Mountain Way Realty
987 EAST BUFFALO CIRCLE
TECHNICAL FEATURES and COMMENTS
EXECUTIVE CONSTRUCTION SPECIALISTS LLC
(NC Lic.62831)
Welcome to one the most outstanding and unique homes in all of Western North Carolina. The following is a partial listing and description of the technical features:
PLAN LAY-OUT AND DESIGN
From the moment you pull up in front of this home, you know something is different. It took nine months to design and draw the plans. The home was designed to follow the contour of the lake and the property. All habitable rooms have a view of the water with windows that have been sized and located to optimize the view of the lake and mountains. The open two-story Great Room is stunning with its balcony and vaulted V-edge cedar ceiling. All habitable rooms have nine foot ceilings that provide a large and modern feel yet still give you a feeling of coziness. (8’ ceilings are typical of old homes and are too low, ceilings are many times too high in proportion to the area which reduces coziness and gives you more of a “museum” feel.) The design strikes a balance between an open floor plan and functional areas. Room features, color, furniture lay-out possibilities, and traffic flow were scrutinized by a team of interior design experts at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. Several Western Carolina realtors were even interviewed for input on aspects of the design that would affect re-sale value. The combination of cedar siding, wood trim, and painted drywall give the home a “rustic elegance” feel that perfectly fits the mountain lake environment.
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MASTER BEDROOMS
This home has three master suites each with their own special features and advantages. If you want your own private screened-in porch and 1st floor convenience, or you have aging-in-place in mind, then the 1st floor master is for you. If you want a huge (yes ladies huge) walk-in closet, a “his and her” computer and reading area, a two-person walk-in shower, and large window second floor lake views, then the 2nd floor master suite above the kitchen is for you. If you want an air-jet tub as well as a shower, second floor views of both the front and rear (water) of the home, his and her closets (hers being a little bigger) and many cozy angled ceiling lines with a sitting space in front of the 3 water view windows, then the 3rd master suite is for you.
Another advantage of this three master bedroom design is that it could lend itself to two or three family ownership (friends or relatives). Add a finish floor to the basement (it already has drywall, 3 windows, and French doors leading out to a deck) and you have an additional living area.
GARAGE
Imagine being able to store your 20’ boat on a trailer in the garage. The attached 2-car garage has a 26’ deep right bay that accommodates most 20’ boats and trailers. The garage is insulated and dry walled. The twin metal garage doors are a high end wood-look that blends perfect with the natural siding. Pull your car in the left bay and carry your groceries inside while keeping warm and dry. With straight and easy level access from the street no worry about scary driveway slopes or needing a 4-wheel drive just to get to your home.
FOUNDATION (3 types)
The foundation under the garage area consists of 12” reinforced concrete retention/foundation walls and 12” reinforced concrete block walls on over-size footings. The garage slab is 10” thick with steel reinforcement. (Your typical garage slab is 4” thick with no reinforcement.) This home incorporates a crawl-space foundation under the main living areas with a 2 x 6 wall (for extra strength) over a 12” concrete retention/foundation wall on the lake side and 8” block on the road side. The foundation under the 1st floor master suite is a conditioned basement with windows and French doors to a water-side deck. The 2 x 6 walls above the block foundation walls in the basement provide extra insulation value as well as strength.
EXTERIOR WALLS
First and second floor walls have hand-selected 2 x 6 studs (to be free of bows, twists, and crowns) with a spacing of 16” o.c. even though it would meet code requirement at 24” o.c. The walls are braced with 1/2” OSB sheathing nailed beyond code requirement. The wall sheathing is covered with an air infiltration barrier which allows the wall to breath but prevents energy loss due to air movement into the wall cavity. Time was taken to seal the beautiful cedar lap siding on all sides before it was installed which lengthens the life of the siding as well as helping to prevent warpage. (Most builders stain or paint the siding after it has been installed, this is easier to do and less costly but leaves you with the problem of internal unbalanced stresses caused by uneven moisture conditions.) Extra effort even went into the joint splicing – they are mitered which makes it better looking and no caulk problem.
