Construction wisdom for building or remodeling your home

"If a low price is your primary concern, you'll pay more in the end. The is no substitute for quality."

Lately there has been a trend in Flagstaff to add air conditioning to homes.
This trend is indicative of how most houses are poorly designed and poorly built. A properly designed home in Flagstaff will stay cool inside even on 90 degree days, without the use of an air conditioner.  Flagstaff summer nights are often in the 40s and are rarely above the 50's. A quality home is designed to take advantage of this fact.

General Advice For Building a New Home:

**spend money now for things that will be hard/expensive to change later**

Don't landscape with gravel. Gravel stores heat, whereas plants will make the air cooler.
Good windows not only save energy, but make a house feel less drafty and more comfortable.

Proverbs 24:3-4: "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches."

Proverbs 24:27: "Prepare your work outside, and make it ready for yourself in the field; Afterwards, then, build your house."

Proverbs 21:5: “The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness; but of everyone that is hasty - only to want.”

"The wise man builds his house upon the Rock" - Jesus Christ

A two story house has less surface area exposed to the air than a one story house of the same square footage (8-9% less) and also has significantly less roof area, thus reducing storm water runoff and heat gain from the attic.  Build high, not wide!

IF YOU WANT A FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD - BUILD A LARGE FRONT PORCH

Common Features in homes by Mark Haughwout:

General Design:
Fiberglass or Wood front and back doors. No steel doors (they dent).
All homes are designed with a covered front porch.
Insulated interior walls and ceilings - for sound dampening and increased thermal mass.
Ceiling fans with speed controls in every bedroom.
Insulated garage walls and ceiling.
Outlet for deep freezer in garage to take advantage of cool air.
Designs that provide abundant natural light and cross-ventilation.
Windows are shaded by eves on sunny sides in summer but not in winter.
Upgraded dual pane windows. (Not your standard dual panes)
Tile/hardwoods in all heavy use areas (front door to kitchen)

Electrical:
220v and gas in laundry room for electric or gas dryer option.
Dark Sky Lighting (NO light pollution - its nice to see the stars).
220v outlet in garage upon request.
Pre-wiring for an exterior hot tub upon request.
Switched under eve outlets for heat tape and Christmas lights.

Footings:
We don't try to build it to code minimums, rather we beef up the footings and slabs far beyond code minimums. The hardest thing to change on a house is the foundation! Do it the best the first time. It's a shame that new home buyers will pay more attention to the kitchen faucet, which is easy to change, than they will to how well the foundation is laid. (The wise man built his house upon the Rock!)

Insulation:
Insulated bath and laundry room walls (noise control).
Insulation between floors.
Insulated outlet covers on exterior walls.
Glued down sub floors and fastened with ring shank nails or screws (I hate a squeaky floor!)  Ask about our 1-1/8" 'silent floor' option.
Vent for the dryer is directly outside through wall (not through ceiling), thus preventing clogs and fire danger.
Fiberglass insulation in the attic instead of Cellulose (Fiberglass is less resists mold).

Roofing:
Roof designs that need little or no flashing.
Architectural grade shingles.
#60 - 'peel and stick' ice shied at all eves to prevent leaks by ice damming. #30 felt on remainder of roof instead of #15.
Continuous ridge ventilation.

Siding:
Bricks or stone are the best - they insulate better, don’t need paint, look better, and last longer.
If you do choose siding, we use only top quality products, finished off with Sherwin-Williams Brand paint.

Windows:
Casements are the best! If you order vinyl don’t settle for cheap ones, they are hard to install and break easy. If you order aluminum, we insist on the thermally separated upgraded version.

Drywall:
I prefer a smooth finish such as is found in the custom homes of the NorthEast.   My next choice is “Santa Fe” smooth
We plane down any headers etc… that are sticking out before hanging drywall. It’s worth taking the 15 minutes now with the electric planer instead of fighting the casing later for hours!
We use 5/8" drywall on all ceilings (it's tougher and quieter, especially important on ceilings).

Painting:
We use only top quality Sherwin-Williams paints. There is a difference. Most builders use the cheapest, we use the best. You may not appreciate the difference now, but you will down the road!

Floor Covering:
We prefer Nylon carpet which wears better than Polyester.
We seal all grout - twice - with the best sealer money can buy.
We us only upgraded carpet pad - min. 1/2" 8lb - this is probably the cheapest item a builder can upgrade that will bring you daily pleasure, yet most builders still use the cheapest pad in an effort to see a little more profit.

Plumbing:
We'll provide a gas outlet for BBQ upon request.
We use only ¼ turn stainless steel water shut offs at all toilets (You probably haven't seen these before unless you've seen one of our homes).
We always use elongated bowls for all toilets
We make the master shower large enough for two.