I can't see what's what....

Looks like it's going to be STUNNING! Can't wait to see pics!

Here are some progess pictures.

If you wanted a critique of your "build" it would have been better to tell us what you intended to do before building it. You probably don't want to know at this point, but the house wrap is a woven high-density polyethylene fabric coated on both sides with polyethylene film with perforations. I have not tested this particular product but several wraps that are similar to it are not as waterproof as the non-woven, non-perforated ones (Tyvek, Typar, WeatherSmart, etc.) If used behind stucco it should be installed in two layers with a weep screed at the bottom.

I would hose this house down really well before installing interior finishes. Perhaps you are in a very dry climate. I wish you good luck with it; I know how painful leaks can be.

Well, gee... no wonder you showed us teeny tiny blueprints. You don't want/need comments or suggestions as the house is already built!

Mighyanvil,

Thanks for the informative info. This is my first build so I'm learning as I go. I should of posted alot sooner. I don't have much experience, so I'm trusing my GC to everything right. I'm located in Charlotte, NC which is fairly dry so hopefully I don't have to worry too much about leaks. I also have a 15 yr waranty so I have some peace of mind.

I am about 90 miles south of you in SC and am wondering with a walk out basement, why did you go with concrete block instead of poured concrete walls for the foundation?

lsst,

Like I was saying, I'm a newbie when it comes to this stuff. I am currently working overseas so I can't be there to supervise. I have entrusted my GC with all the responsibility to build a high quality house. Can you tell me what the difference in quality and price is between concrete block and poured concrete walls? Thanks!

I found an interesting article comparing poured concrete walls and concrete blocks.

http://www.askthebuilder.com/439_Poured_Concrete_vs_Block_Walls.shtml

Fisherking87 -

Poured concrete is going to be slightly/moderately more expensive (it's all relative depending on price of concrete and labor wages for masons in your area, etc) than laying concrete blocks and is/should be structurally more sound as it is one integrated structure, versus the concrete blocks that are actually many individual pieces joined together by your bonding material (mortar). Poured walls typically go up faster and make it easier to work with complex floorplans with many jogs/corners in the foundation. The concrete blocks have many joints and so can become more easily permeable by water if they aren't sealed properly. If rebar and concrete mixes aren't added to the concrete block walls during construction the walls would be much less structurally sound than the poured walls. If these are indeed added to your walls, then the walls will likely do quite well and have good thermal & sound insulating qualities.

We have many walk-out basements in our area and I would say 60%-70% are laid concrete block and 30%-40% poured concrete - don't know if that helps you any, but both are common practices in our area. Poured walls are becoming much more popular in new homes now, but both have advantages and disadvantages, so as long as they are constructed, insulated & sealed properly and most importantly don't leak, you should enjoy yours with no regrets (in my opinion).

I wouldn't worry about it now too much, because as it seems, it's a little too late to change it now. Just make sure your GC does everything to seal them well and install the proper drainage around the perimeter of your foundation walls & the landscaper gets your ground sloped properly so that any water not carried away from the house by your gutter downspouts will not flow towards and sit against your foundation walls. 90% of all basement leaking problems I run across in everyday real estate practice is the result of either improper drainage/grading and/or clogged/missing gutter downspouts.

And, it's so much easier to extend your downspouts to at least 20 feet from the perimeter of your house and maybe more depending on your lot characteristics when building the house during the finish grading/landscaping than to go back afterward and dig up the nice lawn and bring out more equipment to dig the trench, etc. Keep that in mind if you have worries. Better safe than sorry.

From the looks of it, your GC is doing a good job and seems to know what he's doing to get your home this far along with the detail that is going into your home. (The winding staircase is very nice.) Looks beautiful! Maybe one day when you're back in the area I could come down and you could walk me through the house since I'm only about 60 miles from Charlotte? I'd love to see the house in person if you'd be willing to show me and could help you with a few decisions regarding your build if you desire. We build in Rutherford County which is directly between Charlotte and Asheville (Chimney Rock & Lake Lure area) and so we'll use a lot of the same materials as in your area and I'd be happy to share any knowledge I may be able to pass along if you would like since you are the self proclaimed 'newbie'.

You have a beautiful house and as it seems way more trust in others than I do!!! Enjoy your build and enjoy your time overseas!

Chuck,

Wow! Thanks for all the useful knowledge. I really wished I would have found this forum before I started. I guess it's a little too late now for any major changes. However, this is a learning experience as I plan to build another house at the lake in another 5-10 yrs or so.

I interviewed alot of GC's and it seems like I hired a pretty good guy who knows what he is doing and has been very helpful in trying to guide me through this whole process. You are welcome to drop by whenever you are in town.

I, too LOVE your staircase!

Where I am in SC, poured walls for basements have become more common than block walls. Block walls are still more common for crawlspaces without a basement.

In our last house our basement was concrete block and it leaked like crazy even though it was waterproofed( apparently not very well) and I swore I would never have another concrete block foundation again. If the graders have not back filled around the foundation yet, please have someone check to make sure it is properly waterproofed and I am sure it will be fine.

