Framing

We often hear "I wish we had done that at the time" from visitors who are current homeowners.  A lot of the items they are referring to are the result of choices made at the foundation and framing stage. Faced with a choice, we always choose in favour of long term homeowner value - especially on things that are difficult to change or upgrade in the future.Two examples are ceiling heights and insulation.

We also like our structures to be extremely solid - the home on the street you want to be in if severe weather should strike.

For this reason we use an Ottawa snow load on our engineered roof trusses, our walls use 2x6 plus wood sheathing. Our floors are supported by TrussJoist beams at well under maximun span. Our floors are 3/4 inch plywood and not OSB.

We also use real 3-1/2 inch Ardox hand-driven  steel nails on most structural elements, not just airnails. We just hope you never want to take one of our structural walls apart - because it won't be easy.

the sound of silence

In a busy household sometimes a quiet place to read or relax can be hard to find.

We use filled core heavyweight soundproof doors in the bedrooms and in the door separating the bedrooom area from the main living area. We also use Roxul fireproof insulation in the partition walls separating the bedrooms from the main living area. This means if you are trying to work, sleep or study you are separated from the main living area by two soundproof doors and an insulated wall.

Want to hear the difference? Come on over and give a tap on our walls.


A secondary benefit of insulating the partition walls is that should you not be using a room you can close down the heat to that room and save even more on your heating costs.

Casement windows provide a much tighter seal than any other type of window. This not only saves energy, it stops a lot of external noise and makes a quiet interior.

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laying the foundation for lot 1

Our 10 inch poured concrete foundation means we can minimise overlapping the brick or the wood frame on the foundation wall, and still put in a layer of insulation and sheathing behind the brick - beyond an R2000 home. A double run of 15mm rebar in the footing and both internal and external big "O" drainage pipe - neither of which are code requirements- protect against many future problems.

Securing the structure to the foundation wall is also key. Here you see the "T" anchor bolt arrangement designed by the structural engineer. Kuipers Concrete did an excellent job of carefully placing these in the foundation wall.

Here is a video of MG Masonry delivering bricks to the site.They work their people very hard as you can see.  (just kidding)

designing your home

Our 80ft x 190ft lots give you a lot of options, and with city sevices you don't need to worry about where to locate the septic tank!

As a custom builder we can offer you the opportunity  to have the home of your choosing. Bring us a set of plans, some pictures of houses you like, a sketch on a napkin, or just a wish list.

Provided it fits with the character of the development in terms of size, style and form and it meets the residential zoning requirements, we can work with you to make it a reality.

the agent's tour

Yesterday was an agent's tour - a chance for agents to view the property and meet the builder. Most seemed quite impressed with the home and spent 15 to 20 minutes going over the many beyond-normal features.

Here for example is a picture taken from the garage showing the 10 inch poured concrete foundation wall, the 2 inches of external below ground SM insulation, the Platon dimpled plastic wrap, and the tar-based foundation coating.

the neighbourhood

Located on the northwest edge of Trenton, the area surrounding the Fairlawn Park subdivision has a distinctly semi-rural feel. Almost all of the available land  was built on many years ago. Unlike this development which features city water and sewer, the older existing houses rely on wells and septic systems, and consequently are widely separated.  Environmental and other restrictions on development mean that the immediate area seems likely to retain its essential character for many years.

Hartt's Corner Park - the site of many kids soccer games in the summer - forms the northern boundary of the subdivision and is an idyllic place to spend a summer evening.

take a look inside

Here is a view of the upstairs looking at the front door showing the premium hardwood maple flooring that runs throughout the upstairs.

The master bath features a 66 inch Roman style soaker tub  and dual sinks as well as a separate shower with a built in seat. You won't run out of hot water with the 60 gallon hot water tank, and the oversized piping ensures that the tub can fill quickly.

The large open areas in the basement are made possible by the 43 foot steel I-beam that supports the upper floor . There are also 7 above ground level windows  that make the basement bright and pleasant. Five of the 7 are large egress windows which are required under the building code in order to locate a future bedroom in the basement should a 5th bedroom be desired.

The open concept dining room area like the rest of the upstairs has 9 foot ceilings and large energy efficient casement windows.

Welcome to Fairlawn Park

Here is a picture of the first house in the subdivision (lot 1) located on the corner of Fairlawn Road and Telephone Road on the northwest edge of Trenton. On upcoming posts we'll take you inside and show you some pictures of the construction process beginning with the excavation on June 6th, 2011.