WINDOWS and EXTERIOR DOORS
With the exception of the insulated metal entrance doors and crawl space access door, all exterior windows, sliding glass doors, and French doors are manufactured by Pella which makes one of the highest quality and best looking products in the industry. These beautiful wood clad windows have the best of both worlds – natural wood stained to match the interior trim on the inside, and maintenance-free cladding on the outside. They are thermo pane which provides better sound and thermo insulation. Their jambs are flashed (sealed) with “ice & water shield flashing” that is far superior to the traditional method of relying on metal flashing and caulk that eventually allow water and air infiltration around doors and windows. In addition, cedar trim protects the flashing and sets the windows and doors with depth, which gives the windows a more 3-dimensional and defined appearance.
EXTERIOR DECKING
The exterior decking is a composite of wood and plastic that does not splinter and age like traditional pressure treated woods. Although it is double or triple the price of wolmanized woods, it gives a much better appearance and will far outlast traditional materials. You have your choice of “covered screened-in” (private porch off the 1st floor master); “open upper and open lower” decks (sun-bathers can smile); or “open covered” (picnickers in-the-rain can smile).
INSULATION
Not many homes have a double layer of R-19 fiberglass insulation run in opposite directions in their ceiling area and crawl space. This added cost and effort provides not only thicker insulation than the usual single layer, but a better seal around truss webs as well. This is important because a single layer normally has gaps with a short-circuiting effect to the resistance of heat movement. Exterior wood walls have a full 6 inches of fiberglass insulation and even the basement block area has foam between the furring strips. The combination of continuous soffit and ridge vents provide the most efficient attic ventilation.
DRYWALL
Once again this house goes beyond the norm. There are no “popcorn” or “knock-down” areas to cover inferior workmanship. All ceiling areas have 5/8” drywall, walls have 54” wide ½” drywall screwed and glued in place. (Normal drywall comes only 48” wide which leaves 2 horizontal seams in a 9’ high wall, 54” drywall only has one seam.) All primary area flat joints have had a fourth coat added to provide a better quality finish.
INTERIOR DOORS and TRIM
The quality and beauty of the interior doors, eight inch base moulding, and 3-1/2” casing is evident the moment you see it. All the interior trim was custom shaped for this home from “furniture grade knotty pine” obtained from a millwork shop in Eastern North Carolina. Stairway and loft balusters are screwed in and glued for added strength. Exterior doors and windows are trimmed with wood extension jambs, wood sill, and 3-1/2” beautiful casing instead of the less desirable (and less expensive) drywall return with a marble sill. Some of the doors have seeded-glass (antique looking) transoms above them to add charm and match the kitchen cabinets. The 2-story great room has a stunning tongue and groove cedar ceiling with even the end-joints custom beveled and splined for a better look and a stable and matching joint.
WOOD FLOORING
Another extremely special feature of this home is the installation of Heart Pine flooring throughout most of the first floor including the bedroom. This is the real thing – its full thickness, sanded and stained to match the furniture grade knotty pine trim. (The beauty of this floor makes even an oak floor look boring)
TILE and STONE FLOORING
All three master bathroom floors and showers have premium grade tile or stone that was selected to blend with the relaxed style of the home.
CABINETS
All bathroom cabinets are a high end semi-custom manufactured line. The sides of the cabinets have end panels instead of plain sides and drawers that self-close. The kitchen cabinets are beyond special. They are one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted furniture cabinets. They are all wood construction (no particle board, no laminating) with tongue and groove knotty pine insides stained to blend with the floor and trim. The outsides of the cabinets are painted to accent the granite countertop and heart pine floor. Overhead cabinets have seeded (antique looking) glass and raised panel wood doors with interior lighting that projects through wood and glass shelves giving them an ultra-cool look at night. A large 4’ x 7’ two-level island has a trestle-table style breakfast bar and a second microwave that rolls out behind hidden raised panel doors. All drawers have full extension with ball bearing glides for smooth operation. From every angle in the kitchen you have a panorama view of the lake and mountains.
