Archive for October, 2010

HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM HOME, Part 18: Concrete Slabs – Basement and Garage Floors

Friday, October 29th, 2010

In this series, the professionals at the B.O.L.D. Company will take you through the process of building a custom home in the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky area. From plan and lot selection, to mortgage approval, to the actual construction, we’ll take you behind-the-scenes each week for an inside look at a different part of the process.

This week, we look at pouring the concrete slabs to form the basement and garage floors of a new home:

Before pouring the concrete slabs, don’t forget to pre-treat for subterranean termites! The sprayed termiticide is intended to create a chemical barrier in the soil underneath and around the home that will prevent termites from surfacing.

The ground upon which the basement slab will be poured should be compacted and solid, the foundation drainage system and the vapor barrier installed, and the foundation walls in place. The basement floor will sit over top of the vapor barrier and within the foundation walls. The garage floor, however, does not sit in the bottom of the foundation where the ground is solid. The garage floor is generally a “suspended slab” poured on soil that is filled to the appropriate height to match the garage’s location in relation to the foundation and the surrounding grade. For this reason, the garage slab requires more support than the basement slab, which gets support from the solid surface on which it rests. Under the garage floor, piers are dug down to solid ground and filled with concrete to create a solid “column” which transfers pressure from the slab down to the solid ground underneath. Because this suspended slab only has solid support where the piers are located, and not the entire surface beneath, steel reinforcing rods (rebar) are placed inside the concrete, which hardens around the rebar. The steel rebar supports the slab and causes pressure to spread across the surface, rather than concentrating in one or a few locations.

Minor and hairline concrete cracks are very common and impossible to avoid completely. However, in order to minimize cracking, expansion joints (aka control joints) are cut in both suspended (garage) and floating (basement) concrete slabs shortly after they are poured. Concrete shrinks as it cures, and also expands and contracts with temperature changes. These “planned cracks” give the concrete room to move and provides a “weak” place so that when the concrete tries to crack, it will crack within the joint, where it is not visible or harmful.

The B.O.L.D. Company is uniquely situated to help you through each and every step of the custom home building process, from financing and design/selections to construction and warranty service. We are available to build on your lot in Northern Kentucky, or let our licensed real estate agents help you find the perfect home site! Our in-house drafting and design team, together with our on-staff licensed Professional Engineer, can help you find or design the plan of your dreams! And of course, B.O.L.D. combines quality products and craftsmanship with unsurpassed customer service, so that the finished home is everything you expect and more. Find out why 400+ other new home customers have trusted The B.O.L.D. Company since 1986!

Builders Of Lifelong Dreams

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Interest Rates Predicted to Rise in 2011

Thursday, October 28th, 2010

Barring any big announcement from the Federal Reserve, rates on 30-year fixed–rate mortgages will climb to 5.1 percent by the end of 2011, the Mortgage Bankers Association predicts.

Jay Brinkmann, chief economist of the MBA, said he expects applications for mortgages to purchase homes to stay about the same as they were in 2009, higher than 2010, but refinances should drop.

Total mortgage volume is expected to be nearly $1 trillion in 2011, down from an anticipated $1.4 trillion this year and nearly $2 trillion in 2009.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Amy Hoak (10/28/2010)

Builders Of Lifelong Dreams

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GE Recalls Dishwashers Due to Fire Hazard

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: GE Profile™ and GE Monogram® Dishwashers

Units: About 174,000

Manufacturer: GE Appliances & Lighting, of Louisville, Ky.

Hazard: Water condensation can drip onto the electronic control board, causing a short circuit and resulting in an overheated connector. This poses a fire hazard to consumers.

Incidents/Injuries: GE has received five reports of fires, four of which caused minor damage to the kitchen countertops where the dishwashers were installed and one caused minor damage to adjacent cabinets and smoke damage to the home. No injuries have been reported.

Description: This recall involves the GE Profile dishwashers manufactured between July 2003 and December 2005 and GE Monogram dishwashers manufactured between January 2004 and December 2006. They were sold in white, black, bisque, stainless steel and with custom panels. The recalled model and serial numbers listed below are located on the inside on the front left side of the dishwasher tubs.

