ULTIMATE FLORIDA HOME

Most people don't realize that the design of your home can have huge and long lasting impacts on the costs of the home - especially the future maintenance and usage costs.  Orientation, window placement, designed overhangs / window and door covers, etc. all play a vital role in the functionality of the home.

From roofing down to the vapor barrier applied to the home, its the details that matter.  Flashing, joints overlaps  etc. make the difference  between a good job and an ok job.  Products matter as well.  Just because everyone uses a certain type of product doesn't mean that it is a good product - sometimes it just means it is the most cost effective.  Even within those products, there are so many variations and knock-offs  - NOT all products are made equal.

Termites are a major threat to every wood structure in  Florida.  Almost every renovation project I have worked on over the past 20 years has had some degree of termite damage.   Address this potential risk during construction by eliminating, reducing or at least treating the  wood used for construction.

Florida building code requires consideration to insulation, draft stopping, and HVAC efficiency.  With all the options available to consumers today, are you getting the most bang for your buck?  Remember there are two costs to consider when building a home - construction costs and maintenance/usage costs.  Sometimes you can save a buck now only to spend tons of extra money over the next several years in maintenance/usage costs.

Florida has one of the toughest building  codes due to the potential extreme weather that we encounter.  Hurricane Michael just impacted the Panhandle of Florida as a Cat. 5 storm - one of the strongest storms to make landfall.  Is your home's structure designed to  withstand 150 mph winds or higher?  The newer homes built to meet or exceed these standards in general fared significantly better than older homes or homes built to lesser standards.

The landscaping and irrigation , when designed properly can help reduce maintenance costs, water and electric bills.  Native plants require less water to thrive and can be drought tolerant.  Proper ground cover in lieu of sod can significantly decrease water and electric usage.  Not only can properly placed landscaping  create outdoor spaces, but can also create shading which can affect heating/cooling costs of the home.