Structural Framing:

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 itÕs 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.

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