They were honed and essentially bulletproof--never had any problems with them. I went looking for similar slabs and the quarry is now pulling out slabs that are substantially gray rather than white.

Love the floors--they are DuChateau pre-engineered.

To see more photos, search for my finished kitchen thread "rancher" and my user name.

The building code for single-family houses requires mechanical ventilation (fresh air) only if each habitable room does not have operable windows with a minimum clear opening of 4% of the room floor area. If you want mechanical fresh air ventilation you need to tell the designer.

When your husband asked for fresh air to be mechanically introduced into the house it was necessary for an equal amount of air to be removed and that was done with an independent stand alone energy recovery unit that did not affect the interior house air pressure.

An oil or gas fired furnace or boiler and a gas fireplace vent does not remove much air from a house but negative pressure can prevent combustion gasses from rising by gravity up the vent but that can be avoided by supplying outside air to the equipment.

Make-up air would be required only if you have unusually large mechanical exhaust fans in the bathrooms and kitchen. The bathroom fans can have a built-in energy recovery feature that balances the exhaust air with incoming tempered fresh air.

Unfortunately, that can't be done with a range hood exhaust which is why this thread is about that subject. A range exhaust is required by code to have an automatically operating make-up air intake if it is over 400 CFM. Whether that is needed and how energy can be conserved is an issue no one has fully solved. The responsibility for the design of this equipment is often not clear between the trades and therefore the architect or GC must make that decision and make sure it gets done.

I think you need to start over and contact the builders you think you might actually be interested in working with and set up a preliminary meeting with each one. The point of the preliminary meetings is get to know them and decide whether or not you think you canwork with them. There will probably be one or two that, by the time you've talked to them for half an hour you'll KNOW that you don't ever want to be in the same room with them again! Something about them will make your skin crawl or you'll get a sense that they're just not honest or something.

Also at the preliminary meeting, let each one know that you will be asking for formal bids from THREE (or at most, FOUR) builders. This lets them know that, if you ask them for a formal bid, they have a reasonable chance of winning the job. Ask each one to take a quick look at your plans and specs (right there in the meeting) and let you know if anything jumps out at them that would be problematic or that they feel they would need more information about in order to give you a solid bid. Also ask each one how long it would take them to prepare their bid IF you should ask them to bid.

Do not give your plans to the builders at this initial meeting. If you give your plans to the builder right at the meeting, he's going to assume you're doing the same thing with every builder you talk to...which means you weren't serious about only getting bids from your top 3 to 5 candidates.

Once you've narrowed the field down, send (or take) a copy of your plans and specs to each builder and request a formal bid... and also set a time limit for getting the bids in to you based on the longest time frame given to you at your initial meeting. Let them know that if the bid is not received by the deadline, they are out of the running. (If a builder can't get his bid in on time, he won't do anything else on time either!) And, let them know your timeline for making a decision once all the bids are in.

If the builders say they need three weeks to submit the bids, I'd give myself twice that long after receiving the bids to make a decision. That way if someone flakes out and doesn't submit a bid, you still have time to seek additional bids from alternate candidates so that you're not stuck without alternatives.

Competitive Bidding should be used for all other projects.

I agree. no comparism between La. code and Ca., wish
we would require folks to a higher standard!
but I did think that blower door & duct testing were
code in Ca.

Laura,
"The feedback regarding not doing is coming from the person who is doing the calculations of how energy efficient our home is, and she recommended a tester for the ducts and other items that are required."
so who is his person? energy rater..or auditor?
what background does she have to make the recommendations?

you asked about costs..prices vary as we are all independent.
for new homes I charge $550 for a average sized house
2500 sq ft with one hvac system. the larger the house with multiple hvac systems..prices increase.

this price includes an energy rating from plans..reports
one the explains amount of time for upgrades to pay for themselves, and another that shows what % of savings
for each upgrade. hvac sizing reports & various other
reports can be included.
also included is one intermediate inspection,and
final testing & verification. all paperwork is handled
by the rater.

once house is blacked in, thermal bypass inspection is
manditory. this is a walk thru inspection when insulation
is in walls..prior to sheetrock. without a visual inspection
the insulation grade is fail.
this timely inspection gives the rater a chance to verify
lots of things, how windows are flashed, how they are
sealed from inside, heating system is usually in place as
are ducts, so mastic seal of duct & heating model & serial
numbers are taken. window efficiency, insulation in walls etc. a blower door test can be done around
this time.that the trades people are still on site at this
time makes a world of difference. to try to get them
back once project is complete..is a pita.

I usually test when house is complete.
I can identify problem areas on intermediate inspection
so that these issues are addressed.(years of doing this)
final inspection is when house is complete.
condensing unit is in place and attic is insulated.
then the blower door & duct test is done.
sometimes if attic insulation is on the attic floor,
I'll test prior to insulation install. then come
back to verify R-values when insulation is installed.

to do additional blower door testing..I charge $100.
the builder is usually responsible as it is his lack
of doing what he was hired to do that is the reason
for additional testing. if it is an insulation
or hvac issue, these companies may assume the charge.

when called into just do a blower door & duct test
I charge more. in addition to the testing I give the
homeowner a written report of all leakage sites
& how to seal them, plus any issues that testing
showed. for this diagnostic on an average sized
house, I charge $250.
when I leave, the homeowner knows everything that
is done wrong & how to rectify the errors.

with testing ducts, the work is in the prep.
taping off all supplies & enough of the return
to set up duct blaster. I like to use the fan
to not only measure leakage amount, but then to
pressurize the duct sytem so that marking the
areas that leak in the attic (most of our ducts
and equipment are in the attic..worst place to put them)
that leak. I feel that knowing how much leakage
there is doesn't help unless you know where it
leaks. and then of course how to seal the leaks.

I usually work for the homeowner, not the builder.
in working for the builder, I find that it causes
conflict for me, as I am geared towards the homeowner's
needs. but that is a personal agenda. by working
for the homeowner I can be sure they get what they
pay for. as they are the ones who will live there,
and the builder will move on to the next project.

best of luck with your project.

We are setting things up to meet with a builder and I wanted to ask your opinion on what I have compiled so far. I don't want to overwhelm them but I also know what I want as I have been looking at things for about 10 years and know how my family operates and what will work best--I just want to present it to them clearly. Will you give me your opinion? Any advice would be appreciated...this home would be in South Dakota as far as climate. Thanks in advance for any insight you are willing to offer.

House:

Covered Porch:
Vault made out of tongue and groove cedar--stained and sealed
Timbers made of douglas fir--stained and sealed
Double doors for Front doors 8' tall 36" wide open to a 6' span (only hardware on one door)no windows, one peephole, no sidelights, 1 window above the door

i. Deadbolt should be a grade 1 or 2, solid metal with no exposed screws on the exterior, throw bolt at least 1" long--medeco brand

ii. Also want an exit only deadbolt on front door

iii. Heavy-duty metal security strike plate secured by 4" screw that screws into stud not the door frame

iv. No hinges exposed

Entrance of home to pillar, 7'
Width from pillar to pillar 8'
Roof span 10' across with a 10/12 pitch
Colored Stamped cement for flooring
No stairs to get into house
Outlets on each side of doors
Entryway: 8' x 12' long
Coat closet with double doors and hanging bar with a shelf above the bar
Tile floor
Light fixture
Outlet on one side for entryway table
Master bedroom:17' wide, 19' long
Would like media cabinet built around fireplace (direct vent but vent out through the attic)
Ceiling fan with 100w bulbs
Carpeting
4 outlets on each side of bed (king sized bed) plus outlets around room
Hook-ups for tv/video
Built-in bookshelves with adjustable shelves, bottom shelves cabinet doors
Smoke and carbon monoxide detector--hard wired
Master bathroom: 8' wide x 20' long
Shower: 6 or 10" ceiling mount showerhead, slide bar, hand shower, body spray and body jets--shower bench at least 18" deep
36" tall vanities
Rectified porcelain tile with 1/16 grout lines for bottom of shower, 1/8 grout line porcelain tiles on shower walls with sanded grout
Heated floors on a timer
Caulk instead of grout in corners of bathroom and along edges of room instead of grout (especially b/w tub and tile)
Jacuzzi tub/air tub with glass enclosure--ozone system and in-line heater

i. Floor joists to accommodate, hot water heater to be able to handle

Toilet room with panasonic whisper quiet fan
3 Windows at very top of the room for privacy
Vanity with 2 sinks built into countertop (all 1 piece)
Linen closet with adjustable shelving
Solar tube or skylight
ADA toto toilet
Tile floor
Insulation added around tub
Hook-up for a tv that you can see in tub
Master Closet: 10 x 8 or 14 x 20
Island in middle with drawers, 112" long x 48" wide
Tie storage
All shoes will be in mudroom
Hanging bars are my main concern--have walls reinforced to handle load of bars
Solar tubes or skylight
carpet
Laundry: 15 x 14
Must be located with bedrooms
Island needs to have room for 6 laundry baskets and a flat work surface

i. 4' x 6'--2 banks of cabinets butted up against each other at 24" depth each

Built in cabinetry around perimeter

i. Storage for sewing machine, extra toilet paper, extra paper towels, gift wrap, light bulbs, batteries, tools, etc--adjustable shelves with cabinet fronts

