HOME DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION IDEAS

FURNITURE PLANNING - Many office supply stores sell templates that portray furniture sizes and styles. Use these templates with the floor plan to draw your furniture into the rooms of your home. Ask yourself if floor electrical outlets are needed, should windows be moved, are special ceiling outlets and lights needed, are wall electrical outlets in the right location, etc.

FOUNDATION HEIGHT - Ask the builder what height above sea level will the finished floor of the home be. This should be clearly stated in the specifications of the home. All communities give minimum floor elevations that must be followed. Furthermore, you should always try to choose a homesite that will allow the floor of the home to be built well above the curb of the road. Find out exactly how much higher than the curb the proposed elevation is. You will never worry about heavy rains plus your home will have much better "street appeal". Most people want to look up at their home as opposed to looking down at it. Be very careful with this as it is expensive to raise the height of a home. It is not unusual for a builder to offer a lower price than a competing builder with the intention of providing a lower floor elevation. Be very careful if floor elevation, site clearing and fill dirt are shown as allowance items. You can very easily have a surprise that can cost you 10's of thousands of dollars. Any good builder that knows costs should be able to give you a firm price for this item and eliminate it as an allowance item. However, unless you state in the specifications that the floor of the home shall be ______ above the curb of the road, in front of the home, eliminating this as an allowance item is meaningless. We have found that a home that is placed 25 to 30 feet from the front lot line needs to have the floor at least 18-24" above the curb of the road in front of the home. When it is placed on a larger lot, 70-90 feet from the front lot line the floor needs to be at least 4-4 1/2 feet above the curb of the road in front of the home. When a home is placed as described above you always look up to it and no drainage problems should occur. If ever in doubt, always go higher.

FRAME WALLS VS. CONCRETE BLOCK - The traditional Florida home was concrete block and continued to be built more out of tradition than necessity. Recently, a large percentage of Florida homes are being constructed of wood frame. The wood frame home offers superior insulation properties and using pressure treated wood for the bottom plate provides minimal exposure to termites. The frame allows the builder to utilize more innovative glass and etc. The block still remains very popular and the cost of either alternative is about the same. However, with the recent Building Code changes for the new wind loads due to Hurricane Andrew, concrete block with some combination of wood frame will be the predominant method of construction. You will typically find concrete block on all exterior first floor walls with wood frame used for the exterior walls opening to the rear porch. The area opening to the rear porch is where the majority of glass is installed and building this area using wood frame construction allows the innovative use of glass. Also, it is not unusual for Home Buyers to change their minds regarding size of windows and wood frame construction allows for cost effective changes that a block structure would not.

ENERGY NEEDS - The standard ceiling insulation is fiberglass with R30 value. The walls on a frame home are R11 and on a block home R3. According to the information given me, insulating higher than these "R" values has diminishing returns.

FIREPLACES are available in 2 different types. The first is a conventional masonry fireplace and the second is a metal prefabricated fireplace. The conventional fireplace has been virtually replaced by the prefab style. You will not find conventional fireplaces in homes priced much lower than $1,000,000.00. Even in higher priced homes the prefab models seem to be preferred by Home buyers. Prefab fireplaces comes in 36, 42, and 46 inch models. It can be veneered with brick, stone, tile, drywall banding, marble, or any other type of finish one would desire. Today, we are seeing a strong trend to a understated fireplace using drywall banding, tile, and other subtle materials. It seems buyers are moving away from a full brick or similar interior veneer since it seems to dominate most rooms and become the focal point. In most Florida homes the fireplace is a secondary focal point with the view of the pool the primary. You should request at least a 46" fireplace. The 36" and 42: fireplaces are just too small of an opening to be used in anything but a production built home. We are seeing many customers totally eliminate the fireplace and place more emphasis on a media center in the family room.

HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING - Most executive homes in Central Florida use electrically driven air to air heat pumps to control the homes interior comfort. In areas where natural gas is available, a gas furnace combined with an electric air conditioner offers an excellent alternative. A typical comfort system in Central Florida annually runs an average of 2300 operating hours to cool and 750 operating hours to heat. The high relative humidity in Central Florida must be accounted for in the system decision. The average person feels most comfortable when the interior temperature is between 76 and 78 degrees and the interior relative humidity is below 55 percent. As the humidity goes up the temperature must come down to feel the same comfort. To ensure proper humidity control, the system must be designed to match the heat load calculation. This is one instance where "bigger is not better".

