fall in love with it every day.

25. Mechanical Trims

Once the paint is complete you can have your HVAC trim installed. This will be your air supply grills, return air vents, your thermostats and your outside units will be placed and hooked up. You need to wait on your tops to be installed for the plumber to start his trim, but once all of the vanity tops and kitchen counter tops are installed you will get your plumbing trim. You also need your flooring so that the toilets are installed on top of your vinyl or tile floors. If you have pedestal sinks they also will be installed on top of your flooring instead of being cut around. During this phase of the construction process if you have a tile or a special type of back splash it will need to be installed prior to your electrical trim. Once all of your Plumbing, and HVAC trims are complete and your wall tile is installed you will get an Electrical trim. During the electrical trim all light fixtures will be installed, all outlets trimmed out, and everything that is electrical will be hooked up with one exception - That exception being your appliances. All breakers and service panels built and installed. Everything should be labeled, like GFCI's and all breakers in your panel boxes. When the electrician finishes the home is really looking finished. I try to get the low voltage contractor in the home to do his trim on the electrician's last day. This will be your security trim, intercom, central vacuums, speakers, etc. During this whole process your mechanical contractors will be getting their final inspections. Depending on your area these inspections can take place in different combinations. Some places require each mechanical to get an individual inspection and will install gas and electrical meters based on these inspections. Some places the gas company will inspect the gas prior to installing a gas meter, and some cities will do the inspections for the gas companies. This will allow for completion of the home and then your builder will have to get a building 'Final Inspection' or an 'Occupancy Inspection' for move-in. Some places will let you temp in the home with power so you can finish it and then you would get your final building and/or occupancy inspections before they will allow you to get your permanent meters.
We have gotten ahead of ourselves just a little bit. Finishing a home is one of the two most difficult stages of the building process.

30. Exterior Completion

When your flatwork is poured your homebuilder will continue with the completion of the exterior of your home.  This goes pretty quick depending on time of year and the weather.  Once your flatwork is poured and the forms are racked your homebuilder will final grade your lot/land.  The drainage will be touched up to ensure that it is working and the lot will be smoothed out and prepared for sodd and landscape installation.  Your drainage was established during your rough grade.  Your gutters will be installed after the final grade and prior to the placement of the sod. Different builders have different packages and address sod differently.  Some will sodd the front yard, some will sod the front and side.  Some will 'Sprigg' the rear yard, some will 'Hydro-Mulch' the rearyard, while others will completely sod the rear yard.  You should know what you and your homebuilder signed up for at the beginning of the process.  If you are having a privacy fence installed the fence contractor will need to be 100% complete prior to the installation of your sodd. This is so the sod can be watered without having someone track through it.  In neighborhoods your homebuilder should have a pattern established for how the fence installation is going to take place to avoid any confusion with his clients.  As you know, on fences you have a finished side and the side with the cross boards showing.  There are a lot of reasons for having and not having either.  Some are the boys will use the cross boards to climb on, or the cross boards will be great for the strings for my garden.  Here are a couple of things you can count on - Corner lots will have the finish side out, you will get one side run with the cross boards in your yard and the rear run will be determined by the homebuyer who's fence is installed first.  Now some homebuilders and communities require 'Good Neighbor' fenceing on the rear run and sometimes even on the side runs.  A 'Good Neighbor' fence is one where the panels are alternated,  finished side - cross boards -finished side - cross boards, all the way.  Usually the exterior of your home is completed around the time your mechanical trims are being punched and inspected.  This will mean your homebuilder will have to water your yard and he should mow it prior to move-in.  The exterior is complete and most homebuilders do not care if you come out and help with the watering of your grass and plants.  Don't abuse the privilege by leaving the water on all night or letting the sprinklers water the streets.  Your home is starting to  look like a Home when you drive up to it.

29. Finishing Your New Home

Your painter is finishing the last touch-ups in the home. Your appliances should be going into the home on or about the painter's last day in the home. You do not want to have them installed too early because the contractors might use them and you risk them getting damaged with all the people moving around the home. If you have wall paper being installed in the kitchen you will have ladders and other tools which could scratch or ding your appliances. You do want to have them installed prior to your carpet installation being completed. If you have wood floors going into the home they should be installed the day after the painter walks out. You reduce the probability of paint being wasted or painter tools scratching your wood floors. Once the wood has been installed you can install your carpet. The flooring contractor should have the home all by him/herself when this job is being done. Depending on the size on the home this could be a two to three day job. Before any work is started the installer will scrap and sweep your floor to make sure all debris is remove and the floor is smooth.  This might require your flooring contractor to float your floor.  Don't get excited this is normal and it ensures a flat level surface.  Your contractor will lay tack strip and 'GLUE' your pad down prior to laying your carpet. While the carpet is being placed the flooring contractor might have someone install your transition strips throughout the home. These strips are between the varies types of floors and as in the name, make the transition from one material to another materail look finished. Some contractors will wait until their punch out person inspects the workmanship of the installation job to install their transition strips. Immediately after the carpet is finished, this could be the next day, the interior cleaning crew will do their carpet clean. This entails vacuuming the carpet and polishing the entire home. The home at this point will look livable. When the cleaning crew has completed their carpet clean you will need several contractors back in the home. You will need the trim carpenter to check door stops and install shoe mold on your wood floors if the flooring contractor does not. I know, sounds funny - some homebuilders prefer to install painted shoe mold on their wood floors versus the larger shoe mold the wood floor manufacturer has. You should know what you are getting when you do your selection back prior to your Pre-Drywall.  When the trim carpenter finishes the painter will need to go back in the home and do his after carpet touch up. Your home should be getting the final touches completed on it at this time. You will be getting your certificate for occupancy from the municipality that you are in, all systems in the home are being rechecked to ensure they function the way they were intended to function. The home will get a 'Quality Inspection' from the build if they have a 'Quality Assurance' (QA) process to make sure the home meets their quality standards. Your home will be in the fine tuning stage for a few days. If your homebuilder has a few homes being constructed in the community it could take just a day or two, depending on the completeness of the work that was done along the way. These days finishing your home should ensure that your buyer introduction to your home is truly an introduction and not just a punch out section.

28. Paint Four

While the contractors are completing their punch the interior trim carpenter will do his 'Lock-Out '. This will be when your towel bars, toilet paper holders, door stops and all of your door knobs get installed. You should also have your good front door installed. Your carpenter will complete any trim or carpentry work that needs to be completed. Once the carpenter and the other contractors have completed their punch the home will be ready for it's 'Final Clean 1'. (refer to post 27)
The home is ready for a 'Paint 4', this is where everything that is not painted or not acceptably painted gets done. Your front door will be stained and sealed. All drywall patches should be completed and textured and every thing that is going on the inside and the outside of the home is in place with the exception of appliances, wood floors and carpet. Once the first final clean is complete your screens should be released for installation. The exterior fencing and landscaping should be finishing. Your painter should have the homes interior to himself. Paint is one of those things that can be difficult to say it is complete. If you paint a wall today and we accept it, tomorrow your brother will come in and see some thing else. The best way to punch paint is to be approximately 3 - 5 feet away from the wall and look at it. To see the painters detail, go in a bathroom and sit on the commode. While you are sitting there look at your baseboards, look at the bottom of your window sill and take a look at the corners. If they are acceptable then you will find that most of his work will be. The painter will pay more attention to areas that he knows you will spend a lot of time, like the kitchen , bathrooms, water closets, breakfast room and master retreat. When the painter has finished and had his 'Paint 4' accepted by the construction manager the home is ready for wood floors to be installed along with your carpet.

