JOHNSON REMODEL AND ADDITION

Custom Homebuilding has started a new project in Healing Springs and Chantry and David have begun the demolition work and seen to the construction of the new foundation footings. The McCune Brothers were on hand to take care of the old addition removal and our own Doug Zizzi has made sure that all old electrical work is disconnected and safe.

Chantry and Nathan have been hard at work completing the demolition of the existing interior floor plan and removing the unexpected water damage at the exterior wall adjoining the kitchen. With the removal complete now, these two have made great progress with installing the framing for the new floor plan.

Out with the old and in with the new may be a common term throughout this project. Nathan and Chantry have put their heads down and just kept moving at a steady pace on the framing and demolition work. Manny Stinnet and his crew were on hand to complete the construction of the addition foundation. Construction of the new staircase is underway and framing of the new addition will begin soon.

Our first snowfall of the season blanketed the county recently; but as you can see that didn’t stop Chantry & Nathan from continuing on with the framing of the new addition. Soon they will be under roof which will make the working conditions a little easier should old man winter return.

The weather over the past month has surely had an effect on our ability to get a roof on this house. Very frustrating, but nothing that we aren't able to handle. The rafters over the main roof are in and the roof sheathing (plywood) is going on now. Our work here should be accelerated later this week when we receive delivery of our windows and doors, and we greet the arrival of the HVAC and plumbing subcontractors.

There is some exciting news to report, the recent wind storm that blew down hundreds of trees and caused power outages for thousands, set one of the neighbors trees against the Southern facing wall and only caused minor damage. The strong winds gusted to as much as 70mph and many locals have said it was the strongest wind storm that they have ever seen hit Bath County. In other local news, our very own Chantry Combs and his wife have welcomed a baby boy into their family. Chantry took last week off to attend to the birth of his son, Taiden, but is back now and all smiles, ready to continue work on the Johnson residence.

The house is now dried in and is receiving the HVAC equipment courtesy of Allegheny Highlands Mechanical. Their crew of 7 wasted no time in installing the heating and cooling system for the 2nd floor and will most likely set the same pace this week installing the remainder of the system for the 1st floor. Our crew has worked to complete the installation of the windows and clearing the punch list of framing items. Andrew spent some time last week walking through the house with the owners and addressing the electrical needs and wants on a room by room basis. It was a joy to introduce energy conserving jamb switches to Frank and Kathy for their closet doors. They will soon be able to enjoy their closet lights turning on when they open the door and, of course, turning off when they close it.

Moving right along, all the framing and mechanical installations are complete. Wayne Williams has completed the rough-in electric, John Matheney has completed the rough-in plumbing, and Allegheny Highlands Mechanical has completed the heating and air-conditioning equipment installations. Nelligan Insulation, from Lynchburg, is currently installing a combination of open and closed cell spray foam to the interior walls and roof to complement the high efficiency HVAC systems. Nelligan Insulation will also supplement the spray foam in the walls with fiberglass batts and they will drill and spray the walls of the old cabin section with cellulose from the interior. It is our firm belief at Custom Homebuilding that insulation plays the most critical role in a home's overall performance, and we have no doubt that this home will exceed the expectations of the owners.
Tyler and Kevin McCune have done an amazing job with the construction of the land around the house. After much deliberation, the owners decided to dismantle the cinderblock outbuilding in the back yard. We were all glad they did. Now the hardscape walls and outdoor areas blend together seamlessly in its absence.
Spring is here and we look forward to the grass growing in to complete this landscape.

Our camera has been waiting for a new lens so the pictures are somewhat limited for this post. The interior wall covering is complete and the painting is well under way. The hardwood flooring is going down now too. Over the past several weeks, Nathan, Chantry, and Jeremy have been installing siding, foundation piers for the porches, a new entry door, and have helped our electrician relocate the service entrance. It was necessary to move the power line to the house so that we can wrap the front porch around the corner and down the side. It will only be a matter of weeks now before we can trim out the interior, complete the exterior and deliver another finished project into the hands of our homeowners.

The heat is on. Still days away from the official beginning of Summer and currently the temperatures are reminding us of August. Surely Mother Nature is confused.
As promised, the flooring is complete, the cabinets are in, the trim work has begun, and the side porch has been framed and roofed. Currently, Wayne, Jason, Nathan and Chantry are working on the interior trim and will soon begin installing the porch flooring when Willard Robinson begins sanding and finishing the interior floors later this week.

We apologize for keeping all the fans of our web posts in suspense. With so much going on in the field, sometimes the website gets neglected.

We are just a few weeks from completion of this project and the Johnson's could not be happier about moving into their new home. Please take time and look through the pictures which showcase the talents of our staff and subcontractors.