Quality, you hear the word used allot in the home building business.  What exactly does it mean to say "I am a quality home builder"?  The dictionary defines quality as 1) character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence 2) high grade, superiority, excellence.

Our idea of producing a quality built home is a process that starts in the structural design stage and continues through to the completion of the home.  The following are some examples of facts about this process:

 

1.  Structural Design - 3000 PSI concrete for all areas (high grade).  Specifying 3000 PSI concrete in the structural design and delivering it to the job site does not guarantee that it is going to be 3000 PSI after it is placed and finished.  Supervision during the actual pouring of the concrete is critical.  If the concrete finisher is not directed to limit the water added to the mix, then the PSI could drop substantially.  Finishers add water to the mix because it makes placing the concrete easier.  You may ask why use this finisher if he continually tries to add too much water?  The answer is all finishers are doing it!  So, like many aspects of the construction process, competent supervision is as critical as the components that are specified.  

2.  Exterior Finish - Stucco application according International Residential Code.  We apply vinyl bead at all corners, openings, ceilings, and required expansion joints (high grade and superiority).  This practice insures the proper thickness of the brown coat.  Supervision at this stage is vital.  We inspect the installation of the bead and waterproofing practices.  This is the time to correct any problems.  And believe me, there is always something that needs to be corrected.  The hurricanes of 2004 brought torrential rains that caused water intrusion into many homes.  We believe that this occurred because of thin stucco application practices and lack of supervision.  We are proud to say that none of our homes had this problem. 

3.  Framing Techniques - The first step in ensuring a good framing job is to provide the framer with ample, quality lumber to select from (high grade).  This may sound like a minor requirement but out of a hundred pieces of lumber, fifty may be warped.  Having the extra lumber on site helps minimize the use of warped material.  The next step is to have competent framers do the job.  This is a difficult task.  Some framing crews may be great: experienced, skilled, and very capable of providing an A-1 result.  Then personnel changes occur and on the next project, mistakes and sloppiness abound.  Our method of overcoming this kind of inconsistency is to inspect the project daily and inform the foreman immediately of the problems.