Washer--built in above it for pull out drying rack
Dryer--built in above it for pull out drying rack
Sink (undermount)
Bar above sink to hang things
Exhaust fan-- panasonic whisper quiet fan
Solar tubes/skylight
If at all possible it would be nice to have the dryer against an outside wall so it is an easy vent to keep clean
Would like a drain in the floor leading to plumbing in case of a leak
Tile floor
Bedroom 1, 2, 3
Under the windows built in full extension drawers and on each side of the windows bookcases that go to the ceiling--adjustable shelves, 2 cabinet doors on the bottom of each unit
Walk-in closets for each bedroom (approximately 10x10) with drawers in the middle of the room in an island, hanging bars, all shoes in mudroom
Ceiling fans in each room that take regular 100w bulbs
Carpeting
Smoke/carbon monoxide detectors--hard wired
One jack and jill bath
Toto ADA toilets
Linen closet with adjustable shelves
Bath/shower combo with glass door
Tile floor
Tile from bath/shower combo to ceiling and at least one full tile on both sides of the shower/tub to the ceiling (so splashes don't get on wall)
panasonic whisper quiet fan
Caulk instead of grout in corners of bathroom and along edges of room instead of grout (especially b/w tub and tile)
one separate bath
Toto ADA toilet
linen closet with adjustable shelves
bath/shower combo with glass door
tile floor
Tile from bath/shower combo to ceiling and at least one full tile on both sides of the shower/tub to the ceiling (so splashes don't get on wall)
Panasonic whisper quiet fan
Caulk instead of grout in corners of bathroom and along edges of room instead of grout (especially b/w tub and tile)
Powder Room
vanity with sink, ADA toto toilet, light
tile floor
panasonic whisper quiet fan
Formal Dining: 15 x 15
Has to fit a 8' 1 3/4" x 4' wide table, 6 chairs but can seat up to 12--want 2 light fixtures spaced out above the table
Built in china cabinets on either side of entry door, cabinet doors on the bottom open shelving on the top with glass doors
Living Room: 20' wide x 28' long, 14' ceiling with 10/12 pitch
Manufactured stone fireplace over a direct vent unit, hearth is 18" AFF mantel 60" AFF, mantel to run entire length of the fireplace

i. Herringbone pattern in the brick in the firebox

9 stationary windows on the wall facing the yard
Vault with 3" alder boards, stained with fruitwood,-- half bronze walnut seal the stain with a clear coat. Sikens or Marine Spar finish
Media unit built around the fireplace
Carpeting
Electrical outlets in floor to be where end tables will be with lamps
ICAT lights
Extra support in walls for curtain to hang over the bottom 6 windows on the "window wall"
Kitchen:
Dura supreme cabinets rustic cherry in heavy patina A finish
Backsplash tile 1" x 6" Rustin Brown Mosaic Slate--Chinese Multi Color, GM.SL.MUL.0106 by Kate-Lo Tile and Stone
Countertops Zodiac Smokey topaz with 1/8" round over edge preface by Dupont Corian
Double wall ovens-pull out drawer for baking sheets next to oven
Cabinet for mixer with a pull up shelf in it
Pull out for 2 trash cans--plywood bottom on bottom and up sides so easy to get in and out--would like these close to garage
Sub-zero 36" side by side fridge/freezer--I want these to not stick out, be on the same length as countertops, ice maker and water built-in (copper plumbing)
Pull out for pots/pans next to the cooktop
Dishwasher to the right of the double sink

i. Bosch brand

Cooktop in the island
Cooking Utensil drawer next to cooktop
Full extension drawers/dovetailed
Outlets along work portion of island
Island: 4' wide, 12' long in a rectangle shape

i. 18" overhang for knee room

ii. 24" work section (smooth top cooktop)

iii. 26" wide upper section

iv. Pendant lighting above--either 3 or 5

v. Black finish

vi. Have 12" bank of shelves on the side of the island for seating with adjustable shelving

Appliance shelves with doors that recess in for the following:

i. Microwave

ii. Toaster

iii. Blender

iv. Waffle iron

v. Iced tea maker

vi. Food processor

vii. Coffee maker

viii. Crock pot

Wood floors
Walk-in Pantry: 10' deep x 6' wide or 9 x 9
Shelving units in white laminate to ceiling and 16" deep, adjustable shelving
Upper shelves 12" deep
Lower shelves 24" deep with glide out shelf so you can put baking dishes on them and not stack
Room for a stand-up freezer/electrical hook-up
Tile floors
Office Nook off of kitchen: 9' long x 9' high x 22" deep
Adjustable shelves in cabinetry
Work surface same as countertops in kitchen
Bank of outlets under desk area--at least 4 (printer, computer, etc.)
Wood floor same as kitchen
Pull out drawer for shredder with a plug in at the back of pull-out
Informal Dining/Sunroom:
15 x 15
Windows on each side
Sliding doors to covered deck--laminated glass doors (tempered glass)

i. Keyed lock at top and bottom/pin locks

ii. Exit only deadbolt installed

iii. Heavy-duty metal security strike plate secured by 4" screw that screws into stud not the door frame

Wood floors same as kitchen
Built-ins along the "desk" wall from the kitchen
Office: 15 x 15
Built-in shelving with adjustable shelves
Carpet
Outlet in middle of floor for desk in middle of room
Mudroom: directly off of garage door, 12 x 12
Shoe storage--shelves 40" wide, 9" apart (inside room)
Cubbies--each cubby is 21" center to center and 15" deep, seat is 15" off the floor and 48" b/w the seat and the first shelf, 12" between shelves, seat is 26" deep

i. Outlet in the back of each cubby

ii. Would like these accessible from the hallway but have recessed doors so can be shut/closed

Coat closet--bar with shelf above (inside room)
Shelving to accommodate bins of mittens, hats, etc
Tile floor
A "drop area" right inside the back door that has a place for my purse, phone, keys, bags, etc.

i. counter 2' deep, 3' wide, and 3' tall with storage below

Garage: 4 car, 2 double garage doors (insulated)--no windows
60" wide x 34" deep
Drain
Coating on floor
Side-load
Garage door to have deadbolt and exit-only deadbolt

i. Heavy-duty metal security strike plate secured by 4" screw that screws into stud not the door frame

ii. medeco brand

Covered deck:
20' wide x 24' long, 14' ceiling, 10/12 vault (basically extension of living area)
Skylights
ICAT lights
Pre-stress garage under main floor garage--garage door with no windows
Garage door opener
butler's pantry 5.5" wide, 6.4" long
lower cabinets 36" high, 18" space and then upper cabinets
on the opposite side of the cabinetry have a broom closet

i. room for vacuum, broom, dust buster (plug in needed), adjustable shelves at the top

wood floor same as kitchen
Basement--in floor heat in main living area on a timer
Walk-out

i. Double doors with deadbolt, Heavy-duty metal security strike plate secured by 4" screw that screws into stud not the door frame

ii. medeco brand

iii. exit only deadbolt

iv. tile around entry and with tile so bathroom can be reached while walking on the tile

a bedroom

i. carpet

ii. closet with double hang bars and a shelf at the top door entry

iii. ceiling fan with 100w bulbs

iv. smoke/carbon monoxide detector hard wired

a bathroom--preferably close to the door so you can walk in and not walk on carpet to get to it

i. tile floor

ii. bath/shower combo-glass enclosure

iii. vanity with built in sink

iv. linen closet with adjustable shelves--would like this closet to be large�perhaps a walk-in to accommodate towels for lake and if budget allows have a stackable washer/dryer in it--again dryer linked directly outside--room for ear plugs, goggles, etc--so some adjustable shelving

v. Caulk instead of grout in corners of bathroom and along edges of room instead of grout (especially b/w tub and tile)

vi. ADA toto toilet

vii. Tile from bath/shower combo to ceiling and at least one full tile on both sides of the shower/tub to the ceiling (so splashes don't get on wall)

viii. Panasonic whisper quiet fan

furnace room

i. all audio equipment and video equipment

ii. furnace--don't want the drain hose on the floor can it be put in the floor drain?

iii. hot water heater

iv. air purifier

v. water purifier

vi. electrical panel

vii. large area for storage

play area with built in adjustable shelving

i. carpet

lounge area with fireplace and built-in media cabinets

i. carpet

work-out room (empty bedroom)

i. still want closet in it so can count as bedroom

ii. fire and carbon monoxide detector (hard wired)

iii. tv plug-in

iv. fan with 100w lights

v. carpet

Underneath the covered deck on the lower level we would like an electrical hook-up for a hot tub in the future

i. Electrical Requirements: 240 volt (U.S./Canada)

ii. Electrical Req. amp/breaker: 50 amp (another one requires 60) GFCI (U.S./Canada)

iii. Does concrete need to be thicker in that area to support weight?