COUNTER TOPS
All kitchen and bathroom countertops are granite.
LAUNDRY AREAS
No need to carry laundry to a different level. The first floor master has it’s own laundry closet designed for a large stacked washer and dryer. Both second floor master suites share a small second floor laundry room.
AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING
Both the first and second floor have their
own high efficiency (Seer 13.0) Heat Pump which serves as an air
conditioner in the summer and a heater in the winter. (Separate
zoning)
FIREPLACE
If you like charm and romance, this home fits the bill. It is hard to beat the combination of the sight and smell of a wood fire burning while gazing out at the lake, mountain, and sky at the same time. Large fixed windows above the French and sliding doors give you a vertical panorama. The two-story stone fireplace is in the great room with full view from the kitchen and eating space (Believe it or not, a fireplace installed in a new home that actually burns wood today is more of the exception. It is a zero-clearance pre-fabricated fireplace with metal flue that could be converted to gas if someone desired.)
WATER HEATERS & PLUMBING
The bathroom adjoining the master bedroom above the garage has its own 38 gallon electric water heater. (No waiting for hot water) The remainder of the house is in close range of a 50 gallon electric water heater. All cold and hot water lines are CPVC and are installed sloped to self-drain to aid in seasonal winterizing if desired. Both hot and cold water exterior faucets are provided at the front of the garage. (They double as seasonal drains or can be turned off) Plumbing fixtures are high grade Kohler. The tub in the master bath above the garage is an air-jet tub. This is better for seasonal use, the standard whirlpool tub leaves water in the pipes that jet the tub, when not in use for periods of time this water that has skin cells, soap, etc. can get nasty and unhealthy – not your problem with the air-jet.
ELECTRICAL
Like so many other features in this home, a lot of thought went into the location of outlets, lights, switches, etc. All lighting and outlet circuits are wired with #12 copper wire instead of the code allowed #14 or aluminum wiring. This larger wire is more efficient meaning, less voltage drop which translates into brighter lights and less wasted power. All bedrooms have both multiple choices of overhead recessed light combinations as well as switched wall outlets designed for lamps on night-stands. Extra outlets have been placed throughout the home and located to allow for various furniture arrangements. Even the location of ceiling fan boxes have been strategically thought out. For example, the fan boxes in the 1st floor and 2nd floor master bedroom above the garage are located so that the bed could be placed in two wall directions with the fan still centered either way along with recessed lights and wall outlets symmetrical around the bed. Many 3-way switches have been selectively located for ease and utility.
Pre-wiring for the following includes: Fans for great room if desired; fan for 2nd floor master above kitchen; phone and computer wiring has been placed in almost every wall (cut-in and install where desired by buyer); surround sound; DirecTV with second line for DVR recorder; and even for cameras to connect to the Internet so an out-of-state owner could go online and look live at strategic places of his or her second home.
The designer and builder is a professor of Construction Technology at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. He is currently licensed in both Florida and North Carolina (initially licensed in Michigan). He teaches all the building construction courses that lead to an A.S. Degree in Building Construction Technology. Builders, their employees, subcontractors, and suppliers, and some county building officials enroll in his courses to earn a College Degree in Construction or come to him from a 4 county area for training and advice on how to increase performance and quality. He has worked in the construction industry for over 27 years and on a tremendous range of projects upon which he draws experience from: hospitals, stores, industrial buildings and warehouses, projects for the US Army, US Air Force, US Coast Guard, custom homes, renovations, restaurants, auto industry, churches, and schools. He personally worked on and was involved in every aspect of the construction of this special home.