Brand Model Number Begins With: Serial Number Begins With:
GE Profile PDW9200J, PDW9280J MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG,
VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH
PDW9800J, PDW9880J MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG,
VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH
PDW9700J MF, RF, SF, TF, VF, ZF, AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG,
VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH
GE Monogram ZBD6800K00, ZBD6800K01, ZBD6800K03, ZBD6800K10 AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH,
HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL
ZBD6880K00, ZBD6880K01, ZBD6880K03, ZBD6880K10 AG, DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH,
HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL,
TL, VL, ZL
ZBD6890K00, ZBD6890K01, ZBD6890K03, ZBD6890K10 DG, FG, GG, HG, LG, MG, RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH,
LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL
ZBD0700K00, ZBD0700K01, ZBD0700K03, ZBD0700K10 VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH, ZH, AL, DL, FL,
GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL
ZBD0710K00, ZBD0710K01, ZBD0710K03, ZBD0710K10 RG, SG, TG, VG, ZG, AH, DH, FH, GH, HH, LH, MH, RH, SH, TH, VH,
ZH, AL, DL, FL, GL, HL, LL, ML, RL, SL, TL, VL

Sold at: Retail stores nationwide, appliance dealers and authorized builder distributors from July 2003 through December 2006 for between $750 and $1,400.

Manufactured in: United States

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled dishwashers, disconnect the electric supply by shutting off the fuse or circuit breaker controlling it and inform all users of the dishwasher about the risk of fire. Contact GE for a free in-home repair or to receive a GE rebate of $200 for the purchase of a new GE Profile dishwasher and a GE rebate of $400 for purchase of a new GE Monogram dishwasher.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact GE toll-free at (877) 275-6840 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the company’s website at www.geappliances.com/recall

Builders Of Lifelong Dreams

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You Must Hire a Lead Safe Certified Professional to Remodel Your pre-1978 Home

Saturday, October 23rd, 2010

When you are ready to remodel or renovate your pre-1978 home, it’s important to hire a Lead-Safe-Certified professional, recommends the National Association of Home Builders.

Before being banned in 1978, lead was a common ingredient in exterior and interior house paint, and is still present in many older homes. Lead ingestion has been shown to cause developmental delays and disabilities in young children.

In April 2010 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency enacted the Lead: Renovation, Repair, and Painting rule that requires training in lead-safe work practices for all remodelers working in pre-1978 homes. EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovators are equipped to use lead test kits, educate consumers about the dangers of lead and use prescribed lead-safe work practices.

“Lead-Safe Certified Renovators are trained to help keep your family safe from lead exposure during your remodeling project,” said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Donna Shirey, CGR, CAPS, CGP, and remodeler from Issaquah, Wash.

“It always pays to get the job done right,” said Shirey. “Remodeling professionals have expertise in design solutions, managing product choices and completing beautiful projects. Plus lead-safe certification means the remodeler will understand and apply practices to minimize dust and lead exposure and protect the safety of your family.”

When planning your home remodel, read the EPA’s Renovate Right pamphlet to better understand the dangers of lead exposure and how to conduct a safe home remodel. Consider hiring a certified risk assessor or lead inspector to determine if your home contains lead paint. After completing the renovation, be sure to maintain records of the work that’s been done.

For sound advice on lead safety, visit www.nahb.org/leadsafe. The BOLD Company is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator. To find others near you, contact your local home builders’ association or use the search tool at http://www.leadfreekids.org/. For more information about home remodeling, visit www.nahb.org/remodel.

Builders Of Lifelong Dreams

Posted in Basement Remodeling, Home Maintenance, Lead Paint | No Comments »

HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM HOME, Part 17: Foundation Waterproofing

Friday, October 22nd, 2010

In this series, the professionals at the B.O.L.D. Company will take you through the process of building a custom home in the Greater Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky area. From plan and lot selection, to mortgage approval, to the actual construction, we’ll take you behind-the-scenes each week for an inside look at a different part of the process.

This week, we look at waterproofing the foundation.

Concrete and other masonry products will actually absorb water from the surrounding soil and transmit it through the foundation, where it will evaporate from the inside surfaces. This activity accounts for the dampness of older basements. Furthermore, groundwater is very adept at finding routes into your basement, worsening the dampness, or even causing water to collect.

