Thank you Flo Mangan

Budget permitting, of course, you could add a front porch by adding a porch roof with less slope -- definitely a farmhouse thing to do.

https://houseplansandmore.com/homeplans/houseplan040D-0001.aspx

Really like your lot.

Agree with shead -- stone only at foundation level.

PPF's last offering is better than the elevation you posted. You can't change what is built but you don't have to have a hodge podge of materials.

Thank you for all of the advice. Really appreciated. Thank you for the rendering PPF. It makes a huge difference to see it. Having trouble fully picturing it with the removed gables but what you’re all saying makes sense. Below is my inspiration pic that was motivating me to play with textures on the front facade:

I can see now though that the architecture here is more simple, so maybe it makes sense on this home and not mine

I would go with the minimum stone and use the money you save to get the siding you want vinyl siding is IMO a poor stop gap

I really like the railing detail on your screened porch. I would add a railing that matches to the right side of the front porch.

Below is my inspiration pic that was motivating me to play with textures on the front facade:

Honestly your inspiration is a hot mess. I'm not sure where to look first and when you first come up to a house, you ideally want to see the most welcoming feature, your front entry.

Always remember what Coco Chanel said about removing one piece of jewelry before going out. It's the same with a house. Less is definitely more.

PPF's rendition is so much better with just the board and batten and the stone at the bottom.

Agree with the others to keep it simple. I would use all b&b siding and have the stone only at foundation. If you want more stone maybe add stone steps from the front porch and a wide stone front walkway down the slope to where it meets the driveway or street.

I prefer the lap siding rendering that PPF did.

However, I'd be curious to see what it would look like if there was B&B on the second story level and keep the lap on the first story level.

I did these really quickly and left out a few details, but wanted to show lap and B&B siding.

Lap or B&B...pick one!

Agree with others about doing just the foundation in stone.

One thing that has not been mentioned here when dealing with stone veneer or synthetic stone is that a weep screed is necessary where you have the stone that’s been applied to the concrete block meet the stone that’s been applied to where the wood sheathing starts. This is necessary to allow moisture to escape. The aesthetics of this was something that was definitely overlooked during my build and IMO is pretty unsightly. My builder suggested we bring the stone up higher to keep it level with our front porch, but that meant that in other areas, the stone would be applied well up into the framed area which necessitated a screed. If we had kept it at foundation level, we would not have the break in the stone where the screed is located. Of course how bad this all looks depends on how high the foundation is. With a very low foundation wall, the screed will not be that noticeable and be hidden by foundation landscaping. But the higher the concrete wall is, the more noticeable it becomes.

Here’s the screed on our house (red arrow is where our foundation wall meets the wood framing)....so as you can see, not the prettiest.

6 - Misc · More Info

PPF You are amazing! I can’t thank you enough for taking the time to do those renderings. What a difference.

Thank you all for your help. This is such a great community!

Thank you all for your help. This is such a great community!

That great! And you can pay it forward by offering an opinion on design issues that come up here every day.

PPF I hate to ask this since you’ve done so much already. Everyone I’ve shown agrees that the designs you’ve come up with are beautiful but I’m getting some feedback that I may actually need more stone than I thought. The only way I can think to do this is to stone the whole center section where the front porch is (top and bottom) to look like an original structure and to have the ‘wings’ on either side done in siding. What do you think? I really loved all of your ideas about doing the foundation as stone but is their an alternative if my covenants require more?

Your architect has created many seemingly arbitrary changes in the plane of the facade including overlapping gables. Its a very trendy if not commonplace design approach. I would not compound that approach by arbitrarily cladding different parts of the house with different materials.

To pull the entire house together I would use shingles everywhere and use an adhered thin stone on the foundation with the shingles overlapping it in the traditional manner.

Hopefully you will be able to afford a good looking type of shingle.

If you do use stone on the walls use an adhered thin field stone rather than a stone veneer in the pattern shown on the drawings.

Be sure to use Tyvek HomeWrap rather than a lumberyard wrap.

The standard Tyvek installation instructions include a method for the windows installed first. It is favored by many builders and architects and recommended by WR Grace (now called GCP Applied Technologies) and IMO they have been the best source for building envelope detailing for 50 years. However, it appears your contractor did not understand Tyvek's instructions. Why has your architect not caught the error?

Wow! Thank you PPF!!

RES 3d Sketches- Do you mean like cedar shakes for example? I love the look of a shingle house but wasn’t sure if that would suit the style of house. I wonder what that would look like.

We are using Tyvek house wrap and my builder has mentioned the method you spoke of. That makes me feel a lot better about the window/building envelope situation.

Thank you for your advice.

I’m going to look into the shingle option and what it means to have them overlap the stone veneer in the traditional manner.

Your builder is a day late on the Tyvek. That should go on before windows are installed along with proper window leak protection materials at each window. In looking at your pictures the windows went in first. Not correct.

There should not be a cap on top of the stone. Traditionally siding is proud of a masonry foundation with a slight overhang. If that's not possible the shingles can be flared outward.

Here is page from Dupont/Tyvek website on proper installation of Tyvek and window leak prevention. Give to your builder. Read yourself. Just from first steps, your installation is lacking I believe. This is critical to your build. Get it corrected as soon as possible.

To be honest my architect is not involved in the building process. I have hired a construction manager to oversee the build and to make sure all trades are doing things correctly. He is adamant that this was done correctly. I’m so frustrated- and frightened that he is not meeting his job requirements here. I hired an expert to ensure this type of error would not happen.

Lindsay..we used cedar shake panels that were dipped in Cabot stain before installation. They overlap our stone at the foundation. I believe this is what res is talking about. love shingle style homes.

