Plywood versus wafer and foam board. While wafer and
foam type boards are useful they do have characteristics
which can potentially become a problem. In wet conditions
waferboard will absorb more water than plywood and can
degrade more rapidly since it is made of many small
pieces of wood rather than the long strands of natural
wood fibers found in plywood.
Since all the wall framing needs to be sheathed on
the outside we prefer the strength and durability that
plywood has over wafer and foam insulation board. Again,
plywood is more expensive, but we believe the superior
strength and durability are well worth it.
Professional Engineering:
All the structural framing and foundation systems in
the Villas have been designed by a Registered Professional
Engineer. This is not required by the building code
so many contractors will do it the way they "have always
done it"; running the risk of over-building a house
or worse yet, under-building. Homes are a major investment,
and we believe they should have the best professional
engineering available.
To compare to similar new homes in Flintrock Falls click here
Insulation:
The ability to keep your home cool or warm depends
directly on the thermal resistance of the fiberglass
or (the "R" rating, higher is better) and how tightly
it is fitted between the wall studs and sheathing. Inside
the wall it is customary to find fiberglass insulation
batts usually rated R-13 which are unrolled and stuffed
in between the wall studs.
This is OK, but it can leave voids between the batt
and stud, or the batt can be compressed too tightly,
drastically reducing itŐs R value. At the Villas of
Flintrock we use a better method.
The fiberglass is actually blown in between the wall
studs, not stuffed and stapled. In this way the fiberglass
completely fills the wall cavity at the correct density,
cutting air infiltration, and achieving a high R-15
value. The International Residential Energy Code rates
the Villas at 35% more efficient than standard standard
allowable specifications.
