WERNER/LING RESIDENCE

After months of design preparation and planning, we have begun the clearing process. The McCune brothers, of McCune Excavating, started clearing the building site and will begin the road construction, septic installation and basement excavation shortly.

Everything is prepped and ready for the installation of the Superior Walls foundation. Earlier this week, the McCune brothers completed the installation of the stone and drain pipe and Ralph, Mike and Nathan located the corners of the foundation on both levels.

Good weather held out just in time to see the delivery and installation of our Superior Walls foundation system. With a little help from our excavators, we were able to tow the crane and two tractor trailer loads of wall sections to the building site. The foundation is now set and ready, awaiting dry weather so that we can have our framing materials delivered.
For more information on Superior Walls, please visit their website at: superiorwallsva.com.

Rain kept us from getting any material on site for the first week. One truck driver commented that it was the steepest drive he had ever been up! Anyway, we did get the floor system material and the gravel for the backfill on site for week 2. Nathan, David and Mike backfilled the area where the crawlspace meets the basement on Monday and began construction of the floor system on Tuesday. Wednesday rained and Thursdays clear skies allowed more work on the floor system.
John Matheney also completed the installation of the drain plumbing under the basement slab this past week. This will enable us to pour the basement slab and frame the basement walls to complete the support of the floor system. We are all hoping for more good weather!

The weather has cooperated and made it possible for us to complete the floor system, basement slab, basement wall framing and backfill.

Custom Homebuilding has earned a reputation among its suppliers as always having the hardest to reach jobsites. Our concrete supplier sent their best driver, Brady, and it was necessary for him to drive both trucks to the place where we could pour out the concrete and not have to enlist the service of a pump truck. David and Andrew moved the "mud" in wheelbarrows while Steve Sweet and his helper placed and finished the slab. We maintain that Steve is probably the best concrete finisher in this area and definitely the best that we have ever worked with. Jason Wilkins, Nathan and Mike arrived the next morning, to start construction of the basement walls, and all agreed that the slab was perfect.

The McCune brothers completed the foundation backfill and installation of the main water line to the house. Having the void around the house filled in will make it much easier for us to work on the construction of the main walls.

Not much to talk about this month. We have run into a scheduling conflict in that all of our scaffolding is tied up on the McWilliams siding job. Andrew has also made some last minute changes to the design of the roof and the details for the wall and roof construction. He is also committed to using advanced framing techniques and green building practices. These changes and convictions necessitated ordering unconventional materials that happen to have a substantial lead time. Please check back soon as we will be full ahead the week of October 30th.

The ever present challenge of accesing the jobsite has been in full effect the past two weeks. A little bit of rain goes a long way on the side of this mountain.

All of the slate is back on the driveway, now that the grade around the house has been established, and we were able to get all of our material staged around the jobsite. The stairway to the basement has been completed and wall construction has begun. Please pay close attention to the photos and notice Custom Homebuildings first execution of advanced wall framing wherein the basic wall construction is minimized to only what is necessary. We are committed to reducing our impact on the planet and this technique is one of many steps we intend to take in that direction.

Cold weather has set in for the Winter now. Thank goodness for all the scraps of wood that have kept the men warm over the past several weeks. Jason Wilkins, Jeremy and Andrew have worked through the cold to complete the house framing, however, there was help enlisted from our other jobs for lifting the major wall sections. The windows and doors have arrived and will be installed next so that we can get the heating system installed and working.

Warm weather is back. This might be globally troubling, but it sure makes for nice outdoor working conditions.
Andrew has spent his time over the past several weeks installing windows, doors and instructing the others on the proper detailing of the exterior cladding elements. After the windows and doors go in, the exterior of the walls are covered with 1-1/2" XPS (extruded polystyrene) foam panels; the roof is covered with two layers of 1" XPS that have both the vertical and horizontal edges offset. We have also taken extra effort to foam the joints of all panels on the wall and roof. After rigid insulation is fastened to the exterior, these surfaces are covered with furring strips to allow for air movement behind the wall and roof claddings. These strips will also serve to attach our siding and our secondary roof deck.
Alleheny Highlands Mechanical has completed the installation of our ultra high-efficiency gas furnace and ductwork. With a crew of between 4 and 6 men, 4 days is all it took from start to finish. Additionally, Amerigas and the McCune brothers worked together to install the underground propane tank and buried gas line to the house.

The sight of our first snowfall could not have come at a better time. From inside looking out of the living room windows, Mother Nature has cast a beautiful view. Anyway, back to business; Jason, Jeremy and Nathan have completed the installation of the doors and windows. The house is now secure and protected from the elements. This threesome are also nearing completion of the rigid insulation and furring strip application to the exterior of the house.
Doug and Chantry have begun the electrical rough in throughout the house and are moving right along.
ACME Stove Company, of Charlottesville, VA, will be on the job site next week to install the stove pipe collar through the roof; this will clear the way for the interior insulation and the exterior roof shingles. Our siding and exterior trim material has arrived on site--stacked and ready for installation as soon as the ice melts on the driveway and we can safely access the house.