James Hardie Plank Smooth Siding

James Hardie fiber cement siding is a rot resistant, warp resistant siding that is impervious to termites and also has a great look. They have a complete line of siding and trim products with different styles and sizes.

The yellow color is a James Hardie applied primer.

We used a 8.250" board with an over lap of 1.250" to get the 7" reveal we wanted.

The rain has slowed things a little

The siding is still in progress. Finishing the siding and flooring the porches coming this week.

Drywall

Drywall is on site and ready for installation. Please DO NOT NAIL your drywall. As nails back out of studs over time, they will push your drywall out and cause it to "bubble" in a small circle where the nails are. We used screws on the subfloor. We will use screws on the drywall. And we will use screws on the decking for the porches. Screws are your friend.

1/2" drywall will go on the walls

5/8" will go on the ceiling to help prevent any waviness and will also help a little with sound

Living room with its new drywall

The "purple" board is a mold resistant drywall that we will use in the laundry room and in the bathrooms

Exterior Doors

Looking for an exterior door is like looking for tile. There are hundreds and hundreds of options and you could spend weeks researching manufacturers, materials, colors, and styles. First you need to decide what qualities you want in a door. A steel door provides safety and durability. You may want a composite door for its low maintenance and low price. And then there is a solid wood door that is usually chosen primarily for its looks.

We went with a solid wood with a transom

The doors are Jeld-Wen meranti mahogany 2 over 2 with a transom

The larger transom on first floor door is a result of a higher window head height

The side entry will have the same door. All 3 will be stained later.

A Quiet House

The 2x6 exterior walls allows us to use R19 insulation. I believe we will recoup the extra cost associated with the thicker walls with lower energy bills.

R19 and 2x6 wall instead of the traditional R13 in a 2x4 wall

Local code here has changed several times over the last few years. It once required faced insulation throughout the home. Later it was changed to unfaced but required a vapor barrier. After realizing that the vapor barrier could result in moisture behind the barrier, it has changed to unfaced without the barrier.

R38 will go in the attic.

Most builders in this area will use R30 in the attic unless directed otherwise. The small cost difference in the R38 is worth the extra insulation you receive in my opinion. The labor cost should be the same.

This is an area from a previous photo that had plumbing from Sarah's bath. We addressed the possible future noise by surrounding all of the plumbing with insulation. The insulation has made a big difference in how quiet it is inside the house.

Electrical and H-Vac and Plumbing, Oh My!

There is a lot going on at the same time. The rough plumbing has started about the same time as the electrical contractor. While these guys work their craft, I noticed the h-vac crew has dropped some materials at the house. Its a very busy time and you need to make sure of the placement of electrical outlets, recessed lights, switch boxes, and plumbing lines at this time. Drywall will happen soon and access to all these things will be limited.

The laundry room with plumbing, electrical, and h-vac work 

Plumbing from Sarah's bath above living area - We will need to address the possible noise

We wanted to make sure of plenty of electrical outlets. 4 here in about 14 feet

There will be two separate heat/air units. One for upstairs. One for downstairs