27. Interior Cleans -

Keeping the home clean during construction is a very important task. Every contractor has a cleaning clause in their contract. There are several reasons for the job site to be kept clean. Two of the more important ones are for job site safety. People are working on the job site and boards with nails and garbage all over a site will not lend itself to being safe. Second is to keep the insects, rodents and pest away from the home. You want to control where the workers eat and where they put their trash.
Once you have your mechanical trims complete you will receive your first interior clean. Here are your basic interior cleans;

1) Final Clean 1

2) Final Clean 2 (Carpet)

3) Final Clean - Buyer Walk

4) Final Clean - Buyer Move-In

1) Final Clean 1 is when you get the bathrooms cleaned, all the windows are cleaned inside and outside, the kitchen is cleaned, cabinets inside and out. Light fixtures cleaned, floors scrapped and swept and baseboards cleaned. When this clean is complete the home looks ready for carpet and to the untrained eye and might and should look finished. This clean makes it easy for the painter to finish all of his caulking, the trim carpenter this install hardware and put the finishing touches on his work. All of your contractors will finish the punch that they have not completed due to back orders or whatever after this clean.

2) Final Clean 2 (Carpet) is after all your flooring is installed and the carpet is installed. Usually this clean takes place the day after your carpet is installed. The main reason is that you want to check the installation and make sure the seams are done correctly. All appliances are unpacked. All missing light bulbs or burnt out bulbs are usually replaced by the cleaning crew at this clean. The home really looks ready for move-in.

3) Final Clean - Buyer Walk is the clean you do the day before or the the morning of your Buyer Introduction. Your cleaning crew will wipe down all cabinets and sinks with lemon oil. Wood floors are cleaned with a wood floor cleaner, windows are wiped clean of dust and window tracks are checked for cleanliness. The home should be ready for move-in.

4) Final Clean - Move-In is after all of your buyer items are completed and you are ready to sign off on the construction of the home. You might be on your way to the title company or lawyers office to close. This is it. Your home is complete and you are ready to  take possession. Congratulations - You are now the owner of a new home built just for you.

Some homebuilders might have more cleans and do those cleans at slightly different stages, but all builders will have these four basic cleans and implement them as stated above as a minimum to insure that they are getting and giving the quality that their home owners deserve.

26. Finishing Punch

Now comes the detail. When the mechanical contractors are finish with their trims your CM will walk the home turning lights on and off, checking to see if your water faucets work and all of your stoppers actually stop water from draining. He is looking for leaks in drain pipes, seeing if the toilets work and the toilet paper holders are where they need to be. He will also be looking at your drywall for repairs and touch up. This is the time to catch and fix all imperfections and make sure light fixtures are not scratched and smoke detectors work. This is when you make sure cabinets are not scratched and the doors work properly. Any missing trim is installed and all doors are adjusted if required. As you can see this is when the detail work takes place. Each sub contractor will also walk his/her work for completion. This process could take one to two weeks depending on what is needed. To replace a light fixture might take a week to come in where a cabinet might take two weeks. This is one of the reasons why we schedule contractors like we do. If something gets damaged during their time in the home they are charged for the damage. This helps keep cost down and insures that everyone is respecting each others work. Once all of the 'Punch' work is complete along with the dry wall punch your home is ready for the painter. Remember, at this point you 'DO NOT HAVE THE CARPET OR ANY WOOD FLOORS INSTALLED'. If you are having a wood entry installed it could be there. Painter is ready for his paint '4 ' when the home is cleaned.

24. Wall Tile and Floor Tile

Once your home is painted there are several things that can happen while you are waiting on your kitchen counter tops and vanity tops to be installed. When the drywall was hung and the finisher was doing his work your tile person could and should be installing all of your tub tile. With your tub tile installed prior to interior trim your trim carpenter will be able to complete his baseboard 100%. There also is another reason to have your tub tile complete before texture. If you texture your walls prior to completion of tub tile you will create a cosmetic issue around your tub. Most secondary baths tub tile does not go to the ceiling. So when the tile person grouts their tile and sponges it down across the top and down the sides you will end up with a 4 to 6 inch strip where the sponge went across your texture. After the paint is complete your tile company can install all of your floor tile. This could include kitchen, entry, fireplace, bathrooms, laundry rooms and breakfast rooms. Some great rooms and game rooms are also tiled. You will want to install any vinyl at this point in time also. While all of this hard flooring is going in your counter top contractor, vanity top company, solid surface person and/or granite man can install their tops. There might need to be a little coordination between a couple of these contractors. Remember several of these contractors can work in the home together. The key is to make sure they clean up behind themselves. ALL flooring should be covered by the contractor. Your home is starting to take on your personallity now. When you walk in your paint is complete, your tile is complete, all of your K-tops and vanities are installed - Wow your Dream is becoming a reality.

23. Paint

When your home has all of the cabinets installed and the interior trim 100% complete it is time for the painter to get started. The first thing your painter will do is caulk all of your trim and cabinets. All door jambs, baseboards, crown mold, closet shelving, everything should an will be caulked. Once your trim and cabinets are caulked the painter will prime all wood surfaces for enamel. Some places will not let the builder use oil based enamel with out a special permit because of envoirmental concerns. In this case your painter will probably use a latex enamel. Either case the painter will need to spray an undercoater on all of the wood surfaces, even those which claim to be pre-primed. Now comes some labor. The painter will sand everywhere that primer was sprayed. The easiest way to understand why, is to rub your hand on the edge of an unsanded door or window sill and feel the roughness. The wood should be smooth after the sanding is done. Your painter will also stain anything that requires staining with the exception of the front door. If you have a stain grade front door it will not be installed until at the very end of the construction process. The painter will spray his latex on the walls first (after caulk) then he will undercoat all enamel surfaces and stain where required. At this point he is ready to spray your undercoated surfaces with enamel. You will have overspray on your walls. Your second coat of paint should be applied to your walls using a roller. Your painter will cut-in the latex and enamel.by hand. Any stained areas should get their sealer coats. This will make them smooth like glass, no streaks are acceptable. Once the painter has finished his cut-in the home should look finish with out completed selections. Paint should be 100% complete and all masking tape and paper removed. The home is finally coming together. The exterior is almost complete and the interior is looking more like the dream you invisioned.