Thanks for the info Flo. I will pass along all of this to my construction manager.

ILoveRed- your home is stunning! I love shingle style homes too. I was really leaning toward this exact style for a while. I think it’s classic. These have been two of my top images for a long time.

I love the idea of doing the shake panels dipped in stain. What company did you go with for the cedar shingle panels? Is it super costly to go this route?

Lindsey.....The experts will have to chime in here, but I don’t think your windows mesh with the two inspiration pics you just posted. You have black frames and their style is very different than the ones in your photos. I think you could definitely do shingles, but I wouldn’t do a dark stain unless the windows were trimmed out in white for more contrast. The direction you were going is very different than a shingle style home....I don’t know that you can just change it now midstream.

Experts??

No matter what type of siding is used, still need to resolve the amount of masonry required and where it will be placed.

Lindsay...You may want to rethink your columns and window trim too. They don't look like your inspiration photos either.

Dare I suggest getting rid of the nested gable?

The house would certainly look stronger with one gable but I think those are two different wall planes.

Dare I suggest getting rid of the nested gable?

The house would certainly look stronger with one gable

Anyone care to followup with some specifics? Like looking "stronger"?

I did not move any walls, just changed the roof for a visual. Something like these, or something different?

Last one looks honest..:-)

Lindsay...

https://cedar-valley.com

I cant remember how Spendy they were but I know they weren’t any pricier than all of the fake alternatives that I looked at and really disliked ie; nucedar

good luck. Listen to the experts and experienced non experts here and follow their advice and you will be glad you did.

PPF's last version is a winner.

I like PPF's last one as well, but since it appears the house is already framed, I'm not sure I'd go to the trouble and expense of changing it now as there is nothing particularly displeasing about the nested gable.

There is more that one way to install Tyvek. It is simply incorrect to say it must be installed before the windows. DuPont provides instructions for installing Tyvek after the windows and I believe it’s the better method. I gave you a link to a video from DuPont. Watch it.

The only aspect of the homewrap installation that deviates from DuPont’s instructions is the width of the strip at the sill but it appears to be another way to achieve the same result.

RE: Window Flashing -- I was mostly wondering about these two.

Agree with the others....PPF’s last one looks great!

I am speaking from experience in two new build homes. Maybe it's different in Hurricane country, but I can tell you for sure, this is something that needs attention. I won't belabor the point further, but I could tell you some stories. Just trying to help you avoid having to rip out windows, sheetrock, siding, repainting, new trim moldings, etc., etc.

Apparently two of the windows did not get sill flashing. They will need to be removed and reinstalled. The Project Manager should have caught this error. Is the manager a consultant to you or is he at risk.

I suspect your architect has built more than two houses. The windows have been installed correctly assuming the top and side window flanges will eventually be flashed with self-adhering flashing. Ask your architect why he/she chose this DuPont approved method.

This is a link to DuPont's "Installation Instructions for windows and Doors BEFORE Water-Resistive Barrier (WRB) is Installed" See page 6.

These instructions have been available from DuPont since Tyvek was first on the market.

I recommend the video I linked earlier because DuPont's instructions have never been easy to understand.

Anyone care to followup with some specifics? Like looking "stronger"?

I would but all I have time for these days is a few minutes on here in the morning if that. Now back in 2009 when I wasn't doing anything...that was a different story...LOL!

Thank you all for the comments.

RES 3D Sketches- the window issue will be resolved and I will ensure they are following the DuPont approved method for flashing etc. Thanks very much for educating me in this.

My house is what it is at this point. Unfortunately I can’t afford to make any structural changes now. So while the design may be ‘weak’ I have to live with it and make the best of it. I’m sad that this is the case because I loved the design- being an amateur I missed these important elements of design.

PPF- I appreciate all of your work. I am going to go with the stone on the foundation level only as you’ve all suggested. I think it’s the most classic look. I will price our board and batten/lap siding/and shingles. Ideally I think I would go for an off-white shingle style but we will see if I can afford that.

" So while the design may be ‘weak’ I have to live with it and make the best of it. I’m sad that this is the case because I loved the design- being an amateur I missed these important elements of design."

While being "enlightened" and "educated" is usually a good thing, I find that on here, more often than not, it makes me unhappy with what I have because now, "I know better." In your case, though, I think your original design is perfectly acceptable and quite lovely. Don't look at it as second-best or you'll be unhappy. Remember, "comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt

Great thoughts shead!!!! Lordy, you are getting a beautiful, new home, and it will be something to be very proud of AND there is no such thing as a "perfect" house. What makes it great is the memories and joy you have while living there. Focus on that. Congrats on getting this far, and hopefully, you will have many years of joy there. My husband really has this down to an art. When we were looking for a "downsized" home and came into this home, I was looking to see if certain key furniture pieces I had would fit. Know what his first thought was?? Can we fit all the kids into here to sleep for our Christmas celebration!! I said, perfect! Yes, this will work. Then we figured out the "sleeping" and done deal. We have really enjoyed it. We didn't plan on adding two grandchildren though!! haha! Always something! Love those babies!

Its always possible to make a house better and now is the time to do it.

What do you mean by "an off-white shingle style"?

The overall house will be lovely. And the good news is that using the stone only around the foundation will make it look more “authentic “.

I think you will find that lap siding is the least expensive and in reality will look the most farmhouse. Farmers didn’t have time or money to put up shingles for the most part

I think it definitely depends on the look you are wanting. If you are wanting authentic farmhouse, then lap siding is the most authentic material.

I like the shake shingle look, but, to me, that is more of an East Coast beach house look.