By code, the minimum requirement to protect the foundation from these problems is called damp-proofing. Usually performed by applying an unmodified asphalt coating to the outside of the foundation, damp-proofing products slow water penetration into the foundation. Damp-proofing prevents the damp feeling of basements in older homes that did not receive such treatment. However, damp-proofing is definitely the least you can do to protect your basement: this is a cost- and corner-cutting measure which could leave you open to higher expenses later on down the road.

While more expensive up-front, water-proofing the foundation is a much better idea. Water-proofing, rather than slowing water penetration, actually stops water from infiltrating the foundation, keeping the basement dry.

The difference between these two very disparate products is tricky for homeowners or home purchasers to recognize. First of all, these products are applied early in the process, just after the foundation is poured, and shortly thereafter the foundation (and it’s damp-proof or water-proof coating) is buried by backfill (dirt). Furthermore, many damp-proofing and water-proofing products look the same to the naked eye – an unmodified asphalt coating for damp-proofing may look much like a modified asphalt bituminous water sealer for water-proofing. However, the short- and long-term results of each can be widely different. Keep in mind, also, that pre-cast panel foundation systems typically have a different means of waterproofing than do traditional poured foundations–while you might not see the asphalt coating sprayed on the outside, these systems often come with a lifetime and transferable waterproofing warranty, which will likely exceed any other waterproofing warranty options. Be sure that your builder goes the extra mile and water-proofs your foundation to protect from dampness and leakages.

A quality builder will further protect your basement from moisture by laying a vapor barrier under the basement floor. After the foundation walls are set atop the footers, the vapor barrier, which is a plastic sheeting, is laid over the drain tile and pea gravel. The concrete slab (the basement floor) will be poured over top of the vapor barrier. The plastic will keep moisture from being absorbed by the concrete slab, keeping the basement dry.

The B.O.L.D. Company is uniquely situated to help you through each and every step of the custom home building process, from financing and design/selections to construction and warranty service. We are available to build on your lot in Northern Kentucky, or let our licensed real estate agents help you find the perfect home site! Our in-house drafting and design team, together with our on-staff licensed Professional Engineer, can help you find or design the plan of your dreams! And of course, B.O.L.D. combines quality products and craftsmanship with unsurpassed customer service, so that the finished home is everything you expect and more. Find out why 400+ other new home customers have trusted The B.O.L.D. Company since 1986!

Builders Of Lifelong Dreams

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HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM HOME, Part 16: Traditional Poured Foundations v. Precast Wall Panel Systems

Sunday, October 17th, 2010

In this series, the professionals at the B.O.L.D. Company will take you through the process of building a custom home in the Greater Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky area. From plan and lot selection, to mortgage approval, to the actual construction, we’ll take you behind-the-scenes each week for an inside look at a different part of the process.

This week, we look at the foundation of the home.

Before you begin the foundation itself, a pipe must be run from the hole to the sewer or septic system outside. Every following step must be careful of this pipe, as it will, ultimately, be the means of running sewage out of the house.

While there are many options available for foundations, from concrete slabs (no basement) to concrete block foundations, we generally use concrete basement foundations, which are the most widely used type of home foundation. Our customers typically select one of two options: traditional poured foundations or pre-cast foundation panels.

Either way, the foundation walls sit on footers, which consist of steel reinforcing rods surrounded by concrete. To protect these footers from the damaging effects of freezing and thawing, all footers must be covered by at least 30 inches of soil. Where the basement floor will not be deep enough (think of the shallow end of a walk-out basement), then freeze footers are installed — freeze footers are footers that are buried deeper than the basement floor (to reach the minimum soil coverage of 30 inches); and so, the foundation wall in that area will also run lower than the basement floor. For traditional foundations, the footers are poured separately; with pre-cast systems, the footers come attached to the panels.

For a traditional poured concrete foundation, the foundation walls are made of concrete that is poured into forms. Like the concrete footers on which they sit, the foundation walls have steel reinforcing rods embedded inside them for stability and strength. When the concrete is dry and hardening, the forms are removed.

However, for pre-cast panel foundation systems, the foundation walls are manufactured off-site and trucked to the job, then set with cranes. The panels come in segments which are bolted together. These panels are made of concrete and come fully insulated and waterproofed. Furthermore, they are drywall- ready, so finishing a pre-cast foundation system basement is a quicker job than finishing a traditional poured foundation basement. These systems come with waterproofing and structural warranties, as well.