22. Cabinets and Interior Trim

When the texture is complete you are ready for the cabinets to be installed. Your cabinet supplier can also be your installer, but with some homebuilders they have their trim carpenter install their cabinets. Your cabinet contractor should measure your home for cabinets about the time your electrician is completing his rough. He will be looking for plumbing stub out locations wall locations and if any doors are going to create a problem for the cabinets and their doors. Once your cabinets are installed you are ready for your trim. Your trim carpenter will install all closet shelving, doors, chair rail, crown mold and interior doors. The carpenter will start by hanging doors and installing shelving. Doors should be level, plumb and blocked on both sides. They should never be nailed straight to a stud. Door casing will be installed on one side of the door from the manufacturer which will facilitate making sure the door is plumb and level. When your doors are hung and the casing is installed on both sides the carpenter will run your baseboards. You want the doors hung before installing baseboard to make sure you get tight cuts and fits at the door trim. He should use the longest length of baseboard possible. If you have (which you will) walls that are longer than 16 feet he will have to splice two boards together. Splices should be 5 to 6 feet minimum from corners. The reason is that if you have a door you are going to have a door stop. When the door opens and hits the door stop there are going to be vibrations which can cause the joint in the base to show. Crown mold chair rail and stair rails should also be installed. On your stairs make sure you have skirt boards. So guys will try to save money by not installing them, but walking up and down the stairs will beat up your drywall especially if you have kids. While the carpenter is installing your trim, your counter top and vanity top supplier will measure for your tops. This is why your Pre-Drywall is so important. We know at this time if you have granite, solid surface and /or marble. Your cabinets are complete, your interior trim is complete and your 'K-tops' (counter-tops) and vanity tops are measured now it is time for the painter. You can start seeing the inside take shape.

21. Finish Drywall and Texture

Once your drywall is hung and any required nailing inspections have been completed you are ready for the 'Finisher' to start the tapping and bedding. This a multi-step process and the weather will have an impact. The first step is to tape all of the drywall joints. This does not use tape like we know it with a sticky side, this part is using drywall mud and what is called tape. The tape will be installed using the drywall mud and cover all joints and crinkles. A crinkle is where a sheet of drywall might of been dropped and developed a crack in the drywall. These crinkles are not very noticeable until after paint. Your finisher should be tuned into looking for them and you might not even notice one. If you see a tape joint in the middle of a board or where you know there wasn't a joint that is what it is. After all joints have been taped the next step is to bed the joints. The first phase has to be dry so it might not take place until the next day. If you live in a humid climate or if it is the rainy season, or the winter where the mud can freeze it could take longer. Your mud might look dry to the untrained eye, but your contractor will know when he can move forward. The last stage is floating out the joints. Your joints will be somewhere between 8 and 12 inches wide. All joints will be smooth and the finisher will sand and and touch-up as necessary. Your builder and texture person should walk home prior to spraying.
There are several types of texture and your builder will have one or it might be a selection option. The part of the country live in will also determine what type of texture is offered. Some builders do not texture and offer slick finished walls. This is popular in the North and Northeast. Once your texture is complete you are ready for your cabinets and interior trim to commence.

20. Exterior Cleans

Cleanliness is next to Godliness! Your new home has several times in which the exterior will be cleaned. Each contractor has an obligation (contractual) to clean the job site at the completion of their job and some need to clean every day. Your builder will have an exterior clean contractor who will clean the home at various stages. Listed are the minimum cleans you can expect. Some builders might break up the cleans slightly different but these are the basics.

Clean 1; Form Clean - after the slab is poured and the forms are racked the lot is cleaned. Concrete over pour is picked up and all trash is removed. This clean can also have your flat work clean in it. If your builder installs flat work prior to dropping his frame package this will be the case. If this is the case the clean will take place after your flat work forms are racked. Now the lot is ready for your rough grade.

Clean 2; Frame Clean - This is done when the frame, cornice, shingles and mechanical roughs are complete. So you can see this clean could be done in stages depending on the home's size. The clean crew will pick up all returnable material and stack in designated location for return and haul all other unusable material away and sweep home. There should be no trash in home. You should have clean floors.

Clean 3; Drywall Clean - When your drywaller has completed the finish work and/or texture, (depending on your region of country) the clean crew will pick up all trash and sweep home. Your drywaller and texture crew both should scrap your floor to remove all of the drywall mud that might of fallen. Your drywaller should have two piles of trash, one in the front and one in the rear.

Clean 4; Brick/Masonry Clean - Your contractor will stack any usable bricks in a pre-determined location for the home owner and/or for unforeseen repairs and haul the unusable away. Around the foundation the mortar in the yard should be racked up and removed. You should be ready for your flat work installation after this clean if it wasn't installed at slab pour.

Clean 5; Trim Clean - This clean is done when cabinets, interior trim, interior paint and mechanical trims have been completed. Your vinyl, floor tile and wall tile are also included in this clean. Your home should get another sweep with this clean also. Every contractor should clean and sweep when they finish their job. When this clean is completed your home looks like a home and should just need some fine tuning and final selections.

Clean 6; Carpet Clean - When your homes punch is complete, your appliances are installed and carpet is completed this clean takes place. The interior cleans are complete and your landscape is finished. Your contractor will power wash your flat work, (some builders have the flat work cleaned by the interior clean crews).

Clean 7; This is a miscellaneous clean. If you have repairs on your home prior to move in, anything needs to be changed out or whatever, this makes sure that it can be taken care of.

Every contractor has clean up responsibility for their work. In most cases they will use a pile in the front yard or the garage. In rare cases the rear yard will also be utilized.
No matter, the lot and home should always look organized.

19. Flatwork

When your exterior masonry work is complete you are ready for your 'Flat work' to be installed. Most flat work is poured concrete with a minimum psi of 2500. The exterior borders are usually 2x4 material with the expansion joints being 1x4 redwood. Up against concrete that is already in place like garages, entry porches and foundation steps you want to use black joint. Your concrete should be a minimum of 31/2 inches thick. There should be at least 1/2 inch of cushion sand under the concrete. When you set your exterior form you want to check for straightness and you want to look at your drainage situation. Concrete can act as a dam if proper planning does not take place. Your builder should be looking at his drainage plan along with the slope of the land so that when he is cutting out your flat work he make sure that water will not run into your home or garage. He should also tilt your concrete so as to allow water to easily flow into the planned drainage for the lot and not to stand o your concrete. You do not want standing water or blocked drainage. Your builder should of looked at his drainage situation prior to or during your prestart meeting. Concrete expands and contracts, so expansion joints and control joints are required to control where it will happen. Most municipalities require an inspection for city sidewalks and for your driveway approach. If you can, try to walk your flat work prior to it being poured. In most cases this is not necessary, but if you have extensive flat work, taking a look prior to concrete placement makes sense. Once all of the forms are racked, (stripped and removed) you we be able to really visualize the finished exterior.