We have poured walls with our current basement and after 4 years have been pleased with it.

We have MW windows which seem to be fairly popular in the SE.
The main negative I have with them is that they can scratch easily. I had to have over one dozen replaced right after we moved in. The builder hired a window cleaner that used a dull and dirty blade on the windows and they were scratched beyond repair. Do not let anyone use any razor blades on the glass.

I would freak out if they installed the real door this early. Between facefront and drywall , it could take a beating!!!

I want to thank everyone for their comments and wonderful advice. I'm glad you guys like the staircase. That was my number one priority. (lol) My GC garanteed me that he has built numerous houses and has never had a problem with leaking so I will take his word for it. I was also wondering why the door went on so soon. It still needs to be stained so I guess that's why it's already on. I'll also be sure to tell the GC not to use razor blades for the windows.

I'm also debating whether or not to have the basement finished. I hear that it is good to wait a year or two to see if there are any leaks. Is this true? Also do you guys think $58/sq ft is a little high to finish the basement?

CAD drawings of the kitchen

fyi, our french doors were put in at the same stage and none of them were damaged - not even the front doors.

That is good to hear allison. I won't be too worried then.

Whether $58 PSF for basement finishing is reasonable depends on what you put into it. You should be able to build out a basic basement, ie, sheetrock, electrical, HVAC, trim, paint and floorcovering for no more than $30 PSF. Add bathrooms and specialty work, wet bar, etc.

John,

$30 PSF was what I was thinking as well after doing some research. The only specialty items is the wet bar and fire place. I figure since my GC already has a profit margin built in that it wouldn't be so high. Also, with the shaky economy and people looking for work, I assumed labor would be cheaper. Does anyone know if prices for materials have gone down?

Here are the latest pictures. The stone is finally going on. Is it suppose to look like that? Looks kind of weird to me.

Why does it look "weird" to you? They are doing a good job of spreading out the colors. It's a puzzle, for sure, and that looks good too.

The mortar should dry and lighten considerably. What color did you use?

Did they go back and clean the joints?

Here is a section of our home:

Same area a year later:

Your home is loooking beautiful. Could you tell me your roof color?

Do you like your stone yet?

Here are more pictures of the stone work. I am quite happy with the way it's turning out. I'm not quite sure what the color of the roof is, I will have to ask my GC.

allison0704, love your stone work. Could you post (or send me an email )a few photos of your stone and the name. Thanks so much.

Liz

Your stone looks really good, fisherking..... I think I see Tennessee, Illinois and Montana! ; )

Liz, Thanks! It is a mix of three kinds of natural stones hand selected by our stonemason.

These are the only pictures I have uploaded that shows the stone (coloring/pattern) in a large section that is not distorted up by the sun or shadows:

Cherie,

The color of the roof is called Driftwood. The stone is a mixture of colors.

Fisherking,

I am also going with a Frank Snodgrass plan with a curved staircase...Did you have your stairs pre-manufactured and installed in one piece, or were they constructed on site by your builder?

If the stairs were pre-manufactured, could you provide the name of the company you used? I am trying to round up a few quotes. Thanks!

Tiny,

They were constructed on site by the builder. My builder quoted me $15,000 for 2 curved staircases, one from the first floor to the second floor and first floor to the basement. Which plan are you going with?

We are going with the Bravington, with some layout modifications and a different exterior color scheme. We are also going with a basement, although only because its the norm in our region, we don't necessarily need the living space.

That is a great price for your curved staircase. My parents built a home with 10 ft. ceilings with a curved staircase, and it cost around $30,000 pre-manufactured. Ouch. Plus that was approximately 10 years ago. I am hoping mine would be considerably cheaper since it has a landing with a few steps before the curve starts, so its not a "full" curve.

Do you know of anyone else building/built a Snodgrass? I wish there was a forum or something for his homeowners, i would like to see some interior photos of my plan...Are you happy with your design so far?

And by the way Allison, I love your rustic stone! My dream someday is to build a small stable on our land that looks just like your garage, stone and all (obviously minus the garage doors).

House first, stone stable hopefully by the time my 6 month old daughter can sit a horse:)

Tiny,

I was actually looking at the Bravington myself. That is a very nice plan. So are you going with a walk-out basement? I'm guessing you are going to move the garage?

I think I got a pretty good deal on the stairs. The $15,000 was the difference in cost between straight stairs and curved. He has experience building them so it wasn't really a big deal. I originally chose the Lynbrook but the turrets took it over my budget.

I really feel you can't go wrong with any of his European plans. I was looking all over the web for people documenting their Snodgrass builds but couldn't find any myself. Frank Betz seems to be the popular choice these days. However, I feel Betz is geared towards more traditional styles and Snodgrass has a better selection of European plans, which is what I was looking for.

I am quite happy with my build so far. It's too bad I am out of country at the moment and haven't seen it in person. Please keep me informed on your buid and hopefully you can document your build as well.

We are not moving the garage, we are actually adding an additional single car door, but it will be staggered (Kinda hard to explain without seeing drawing).