1. 76" x 84" x 35", 3,500 lbs.

2. 91" x 91" x 40", 4,000 lbs.

General:

all solid wood doors�3 paneled, matching hardware throughout house
all ICAT can lights with boxes built around them with spray foam over the boxes
hardwire for security and surround sound--cat6 and RG6 wires from wall outlets to central wiring panels with no splices, splitters or daisy chaining
Mohawk smart strand stain resistant carpet throughout house--same color
please mark electric outlets in all rooms on plans
all light switches in similar locations, none behind doors
maze brand galvanized nails
all exterior bolts/fasteners from timberlok
drywall screws from grabber
all other screws mcfeelys
finishing supplies from klingspor
flashing fortifibers moistop or tyveks flexwrap
astm rated building paper (asphalt impregnated felt) used for drainage plane on exterior walls
therma-stor ultra aire whole house ventilating dehumidifier
1" foam over external sheathing
icynene insulation
each light fixture have a dimmer--lutron switches, rocker style for entire house
whole house generator--Honda
whole house water filtration with a carbon filter
ERV or HRV to supply fresh air
in-floor radiant heat in basement main living area
mastic seal only no duct or foil tape to seal everything-- hardcast brand #1402
R values of 10-20-40-60
R10 below slab

i. 4" of XPS formular 250 foam under slab�taped and sealed, joists foamed/caulked

ii. 4-6" of clean compacted rock under slab

R20 basement walls
R40 main and upper walls
R60 roof
2 x 6 framed walls, 24" oc with rubber gasketing to the subflooring
air tight drywall for interior�installed with caulk or gaskets at heads and sill plates
no vapor barrier, plastic sheet or house wrap used
blown/dense packed fiberglass or cellulose insulation
air sealing/caulking
huber zip sheathing caulked to top and bottom plates
2" of XPS exterior foam (2 layers of 1" with the seams offset and overlapping)
�" vertical strapping drainage plane
certainteed form-a-drain for footer forms�vents radon
no flexible duct work anywhere�all solid materials taped with hardcast brand #1402 tape
tape over all ductwork connecting to floor/drywall, hardcast mastic tape from sheetrock into lip of supply box, pressed tightly to seal�reinforced at corners
sump pump with battery back-up
casement windows no double hung�I would like to price the blinds incased
triple pane windows
high SHGC glass on the south side of house
36" wide doors
shower/tub surround built with "mud" concrete applied to a wire frame instead of hardi-backer or cement board
tornado shelter built under front entry--no windows all cement
on all stone --dry stack no mortar
all drawers full extension, dovetailed
10' ceilings on main floor
9' ceilings on basement
8' ceilings in closet
all closets have lights on outside of door--price door jamb lighting
all outside doors to have screws at least 4" long into stude wall
hose bib on each side of the house and on the covered upper deck and the patio below
insulate all plumbing pipes
ceilings, closets and garages painted matte white
4 outlets on back covered deck, 2 on each side
outlet on each side of the house
outlets in the garage on each wall
overhead lights in the garage
outlets in the laundry room
ICAT lights lighting up the soffits on the house in front and on covered front porch and covered deck
no 90 or 180 turns in venting
would prefer vents not under windows/bed/furniture--can we mark them on the plans?
light boxes and vents in the ceiling foamed on the backside
doors and windows sealed with non-expanding foam
24" deep engineered floor trusses to hide all mechanical and plumbing, no bulkheads in basement
corbond insulation everywhere including DWV pipes
radon mitigation system
window hardware to match the reset of the hardware in the house and fold to be out of way of blinds
spray foam around fresh air intakes, exhausts, smoke detectors, light fixtures, exterior electrical, plumbing/hose bibs
seal cuts around bath fans and stove vent with mastic tape, use mastic to attach back draft damper to housing of bath fans and to attach the vent to the damper
walls prayed with primer then extra coats brushed on
under mount all sinks
garage entry key codes on outside
garage door opener for each door
no garage entry door

For these reasons I prefer to use continuous roll Polyethylene pipe which is commonly available in rolls up to 250' long, and in some instances 500' by special order. In this manner we can install a joint free pipe that has a proven track record of providing 50+ years of service.

"DISTRIBUTION PIPING" is the pipes within the structure that distribute the water from the house main to the point of demand. The alternatives here are Galvanized Iron pipe, Copper pipe, PEX tubing, CPVC Pipe(difficult to find and almost never used), CPVC-CTS tubing, and if your under the IRC you may use Polybutylene although with the number of failures and class action lawsuits against PB I don't understand why anyone would consider it. I have heard all the arguments in favor of PEX but in my region copper has shown to have a proven reliability of 75+ years (and most of that old copper is thinwall type M with lead solder joints.) It hard to beat a success.

"DWV" piping is the Drain, Waste and Vent (Sanitary Waste) pipes in your house. While they do make DWV grade copper pipe most homeowners would find it labor intensive and cost prohibitive for residential construction. The alternative here would be No-Hub cast iron pipe, PVC or ABS. Here again, most homeowners find No-hub cast iron to be cost prohibitive. The choice between PVC or ABS is generally a matter of choice or local code requirements but in the end, both have proven to be an economical and extremely reliable type of pipe for this application.

$2900 seems about right for the engineering work. I was in that ballpark.
Heres the breakdown:
$1200 for the land survey
$150 for the setback measurements of adjacent houses (required by town)
$700 for a site plan
$400 to stake the ground for digging

Depending on the town's requirements you may need a grading plan, soils erosion testing, utility plan...it adds up quick.

Overall I'm in for close to $15,000 and we haven't lifted a shovel yet.

lots of posts about lots of things here, but
over and over I read about things that could
easily have been dealt with in planning & early
construction phases of the build.
hopefully, this will help to bring some of these
to light now in the decision making phase of
your build.

things that don't 'show' are important choices.
efficiency costs are always upfront & savings long term.

Summary of Energy Efficiency Specifications

Air Infiltration Goal is .25 Natural Air Changes per Hour�heating. Gaskets such as Owens-Corning FoamSeal R or Dow Sill Seal between sole plate and slab is recommended. For 2nd story or bonus rooms, insulate and seal openings between floor joists, under walls with foam board sheathing material. Seal all windows and doors jambs with minimal or non expanding foam.

Seal all wire penetrations especially those through top plate.
Incorporate Airtight Drywall Approach throughout home. Run sheetrock all the way to bottom plate behind showers and tubs, seal plumbing penetrations under tubs especially on upper floors.

Minimize use of recessed lights or install Insulation Contact Air Tight (ICAT) lights. Existing recessed lights that are not air tight can be retrofitted with air tight trim kits. Get name brand and model numbers of lights to order trim kits.

Windows Double-glazed with Low-E glass and non-heat-conducting frames are recommended. Look for U-values and SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) of less than .3 for best performance in this area. Go to www.nfrc.org to learn more about window types and labels on windows.

DOORS Steel, polyurethane foam core (R 2.5 to 5.0) with high quality weather-strip. Solid wood door with double-glazing allowed for front door. Exterior-type foam-core doors with good air seals on doors to all attic spaces and knee-walls.

Walls 2x4 walls R-15 un-faced insulation with double sided 1" foil sheathing boards. 2x6 walls R-19 also with double sided foil sheathing boards.

Face unprinted side to exterior. Sheathing must cover top plate to sole plate. Seal all seams with foil tape. Use �" foil sheathing in between 2X headers instead of plywood. Insulate behind tub and shower units before installing units.

Ceilings R-30 minimum with a Radiant Barriers are recommended for this climate. Visit Florida Solar Energy Center�s web site for more information on radiant barriers www.fsec.ucf.org

Seal and insulate attic accesses when in the conditioned areas. If attic staircase s in conditioned area, seal with attic tent or build a box with 2x12 with �" plywood for top, insulate and weather-strip to seal well.

Unvented attics Open cell foam. foam must meet R-value
code requirements. No quanitive values accepted.
foam must fill rafter bays and faces of rafters.
Foam must seal from roof to attic floor to create true
unvented attic. Full inches to be installed, not
'average' fill. No areas with 1/2" of foam to 9" of
foam to be averaged for overall R-value. Unvented
attic with foam is a semi conditioned attic.

