GREAT TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS
By Cara Ellen Modisett

So you’re building a house.

Area builders and contractors share their ideas on nine elements of the building process, from installing a septic system to putting up the ceiling.

Our interview subjects were the first to respond following a random drawing. All are members of the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association (RRHBA).

1. Building a Boat House

Peter Beckman

“The standard boat house years ago,” says Peter Beckman, owner/president of
P. Beckman Enterprises,“would be a single slip with a floater at one end and a walkway out to it.” Beckman’s been building at Smith Mountain Lake since 1979, and a lot’s changed over the years.

Now, a boat house might include a covered sitting area, a refrigerator, bar, microwave, storage sheds (toilets are not allowed).

“A lot of people spend all day down on their docks,” says Beckman.

American Electric Power (AEP) restrictions put a cap on how large a boat dock can be on Smith Mountain Lake. No more than two boat slips are allowed now, and there’s a limit to how much covered area a dock can include, but they can still range in price from $15,000 up to $70,000 – average cost is around $30,000.

Besides the add-ons, the length of the walkway to the boathouse can add cost - the boathouse should front on at least six feet of water, and the length of the walkway depends on how far out that depth is.Walkways cost between $1,000 and $2,000 per 6'x12' section.

The boat dock. At Smith Mountain Lake, this two-slip dock incorporates pressuretreated decking and an enclosed area with plywood/masonite siding (not visible).

Pressure-treated lumber is one option for decking, but requires water sealing every one to two years (the dock owner can do this or hire a contractor). Composite materials, a combination of wood and plastic (brands include Trex,Timber Tech, Fiberron and Geo Decking), can cost three times as much, but do not require repeated sealing.

Closed-in structures for storage and entertaining can be sided with cedar, vinyl, a plywood/masonite combination called smart lap or a pure masonite.

A dock generally takes between three and four weeks to complete.

Beckman designs his own docks (and builds 15 to 18 a year). He encourages clients to bring a copy of their lot survey, sketches/photos and the number, types and weights of their boats.The designer will consider everything including zoning and building code regulations, wind direction and boat wakes.

According to Beckman, the ideal place to build a boat dock is in a cove, where wind and water won’t wear away at the structure.

A lot of home owners build their boat dock long before they build their house, so they can enjoy it in the meantime.

Business Information:
P. Beckman Enterprises, Inc.
Roanoke,Va.
540/977-5300
est. 1992

Projects: Two custom homes, 15-18 boat docks per year.

Tip: “Check references – don’t just ask.Work hard to communicate. Look at a company’s work. Make sure your contractor is licensed and fully insured.”



2. Septic Systems for Uneven Lots

W.A. Bohon, Jr.

“Because of the mountainous region we’re in, lots usually aren’t flat,” says W.A.“Bo” Bohon, president of Bohon Construction, Inc.Waterfront lots at Smith Mountain Lake are also by their nature sloping, and this can affect a number of factors in building, including the installation of septic systems.

“A normal septic system works totally by gravity,” Bohon explains.The septic tank breaks down solid wastes, converting them to liquid, and distributes that liquid evenly into the drain field through pipes.

In a sloping lot, fluid can’t move on its own through those pipes, or lines.“If your drain field is higher than the location of your house,” says Bohon, “the system has to pump up.”An additional stage is required: a pump, “which is in effect another septic tank.”

The size of any home’s septic system is determined by two criteria: the number of bedrooms in the house (i.e. the number of people living there) and the percolation rate of the ground.
Generally a three-bedroom house requires a 1,000- gallon tank, a four-bedroom, a 1,500-
gallon.

Pump-up septic. This lakeside lot in Scruggs required a pump-up septic system because of slope. Mountainside lots also often need pump-up systems.

The health department conducts percolation tests early on, drilling small holes in the ground to see how well the soil absorbs liquid (soil with rock and shale in it will not percolate as well). If the lot passes a percolation test, then a septic permit – required before any construction can begin – is granted.


“It’s one of the very first things you have to do,” Bohon says. A pump-up system can cost from $2,000 to $3,000 more than a regular septic system, and requires three contractors: one to install the tank and drain field, an engineer to design the pump-up system, and a contractor to install the pump.

“You need to be careful with any septic system,” says Bohon.“If you pump your tank regularly, it can last forever.” Pump-up septic systems come with an in-house alarm that will sound if there’s too much fluid in the pump tank.This usually indicates there’s a blockage, or if there’s been a power outage (the pump system is powered electrically). Prevention: Install a large enough pump tank to provide a buffer, don’t allow anything into the system that can clog it and never dispose of toxic or hazardous materials down the drain, as with any septic system.