It will not be a full walk-out per say, like your home (gorgeous, by the way), but my builder seems to think with a retaining wall or two he will be able to do a walk-out at the corner of the house below the keeping room...patio will become deck. If that makes any sense. (Gulp) Hope it works, we really need a basement if only for resale purposes, and walkouts are pretty much all you see in new construction around here. We do not plan on bedrooms down there anyways...eventually it will be a music studio, art space, seasonal decor storage, play area.

Is your stone real or faux? I love it, it will just look better with age. When you considered the Bravington, did you by any chance look into copper for the turret? That would be the icing on the cake, but I am scared to see actual numbers. We are planning on enclosing the area above the dining room in order to add a nursery/small bedroom...any thoughts on this?

Tiny,

Do you already have the modified plans? I would love to see it. My builder is using natural stone. As far as the turret, I believe he mentioned $100,000 for each turret and that was the end of that, so I didn't get a chance to inquire about the copper. I think it would be a good idea to add the nursery on top of the dining room.

Fisher, we do not have the plans yet. We are not going to order the reproducible until we do a preliminary layout using basic computer software and good ol' fashioned sketching. I don't want to spend the money until I'm absolutely sure this is the one, which means getting more information from Living Concepts regarding the size of bathrooms, laundry, master closet, etc. They did not have these measurements listed, and I'm pretty adamant about having a roomy Walk In Closet, laundry, and mud room. When the plan is "official" I will post to show you.

I cannot believe your turrets were quoted at that...my builder hasn't said anything specific about ours being extremely costly, but like I said, we are in a very early stage yet and do not have a final quote from him for the project. I sure hope it's not close to that, otherwise we'll be looking for a new plan. I'm guessing copper is DEFINITELY out of the question then, considering the probable cost of the turret alone:(

I think you should be ok. The Bravington only has one turret while the Lynbrook has 2 3-story turrets in the back. I personally don't know why it's so expensive. I think my builder just didn't want to go through the trouble so he quoted me high.

Fisherking,

I am in the Charlotte area and have been looking for natural stone. Yours looks great, could you tell me where you got it and the color?? Your house is beautiful!! Thanks so much

Sassy,

Here is a link: http://www.quarrycut.com/dealers.htm
There is no specific color since it's a mixture of colors from the quarry.

Thanks, I will check it out.

Master bedroom

Master bath

Great Room

Side

Basement stairs

Bonus Room

Doors

Veranda

Basement Patio

Fisher-
You were right, we will have to move the garage on the Bravington. I don't love the fact the garage will be visible now, but my husband prefers it this way anyways. I'm getting the house I want, he gets the garage he wants, LOL.

Your house looks like it's coming along beautifully. Your stone is exceptional.

Tiny,

I am excited for the both of you! Does the new garage location make your house wider? If so, I guess that won't be too bad since it will look bigger! Also, are you going with the turret? Let me know when you get started.

As far as my house, they are moving quickly. All the stone is practically done and they are starting on the inside.

Fisher, I am just green with envy that you are able to stone your entire house. I would love to do that, but probably not in the budget. In our plan, the garage is moved to the side at an angle. I am basically copying the garage layout from the Westchase, which appears from the exterior to be a smaller, stucco version of your plan. And yes, it definitely makes the house look larger but I kinda liked the fat little "castle" look it had before, so I'm a teensy bit disappointed (I'll get over it:)

We of course had to rearrange the interior layout to accommodate the garage. The good news is the kitchen is much larger. We are forgoing a formal living room and having a much bigger family room instead. The dining room is essentially the same dimensions but occupies a different spot. No exterior walls/dimensions were changed other than the garage relocation.

We have ordered the review plan so we can take it to a professional to see if the interior changes can indeed be made. As long as they can, we are going with the plan (turret included.) I am just hoping it will work out, my fear is that I have rearranged a load bearing wall that cannot be moved, or it can be moved but it will change the second story layout. I absolutely do not want the dimensions of the upstairs bedrooms to get any smaller, as the large secondary bedrooms were deciding factors in our selection.

Keep the pics of your build coming! If and when we build I'll do the same.

Where exactly are you? I'm building up off Sherrils Ford road.

I'm building in Kannapolis. I went all stone because the HOA only allows all stone or brick exteriors and my GC told me that the price of stone wasn't too much more than brick. Otherwise, I would of liked to have more stucco and shake. Well I'm hoping for the miniature castle look with the stone.

Here are the latest pictures of the inside. They are moving fast.

Stairs

Laundry

Master bedroom

Master bathroom

Great room

Granite color

Kitchen

Hi Fisher,
Are you very happy with your Frank Snodgrass build? Here in Iowa City, my husband and I are considering building his "Dundee" plan but it disturbs me that his website lacks specs for each room (such as Frank Betz' website has listed...) We almost bought a Frank Betz home (the "Woodcliffe") that was under construction but the master "Toilet Room" was so small, my husband's shoulders would have rubbed each wall! You would think with a nationally known, published designer there wouldn't be things like that popping up... Anyway, any weird quirks about Snodgrass' plan/s that you have noticed?