Use only closed cell foam in floors for homes
on piers. install minimum of 3"

Use Energy efficient (O.V.E.) framing at corners and partition walls, See LaDNR Builder�s Guide To Energy Efficient Homes in Louisiana or Doug Rye video.

Continuous ridge vents ( with wind baffles) and continuous soffits vents. One square foot of net free area for every 150-sq.ft. of attic floor space, divided equally between ridge and soffits vents.

NO ATTIC POWER VENTS !!!

Duct Leakage and Insulation Duct loss must be no more than 5%. Before insulating hard pipe seal all joints & seams. Use Mastic or an approved UL-181 rated mastic tape, such as Hardcast #1402 mastic tape.

Have HVAC contractor size A/C system using Manual J. Design duct layout using Manual D.
Upgrade insulation values from a standard R-4.2 to R-6 or R-8 is recommended.

Water Heaters Compare Energy Factors (E.F.) Gas E.F. of .65 on a standard tank and E.F. of .95 on an electric standard tank.

Adding an insulating blanket can also increase the efficiency of water heaters.

Instant, tankless gas water heaters have higher E.F. of .85.
Electric tankless water heaters are not efficient.
instead look at standard hign EF electric tanks
The most efficient for electric Heat Pump water heaters (also called heat recovery or desuperheaters) provide 90% to 100% free hot water in summer months.

Cooling 14 SEER, 0.75or less Sensible heat fraction (SHF) mandatory minimum requirement. 15 to 17SEER is recommended.
Heat pump if all electric.

Two speed or variable speed system if over-sizing of tonnage.
Consider Zoned system versus multiple units.
700 sq. ft. per ton as opposed to old
rule-of-thumb of 400 to 500 sq. ft. per ton.

Bigger is not better!

Heating Gas furnace AFUE 80% minimum.
Efficiency on these units up to 94% (condensing unit with PVC flue).
For Heat Pumps specify a minimum of HSPF of 8.0. Variable speed heat pumps will have up to 9.0 HSPF.
(May change to higher AFUE with IRC code changes)

Lighting Use fluorescent lighting whenever possible. Compact Fluorescent in all fixtures like recessed lights.

IC Air Tight recessed lights are mandatory requirements. Existing recessed lights can be retrofitted with air tight trim kits available at lighting stores and box outlets.

Appliances Purchase Energy Star Appliances for high efficiency, especially refrigerators, freezers and water heaters which run 24/7.
Look for Energy Guide labels in the lower range for more efficiency.

Additional Links:
La. Energy & Environmental Resource Building Science Corporation
www.laeeric.lsu.edu/energy www.buildingscience.com
LSU Ag Center Hot Humid Climates
www.lsuagcenter.com Builder�s Guide
Energy Star Program www.eeba.org
www.energystar.gov

In short, in could almost be like having a budget for the furnishings. You could find a lot of Ikea you like, but then if you fall in love with a Hastens mattress, there goes the budget. And lighting is important -- akin to jewelery for a room aesthetically, and a make or break element functionally.

I would go through your electrical plan and try to pick things to get the best idea. You will probably splurge in your entry and DR.

PS Try Shades of Light, Pottery Barn, Circa Lighting, Restoration HW, Rejuvenation, etc to get ideas of prices.

The key point often missed when it comes to exterior sheathing is that it raises the whole wall R value by a much greater percentage than the R3.5-R5 value of the insulation. See the Oak Ridge Laboratory's Whole Wall R Value calculator.

A porous board is usually placed over the membrane to allow water to drain to the footing drain system, to protect the membrane from damage from backfill and to provide thermal insulation. That material can be anything from rigid fiberglass (Warm-N-Dri from Owens Corning or Barrier Board by Tremco) to rigid plastic foam with grooves to plastic waffle sheets or a combination of materials.

Tremco makes a drainage board (Drain Star Z-Drain) that solves the problem of drainage over the edge of the footing. They also make a perimeter drain system (DrainStar Stripdrain) that eliminates the need for gravel and filter fabric.

Don't confuse "waterproofing" systems with "dampproofing" systems. Damproofing will do little or nothing to keep a basement dry.

Be very careful about using imitation products. The TUFF-N-DRI Basement Waterproofing System is installed only by contractors trained by Tremco.

Tremco acquired the TUFF-N-DRI system when it bought Koch Waterproofing Solutions in 2003.

Here is a link that might be useful: TUFF-N-DRI

We are hoping to have the remaining $40k paid off this year (happy new years) and have a 30% equity with the land. This will go a long ways to avoid stuff like PMI later on. So in reality, if interest may offset PMI later, it may be close to a wash. We financed out land through the Veterans Land Bureau which had a mediocre rate (7.25%) but local banks wanted closer to 9% if they were even willing to lend on raw land (in a development)

Electrical = 11,000
Flooring = 10,000
Plumbing = 11,000
HVAC = 11,000
Conrete and Foundation = 45,000
Kitchen Cabinets and Granite = 13,000
Drywall = 15,000
Insulation = 6,000
Windows = 16,000
Rough Lumber, Siding, Roof Materials = 50,000
Framing, Siding, Roofing Labor = 21,000
Stone Veneer in Front = 8,000
Garage Doors = 3,000
Fireplace = 2,000
Millwork = 2,400
Finish Carp Labor = 3,000
Doors = 10,000
Vanity's = 2,900
Gutters = 1,500

Total is 241,900

Question is, will taking out like 600-800 sq feet shrink the price much? There would be a front foyer room that would for sure be out which has 3 windows. The other space will come out from making the overall space smaller. The basement price is really what spiked on us and that, I would think, would shrink with smaller sq footage. Thoughts?

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: a farmhouse design

If going 2", you will need to strap it for attachment of siding materials. Whatever you do, do not let your contractor convince you the proposed flat and batt is better. it is not. my go to air tight framing system is 2x6 walls with air tight gyp, blown fiberglass or cellulose walls (not batts), huber ZIP sheathing, exterior foam (2"+), strapping and siding.

FWIW, the master bedroom on that plan is too big for me.

Here is a link that might be useful: Autodesk Homestyler

My main thoughts are:

-Not a fan of the garage sticking out the front of the house, especially when someone is blessed with acreage. I just think it's awkward visually, and for your guests who pull up in the drive and then have to walk around the appendage (if the doors open to the left of the house) or with cars parked right in front of the porch (if the doors open on the side with the front door). Furthermore, some day your children will (probably) have cars of their own- where will they be parked? In front of the house?

- Definitely add windows in the kitchen.

- Do be sure to play around with furniture placement in the living room and breakfast areas to make sure there won't be any awkward places where you have to squeeze past furniture.

Would you be able to move the garage to the side of the house, recessed a little? Perhaps connected with a covered "breezeway"? If so, you could add in a few sq ft where the garage was and rework that area to give you the pocket office and broom closet you desire and add a doggy feeding/bathing/storage area or something.

Pass thru from closet to laundry is a great idea and could look something like this:

Here are a couple of pics that I love for organization and using vertical space. I know I found some on here also but can't get to my clippings right now (only have a sec on my lunch break). I think it would be harder to achieve with a combined mudroom/laundry although my space will not be this large either but I hope to incorporate some of the ideas:

It's from this blog iheartorganizing:

Here is a link that might be useful: Organization Blog

Here is a link that might be useful: Build Blog

Journal of Light Construction

Green Building Advisor

A speciality forum whose name is forbidden in these hallowed halls as spam.

There is only one non-participatory site that you need read for information on building science.

Building Science Corp.

The ends are where most leaks occur.

Here is a link that might be useful: historic trim

The easiest and most durable way to trim a window is to use a cellular PVC kit from Advanced TrimWright.

Most modern nail fin windows need a sub-sill to allow the jamb trim a place to stop and that is included in the kit.

Here is a link that might be useful: ATW

It's what happens when you have cheap labor. And the only cheap labor on a construction site is usually non documented persons. A master cabinet maker would never consent to doing this, nor would a quality flooring finisher.

The proper sequence to do site finished is the install of the flooring, the sanding, staining, and 2 coats of finish. Then the floor is protected and the rest of the finish carpentry done, including the cabinets. WHen all of that work is complete, the floor protection comes off and the final finish coat goes on.

If you didn't have a survey done, STOP everything until that happens. Lot lines are not where some real estate agents or builders think they are, as too many sad sagas have made plain over the years. You do NOT want to build your house 2' into an easement, or (even worse) 2' onto the neighbor's lot and only find out about it after everything is done when the neighbor's can hold you hostage over the situation.

1) new construction settling and shrinkage. That usually occurs after the first year, and it's usually a "get it out of my system" thing. It happens once, then it's usually done.

2) I was going to ask if your house is built with trusses and if there was an attic above this bathroom. As your builder already explained to you, there's a phenomenon called "truss lift" where seasonally, the lower chord of the truss moves (flexes upwards and downwards) due to movement of the other parts of the truss. Usually, movement is highest at the mid-span of the truss chord.