Business Information:
Bohon Construction Co.
Vinton,Va.
540/890-2049
est. 1972
waller.bohon@gte.net

Projects: Five to six custom homes/year, remodeling, apartments.

Tip: “I always suggest when you’re custom building a home, have some slush money for those special little things you didn’t know were available – cabinets, electronics, light fixtures – something you might find that you’d like to incorporate into your home.”



3. Framing a Ceiling

Dennis Cooper

“I’m kind of an old craftsman,” says Dennis Cooper, owner of Cooper Contractors, Inc. “I call it a dying art. It’s something that was always done – our grandfathers would stick-build every rafter.

“I have nothing against trusses,” he interjects.Trusses are engineered beams that distribute roof weight to the outer edges of a house. Cooper prefers to build rafters himself by hand, and builds rafters that will support higher, vaulted ceilings that give a house more volume.

“It costs more money and takes more time to build,” he admits, but the results open a house up.“When you look up, ceilings can be 12, 16, 20 feet – it makes the house feel bigger, even though it’s the same square footage.

“Framing is my favorite part of the building.” That includes the floor, the ceiling, the walls and the rafters – the geometry of wood that supports the rest of the house behind the plaster, hardwood and tile.

The ceiling. This house is in Waters Edge at Smith Mountain Lake. LVLs (Laminated Veneer Lumber) add more strength to a ceiling.

A lighter-weight wood works for floors, but to carry the roof system Cooper primarily uses 2"x10" and 2"x12" LVLs (Laminated Veneer Lumber) that will span greater distances, allow greater ceiling heights, while supporting the weight of what’s above.

The stronger wood allows for higher ceilings – “it lets you use your imagination.” Ceiling trusses distribute weight to weight-bearing points on the exterior walls of the house. Stick-built rafters distribute the load of the roof all the way down to the footers of the house – as a result, basement walls in particular must be built to bear that weight.

As for natural woods, Cooper says, spruce will work throughout a house. Pine, especially yellow pine, is stronger, and makes for good long timbers – and for ceilings.

“Stick building is labor intensive. It’s more hands-on,” says Cooper.“Working side by side with my crew, I build a house like a puzzle. I build the ridges first and then I build the hips and valleys.” Rafters require a whole different vocabulary. Ridges are the peaks of the roof; hips, valleys and gables are other types of roof designs. Jack rafters connect them.

“What’s behind the walls, what’s hidden, that’s what I specialize in,” says Cooper.“Building takes time.”

Business Information:
Cooper Contractors, Inc.
Hardy,Va.
540/721-4600
est. 1993

Projects: Three to four houses a year depending on size.

Tip: “Take your time and do it right the first time.”



4. Installing a Stair Railing

Mark Dunbar with father and business partner William Dunbar, who started the company in 1970.

Trim is what it sounds like – the finishing touches, the final but necessary details on a house, including window casings, interior doors, flooring and stair rails.

Stairs in homes have become standardized over the years.Walk in a turnof- the-century (or older) farmhouse and you’ll find yourself climbing almost vertical stairs. “You have a lot of older houses that got crunched for space,” says Mark Dunbar, president of M.W. Dunbar
Construction, Inc. Not so these days, as architects design with stairs in mind.

A stairway can take a day and a half to two days to build, generally, though that“depends on the details, the turns and curves and how many pickets.” (Pickets are the vertical wood sticks that connect the stair with the handrail, like pickets of a fence.)

And a stairway can cost anywhere from $2,500 to $10,000, ranging from a standard pine or oak stair to wrought iron pickets with wood tops and bottoms. The pickets themselves can be designed simply or with more ornamentation, and the greater the character, the more expensive to install – from $2-$3 per picket up to $40-$50.

There are now standard measurements for rise (vertical ascent of the steps) and run (horizontal coverage of a stair), and for the physical elements of a staircase.

Trim. Interior doors, window casings, flooring and stair railings are all part of house trim.

The step itself, called the tread, is generally 11" in width.The rise (or “toekick, I call it”) can go up to eight inches maximum. Pickets must be no more than four inches apart for safety reasons.

Most treads are built of oak, costing about $10-$15 per tread. If a builder plans to cover the steps with carpet, then pine will work and is less expensive.The rise is usually pine and often painted, while the tread is usually stained natural wood.

“The majority I’m selling are neutral, a natural finish,” says Dunbar.“Homeowners want as much light color as they can get.” Cherry and walnut stains are out; natural and golden oak are in.