All foundation walls must have anchor bolts or anchor straps on top of the wall — this is where the framing of the first floor walls will be secured.

For more information on the difference between traditional poured foundations and pre-cast wall panel systems, give B.O.L.D. a call today!

The B.O.L.D. Company is uniquely situated to help you through each and every step of the custom home building process, from financing and design/selections to construction and warranty service. We are available to build on your lot in Northern Kentucky, or let our licensed real estate agents help you find the perfect home site! Our in-house drafting and design team, together with our on-staff licensed Professional Engineer, can help you find or design the plan of your dreams! And of course, B.O.L.D. combines quality products and craftsmanship with unsurpassed customer service, so that the finished home is everything you expect and more. Find out why 400+ other new home customers have trusted The B.O.L.D. Company since 1986!

Builders Of Lifelong Dreams

Posted in Home Features, How to Build a Custom Home Series | No Comments »

HOW TO BUILD A CUSTOM HOME, Part 15: Foundation Drainage Systems

Friday, October 1st, 2010

In this series, the professionals at the B.O.L.D. Company will take you through the process of building a custom home in the Greater Cincinnati – Northern Kentucky area. From plan and lot selection, to mortgage approval, to the actual construction, we’ll take you behind-the-scenes each week for an inside look at a different part of the process.

This week, we look at foundation drainage system options:

The foundation drainage system is among the most important systems in your home. This system is responsible for removing water from around the foundation, protecting it and keeping the basement dry. If water is allowed to collect around the foundation, severe structural damage, as well as flooding of the basement, can occur.

There are several components of a foundation drainage system: (1) foundation drain tile, driven by gravity or sump pump; (2) gutters, downspouts, and splash blocks; and (3) yard grading and drainage channels. The correct installation and maintenance of each of these components is critical to the well-being of your foundation, and thus, your home and the investment it represents. This article addresses the first component, which is the next step after excavation.

After the foundation is excavated, and before the foundation walls are poured, the drainage system must be installed. Either before, or more typically, after the footings are poured (more about that next week!), the first component of the foundation drainage system, the drain tile, is installed by laying drain tile underneath the basement floor of the home, and also around the outside of where the foundation walls will sit. Drain tile, or PVC pipes with perforations that allow water to enter, will channel the water outside of and away from the foundation. Over and around the drain tile, pea gravel acts as a filter that allows water to seep through to the pipe, but prevents mud or silt from getting through and clogging the pipe.

Gravity-driven drainage systems use the power of gravity on a slope to draw water away from the foundation. The drain tile inside the excavated hole connects to pipes that channel and discharge the water in the yard at some point below the level of the foundation.

On a level lot, gravity-driven drainage is not practical. On these lots, a sump pump is part of the drainage system. Underneath the basement floor, a sump pit is dug several feet deep and several feet in diameter. The drain tile pipes will empty into this pit. While the basement floor will be poured to cover the drain tile in its trenches, the sump pit will NOT be covered; instead, it will have a removable lid that will allow maintenance and/or replacement of the pump it will house, as well as allow for cleaning of the pit itself. The sump pump will mechanically suction and discharge the water as it collects in the pit, driving it through piping out of the foundation and discharging the water into the yard away from the home.

With both types of drainage systems, IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT THE DISCHARGE PIPE AND THE DISCHARGE OPENING REMAIN PROTECTED, INTACT, AND CLEAR THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THE HOME. Mud that clogs the discharge end, or digging or heavy equipment that damage the pipe WILL result in the destruction of the system’s capacity to discharge water from the foundation, and, instead, the water will collect around the foundation, causing, over time, serious structural damage which will also lead to internal cosmetic damage, as well.

The B.O.L.D. Company is uniquely situated to help you through each and every step of the custom home building process, from financing and design/selections to construction and warranty service. We are available to build on your lot in Northern Kentucky, or let our licensed real estate agents help you find the perfect home site! Our in-house drafting and design team, together with our on-staff licensed Professional Engineer, can help you find or design the plan of your dreams! And of course, B.O.L.D. combines quality products and craftsmanship with unsurpassed customer service, so that the finished home is everything you expect and more. Find out why 400+ other new home customers have trusted The B.O.L.D. Company since 1986!

Builders Of Lifelong Dreams

Posted in Home Features, Home Maintenance, How to Build a Custom Home Series | No Comments »