Truss lift will usually repeat itself seasonally. It is usually accommodated for in just the manner your contractor specified, a "slip joint" with crown molding. The crown is secured to the ceiling only, so when the ceiling moves, the crown "slides" against the wall.

I've seen instances of 3/4" gaps between the partition wall drywall and the ceiling drywall during the lifting. I recall one case where the builder went and and tried to stop the truss lift by going in the attic and securing the truss chords to the partitions walls with Simpson clips. The next season, the truss lift was so strong it actually pulled one entire partition wall off the floor!

The proper way is to allow for the movement. There are truss clips that connect the truss chord to the partition walls while still allowing vertical movement of the bottom chord of the truss.

Also, when the ceiling is drywalled, the ceiling drywall is not screwed to the truss chords near the perimeter walls of the room. The drywall floats. Clips are then used to connect the edges of the ceiling's drywall to top edge of the wall's drywall. Then you mud and tape the corners.

With that detail, when your truss lifts, the edges of the ceiling drywall don't move upwards with the truss. The edges stay connected to the wall drywall. As the chord lifts, the ceiling panels flex just a tad, and you get no cracking in the corners.

Your movement is not significant. But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt to look up and see the cracks and gaps.

Truss lift is a hit or miss thing. Sometimes it happens throughout the house, sometimes it shows itself in one room more than another. In a subdivision, one house may have it another may not.

Your contractor's "repair" is technically correct. But the "trim" he used may aesthetically be inadequate. Without other photos I have no idea how that added "trim" melds with the detailing in the remainder of your house, but that's your call. To my eye, the "trim" that was added is inadequate and undersized.

Anyone (contractor or builder) building with trusses should be aware of the possibility of truss lift. The only way I know to minimize or eliminate it is to insulate the roof plane of the house instead of insulating the attic floor. That minimizes some of the seasonal environmental swings that the trusses are exposed to.

Hope this info helps!

Best, Mongo

You mentioned your pedestal sink. Perhaps you already know this, but just in case, don't forget to install a horizontal brace between the studs (2x4 or 2x6 or something) to carry the load of the sink. The pedestal itself does not carry as much weight as the bolts into the wall.

Yes. No matter what your design, or what type of drain you install, there are pretty much two basic requirements:

1) the shower floor area needs to be sloped towards the drain at a min pitch of 1/4" per foot and a max of 1/2" per foot.
2) With the drain plugged and with a 2" standing depth of water over the drain, waterproofing needs to contain the pooled water from intruding in to the non-waterproofed areas of the house.

"In the diagram I included above, if the linear drain were recessed to meet the 1/4 inch per foot of run, then it would be okay but that gets us back to seeing that a linear drain requires being recessed just like a regular drain. "

Correct. For your depiction above with no changes to the drain elevation, let's say you install the drain "as is". The floor to the right of the drain that is in the shower would need to pitch to the drain at 1/4" per foot, so the floor tile at the right wall would be elevated 1-1/8" (4.5' times 1/4" per foot) above the drain.

If the bathroom floor to the left of the drain was flat (as it is in the drawing), you'd have to install a 2" vertical curb at the bathroom doorway. Your wall-mounted toilet and vanity protect those items. You'd then have to waterproof the entire floor and run the waterproofing detail up the walls several inches.

Let's say you want to keep your bathroom floor flat with no curb at the bathroom/bedroom door threshold. Here are a couple of examples of how you could account for the required 2" vertical. In new construction they are easy to accomplish, in remodeling maybe not so easy:

1) drop the floor in the shower 2" below the bathroom floor by shaving down or dropping the floor joists. Then reverse the direction of the floor slope in your shower so it slopes down from left-to-right. Your trench drain will now be at the right wall. With your bathroom floor "flat", you'll have a curbless entry at the bathroom/shower floor transition. The shower floor will slope down to the drain at a little under 1/2" per foot of slope, about 7/16th" per foot to achieve the 2" drop over the 4-1/2' or run.

2) Keep the drain where it is in the drawing and the slope as depicted, from right-to-left. Add a 2" curb at the shower entry. Not curbless, but a 2" curb.

3) A hybrid of the two previous examples. Add a 2" step up at the shower door entry, then have the floor slope away from the shower entry towards the right wall, with the trench drain on the right wall. You'll have a 2" step up but then the floor will slope down within the shower.

One note: Even if you did a true curbless like in example #1, I extend waterproofing out of the shower and on to the bathroom floor for several feet. You need to account for not just the physical size of the potential pool of water, but also the wicking and capillary action that will pull water away from the pool.

The kitchen isn't finished yet unfortunately, so I don't yet have a good shot showing the cabs and the countertop, may have more this weekend.

Several years ago, I saved an spread from Traditional Home of a house that used beautiful concrete pavers. I emailed the design company (Bobby McAlpin's) and asked for info about those floors but they never replied. I kept my eye out for some time for something similar, and was THRILLED, this last year, to find ads for the very same flooring. I've ordered samples and am really leaning towards their use in our upcoming (finally!) construction - but I do have some reservations because I have not actually seen these pavers in a home. I'd love to hear from anyone who has used them or seen them....I don't mind being a guinea pig, but I don't want to be the blind-uniformed one:)

Tramex Digital PRO.

http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/tools_directory/platforms.cfm/pagename=platforms/pagename_menu=mac

Some are free, some are not. Enjoy! :-) If you look to the left of the web page after it loads, there is also a link to "Internet" based software under the section titled, "Tools by Platform". I don't remember having any of these 4 years ago when we did our research.

Another correction to my previous post. Our windows (Marvn Ultimate) have visual transmission of 0.48, roughly 48% visible light. Our French doors have 0.40, about 40% transmission. These numbers came right off the window and door stickers we saved. These units face south, southwest and west and all are in banks and we are at a lower latitude, that may be why we get a lot of natural light into the house all year even at only 40%-48% transmission. The "72%" was taken from my notes refering to none low-E windows, sorry for the mix-up.

Hope those software choices have something you can use.

Oberon - thanks for the kind words and thanks for sharing all the insider technical knowledge, wish I had read your stuff 4 years ago.

I am curious that your architect said to get insulating glass without LowE coating because of solar gain considerations. Either the architect is being a bit lazy or else he/she is not well versed on window performance.

If he/she wants to maximize solar gain then you want a LowE coating that maximizes solar gain as well as keeps heat inside your home. You do not want clear glass under any circumstances because the losses (as you noted) exceed the gains when the sun isn't shining on the windows.

A high solar gain LowE coating will balance out the losses and gains to a much greater degree than will clear glass. I know of very few solar gain experts who would dispute that idea, so again I would suggest that your architect may need to do a little reading about passive solar energy performance.

To follow up what Guy mentioned in his post, LowE coatings are designed to block infrared energy. The high solar gain coatings block what is called "far infrared" or "long wave" infrared. Far infrared is what you are getting from your heat source in your home - be it radiant, forced air, whatever. Even when you have solar gain thru your windows that warms the walls and furniture and floors, the heat that you feel radiating from those surfaces is far infrared.

Direct solar gain is "near infrared" or "short wave" infrared. This is the heat that you feel when standing in a sunbeam. This is very nice heat that always feels good - on cold winter days - less good on hot sunny summer days!

When considering passive solar thru windows, you want to allow the near infrared energy thru the glass but you want tyo block the return of the far infrared to the outdoors - again back thru the glass. This is what a high solar heat gain LowE coating does - it allows direct sun heat to pass but then keeps the warm inside air inside.

A low solar heat gain coating, on the other hand, is designed to block both near and far infrared energy. It is designed to keep "all heat" from passing thru the window. If you are not concerned about passive solar gain for whatever reason - for example you live in south Florida or west Texas where solar gain into your home may not be considered a necessarily good thing - then this sort of coating is what you want.

Even in the north country this coating will often (but not always) be more cost effective than a high gain product depending on factors such as actual amount of sunlight available, home orientation, number and size of windows, etc. Again, this is an area where the architect can make a huge difference by desiging a home that will take advantage of direct solar gain in winter and that will effectively block direct solar gain in summer. If you have a home that is designed to those specifications, then a high gain coating may be the best choice.

But, if you have a home that is not designed to make best use of those factors then it may be better to go with a low gain coating instead.

In all circumstances having a LowE coating is better than having clear glass.

Do LowE coatings block visible light? Yes, somewhat. But very few people really notice the difference when the entire home has coated glass. A caveat that not all coatings are created equal and that some manufactuers are much better than others at manufacturing "neutral color" coatings that can be far less noticeable. Often, even experts can't tell if a home has LowE coatings just by looking at the windows.

Calbay is an excellent source of first hand homeowner information. He did his homework before buying and he does a great job of passing what he has learned about his windows.

