"standard" builder features in a new home

[DaveS]

So... we've been looking at new homes.

Usually, each builder has a glossy page describing their "standard features", like "2x6 exterior walls", "r44 insulation", etc.

Today I saw a new one:
"Drywall screwed and nailed to studs"



Wow. I'm really glad I don't have to pay extra for that.

[jdschulteis]

So... we've been looking at new homes.

Usually, each builder has a glossy page describing their "standard features", like "2x6 exterior walls", "r44 insulation", etc.

Today I saw a new one:
"Drywall screwed and nailed to studs"



Wow. I'm really glad I don't have to pay extra for that.

Does the guy wear a belt and suspenders while he's screwing and nailing the drywall? And to the studs no less--I understand that's the best place to attach drywall!

A few serious tips for anyone building a new home:

Power to the shop! I wasn't into woodworking at the time, but if the builder had said "You might wanna put a subpanel out in the garage, if you might use the 3rd bay as a workshop someday" we might've done it. It's gonna cost me $$$ now, my city's ordinances do not allow for homeowners to pull permits to do their own electrical work.

Although there were many options and upgrades, our builder offered no choices for the garage doors. In spite of my best efforts at priming and painting them, the cheap wood garage doors looked terrible after 5 years or so and we replaced them with insulated steel doors.

The builder told us we could always add a utility sink in the basement later. What they didn't tell us was that doing the rough in when the house was being built would save us $$$ down the road.

It's not terribly expensive to make your basement a little deeper so you'd have a decent amount of headroom for a basement shop or rec room. We added an extra course of concrete block. However, instead of making the basement stairway a little steeper than usual, they just added another step. As a result, the bottom step is very close to the wall.

Our builder talked us out of using Tyvek house wrap. "Just tape up the seams in the foam sheathing". Our house is noticeably colder on windy winter days.

However they do the drywall, I'd have the subfloor attached to the joists with screws and construction adhesive. Ours, done with nails and construction adhesive, has many squeaks.

Try not to be working at a job that's 90 miles away while your house is being built. It makes it tough to keep tabs on what they're doing.

Accept the fact now that no matter how carefully you plan, at some point after you move in you'll find yourself saying "I wish we would've . . ." about something in the house.

[Hoover]

Does the guy wear a belt and suspenders while he's screwing and nailing the drywall? And to the studs no less--I understand that's the best place to attach drywall!

A few serious tips for anyone building a new home:

Power to the shop! I wasn't into woodworking at the time, but if the builder had said "You might wanna put a subpanel out in the garage, if you might use the 3rd bay as a workshop someday" we might've done it. It's gonna cost me $$$ now, my city's ordinances do not allow for homeowners to pull permits to do their own electrical work.

Although there were many options and upgrades, our builder offered no choices for the garage doors. In spite of my best efforts at priming and painting them, the cheap wood garage doors looked terrible after 5 years or so and we replaced them with insulated steel doors.

The builder told us we could always add a utility sink in the basement later. What they didn't tell us was that doing the rough in when the house was being built would save us $$$ down the road.

It's not terribly expensive to make your basement a little deeper so you'd have a decent amount of headroom for a basement shop or rec room. We added an extra course of concrete block. However, instead of making the basement stairway a little steeper than usual, they just added another step. As a result, the bottom step is very close to the wall.

Our builder talked us out of using Tyvek house wrap. "Just tape up the seams in the foam sheathing". Our house is noticeably colder on windy winter days.

However they do the drywall, I'd have the subfloor attached to the joists with screws and construction adhesive. Ours, done with nails and construction adhesive, has many squeaks.

Try not to be working at a job that's 90 miles away while your house is being built. It makes it tough to keep tabs on what they're doing.

Accept the fact now that no matter how carefully you plan, at some point after you move in you'll find yourself saying "I wish we would've . . ." about something in the house.

Sounds like the builder deliberately misled you. Do you have a builder's warranty to cover any mistakes on their part? Sounds like the builder only cared about himself, and not the homeowner. The tyvek wrap fiasco, should have sent up warning flares. Sorry to hear about your misfortune. If you do have a builder's warranty, I would go after the guy. Good Luck, hope there is some resolution on this.

[Bruce Cohen]

After working at Home Depot selling Doors, Millwork and then lastly, designing kitchens, I've come to the conclusion that the term "standard" covers just about anything a builder can get for the absolutely lowest cost.

That also includes labor and the lack of experience that comes with a $6.00 per hour (non-union) worker.

Also, the only right angles in a new house are usually a mistake.

And on that upbeat note, have a good day.

Bruce

It wouldn't be bad if it wasn't real!!

[Thalermade]

Having gone through the process, wow, I guess it was nine years ago now, there are just so many things that one easily doesn't even think about. When you factor in a spouse and a budget, and a move in deadline, it can quickly become a very overhwhelming process for a first timer.

A friend once said that whenever he travels, part of his time is spent making a list of things to do the next he is there. Much of the same can be said about building a house.

[JimD]

I used to think that mattered and argued with my builder about it but I am not convinced he was right. I have had several "nail pops" where there were screws. I have also do a little demo to small areas and found the nails hold in the studs much better than the drywall can take - the nails pull through the drywall instead of out of the stud. They are smooth shanked nails around here and they still hold well enough. They use nails around the outside because they can easily install them with one hand while holding the drywall up.

I wired for surround sound and put in the piping for a central vacumn. Both were worthwhile IMHO. I did not arrange the light switches so you could walk from room to room at night without having to back-track to turn off lights in the room you just left. Wish I had but it isn't a big deal.

My builder liked putting in granite tile for the kitchen counters and we like that. He also used 9 foot ceilings for the first floor and heavy moulding.

Jim

[lkazista]

No Glue?!

Our builder claimed "nailed, screwed, and glued"

Well that was a lie, no glue, no screws, just nails, and 8 months in, we have plenty of pops. Tell them they can keep the nails. Whenever one pops, I now dig it out, and replace it with a screw. 8 down, 6,874 more to go.

Also, take EVERY option that they offer for the basement (bilco doors, plumping rough, 9 foot ceilings, etc) you will want ALL of them.

[just4funsies]

When building my house, I had extra 20A circuits run to the shop area in the garage, with lots of quad outlets, some below, but mostly above, bench height. I also picked out a place for my compressor, and ran 1/2" Schedule 40 PVC for shop air through the walls and ceilings to several places (including just inside the garage doors) for shop air. Also, have quad outlets in garage ceiling for door openers, rather than duplex, in order to facilitate installation of retractable extension cord reels on the ceiling.

[JimD]

I paid for the plumber to do a rough-in for a basement bathroom. It was largely a waste of money. The plumber did not get the drains even close to where they belonged. In his defense, the walls were not in at that point so it would have been pretty tough. I had to rent a jack-hammer and remove part of the slab to reposition the drains. I have seen this done with a wooden box around the drain to keep the cement away so you could reposition a little. They were off so far it would not have saved me but it still seems like a good idea.

Jim