18. Masonry

When the exterior elevation has been verified as correct and your builder has passed his required inspections you are ready for the mason to get started. Some municipalities will require that all wall ties are installed and some will require them installed to the first floor plate line. If you are using colored mortar the mason will write down his mix or it will be determined by the builder. This will insure that the color will be consistent. When laying brick the mason should always complete the front of your home fist. Mason's like starting on the sides because in most cases they are runs and go up pretty quickly. The reason you want to complete the front first is that brick like most things that have color are manufactured in 'runs' or 'lots'. Color and patterns are only guaranteed for the run or the lot. If you run out of brick before the front is complete your builder will order the same brick but he might not be able to get the same run. This could mean color variations on the front of your home. If the variations is on the back or side of your home it will be less noticeable. Bricks are a porous material and because of that there should be weep holes installed where the brick meets the foundation. If you live in a cold climate area where your brick ledge is at the bottom of the frost line, then your weep holes should be located about 4 to 6 inches above your final grade line. When the brick is going up your mason might leave the fourth or fifth brick out at the brick ledge. This will let the mason clean out behind the brick and make sure that water can flow down the back side and leach out of the weep holes. You have to realize that when you are laying brick and/or stone you are going to have excess mortar that is on the backside that will build up and fall in the cavity between the masonry wall and the vapor barrier. If your weep holes do not work properly you can get water build up behind the masonry wall and penetration into the home. Another thing you want to see on your home are expansion joints. Brick, stone or brick/stone combinations will expand and contract with the weather. Expansion joints control where this expansion and contraction will take place. There should be no wall over thirty five (35) feet long that does not have an expansion joint. You should have an expansion joint every twenty-five feet minimum. There are some cases where thirty-feet might be acceptable. Your builder and mason will try to put these joints at windows to make the breaks easier. They should run from the bottom of the foundation all the way to the brick freeze. If you have flaws in your cornice the mason should always tear the cornice down and brick correctly. Walking soldiers will hide a lot of imperfections. Hose bibs, electrical outlets, exterior doors and any other penetrations that require the mason to cut brick or mortar around them should be looked at tightness. These are great places for bugs to enter the home. When the masonry has been completed and the mason has cleaned the brick/stone you should stand back and look at the finished job. You are looking for straightness and for levelness. At this point you have trim boards, soffit, freeze boards, lintels, doors, door trim and other lines that should line up plumb and straight. Once the painter completes the exterior caulking and paint, your home should look great.

17. Hang Drywall

Your drywall is hung after all inspections have passed and you have had your pre-drywall walk. There are just a few things to be aware of with drywall hanging, you always hang the second floor before the first floor and you always hang the ceilings first. The reason is that drywall adds weight to the home and in the process along with gravity it is pulling all of your wood tighter together. The hanger will cut out for all of your electrical outlets, around plumbing pipes and any other penetrations. Corners that will transfer vibrations should not have joints. Doors and operable windows should have the drywall cut in what looks like an 'L' going around them. Dry wall comes in several sizes and several thicknesses. You should have 5\8 inch on your ceilings and with an attached garage the common walls with the home should have fire rated drywall on them. In most cases this drywall is identified with an 'X' on it. Different municipalities have different fire code requirements, some might require one hour fire rating and some are going to require two hours. For hanging walls the contractor should use the largest (longest) board possible. Drywall is usually 4x8, 4x9, 4x10 and 4x12. Because of the design of homes and hallways you can not always get the larger sheets in every part of the home. Dry wall is hung on its side with the 4ft side going up. This way if you have an eight foot wall you will have two sheets on top of each other. On 9ft ceilings you want to hang the board on the ceiling and the board on the floor prior to the middle board, which will have to be cut to fit. You never want the seams of two boards lining up with each other. All of your vertical seams should be staggered. How ever your horizontal seams will line up by the nature of the hanging process. You will also get a drywall nailing inspection prior to the 'Tape\Bedding-Float and Texture' contractor starting, if you are getting texture. Drywall is attached to the studs two ways, drywall nails or drywall screws. Both are designed for hanging drywall and are excellent when they are used together. Now your drywall is hung and inspected, your home is ready for the 'Taper'. He is the guy who walks on stilts!

16. Your Pre-Drywall Walk

You should meet the CM on the job site. It would be nice if your sales person could be there also. All builders do not require sales participation for the sales consultant on the job site. You should request his/her presence just to insure that communications that you have had with the consultant have been relayed properly to the CM and change orders discussed are installed according to your wishes. You want to have a copy of all change orders for your home. You should of received a copy of the paperwork from the builder. Most builders have an approval process for change orders. You should have copies with the proper person's signature approving your change orders. The first thing you want to do in your meeting is verify all of your change orders were received by the CM. This will probably to the first order of business. The builder will verify that all selection are made and what those selections are. Your brick will probably be on the job site at this point and your exterior paint, depending on the part of the country you live in, will be complete or being completed, so those verifications are easy. Once you verify that every one has all of, and the correct change orders you are ready to walk the home. You want to start from the front curb. Just hold the plan up and see if it looks like the picture. Once you have verified that the elevation is correct walk through the front door. Hold the plan as it is on the ground and walk the home. What we are doing is just making sure, that yes the walls and doors are where they show. You shouldn't have to pull a tape on every wall, hall, or door, but if something looks strange don't hesitate to ask for a tape to be pulled. You can now go back to the front door and start a room walk. You really do not want to combine these two parts. On the second time through the home you are reviewing rooms, any and all change-orders, cabinet locations, and all low voltage wiring locations. Once everything has been verified on the interior of the home we should go through the back door to the rear of the home, (some CM's will walk the entire exterior in the beginning which is fine). We want to look at the rear of home to insure it looks like the plan, talk about the patio, fence location and which side of the fence is going to show on each side. You should be shown your sewer line location and clean-out. Your water meter location, water line and where it enters the home should also be identified. Drive way location and entry walks and any other flat work should be discussed. At this point of construction several contractors will be able to work at the same time which will make things go a lot faster. Remember your home is running on two schedules, one inside and one outside. Once you are finish with this walk you should be preparing for closing and move-in.

15. Minimum Customer Walks

During the construction of your new home there should be several formally planned homebuilder and homebuyer interactions, or homebuyer walks. You should have at least four of these walks. There should be a check list to make sure all relevant topics are covered for that stage of construction.
They are;

Pre-Start/Lot Walk

Pre-Drywall walk

Buyer Introduction Walk

Buyer Acceptance

Each walk serves a purpose and is a good way to keep the homebuyer and the homebuilder on the same page.

The Lot Walk is where the homebuilder will show you how the home will sit on your lot. Driveway location will also be determined. You will also be shown water meter and sewer locations. You could even have a 'Plot Plan' at this stage. If you want to change your foundation location closer to the street or move it back, maybe even flip the home, now is the time to have that conversation. You might want to identify trees you are trying to save, this is the time to have and finish those conversations. You should also discuss the entire process. Time lines will be discussed and limits on what can be done will be set.

Pre-Drywall is where you get to review your low voltage locations, check any framing issues that might give you concern. You want to verify masonry selections, exterior paint colors, and most homebuilders will require you to have completed your interior selections. You will also check your phone, cable, and any computer wiring locations. Remember that once you complete this walk your home will become essentially two homes - one interior and one exterior. Weather will have an impact on the exterior schedule, but should have minimum effect on the interior finishing.

Buyer Intro Walk should be an introduction to your new home. This is 'NOT' suppose to be a punch out session even though there will be a formal list of corrections that should be made prior to your acceptance walk and closing. Your home should be finished and clean. The person doing the intro will explain your appliances, electrical, plumbing, HVAC and anything that operates. This walk could take as long as two hours, but most can be done in one to one-half hours. The home should look ready for move-in.