The conditioned air is distributed throughout the home using a system of rigid and flexible duct, collectively referred to as ductwork. Ductwork is a circulatory system that uses supplies to feed air into a room and returns to complete the circuit back to the air handler. Adequate and properly placed returns will keep closed rooms from becoming pressurized which limits the entrance of supply air into the room. A typical Central Florida homeowner can expect to spend between 40 and 45 percent of their utility dollars to heat and cool their home. This ongoing expense justifies consideration of energy saving and comfort enhancement upgrades. The investment decision made now will continue for the next 12 to 15 years or through the expected life of the equipment.

System enhancements for your consideration are:

A. Higher Efficiency Equipment can reduce the utility expense while providing better quality and comfort. A typical return on investment, "ROI", will yield above 20 percent.

B. Improved Air Filtration will improve indoor air quality. Basic filter categories are: electronic, pleated media and electrostatic. Select one that meets your needs and lifestyle.

C. Heat Recovery Units use waste heat from your air conditioning system to heat domestic hot water. A typical payback is less than 3 years.

D. Programmable thermostats allow the homeowner to program times and temperature for automatic operation, saving 30% during a typical setback period.

E. Zoning the System allows a single system to be separated into multiple zones. Each zone has individualized control with its own thermostat.

ELECTRICAL - All homes are wired to code requirements which means that plugs are installed so many feet apart, etc. If you have specific electrical needs or locations you should identify those items to be sure you receive what you need. Also, look in large family rooms or living rooms and advise the Builder long before the slab is poured if you will need electrical floor plugs. Choose the location of the floor outlets carefully as you will live with your decision a long time.

EXTERIOR FINISHES - The most common materials used for exterior finishes are stucco, cedar siding, brick, stone, or a combination of these materials.

Stucco is installed over either concrete block walls or with lath over frame walls. It works equally well over either surface. It can be in a skip trowell finish which resembles a rough troweled finish. It can also be in a sand finish which resembles a smooth, but sandy finish. I prefer the skip trowell finish as it seems to resist cracking better than the sand finish. If the sand finish is used it would be a good idea to use a paint with an elastomeric quality to bridge any cracks which may appear.

Brick is frequently used in some combination with other elements. In Florida, it is very expensive to construct a full brick home. We see, quite often, a combination cedar siding or brick front home with stucco sides and rear. While the traditional finishes are very desirable it is very difficult to recover the additional cost of a full brick exterior over a well designed stucco exterior.

Cedar Siding - Most people in Florida look for low maintenance in the elevation of their home. The maintenance is reduced when the siding is used as a combination with another material on the front of the home. However, if it were to be used around the perimeter of the home it would likely be perceived as a high maintenance home.

ROOFING

Standard Shingles - These are the standard shingles found on most roofs. The quality of shingles is judged by the weight of a square (100 square feet of shingles). The typical shingle is 220# per square. Shingles come in many different colors and the color chosen has very little energy cost consequence. (It was thought for many years that homes in Florida should have a white or light colored roof for energy savings. Research has shown that even the darkest roof color did not appreciably increase energy bills.) You can select an option of zinc particles added to the shingles which will eliminate mildew and fungus on the roof. This will add some cost, but will be worth it down the road. The standard shingle has a limited warranty of 15 to 20 years.

Dimensional Shingles vary in weight from 240# to 360# depending upon the quality. The dimensional shingles resemble shake shingles or some type of designer look. Most homes over $200,000 have this type of shingle, varying in quality. The zinc treatment is recommended for this type of shingle also. The dimensional shingles have limited warranties of 20-30 years depending upon the shingle.

Cedar Shakes have an average life in Florida of 10 years. I would not suggest this roof. The sun is very harsh on cedar shakes and with trees close by fungus often forms on the roof. The cedar roof is quite expensive and a future maintenance problem.

Tile used today is a concrete material instead of clay. Tile can be an S shape, flat shape, or a spanish shape. It comes in a zillion colors from many manufacturers. Many people choose the tile roof by looking at a small sample. They are surprised when the roof is installed because of the many color variegations in the tile. If you are going to use tile, I would suggest that you drive through numerous luxury or estate communities. Find a home with colors that are appealing to you. Your builder should be able match the color of that roof and you'll have no surprises.