For rises, Dunbar will substitute a composite for pine – “I use what’s called a clear lam,” he explains.“It’s a straighter board,” primed and manufactured in layers.“ It’s sort of like plywood, but it’s a whole lot sturdier and a lot easier to work with.” It won’t cup or bow like
pine will.

Pickets can be made of oak or pine (cherry can be custom built), with square, contemporary or colonial details. Railing heights range from 36 to 42 inches.


Business Information:
M.W. Dunbar Construction, Inc.
Fincastle,Va.
540/966-3909
est. 1976, Mark Dunbar took over business
in 1995

Projects: Mostly spec building, some custom building; development. 6-8 houses per year.

Tip: “Think through exactly what you want in a house before you get started, before you even meet with a builder. It costs more once you’ve gotten started to add something. Plan with resale value in mind.”


5. Brick Masonry

Peter Fields

“Very little exterior maintenance is probably the biggest advantage brick has, and long life,” says Peter Fields, president of Fields Construction, Inc.“Unless you take a hammer to it, it’s going to be there.”

Hire a brickmason as soon as you’re getting ready to build, he says. “Get someone to commit.” And be careful whom you select: Check how long the mason has been working in the field, how long they’ve been working for themselves – ask for references, and go see their work.“What one person thinks is a great brick job – another will not.”

How can you tell?

Look between the bricks. “Are the mortar joints of equal thickness from layer to layer of brick?”

Few houses these days are built in all brick (“full brick to grade”), and homeowners’ tastes in brick, as in wood, are leaning towards the lighter, neutral colors and away from reds.“You can see a lot of houses that date themselves by the type of brick,” says Fields.

On exterior walls, many builders are using brick to highlight areas of the house, or to brick off just the foundation or the front of a house, partly for aesthetics, partly out of cost considerations. The foundation of the house must be built slightly wider for brick (a layout
issue as well as a structural one).

Brick masonry. This large ranch in Fincastle is being sided with locally made brick. One of brick’s advantages is low maintenance.

A Dryvit® wall – a material that’s similar to stucco, but smoother – goes well with brick (though if installed improperly can cause moisture concerns); segments of Dryvit® can attractively highlight a primarily brick house and segments of stone can highlight a
primarily Dryvit® house.

And there are plenty of options for brick.“There’s all kinds of brick accessories,” says Fields. Jack arches are bricks cut at an angle, giving a fan effect across the top of a window; a “strong soldier course” of bricks runs straight across. Bricks with rounded edges (also called
bullnose) can be used in windowsills or in steps.The solid, rectangular bricks we think of when we think brick are called pavers.

Tumbled brick gives a rough, rustic look to the outside of a house, reminiscent of the old English style. Again, check the mason’s work, though with tumbled brick’s irregularity it’s more difficult to gauge consistency in mortaring.

“With tumbled brick, you almost have to stand back and look at it from a distance,” Fields advises.The average difference in mortared joints should even out across the wall.

Business Information:
Fields Construction, Inc.
Roanoke,Va
540/387-4580
est. 1992

Projects:Ten-12 per year.

Tip: In choosing a mason, consider price, but more importantly choose someone you communicate comfortably with and whose references you are satisified with.



6. Low to Zero Maintenance Exteriors

Eddie Fort

“Today’s buyers, particularly the empty nesters,” says Eddie Fort, president of PD&M, Inc., General Contractors, “are interested in as low maintenance as possible.”

The over-time favorite, Fort says, is brick, usually the most expensive option, but there are other options for exteriors either instead of or in combination with brick.

“Sometimes we do brick and fiber cement siding,” says Fort. Hardi Plank is the brand name for this kind of siding – “it looks like cedar siding as far as the texture is concerned,” he continues.“It has a wood grain.”

Unlike wood,“it doesn’t warp, split or crack.” It comes primed from the factory, can be painted with a gray coat and then in the color of the homeowner’s or builder’s choice. Fort estimates he’s building about 80 percent of his houses with fiber cement siding.

Fiber cement is what it sounds like – cement with a fiberglass stiffener added. It’s nonflammable, Fort says, and also unaffected by moisture. It’s not entirely maintenance-free, but after first painted won’t require repainting for another five to 10 years (cedar usually requires painting every two years).Turnkey installation can run around $1 to $1.50 per square foot more than standard $4- to $5-persquare- foot cost of cedar siding.

Low-maintenance exterior. The siding is installed in an overlapped “cedar shake” style and combined with manufactured stone for this home, built for retirees.

“That’s about the cost of one good paint job,” Fort says.

