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Our Building Process – Putting Your Dream in a Logical Order
Building a new home is a complex procedure, but with good communication and organization, building can be fun and exciting! Our homeowners are assured peace of mind when it comes to their expectations being met. The process below will take you through the steps we take to build a home.
Foundation
Using the stakes as a guide, an excavator digs the foundation. This area must exceed the size of the foundation to allow room to work around the foundation forms. The extra space is filled back in later. Over time, this backfill area settles until the earth returns to its original compaction. The foundation stage is not as simple as it appears. For instance, in the case of poured concrete, the foundation crew places the reinforcing steel called for by the engineer's design. They set openings for windows, vents, beams, and utility connections. Along the top edge of the foundation they install anchor bolts, which framers use to secure the walls to the foundation. Before backfill occurs, we schedule damp proofing. This involves applying an asphalt coating or sheet of polyethylene to seal the surface.
Framing
Framing begins with installation of the first level sub-floor, followed promptly by walls. Floor systems include joists of solid wood or engineered I-joints made of manufactured wood products or metal. The sub-floor itself is glued and nailed to the joists to minimize squeaks. Rarely does a home go from foundation to completion without feeling the effect of some precipitation. The materials can withstand a considerable amount of weather. We watch for any effects that require correction. A well built home requires a thorough frame inspection so walls and ceilings are true and square. Later, when sheet rock is applied, walls are visibly straight and aligned throughout the home.
Roofing
Installation of roofing felt or paper begins at the lower edges and proceeds upward, with each row overlapping the previous one. The roofer may also install flashing in the valleys, the angles where two planes of the roof slope down and come together.
Rough-in of Mechanical Systems
The mechanical system: heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and electrical, are each installed in two phases. We refer to the first phase as the rough or rough-in phase. In it, the mechanical trade contractors install parts you do not see when the home is complete. The ducts, pipes, and wires that circulate power, convenience, and comfort to various parts of your home are ultimately concealed inside the walls. Metal plates cover where a plumbing line passes through wood studs. This protects the water line from screws or nails during later work.
During this phase and according to your contract, the installation of intercom, security, in-wall vacuum, cable television, or in-wall entertainment systems begins. Extra phone lines, special outlets for computers, freezers, or garage door openers are most easily installed now. Each mechanical trade returns later for the final phase of its work; installation of the fixtures, faucets, switches, and registers you see in the completed home. When rough mechanical work is complete, we call for building department inspections on framing and rough mechanical work. Your home must pass all these inspections before insulation can occur.
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