Buyer Acceptance is for you to sign off on the home being complete. During your intro you might of found some paint touch up or something that needed adjustment. You will check those items for completion and sign off the formal list generated during your intro walk. the customer service policy should be reiterated and you should be 'Welcomed to the Community'.

These planned meetings will hopefully give you confidence in the quality of your home. You also get to see the inner works and understand the complexities of new home construction. These walks will make the process less complex, more understandable and maybe make you more comfortable with something that just might be be largest purchase you have made.

14. Insulation

There are several types of insulation. The most popular is fiberglass. No matter the type it is installed in the cavities created between the studs on the exterior walls of your home. Sometimes the ceilings are 'Batted' also. In most cases the flat ceilings have blown insulation. Insulation is given an R-rating based on the material and the material's thickness. All sloped ceiling should be batted. You will notice that the batts on sloped ceilings are not has thick as those on flat ceilings. The reason is that the thickness is measured straight up and down, so the thickness is the same. You can have your C.M. demonstrate this on your pre-drywall walk. All batts should be installed with the paper side towards your drywall. The paper backing (moisture barrier) should be stapled to the studs to ensure that it stays in place. If you have blown insulation in your attic you will have 'Baffles' installed everywhere you have soffit venting. This will make sure that the blown insulation does not block the air flow from the soffit venting into the attic. All small cavities should have insulation stuffed in them, these might be openings between the blocking for doors and corners. The home is also 'Poly-Sealed' at this point. Poly-seal is an expandable foam that is used in all drilled openings on exterior walls, any and all exterior penetrations like hose bibs and electrical outlets along with top plate penetrations. Your exterior bottom plate (treated plate) should also have a bead of poly seal. You need to be aware of 'Cold Floors'. A cold floor is a floor where the bottom is exposed to the unconditioned air of outdoors. If you have a room over a port-a-cache or if you have an unfinished basement these are examples of cold floors. The space under them is not heated are air conditioned. On something like a port-a-cache or second floor room over a patio you have to check that the insulation was installed prior to the soffitt being installed. If you are installing sound proofing for a music room or home theater now is the time for that to happen. Once your insulation is completed, your insulation inspection has passed you are ready for your pre-drywall walk.

13. Cover Inspection

Once we have all of your mechanicals installed, and the framer has come back and completed his punch list from the construction manager you are ready for your "Cover Inspections". You will get your plumbing, electrical, and HVAC inspected for proper installations. Plumbing will be checked for leaks and to make sure drains works. You should have your water line installed to home and your sewer line should be in and inspected. Your hose bibs are on and working. Your plumbing system is functional at this time. Your electrical gets checked for size of wiring, and the location of panels. The inspector will also look for distances of boxes from water sources, and locations of smoke detectors and alarms. Your HVAC inspections will make sure that your equipment matches up, the sizing of your duct work and return airs will be checked to ensure they match your manual 'J'. Location of duct work and return airs will also be looked at. Your framing will get most of the attention. Some places have a separate inspector for each item. Your building inspector will make sure that your framing is structurally sound. He will be looking for bracing, purlins, rat runs, joist sizing, rafter bracing, load transference, anchor bolts, tie downs, and all of the 3,000 things you need to check on. On all inspections reports you will find a disclaimer which states in so many words that items noted are the items that were visually seen by the inspector, and its report does not in any way mean that there are no other violations. In other words he could miss something. The inspector is not going to catch it all. No one is. That is why the more eyes the better. Once every ones punch list (inspection list) has been completed the home will be called for re inspection. The inspector can not add items at this stage unless the item will effect the health and/or welfare of the home buyer. Generally they come back and review only the items on their report. They sign off on the corrections and the home is ready for insulation. You are also ready for the installation to commence on any exterior masonry work.

12. Mininum Inspections for your New Home

Inspections are for your safety and to make sure a certain level of workmanship is adhered to. Different municipalities have different inspection requirements for your homebuilder to comply with.   Along the gulf coast you have hurricane straps and wind requirements for windows. Here are the minimum you should have;



Plumbing Ground

Foundation

Plumbing Top-Out

HVAC Rough

Electrical

Frame

Insulation

Plumbing final

HVAC Final

Electrical Final

Building Final



Each municipality might have a few added inspections like drywall nailing, flashing, or different types of inspections for mechanical contractors. The above inspections are the bare minimum you need to ensure that your home is built to acceptable building standards.

11. Mechanical Roughs

Rough mechanicals includes your plumbing top-out, your electrical rough, your a/c rough and all of your low voltage wiring. As we discussed before their is a logical sequence as to the order of things. I have seen things get out of sequence and things never seemed to operate correctly in that house. The first thing your builder will do is get the plumber started. The plumber will run all of his water lines, drain lines and vent pipes. He will have to drill through some studs and top plates. He should never over drill holes for his pipes. You need to remember that drain lines work by gravity some there will be enough room in his bores for the pipe to 'fall'. During this phase your plumber might have to adjust some of his in slab plumbing lines and/or drains. To make these adjustments they will have to use a chipping hammer. A chipping hammer is a small jack hammer. All water lines that run in exterior walls or in the attic should be insulated at this time. Depending on the size and how your plumber is organized he might and he might not install his tubs and shower pans at this time. Your HVAC contractor can start the same day as the plumber if the home is large enough for both crews. If the home can only handle one at a time, let the HVAC guy go first. He will probably be in and out in half a day. Why do you let HVAC go first? Well the plumber needs to hook up your primary A/C drain and you want your A/C duct work and return airs run with the fewest restrictions as possible and the easiest way to ensure that is to have it installed first. All other contractors need to go around them. The only thing to check is the space for the water heater in the attic or the utility closet. the plumber can take any where from one day to almost a week depending on what is required of him. The electrical contractor should not even get started until the plumber is complete. He needs to ensure that none of his wires are touching any of the plumbers water lines. He also needs to be able to identify water areas for the placement of his GFCI's. His wiring should be bundled together and not run wildly through your studs and joist. All light fixtures should have boxes and be secured for fixture installation. Smoke detectors are placed in required locations. Weather proof boxes are installed where required. Ceiling fans are blocked and wired. This is the time to add separate switches for light kit and fan operation. Appliances should be determined by now so the proper wiring can be installed. Your furnaces are installed and A/C locations determined because your roughs are complete so the proper wiring can be run to them. Breaker box locations should have been identified prior to the electrician getting started. Don't forget to add a switch for your dishwasher. There is nothing like a two or three year old pushing buttons on the front of them. When your electrician is done you can have your low voltage wiring installed. I like to have them start on the last day when the electrician is stripping and rolling his wires in the boxes for inspection. Low voltage wiring includes; security, intercom, speaker wiring, any and all computer wiring, and/or any type of home entertainment centers. On 'Q' is also considered low voltage. Low voltage wiring is not as thick as electrical wiring and you want to make sure it does not get damaged. Just in case you need an extra electrical outlet you want the electrical contractor on the job, that is why you get your low voltage guys going on the last day he is in the home. If your plumber has not installed your tubs and shower pans, now is the time. Now you are ready to have the framer and cornice man come back and finish their punch for inspection. Seal holes in sheathing, check for bowed studs, see if anything has been knocked loose. Maybe a few studs need to added, there might be some extra blocking needed. Something bracing gets beat around or even knocked out. You need to check you soffits if you had Christmas plugs installed in them. At this point you should get the home primed and painted, if you live in a windy climate or have an all siding home. If you live in a climate where the painters are competent at 'Top Coating' after the masonry is complete - wait. Once the paint is done (to the extent that it is going to be completed) you should get the home shingled. Once the shingles are complete stage three is complete. Your home is ready for inspections.