And off subject...

Guy, now that it has quit raining for a few days, we are going to try to get those windows installed later this week...hoping the eather holds until we get them in! Thanks for the advice and I will likely be bugging you a few more times my friend!!!

Both the Integrity DH and the Ultimate DH windows need a projecting sub-sill added to avoid water intrusion problems since neither has a proper drip at the nose of the sill. That is more expensive but it allows the sub-sill to extend to the sides below the bottom of the jamb trim so it looks like a traditional DH window instead of a developer short cut.

The interior jambs will look different and that will be more noticeable than the exterior.

Here is a link that might be useful: Correct shutter placement

Alphonse- when I say double stud, I mean 2 independent 2x4 walls, 16" oc with space in between them. Staggered refers to 2x4 on 24" oc centers (placing a structural stud at every 12") on 2x6, 8, or 10 plates. Since they are rigid connected at the top, bottom, and openings, they also have rigid exterior sheathing as well as interior sheathing of gyp all on the same frame. Double studs have sheathing on a single face, and are not connected at the sills.

The most effective system I have seen used in MA is a "hydro-air" system which uses an exterior comp/cond unit and an interior high-efficiency boiler to serve an air-handler or two (usually in the basement and attic) with a variable speed fan, sophisticated computer controls, and an exterior temperature sensor that allows the lowest air temperature and air speed for the best comfort level. The use of a humidifier and outside air ventilation with a heat exchanger makes the system hard to beat.

However, this system is not the cheapest or easiest to install so it is not usually the first system recommended by a contractor.

Ran into the same disdain for "scorched air" heat, but if you want AC it's really the way to go and what everyone remembers really doesn't take into consideration modulated gas furnaces and variable speed fans used today. Geothermal is great, but way expensive. In fact, in MA/NH everything is expensive compared to what I read on this forum.

The hybrid system uses a heatpump for AC and limited heating, say down to an outside temperature of 30F or so. At that temperature, operating the heat pump is less expensive than propane (we don't have NG available). Upgrading to a heat pump is only about $500-$1,000 more than an AC unit.

Below 30F, the system is programmed to switch to a conventional high efficiency gas furnace, since the heating capacity of heat pumps is limited especially for the smaller units you'd find in a well insulated house. We're using a Honeywell IAQ thermostat (with outdoor temp and humidity sensors) to control all this plus a Ventmar HRV ventilation system for under $20K installed in new construction.

the simplest way to add slightly more r value and reduce infiltration is to use "advanced framing" and exterior XPS sheathing. Basically use 2x6 stud construction spaced 24" oc, sheathed with 1" min XPS sheathing. Your corners and other shear required locations you will use typical 1/2" osb sheathing, then cover that with 1/2" XPS foam. caulk the foam to the studs, and at all base and top plates. THis will give you a great thermal break, a wall r value of around 25, and reduce infiltration.
Obviously by adding another inch of exterior XPS increases your thermal resistances, reduces infiltration, and adds another r-5 giving you around an r-30.
THis is a very cost effective construction technique, and will not add much to your budget.

THe next step up would be to use a double stud construction. THis is my preferred method, and what my house is. THis gives you basically a 100% thermally broken shell, and what is also called a "super insulated" house. Construct 2- 2x4 walls spaced apart. THe farther you space them, the more r your wall will be. You use alot more 2x4s, but remember, 2x4s are cheaper then 2x6. You would price only increases by a few hundred dollars on a typical 1600-2000 sqft house. Most have gaps around 1-3". fill the void with cellulose insulation. THis gives you an r of around 38-40. I also opt to use Hubber ZIP exterior sheathing instead of typical osb and tyvek. it reduces infiltration and creates a water proof exterior. it costs about the same as tyvek plus osb for materials, but could save in labor as tyvek is no longer needed to be installed. THis method will give you a very high r, extremely low infiltration, and completely thermally broken. if going for a super insulated structure, this is by far the best r for your dollar. For my 1600 sqft house design, it was cheaper then 2x6 framing and 2" XPS for materials. However the big disadvantage to this is your walls are 10-12" thick. Depending on your floor plan, this can reduce your rooms by 6-8" inside, unless you expand the footprint of your house (equals small added costs in foundation and roofing)

THe next step up is taking advanced framing to the next level. Instead batts or cellulose, use spray urethane between studs. this seals it up a great deal, and gives you around an r-7 per inch. however it is costly. a lot of people do "flash and batt", spray just 1" to seal it all up then fill the rest with fiberglass or cellulose.

Finally, if you are after the ultimate in efficient construction, check out other construction methods using SIPs panels or ICF construction. There are advantages to each, but both give you h r, basically eliminates infiltration completely as well as thermal bridging. But they come with a price tag. SIPs would cost you around 3-5% more, and ICF can be anywhere from 3-as high as 8% more. I was going to use SIPs, but it was not nearly as cost effective to achieve a super insulated wall of r-40 compared to double stud walls. I am going with Hobbs vertical ICF for the basement walls however.
hopefully this helped give you an idea of whats out there. do tons of research, the info is at your finger tips.

Whatever you decide, its great you are spending the money on the shell now, and changing out cosmetics later. I always tell clients to spend as much as you can on the shell, as it will always pay you back. Your granite counters wont ;)

ZIP should not replace XPS or any other form of "outsulation". It is just a weather coated osb sheathing product, with no insulative values. The XPS creates a thermal break between the outside and your studs. While thermal breaks are not as important in your area as cold climates, they also add another layer of air blockage and help to keep your conditions space in, and humidity out during the summer. If it were me, I would progably install either 1/2" or 1" of XPS OVER the ZIP sheathing. Tape the zip, tape the XPS, and you will have a nice tight structure.
If you want to skip the outsulation step, you can shoot 1" of urethane between the studs on the interior. This will actually seal your house better most likely, but will come at a high price tag. In your area, you are not going for a super high R like in mine, rather as tight as possible and enough R to keep your conditioned space efficient.
XPS is r-5 per inch. spray closed cell urethane is around r6.5-7 per inch. spray in cellulose is around 3.7-4 per inch.
Assuming you used zip, no exterior xps, and cellulose fill, you will be around an r 20 for a 2x6 wall. Your affective r after thermal bridge would be more around r-16 range. Add the XPS, and you are at r-25, and your affective r is still around r-21-23 due to your minimal reduction of no thermal bridging. Spray in closed cell foam does not eliminate the bridging, however it does seal very very well.

I used to fit all the interior doors with Gainsborough porcelain knobs and 24K gold-plated rosettes. Whenever I'd mention the plating to prospects, they were invariably surprised. I notice now the rosettes come only "gold coloured". So they're economizing even at a maximum plating thickness of 18 microns (18/1000 of an inch).

1 - A rinse station next to the porch where you can hose off the mud. Keep the mud off the porch and much of the problem goes away. Build the rinse station as a slatted wood platform and draw the water away by drains into flower beds.

2 - A boot bench on the covered porch where you change from slip-on house shoes to boots and back. Build in a boot drying rack

3 - Coat cubbie outside for dripping-wet oilskins

4 - Coat cubbies inside for jackets, mittens and scarves. The classic ski solution for wet mittens and gloves is a 6" peg to slide them over so they get air on all sides.

Depends on the local water.

On a well PEX is far more likely to last.

On municipal water it depends on the water authority knowing how to cope with the new EPA rules.

It would have been nice if the EPA had asked their 'in house' corrosion experts BEFORE making the rules.

They have forced the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) so low the water now attacks copper (the most common supply material in use).

Now we need to add orthophophates BACK into the water after we 'cleaned' it more than needed for health and safety.

Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!

On your list, for each issue indicate EXACTLY where the problem is located.... What room, what wall, Where on the wall, what the problem is, and what needs to be done. Eg., 1) Living room; on north wall, 4 ft from east wall & 18 inches above the floor; there are gaps in sheetrock around electrical outlet; need to patch gaps, smooth patch (or texture to match wall texture) and prime and painted to match wall. 2) 1st floor powderroom, floor 20 inches from west wall & 2 ft from south wall; cracked tile; remove and replace with good tile, regrout - make certain replacement tile is set level with surrounding tiles and that grout matches surrounding grout. The more detailed you are, the more likely the fixes are going to be done satisfactorily. So, a laptop with an excel program can be helpful for making your lists because you can copy and paste the correction instructions everytime you find yet another electrical outlet with gaps around it.

So, if it were me, I would ask to postpone the walk-thru with builder until after this weekend - even if that meant postponing my move in date by a week or so. Then I would take a couple of very persnickity (sp??) friends with me to the house over the weekend and spend several hours going over each room and making lists of punch list items. People seeing the place with fresh eyes will see problems that you noticed months ago, that your builder promised to fix, but then somehow never got around to doing. Keep a copy of your list and then check issues off as they are corrected. Otherwise, chances are, half the stuff you point out will never get corrected. Don't rely on your builder putting sticky notes on walls. Sticky notes have a way of disappearing without the work ever getting done!