As for completely maintenance-free exteriors, brick and stone are still the best ways to go. Brick is tried and true – as Fort points out, it’s been used for thousands of years.These days, manufacturers are coming out with new colors, blends and forms, increasing design options for builders and bringing back brick exteriors.

“It’s become a very high trend,” he says. Aesthetically, brick will be much more appropriate for a colonial-style house than siding.

Natural stone is an option for houses from rustic to contemporary, but increasingly builders are using synthetic stone, which is often lighter in weight than natural stone. Synthetic stone can be applied to wood or concrete wall bases – wood is more common, but concrete is less expensive – and cost ranges anywhere from $8 to $10 per square foot.

“It can be applied on new construction in two to three weeks,” Fort says.

And it looks real: “There’s enough randomization of the individual pieces that it’s virtually impossible to tell.”

Business Information:
PD&M,Inc. General Contractors
Moneta,Va.
540/297-4045

Projects: Five to six highly customized homes per year.

Tip: “Pay careful attention to the exterior materials – don’t be afraid to spend a little more for a long-term reward, especially if you’re planning on living there for a number of years.”



7. Designing for Aging in Place

Brent Fortenberry.

“A lot of people think ‘aging in place’ and they think grab rails everywhere and a wheelchair ramp,” says Brent Fortenberry, owner of B&B Builders, Inc. along with partner Bill Sellari. “But if you design it well up front, you won’t have a lot of that later.”

Fortenberry’s projects include patio homes, a growing buzzword in the building industry – one-floor, low-maintenance living targeted particularly at retirees, as an alternative to more traditional retirement communities and nursing homes (though they’re also appealing
to some young professionals, as well, who don’t have time for exterior and yard maintenance).

“There’s a design concept called universal design,” says Fortenberry. “The concept is to create a living environment that takes away as many barriers as possible, so a person can negotiate his living space whether he is mobile or not.”

That can mean a few grab rail-type additions, particularly in accident-prone areas like the bathroom, but overall it’s variations on what would normally go in a house.

“You want adequate routes for wheels,” Fortenberry gives as an example. That means floors of low-pile carpeting, tile or wood.Thresholds are built at a maximum of 3/4 inches high.

Doors and cabinets use lever knobs rather than round ones, which can be difficult to twist. Good lighting should go in everywhere, and electrical outlets, wall switches, climate controls, etc. are placed at a lower height to be reached more easily.

A safe bathroom. This Oak Knoll patio home is designed with aging in mind, especially in the bathroom, with wide doorframes and space enough for maneuvering.

In the laundry: a minimum of a 30"x48" clear space in front of the washer and dryer (which would ideally be front loading). In the kitchen: a 5' turning radius for wheelchairs, shallow
cabinets and pantries, side-by-side refrigerators, lazy Susans.

The bathroom requires additional focus because of risks there. Fortenberry installs blocking behind the walls – a continuous sturdy band of 2"x8" or 2"x10" studs around the room so that grab bars can be installed later, if needed.

Toilets are raised – about three inches above standard height – and sinks are lowered (pedestal or wall-mounted sinks are best; a vanity should be no higher than 34 inches). Showers need extra floor space in front and a more spacious interior (36"x36") with a seat and handheld sprayer.

Fortenberry recommends building within five to seven years of planned retirement.

“Find the community you like, the floor plan you like, before some of the health issues start.”

Most people are looking for “a place they can move into and never have to leave again,” he says.“In communities such as this, people tend to look after each other.”


Business Information:
B&B Builders, Inc.
Roanoke,Va.
540/989-0255
est. 1999

Projects: Construction and development; six to seven houses a year.

Tip: “Step back and analyze, either when building or buying – look at how you’re going to live in the house, what your lifestyle is, what’s important to you. Look at how the different areas of the home relate to one another, so you get a house that’s really designed for the way you live.”



8. Installing Kitchen Cabinets

Mark Henrickson.

“The whole home-building market has become very creative,” says Mark Henrickson, owner of Henmark, Inc. Builders are still seeing “the old standby,” standard oak cabinets, formica countertops, but there are more and more options for kitchen design, and a homeowner
who spends a lot of time in the kitchen can get great advice from resources such as kitchen and appliance designers, as well as builders.

“For a while everyone wanted painted cabinets,” says Henrickson. “Cabinets as a whole, you’re seeing a lot more woods being used.” As in other parts of the house, lighter stains are preferred to darker. In addition to oak, cherry works well for kitchen cabinets,
as does hickory (“it doesn’t have as pronounced a grain as oak”).