10. Cornice - Window and Exterior Doors

Cornice is what seals up your home. It is the installation of doors, windows, siding, fascia and soffit. Let's get started. The first thing your cornice crew is going to do is install your windows. After all of your windows are installed they should run your sheathing. There are several types of sheathing, you have deny board, Styrofoam, and some people will use O.S.B. covered with Tyvek are a similar material. Basic things to look for in window installation are the margins inside. From the inside of the home look at the distance from the wood framing and the edge of the window. The distance on the sides and top should be about the same. You don't have to worry about the bottom, because the trim carpenter will adjust for margin when he installs the window sill. the reason for installing windows prior to sheathing is that you want the sheathing to cover the window flanges to eliminate window leaks. Window leaks in masonry are especially troublesome . You end up with an eye sore masonry repair where your mortar and brick might not match. Some builders tape their flanges prior to installing their sheathing and others use deny board to insure they do not get leaks. During your pre-drywall walk you can ask what technique they used if it is not obvious. Your exterior doors are installed at this stage. construction doors might be used to protect your finished door. The door jamb will be your finished jamb. When installing exteriors doors there are several things you want to look for. You want to know what type of material is butting up to your door. Doors have different trim for different material. You have brick mold for brick and if it is siding you are going to have 1x4, are some type of trim with some width to cover the ends of the siding. Doors should never, I want to say that again - doors should never be butted up to the header cripple/stud. Doors should be tripled blocked on both sides. Exterior doors should be blocked at the hinges and the keeper. Exterior doors come with 3" screws attached to the jamb. These screws are to replace one screw in each hinge on the jamb. this will ensure that the door has an attachment through the blocks into the door header cripple. These blocks should not be continuous. these blocks allow for the vibrations that doors will get from opening and closing. I would recommend that your siding, fascia, soffit and all trim material be made of cement fiber board, Hardi is a well known brand. All soffit an fascia should be installed prior to your roof sheathing (called roof decking in some parts of the country) being installed. The reason for this is that you can not level and plumb your fascia correctly or with ease after the roof deck is installed. I know you are going to have someone tell you that they can, but I want you to know that if you look at homes done after deck you will notice the problem. Real quick, your rafter tails are at different lengths and need to be cut. You take a string line to the top of them and mark them so they are the same length. Now when I nail my sub-fascia to the ends they are already the same length and are nailed solidly to the rafter end, if I have the deck on I have cut my tails from the bottom and my deck is not even at the edges. To make my fascia straight I have to go to each rafter and pry my sub-fascia in and out if I go back at all. If you are using shingle mold now is the time to install. Shingle mold is usually a 1x2 attached at the top of your fascia. Some builders use shingle mold and some use Drip Edge. I personally prefer shingle mold for the look. Drip edge is metal and after time paint flakes off. When the cornice and roof is installed your home should be dry. When it rains, you should get no water inside the home with the exception of exterior door thresholds, if the threshold is not part of the door unit. After windows, exterior doors and your cornice is complete the home is ready for the roof sheathing installation. Depending on your part of the country you want to have the decker (roof sheathing installer) to cut deck for ridge vents. Your roofer will cut out for air hocs, roof vents and power vents. Generally your Construction Manager will claim a stage two (2) on his construction status report at this point in the process. Next - Rough Mechanicals

9. Framing - Roof, Stick -vs- Truss

There are a couple types of roofs, Trusses and Stick Frame. Truss roofs are easy to install and were almost exclusively used in apartments, town homes and condominiums. In the last decade or so they have made inroads into single family construction. They function well and do save money on the construction of production homes. When you have repeat floor plans and elevations once the roof is engineered, that cost is split by the number of times the home is built. What are the negatives of trusses? Generally it renders your attic unusable. Most truss designs utilizes a design where the bottom cord is also your ceiling joist. Being that most joist are made of 2x4 construction they can not carry a lot of weight if any. The web construction also can limit head space in the attic if you could put weight on the bottom cord. Stick framed roofs offer you more flexibility. Ceiling joist can be sized for storage space. Stick framing also lends itself to remodeling. With a stick framed roof you can convert your attic to storage space by doubling your joist adding sub floor or sheathing, also depending on your pitch a lot of attics have been converted to living space. Now, if you plan for it, trusses can be designed to meet those requirements. You can remodel attics that are trussed. Anything can be changed/remodeled, it just depends on how much you are willing to do, and pay. If you are building your home for life, and know this is where you want to be, I would say stick build the roof. Most of your custom builders stick build their roofs anyway so this might not even be a conversation for you. As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when you are building the 'American Dream', your new home. Remember, there are no dumb questions. This is possibly the largest investment of your life. Next we need to talk about 'Cornice'. This is where we install windows, doors, soffit and fascia.

8. Frame II

Second floor framing is like putting a one story on top of your sub floor. Things to look for; triple blocked corners and T's, deadwood, header sizes, cripples, double cripples on headers 6 feet or larger. Look for tub studs, and don't forget to kick your door jambs (door bucks) at the bottom plate. This will make sure that they are nailed. If they aren't properly secured, as time goes by your doors will not close properly and it is not an easy homeowner fix. On your frame walk ask the CM (construction manager) or CSR (customer service representative) to explain and show you a few of these things. As stated previously, Framing and Finishing are the two most difficult things to do on a home. The quality of the frame punch will have significant impact on your finished home. Doors are framed 2 1/2 inches larger than the door rough opening. Tubs in secondary baths are 60" (sixty inches), all hallways are rough framed a minimum of 38 1/2 inches wide. Framer and/or CM must have a six foot level on the job site. All sub floor is tongue and groove. seams should not line up on your sub-floor. If you tongue and/or groove are cut off during installation there needs to be a block installed at that joint. We could go on and on and on about what needs to be punched. If you a with a good builder they should be pretty good at it. The main reason that I have spent so much time on framing is that I want to impress upon you how important it is to your home. One eighth inch out of plumb in 32 inches is excessive. You want 1/8 inch in six feet. Understand that in almost all cases when the code book, which there are several, (you have to check and see which one is being used in your area ), is talking about the bear minimum. So if you were to build your home to 'the code' you would not have an exceptional frame. Arm yourself with some of the terminology and come to your walk with questions. If your CM does a good job explaining it to you, then you know he will be able to explain it to his framer. Next we need to have a short conversation about your roof framing