Ask your Builder to leave at least 50 extra roof tiles when the home is completed. You will then have an exact match should your home ever require a roof repair.

LANDSCAPE AND LAWNS

Most Builders include, in the price of the home, a specific allowance for trees and shrubs. It has been my experience that the customers that meet with the landscaper, give him broad guidelines and let him design the landscaping get substantially more landscaping than those who insist on telling the landscaper what and where each item will be planted. You should have input on this, but try to leave the landscaper some latitude.

Many people like to leave large tree beds natural in the yards. I would suggest you consider using pine straw in those areas instead of mulch or pine bark. The pine straw seems to last longer.

Another way that you can add interest to your yard without spending a great deal is to build dirt berms which are then either sodded or landscaped. The berms, when planned properly, add a great deal of interest to the yard.

When choosing landscaping you should remember that we do get frost several times a year. The plant material chosen should withstand a frost whenever possible. If the material will not withstand a frost you should know which materials should be covered to be protected.

Wildlife can also do considerable damage to landscaping. If you are building in an area where deer live be careful selecting your landscaping. There are many plants that deer do not like to eat that look great. Otherwise, the deer can destroy a lot of landscaping.

Many builders offer an allowance for landscaping in their specifications. You should be very careful to ask what this allowance includes. Sometimes builders will include the cost of sod and irrigation system in this allowance. Ask very clearly what is included so that you might consider proper "apples and apples". Furthermore, most communities require that a specific amount of landscaping be included with the home. You should verify that your landscaping allowance covers the amount required.

Sod - There are 2 types of sod used in Florida today. BAHIA is an excellent grass that requires a minimum of care. It, like all grasses in Florida, will respond much better with an irrigation system. It will tolerate the sun and absence of water very well, however, I would not suggest this type of lawn on any home with a cost over $200,000. ST. AUGUSTINE OR FLORITAN is the most popular choice. It feels more like a carpet when walking on it. It does require more maintenance and watering. It should be used in sunny areas and does not fare well in shaded areas. It would be wise to have a lawn service spray this lawn quarterly to retain its healthy appearance.

Irrigation Systems are highly recommended. The system should be fully automatic with a timer that regulates the system and should cover the entire yard. However, if you are planning on putting a pool in later you might consider installing the system in the front and side yards only. Timer controls should be installed on an outside garage wall. If you are served by city water and sewer request that an irrigation meter be installed. You will then be billed for water only and not a matching sewer cost. You might consider installing a well for irrigation purposes with your choice of either a shallow or deep well. The water from your well (for irrigation) should be checked for iron before the system is operational. Iron or rust stains will occur on the walls of the homes and sidewalks and driveways if the water is left untreated.

SEPTIC VS. SEWER - Most Florida soil is pure sand. The percolation is terrific. The county health department closely monitors the installation of a septic system and they are a very accepted form of sewage disposal. The most important part of a septic system is the size and quality of the drainfield. We have learned over the years that increasing the size of the drainfield above the size required by the Health Department assures maintenance free operation in the future.

When your home requires a septic tank be sure that the septic system is not given as an allowance item. How do you know what this will cost? Any experienced builder should be able to give you a firm price for the home with the septic system included, not as an allowance item.

WELLS - Shallow Wells are normally about 35 foot deep. This will cost $1000-$1500. The disadvantage is that water sometimes contains heavy iron and sulfur content. The iron can produce rust stains on the exterior walls of the home and on the sidewalk and driveway. Also, should a drought occur it is not unusual for shallow wells to dry up.

Deep Wells average about 150 feet in depth. The deep well usually produces good clear water without iron. However, there is no guarantee that the water will not contain iron. Should iron be found there are a number of excellent filters and water treatment systems available that will virtually eliminate the iron. It is a dependable source of water supply and will cost between $3500 and $5000 depending upon the depth of the well and size of the pump.

WATER TREATMENT - Most homes in Central Florida are served by city or county water which is not usually hard. Most Floridian's are quite satisfied with municipal water, however, some choose to treat it with a conditioner or water filter.

GUTTERS are normally not used in Florida. However, they are installed where the pool screen enclosure meets the roof, but rarely elsewhere. Should you choose to have gutters installed be sure it is the seamless type. You might also consider having gutters installed over the entry way and other traffic areas. However, it can always be installed later after you are in the home should you feel a need for it. Gutter is available in 5, 6 and 7 inch size. Insist on the 7" size!