Some things you need to check:

Whole House
_ Turn every light switch on and off.
_ If you have ceiling fans with multiple speeds, check that they work on every speed.
_ Test every electrical outlet (both top and bottom as we've actually found that on a number of outlets in our current house - which was purchased from a previous owner - only one half of the outlet has power and the other half is dead!)
_ Check that both heating and air conditioning work, and that you have an adequate flow of air from every register. This will require turning the AC down so that the house gets extra cold and then, after checking AC, turning the heat on to make sure that works. While it'll be a bit of a waste of energy, you don't want to find out that the heater isn't working the first night that temps suddenly dip below freezing.
_ Open and close every window. Make sure they open easily and close and seal completely. Look for any light entering around the edges of window (between the sash and the jambs.) If light can enter, so can water! If your windows tilt out to clean, check that function on every window as well.
_ Open and close every door, interior and exterior.
_ Check that all doors are plumb and square. The crack around an door should be even on all sides when the door is closed and you should not be able to see light coming from the other side except at the bottoms of interior doors.
_ Check that exterior doors close and seal completely. You should not be able to see any light coming in between the door and jamb or the door and the sill AT ALL.
_ Lock and unlock every lock
_ Check that walls are plumb and flat, that there are no nail pops and that the texturing and paint is even. BTW - nail pops are where the nails holding sheetrock to the studs back up slightly. You see them as little round bumps in the paint. You should not be able to tell where the edges of sheetrock panels are. Nor should you be able to notice any dips or high places in the walls where they taped and floated the sheetrock.
_ Check walls carefully around all outlet plates to make certain there are no gaps where the cuts in the sheetrock were made too large and then never fixed.
_ Check every piece of molding looking for cracks or gaps where two pieces of molding meet. Check the paint or stain on molding - particularly cut ends.
_ Check floors. Tiles should have even and straight grout lines; hardwoods should not have gaps between boards; seams on vinyl flooring should not be noticable; carpet should be tight and should not show seams; etc.
_While the house is quiet (late night is best), walk up and down the steps and across all portions of any hardwood floors. There should be no creaks or squeeks.
_ Check ceilings. You should not be able to tell where the edges of the sheetrock panels are.
_ Check stair spindles, balusters, and handrails to make sure they are solidly installed. No shakiness.
- Take a sprinkler with you and set it so that water falls down against your windows (simulating rain) and check for leaks on the inside. You should not see ANY water on the inside. (Caution - don't spray water UPWARD against your windows as you may drive water through the drainholes, set the spinkler so that water falls downward against the windows.)
_ If you get lucky and it happens to be raining while you are there, go into the attic and look for leaks.
_ Check that smoke detectors are working.
_ Turn everything in the house off and unplug the refrigerator, then check the electric meter. It should no longer be running. (Be sure to plug appliances back in afterwards!)
_ Make sure all water spigots are turned off and that your water heaters are full, then check your water meter. It should NOT be moving. If it is, you may have a leak somewhere in your plumbing system...possibly even under your slab.
_ If you have a real wood fireplace, build a very small but smoky fire (damp wood and newspapers) and make sure the chimney draws properly.
_ If you have a gas fireplace, light it and make sure all the vents work properly and that the flame heights are as you would expect them to be.
_ If you have natural gas or propane, find the inside gas cut-off valves. (NOTE that these should not be hidden behind an appliance - you need to be able to get to them easily in case of a fire!) Make sure the gast cut off valves turn easily. Light the appliance then turn the gas off at the cut off valve. The flame should go completely out. If it doesn't, the cut off valve is working properly.

Kitchen/Laundry Room/Pantry
_ Check that every appliance is working properly
* Refrigerator
* Freezer
* Dishwasher (run thru a cycle to ensure no leaks and that it actually cleans dishes. We bought a house once where the dishwasher seemed to work when we tested it but when we actually tried to wash dishes, they never got clean. It turned out that the water had never been attached and the little bit of moisture we were seeing was just moisture from the air!)
* stove top - check every burner
* vent hood - make sure it is actually hooked up and venting to the outside.
* oven
* microwave
* garbage disposal - put some garbage in it and make sure it chops it up.
* washer (again, run a cycle to make sure its not leaking and that it doesn't dance around)
* dryer (run a cycle with some clothes to make sure it doesn't dance. Also, make sure the dry vent is hooked up!)
_ Open and close every cabinet and every drawer to make sure they function properly.
_ Look inside each cabinet and drawer to make sure it is finished properly, that there are no missing shelves, etc. Also, look for scratches, nicks, and stains. Once you move in, you builder will assume that you made any mars on your cabinetry.
_ Turn both hot and cold water on at the sink. Fill the sink with water and then, after a while, check under the sink for evidence of leaking. Check around the sink to make sure that it is properly sealed to your countertop.
_ Check the countertop for flaws. Check the edges of countertops especially carefully as these can easily get chipped or scratched (depending on the type surface) during the building process.
_If you have a granite countertop, inspect it carefully. Run your hands over every inch feeling for any rough spots. Also, get down on your hands and knees and look across the granite from a height just an inch or two above the surface - places that are not properly polished will be more visible.
_ Inspect every light fixture installed by builder to make certain it was not scratched, dented, or marred in the process of being installed.

Bathrooms
_ Actually step into shower stalls and bathtubs to make sure they feel solid underfoot. Acrylic tubs and shower bases that "give" underfoot will crack over time.
_ Run water in every sink and bathtub and make sure they hold water without leaking. (Look under the sinks for leaks).
_ Run the showers.
_ Make sure you get hot water when you turn on a hot water spigot. Try it at every sink, tub, shower, and in your washing machine.
_ Run water at several locations at the same time to make sure you have adequate water pressure.
_ Test that bathroom fans work.
_ Flush all toilets several times to make sure they STOP running when the tanks refill. (Having a bunch of friends out for several hours also means your toilets may actually get "field tested" to make sure they really flush adequately... which not something you are likely to test while doing a walk thru with your builder!)
_ Make sure toilets sit solidly and evenly on the floor and are properly bolted down. There should not be any "rocking" motion when you sit down.
_ Have someone flush a toilet times while you run hot water in the shower and feel it. Flushing the toilet SHOULD NOT cause the shower water to suddenly get noticeable hotter.
_Make sure shower faucets are grouted properly so that water does not get into the wall behind them.
_ Check the cabinetry the same as you did for the kitchen.
_ Make certain that mirrors installed by the builder don't have flaws in the silvering.
_ Test that toilet paper holders and towel bars are firmly affixed to walls.

MISCELLANEOUS
_ If your builder installed blinds or operable shutters (inside or out) make sure they work properly.
_ Check that you OUTDOOR water spigots work.
_ Check all outdoor electrical outlets as well. These often get over-looked.
_ Check your garage door openers. Also make sure that, if something is in the way of the door as it comes down, that the door stops and goes back up.
_ If you have an attic access ladder, pull it down and make sure it works smoothly.
_ Climb into the attic and make sure you have the amount of insulation you are supposed to have.
- If you're really lucky and it rains while you are checking out your house this weekend, go up into the attic with a flashlight and look for roof leaks.
_ Make sure gutters are fully attached to walls and designed to drain water away from your house. Pull downward gently on the downspouts and make sure that there is no movement where they connect to the gutters. If downspouts have not been properly connected to gutters, they can fall out.
_ Check that ground around the house has been graded so that it slopes away from the house.
_ Get as high above the ground as you can safely manage and look to see if your roofing shingles appear to be flat and tight against the roof.
_ Check all exterior concrete for cracks.
_ Check the siding on the house to make sure everything that was supposed to be painted has been painted.
_ Check that exterior sprinkler systems work and that landscaping plants are alive and appear healthy.

This is all just "off the top of my head." I'm sure if you think about it you can add dozens of other things to check for. And, no doubt other posters will chime in with other things to add to your check list.
Ultimately, you don't have to insist that the builder fix every little tiny thing. If something won't bother you - or if you can fix it easily yourself and don't mind doing so, point it out to your builder anyway and, once you've gone over everything you can cross those items off your list as a way to show you're being reasonable but that the rest of the list IS important to you.

When we started the project, we hired a builder (the same one who helped us find the lot, although we considered 2 others too) very early on. He attended all of our early design meetings, and from the beginning would give us a perspective on cost. He would not make judgments or comments on the design, but would tell us when we could make simple modifications to the design and achieve a more cost effective result (like, making the stairs straight lined instead of curved; making the garage straight instead of lots of corners). He also gave us a heads up at the beginning of the project that the type of house we were putting on paper was not the most efficient way to design a house (it is L shaped, not a rectangular box).