7. Subfloor and Second Floor

Trusses vs I-Joist. Stick framing the floor for the second floor is obsolete. So we will not discuss it as an option.
I-joist, the quiet floor. This is a relatively new flooring system that uses two by two's on the top an bottom of O.S.B. ( oriental strand board ) for the flooring. The system is suppose to eliminate floor squeaks and sagging. The biggest benefit is cost. Now some of the problems, or should we say disadvantages of the floor. First the rules on where you can cut through the joist for plumbing and electrical are different from what most installers are accustomed with. If you do have a miss cut you need an engineer to give you a signed/sealed plan for the repair. This could cause time delays and unwanted back-charges to one or more of your mechanical contractors. You also have to be careful on how you run your A/C ducting. You don't want to run it across several of these in a row, or run across an entire room. This could make you have to frame additional chases for your ducts, or furr-downs. With open web trusses you have the ability to run all of your Mechanicals with out cutting anything. If you do have a truss repair, the repair is already on your plans and eliminates delays. Contractors are familiar with them and you eliminate that learning curve. Any monies saved in the use of I-joists is given back in the cost of the plumber, electrician and HVAC contractor, and in some cases could cost more. Talk to a framer about nailing sub floor to I Joist which is 1 1/2 inch wide versus an open web joist which is 4 to 6 inches wide. Silent floor, most floor squeaks are created by your sub-floor not your framing. Back in the days of framing floors out with 2x 12's we had those problems. Most of the time when the floor framing squeaks it is the wood against wood or the nails against the wood back when we used ledger strips instead of joist hangers, and we had X blocking. We also used shims because no two pieces of lumber are the exactly the same width. Then we also had plywood sub floors which are great with one exception -- when they get rained on they start to delaminate. You might not hear this squeak for four to eight seasons. You have to remember lumber moves with the weather. Even kiln dried lumber has drying out to do after it has been exposed to the elements during construction. During construction your lumber is exposed to whatever the weather is at that time. It swells, bows, and warps. Hopefully very little, but a little here and a little there and soon you have places for movement. Most of your quality builders will come into your home once, at the tail end of your cosmetic warranty and fix hairline cracks. The reason is they want your home to go through four seasons, that way you have to turn your heat and A/C on. You also go through that time where you might leave windows open. This time will ensure the lumber is dried and the home has settled. Gravity, snow, furniture along with just living in the home will tighten frame members. With I-joist or open web joist you eliminate a lot of the rubbing because of how their systems designed. Sub-floor should be O.S.B. This material is not laminated and has been used for some time now. It has been in use long enough that we know it works. You have to be careful with new products and systems. Some have been very painful for the homeowner and the builder, not to mention expensive. I have used I-joist in several communities in various municipalities with great success. That is why I know it takes a lot of training of sub contractors and construction managers. Sometimes the suppliers are not sure on the proper techniques for installation. If they have been in use for a while in your part of the country and your mechanical contractors are well versed with them, I say go for it. But if it is new to your area and when you talk to contractors and they don't seem real confident --stay away. Me--I am still using open web. Make sure your strong backs are on top and you get less flex. Make sure your game rooms are designed for pool tables and if the master is upstairs make sure it can handle a water bed. I know, no one has water beds anymore, but you have to remember that the average stay for people in their home is only around seven years, and that number includes people like a lot of our parents and grandparents who stayed in their homes for decades. You want to be able to sale your home when you desire to move up, move down or get a R.V. and ride. Next time more framing

6. Frame - 1

All lumber should be number two or better. Sometimes when the home is being built in the county or where there are no municipality inspections the builder will try to use #3 lumber instead of #2. This will save your builder a few hundred dollars, but you paid for #2 and for a home done right it should be built with #2. 'We Do Right Things Right Because That Is How They Were Meant To Be Done'. You have to watch out for finger jointed studs. Structurally they are fine. Your framer should check to make sure they were glued. Some times (more often they it should happen) they come from the mill and the joints do not have glue in them. Finger jointed studs only have strength when used vertically. They have NO structural value when used horizontally. They can not be used for plate material or bracing. I would not used them for cripples except for when most of the length can be used, i.e. door cripples. Studs on exterior walls should be placed on 16' centers, interior load bearing walls should also be on 16 inch centers. Interior non-load bearing walls can be framed 24" on center, depending on length. 16" and 24" are important measurements because everything, and I mean everything breaks on 24 or 16 inches. On one story homes depending on span, your joist span might be 16" (inch) centers or 24" centers. As you can see there can and will be cost savings by using the 24" on center joist. When going 24" you need to use 5/8" thick drywall for your ceilings. This will help eliminate your drywall from sagging over time from the weight of your blown insulation and gravity. The ideal situation would be to to have your joist on 16" center with 5/8 inch drywall on your ceilings. Some guys will try to go 24" on your joist and hang 1/2" drywall on your ceiling. Do not accept this. You will regret it in one to two years. You should expect the same quality construction in areas with no inspections as you would receive if there were full inspections. If your builder is trying to sell you on the ideal of 'Just AS Good' you need a new builder. Granted there are products that have the same function and are equal in performance, but you can not use a #3 and get #2 results. Five-eights on the ceiling is superior to half-inch. Bottom plate (the wood that is in contact with the concrete slab), should be treated material. Some will try to use 'SILL SEAL' and use untreated materials. If you have zero risk of ever having termites this might be one way of saving a few dollars. If you think you might now, or in the future have the smallest chance of termites treated is the only way to go. Termites are blind and come into the home through dirt tubes which are easy to spot, are through foundation penetrations which aren't so easy, i.e. plumbing and/or electrical. Sill seal is good with treated lumber to make sure you have a tight seal with the slab. When your insulator poly seals the home it will be that much tighter. All exterior walls should have two by twelve headers (2"x12"), interior door header's should be sized to the door. All headers should have a plywood (not OSB) flitch plate in the middle. Stud equals 3-1/2 inches wide. 2-X is 1-1/2 wide. If you double it you get 3 inches so the 1/2 inch flitch gives you the 3-1/2 inches. This also ensures the strength of the header plus ensures that the header is is flush with the studs. Punching a frame and finishing is the most difficult thing on a home. There are a lot of rules. You need strong backs on open end joist. You need rat runs, purlins, wind bracing, joist hangers, deadwood, etc. Your builder should be proficient at this. Along with your foundation this is the most important part of new home construction or remodeling. We all know the home is only as good as it's foundation. I like to say 'The Home is Only as Good as it's Foundation and Frame'. If your frame is tight ( done correctly) everything else becomes a big jig-saw puzzle. Cabinets fit, doors fit, toilets have room, tubs fit. Next we need to talk sub flooring and second floor framing. We also need to discuss I-beams vs Open web trusses.

5. Stages of Construction (Simple version)

Let's keep it simple. I am going to break the construction of your home into 10 stages. Now remember these are the basic stages to build any home. Most if not all production homebuilders have some measuring stick that they use to ensure the home is progressing at a suitable pace. Some homebuilders might have 12 or 14 stages, but they all encompass these ten mile stones.  It is a matter of what their preferences are.