European-style, full-overlay cabinets, are a standard approach to kitchens – “all you see are doors,” Henrickson says – and it’s easy to retrieve and store things in them.

Variations on cabinet layout can include projecting a cabinet out from the surface, stacking smaller cabinets over larger ones and varying cabinet heights at the top.

Cooking spaces. An island, formica countertops with oak edges, 24" deep cabinets and undercabinet lighting are all part of this spec home’s kitchen.

“We’ve done a couple kitchens where it’s even been a mix of wood,” he adds, or a mix between natural wood and painted, or a mix of counter surfaces. Which brings in a whole new realm of choices, from formica to tile to Corian®.

“I’ve even seen people pouring concrete and sealing it,” says Henrickson. Formica is still a fine option:“Formica can be very durable for a lot of years, just don’t put a hot pot on it.”

Corian® and granite surfaces work particularly well in contemporary homes – granite is the more costly option, as much as $250 a linear foot. Upper-end cabinet installations can go as high as $65,000 or more (the cost for the cabinets in the project pictured was about one tenth that much).

Other factors homeowners should consider when planning a kitchen: electric vs. gas stove preference, appliance dimensions, electrical demands and needed locations and workspace.

“You want to draw a triangle between your refrigerator, your stove and your sink,” says Henrickson.“You want to have a working space in that area.”

Lighting is important too.“Undercabinet lighting is wonderful,” he says – task lighting, usually a thin fluorescent.A lot of owners are drawn to recessed can lighting, which may not be that practical in a kitchen unless combined with undercabinet lighting.“A recessed can is
more of a flood light and it tends to cast shadows.”

Business Information:
Henmark, Inc.
Salem,Va.
540/389-1040
est. 1988

Projects: Approximately eight houses per year; development, construction,
some remodeling.

Tip: “Building a home, for most people, is the largest investment they’ll make.They don’t need to always be price-driven.You as a consumer are interviewing the builder, and you’ve
got to have a relationship with the builder – you’ve got to trust them, and they’ve got to do the same thing. Let him do his job – don’t try to micro-manage.”



9. Foundations for a Modular Home

Bill Sater with Nationwide. System-built homes are built fast but can be customized to early the same degree as site-built homes.

“Think about cutting your house in half and going 55 miles an hour down the highway with it.”

Reed Dillon, director of marketing for Nationwide Custom Homes, makes a strong point that modular home (or the preferred term, systembuilt) units are built strong. Each one
weighs between 16 and 20 tons. They’re built as self-contained units in-factory, then transported to a building site and connected with other units to create a house that can
range in price from $90,000 to half a million.

This is not your father’s modular home. Gables, cathedral ceilings, dormer windows, porches, brick exteriors are all part of system-built homes these days, and building costs are turnkey – including lot preparation, construction, landscaping and driveway.

Nationwide’s target market includes empty nesters and resort communities, but also young couples, families and first-home buyers. One major advantage is speed – a system-built home can go up in one-third the time of site-built homes (as fast as a month or less). Units spend seven to 10 days in the plant, undergoing more than 300 different inspections (which Dillon says are repeated three times each), then are transported to the building site by specifically designed transporters.

Units usually spend an average of 30-60 days in the field.The floor system is put in first, then wall systems are framed and walls are set onto the foundation, followed by the floor
itself.A crane lifts the roof system, and rough wiring and plumbing are completed.

“As far as exteriors, we can use anything,” says model manager Bill Sater – permastone, brick case, vinyl siding, Hardi Plank. Some of the exterior, as well as the first coat of
interior paint, is applied in the plant, while the rest is added on-site.

“When all of our material is received, it goes immediately under roof,” says Sater, describing the plant facility.“Everything stays dry.”The walls are sealed with plywood, completely
insulated and further protected by a housewrap to keep out moisture.

Site preparation and foundations are particularly important.

“We clear the lot, do the grading, dig the foundation, do the footers,” says Sater.“If the footing is off at all, then the house doesn’t fit the foundation.” So careful measurements
are taken.

“The house fits together like a puzzle,” he explains.“Each section is bolted together.”A pressure-treated sill plate (board) is bolted to the foundation, and the walls of the
house are attached to that board, and then unit by unit the house comes together.

Nationwide offers more than 70 house plans and also custom builds.

Business Information:
Nationwide Custom Homes
Martinsville,Va.
276/725-8669, 1-800-216-7001
est. 1959

Projects: Forty houses a year.

Tip: “Be sure of your floor plan, that it’s going to suit your needs long-term.Also, search for the best permanent mortgage plan."