Even so, when we got the budget so we could do our construction loan, it was 20% over what we wanted to spend. So, we worked with our builder and architect to tweak things to get the budget down. We had a huge saving by moving the house forward, and making the basement a well instead of walk out - all my builder's idea.

I have heard about 2 situations recently where the client was clear about their budget, but the house ended up being twice the budget when bid out. In this case, the architects ended up redesigning the houses (under pressure from the client) with no charge, to make it fit more within the budget. I can see both sides of this situation. On the one hand, the architect should keep the budget in mind when designing a house. On the other hand, there is a natural tendency for both clients and architects to capture 'the dream', the wish list. Also, architects have general ideas of how much things cost, but not the detailed awareness and knowledge that a builder might have. On my project, it is the builder who is doing all of the negotiations, managing the subs, managing the budget - not the architect. The architect probably has a high level awareness of what we are spending, but we really don't go to him with numbers unless we are over budget on something and trying to manage that situation.

Now that we are 9 months into the process, things have gone pretty smoothly (with one major supplier issue that delayed the project, but is now resolved), I think because we did so much design work early on, aggressively managed our budget the entire way (both in setting it, and during the house build), made our decisions early on, have not changed much during the process. We are under budget too!

You didn't mention the specific terms of your contract but an AIA contract would require an architect to give you a preliminary construction cost estimate at the end of the schematic design phase, at the end of the design development phase, and again at the end of the construction documents phase taking into account changes in the design and market conditions. Obviously, it would have been the second estimate that would have alerted you to a problem in time to resolve it.

Making the architect liable for bids that exceed an initial budget or a preliminary estimate isn't in any standard contract form I have seen but an owner can certainly propose that such a requirement be added to the "other conditions" section. Some states add clauses like this one: "In the event the Architect's final project cost estimate exceeds the stated cost limitation, the Owner may require the Architect, at no additional cost to the Owner, to consult with the Owner and to revise the design so as to obtain a final project cost at or below the stated cost limitation." Notice that even this kind of requirement doesn't mention the actual bid amounts.

If the architect gave you estimates that were not timely or were grossly inaccurate it would be reasonable to ask him to redesign the project at no additional cost to you, perhaps in collaboration with a contractor. It would be more effective if the two of them worked together instead of you being the go-between.

You should consider that 2 bids out of 5 requested may not be representative of the local market. It would be helpful to know why the other three did not bid. You should avoid involving a lawyer until you can demonstrate conclusively that it is not possible to build the house within 15% of the most recent budget/estimate and that the architect has refused your request to modify the design for free (or perhaps at his true cost).

Another issue you should consider is that super-insulated, passive-solar house designs often have deeper wall cavities, more insulation, larger glass areas, taller spaces, larger structural spans, and thicker concrete/masonry walls than conventional designs so they can be considerably more expensive and not all contractors have enough experience to bid them properly.

Before you terminate your contract you should get the architect's written permission to not only use the drawings for your project but to modify them, perhaps even getting full ownership of them and a set in editable format with his name removed. Consider offering him the choice of giving up ownership of the drawings or redesigning for free.

Plumbers tend to bid based on number of fixtures; they count toilets, sinks, bath, shower, bath/shower combinations, whirlpool tubs, and basically prepare a bid on this. Do they count linear feet of copper, DWV, PEX, number of fittings - no. HVAC tends to bid based on size of the unit installed. Shteetrockers bid based on square footage. My custom cabinetmaker bids based in linear inches of cabinets.

I realize that none of these trades are going to comb over every detail to get their material takeoffs to the last inch, nor do I expect them to (commercial work is definitely different than residential market). Treat a residential project like a commercial project and you aren't likely to get any subcontractor bids whatsoever.

However I also recognize that on some plans, bidding this way leads to pretty substantial profit margin for them. And yet on other plans, bidding this way could lead to loss for them, and I think it is likely these plans where they seek to use change orders to actually turn a loss job into a profitable one. I have seen more than my share of plans that the architect/designer failed to consider any of the trades in actual construction and space they need for utility chases, plumbing chases, etc. and these projects definitely can lead to loss for them bidding using fast techniques.

I wonder which style of plan tubeman has here? Easy to build and profitable for trades, or difficult to build and labor intensive and potential slim profit margin for trades. I would certainly make it up on change orders too.

At the same time, I also know tract builders that all of the profit is in the upgrades, and you could purchase a basic tract house and install your own upgrades for cheaper than the cost of the upgrade to start with. As an example, one of the local tract builders includes standard refrigerator in the kitchen. Upgrade that thing to stainless steel and the upgrade charge is $3K. Fact is it is still standard size; the homeowner could purchase the house without the upgrade, move in, call big orange, slowes, or any retailer of their choice, order refrigerator, have it delivered, and move the spare to the basement to serve as the beer refrigerator, all for cheaper than just the upgrade cost (and they have two refrigerators instead of one). I am surprised by how many stainless steel refrigerators this builder includes in new houses (me, I just can't lower myself to that level). If this is what tubeman is complaining about, I agree it gives the entire trade a bad name.

We went with the Ios... they are made from a combination of Volcanic lime stone and Resin and hold heat very well.

http://www.vandabaths.com/usa/index.php

Property Line Staking
Often property owners have only a general idea of where their property begins and ends. A property line staking involves setting survey monuments at lot corners and additional markers at set intervals along the property lines. Upon completion it is possible to stand on the lot and visibly see the exact location of property lines.

Construction Layout and Verification
As a project progresses from plans to construction it is often advisable or required to have the exact location and elevation of a structure staked on the lot. This prevents costly errors and helps ensure the structure is placed as required by the permit. In some communities clients are required to have the Surveyor certify the location of the completed structure prior to the project being considered complete.

Permanently wired and interconnected smoke detectors required by the 2009 IRC must be located as follows:
1. In each sleeping room.
2. Outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms.
3. On each additional story of the dwelling, including basements and habitable attics but not including crawl spaces and uninhabitable attics.

In dwellings or dwelling units with split levels and without an intervening door between the adjacent levels, a smoke alarm installed on the upper level shall suffice for the adjacent lower level provided that the lower level is less than one full story below the upper level.

When more than one smoke alarm is required to be installed within an individual dwelling unit the alarm devices shall be interconnected in such a manner that the actuation of one alarm will activate all of the alarms in the individual unit.

You would not need smoke detectors in the living room or the kitchen. The code is primarily concerned with fires that start when homeowners are asleep.

Some jurisdictions require detectors at the top and bottom of stairs on all levels.

Carbon monoxide alarms
For new construction, an approved carbon monoxide alarm shall be installed outside of each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms in dwelling units within which fuel-fired appliances are installed and in dwelling units that have attached garages.

then when drywall is up testing of house.

second blower door was necessary for final
rating. done when house is complete
prior to move in.

I don't do a lot of new construction these days.

but we had to meet with builders & tradespeople
and educate them as to what was required.

you can check epa.gov for energy star requirements.

if your completed home falls below .30 air changes
per hour ashrae 62.2 ventilation is required.

you should be talking to them now about fresh air
requirements.

I hope those supply boxes will be insulated...
don't know what they hoped to accomplish by
using mastic on the inside of the box. it is the
cut in the sheetrock to the box that should be sealed.

best of luck

As mentioned, if your contractor had it in the original bid or contract, they need to do it.

Why do you think a wood window clad with a synthetic (more likely wood + PVC) material would require less maintenance than one with an extruded aluminum cladding?

I can't even get a section detail of the A series from Andersen and they are not yet available in some parts of the US. I'll wait until they are fully committed to this new design before specifying it.

There are no standard window sizes. Some are sized from the sash opening (Andersen), some from former standard glass sizes (Marvin and many others) and some by even inch increments for the frame size (modern all-PVC, fiberglass and composite windows). What you see on the architect's drawing are "approximate" sizes that would need to be revised for some window choices but not for others which is why the window location are dimensioned to their center lines on the plans.

The Wood-Ultrex double-hung now offers a spacer bar between the simulated divided lite mullions (SDLS) and a full range of window sizes including Cottage Style (upper sash shorter than lower sash). Unfortunately, the sill nosing does not provide a proper drip or a siding groove that would prevent water from running back into the siding joint. (bottom of sill is dead level) I have seen failed caulking at this joint require expensive repairs. Andersen windows had this problem for decades but finally solved it with the 400 series. Marvin solved it long ago but forgot how to do it with the Ultimate series. Adding a cellular PVC sub-sill fixes the problem and creates a more handsome window but it adds to the cost.

Keeping water out of the house should be your first goal when choosing a window so the first thing to look at is the section through the sill, then look at how the installation fins are sealed to the frame and how the fins are sealed at the upper corners where they overlap (the second most common leak location).

Here is a link that might be useful: cellular PVC trim