Stage One - Slab Poured

Stage Two - Frame Complete - 2"

Stage Three - Shingles and Cornice Complete

Stage Four - Inspections and Insulation

Stage Five - Drywall Complete

Stage Six - Interior Trim Complete

Stage Seven - Cabinets and Interior Paint Complete

Stage Eight - Carpet Complete

Stage Nine - Final Inspections and CM punch passed and Complete

Stage Ten - Final Punch Complete, Home ready for Move-In


Obviously each stage has several activities that take place within the stage.  Remember, this is a 'Logical, Organized Sequence of Activities'.  These stages are used for planning, construction draws and to track the progess of the construction of the home.

4. Rough Grade and Frame Drop

Rough Grade, what is it? What is the impact?
After your foundation is poured and the forms have been stripped you builder will do a form clean. This is where the lot is cleaned, all wood and concrete overspill pickup and placed in the job site dumpster or haul off to the dump depending on how your builder handles trash. Once the lot is cleaned you should get a rough grade. This is when the basic yard drainage is established. there are three basic types of drainage; they are referred to as 'A', 'B', and 'C'. 'A' drainage is horseshoe shaped with the water going back to front. The dirt slopes away from the foundation and then towards the front of the home. If you can imagine placing a horseshoe around your home with the opening towards the street. 'B' drainage is just the opposite. The opening of the horseshoe is opening towards the rear property line. Remember the yard should slope away from your foundation and into the horseshoe then to the opening. These are the two primary grades used in subdivisions/production home neighborhoods. Must towns, communities, states have a law that you can not drain your water onto others property unless there is a designated easement for drainage. 'C' drainage is used primarily on acreage lots. This is simply the water draining away from the home 360 degrees. Rough grade is important for job site safety also. Frames, cornice crews, and masons will set up scaffolding and use ladders. A well graded and drained site ensures their safety which enhances the quality of their work. Once the grade is complete (not before) you are ready for your frame drop. Depending on the size of your frame package it could come in several deliveries. There should never be more than a day and half worth of wood on the job at one time. With weather you do not want material sitting in water. Theft is also a consideration for when and how much you drop. Most lumber companies have several drop times and are accustomed to several drops. Early morning drops work real well. You have what should be a real pretty job site, take a picture. At this stage it is clean, graded, with your frame 'one' is sitting waiting for the framer.

3. Your Foundation

Your foundation is one of the most important part of your home, the other is the frame. There is nothing worse than a foundation problem, especially when it could of been avoided. There are several types of foundations, pier and beam- this is the one with a crawl space under it. You drill holes in the ground install beams, they can be concrete or sometimes they are treated post. You frame the floor out like a wood deck and build the home on top. Problem with this type of foundation is that rain and dryness and uneven yard watering can cause settling of the piers which in turn causes your floor to become uneven. Foundation leveling companies make a fortune leveling and re-leveling homes. You save money on the initial cost but you will periodically have to level the floor. The best way to go is slab on grade with an engineered post tension foundation or basement. Engineered post tension type of foundation is engineered for the soil conditions on your lot. First there are boring's taken, usually ten to fifteen feet deep to take soil samples to establish soil type. These samples are taken to a lab where moisture test and elasticity test are done. There will be a soil report generated for the foundation engineer. Based on your soil conditions the engineer will design cable locations, beam size and depth. Your builder should have a plan with the layout that also has the engineers seal and signature on it. If they let you this is an easy plan to read and understand. You just count cables going left to right and front to back. Inspections are very important. ALL HOMES SHOULD BE INSPECTED DURING CONSTRUCTION AND REMODELING. This is for your protection and the builders also. If you are in a municipality that requires building permits they probably have their own inspection department. Before I forget - try NOT to have a re bar slab. The steel corrodes and slab failures are common. If you do not have city inspections you need to pay attention. The homebuilder hires his own inspectors in these cases. The reason for this is that most financial institutions require inspections. Let's think about this,-- I hire the guy and pay the guy who is telling me what I need to correct and fix. Sounds like a good deal to me. If I am the inspector I am not going to be to tough on him because I want the next job also. I would just insure that the bare minimum requirements were met. And they do! With an engineered foundation generally the engineer inspects the foundation to ensure that the workmanship meets their standard. You need to realize that the engineer has his reputation and license to protect, not to forget they are like everyone else and do not want to find out how good or bad their insurance is. If you are building a home with a basement your walls can be poured concrete or built out of block. The one thing you want to check is the waterproofing and how they are removing the water that gathers around the walls. You need floor drains when possible. Terrain, yard slope and community rules have a lot to do with what is allowable and what your builder can and can't do. If you are in a situation where you do not have city/township inspections hire your own inspector. Your builder is liable for the first couple of years, but that is not usually when the problems occur. Protect yourself. Generally if the engineer OKs the work you should know it is good. When you move in you should pay attention to your watering habits. In the South and Southwest the builders landscape and sod the front yards of their home. We move in and do not sod the rear yards for a couple of weeks but water the front yards every day. Depending on your soil conditions this could create a problem. Expansive soils will expand from watering (the front yard) while the unsodded or landscaped part of your yard (the rear yard) will not. This can and will create unwanted stress on your foundation and could create cracks and or breaks in extreme circumstances. Your foundation is poured and it is time for the next phase, Rough Grade and Frame Drop. Remember: Building a Home is a 'Logical and Organized Sequence of Activities'. whether the home is 1200 sq ft or 12,000 sq ft the sequence is the same.

2. Your Lot

Let's talk about lot selection. Most homebuilders charge a premium for cul-de-sac lots and corner lots. Let's talk about corner lots first. There are added costs associated with corner lots. If you have privacy fencing, the outside fence's total cost goes to that lot. Public sidewalks add cost, the extra sod and dirt used for grading add cost. You get the benefit of no neighbor on that side, and usually your lot is a little larger. Sometimes there is an easement, but it is your yard so a put a swing, barbeque or maybe hammock on it.  You can not put permanent structures on top of easements.  Cul-de-sac lots have their own benefits, no thru traffic, and a great place to put a basketball goal, hockey net, etc., for the kids. Generally your front yard is going to be smaller than the yards of your neighbors. Lots at the back of the cul-de-sac are pie shaped which sometimes gives you different shaped rear yards based on your home’s footprint. Think about your family, where you want to be in time, how long you are going to be in your home, and do not forget--KID'S GROW UP. I think a lot of people find their homes and yards are great for them now, just to find out in three to five years they can't function in it. Your homebuilder and/or your realtor want a sale; sorry--they want a closing. To them your home might be just another house, rather a paycheck. You have to really look out for your own interest. Once you have found a lot that will satisfy your wants and/or needs, next we have to talk about foundations.

1. "Your New Home"

Let's talk about your new home. I am not going to make you an expert homebuilder, but I will try to give you an education on what to look for during the new home construction process and/or remodeling of your "New Home". You see whether you are building a home from dirt or are purchasing an existing home, it is new to you. The homebuilder does make a difference. He is the guy who is managing the job and is going to determine if you receive the quality you deserve. he is the one who is hiring and firing subcontractors. He is the one who is hiring and firing all of the vendors and suppliers. He is the one who is determining what products are going to be used and which ones are not going to be used in your home. Products also make a difference. He is also the the one who will inspect the workmanship of the contractors and insure the quality and completeness of their work. So let's make sure that we receive our dream in the 'American Dream'. You will learn enough to be dangerous. And that is a good thing.