c/custom-home-builds

Swapped from spray foam to rock wool for my last build

I used spray foam insulation for years until a builder friend in Denver told me about rock wool. It cost me about $400 more for a 2000 sq ft house, but the sound dampening between floors is way better. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a difference in noise?

Walked through a net zero house in Portland and it totally changed my mind about solar panels

Last month I toured a custom build over in the Pearl District that produces more energy than it uses. The builder showed me their monthly utility bills and they were literally negative $12 for the last 6 months. I always thought solar was just for rich folks but this house was priced like any other mid-range custom build. Anyone else seen real numbers on net zero homes in colder climates?

Vent: Floor joists sagging 3 months after framing

Walked into the build site in Austin last week. Noticed the living room floor had a dip. Pulled out my 4-foot level and it was off by nearly half an inch. Builder used undersized 2x10s on a 16-foot span. I'm making them sister in extra beams this week. Anybody else catch framing issues before drywall goes up?

Update: changed my mind about spray foam insulation after a mold surprise

I had my whole attic sprayed with closed cell foam back in March and thought it was the best thing ever. But last week when I went up there to run some new wiring, I found a spot where water was trapped between the foam and the roof deck. Turns out the crew didn't seal a small gap near the ridge vent and moisture was getting in. I had to cut out a 3x3 foot section of foam to let things dry out and then patch it with a different insulation type. I'm starting to think that with my old house's weird roof angles, I should have gone with a vented system instead. Has anyone else dealt with moisture getting trapped behind spray foam in an older home?

Am I the only one who regrets going with a cheap foundation contractor?

I hired a guy named Dave from a small outfit near Austin to pour my slab for a 1,200 square foot custom build... saved maybe 3 grand upfront. Two months later I noticed cracks forming near the kitchen area and had to bring in a structural engineer for 800 bucks. Has anyone else tried to cut costs on the foundation and ended up paying way more later?

That week in July when the framers showed up 3 days late and rain ruined everything

I had a slab poured and ready for a 2,400 sq ft custom build outside Austin. Framers were supposed to start Monday, but they didn't roll in until Thursday afternoon. Then Friday morning a storm came through and soaked all the lumber that was sitting on the ground. We lost a full week waiting for replacement wood and drying everything out. Has anyone else dealt with framers who just don't show up and mess up your whole schedule?

Visited a net-zero house in Portland and saw some cool stuff

I went to a open house last month for a custom home in Portland that was built to be net-zero energy. The builder used these thick insulated concrete forms for the walls instead of regular wood framing. I was really surprised at how quiet it was inside even though the house was right on a busy street. They also had this heat pump system that handles both heating and cooling with just one unit outside. The big thing that caught my eye was the solar panels built right into the roof tiles so you couldn't even tell they were there. The whole house only costs like 30 bucks a month for electricity which is wild compared to my old place. Has anyone here tried building with those insulated forms? I am thinking about using them for my next project.

Plumber's tape isn't just for pipes - found that out the hard way

I was finishing up a custom shower build in a home outside Portland and tried using plumber's tape to seal a drain connection. Turns out the stuff is not rated for the kind of heat a hot water line puts out. It melted and gummed up the threads so bad I had to cut the whole pipe out and replace it. Cost me an extra $80 and half a day of work. Has anyone else found a use for that tape that actually backfired?

Appreciation post: old school framers in Seattle

I was talking to a 60 year old framer named Mike on a site near Ballard. He told me they used to cut every rafter by hand with a Skilsaw 77. No lasers, no digital levels. Made me rethink all my fancy tools and how much I lean on them for speed. Anyone else feel like you'd fall apart without a laser level on a roof?

Why does nobody talk about how long sourcing a single custom window takes

I ordered a 72-inch arched window for my build near Portland and it took 14 weeks longer than the estimate they gave me, has anyone else dealt with that kind of delay on custom millwork?

Visited a custom build site in Asheville last week and saw them using ICF blocks for the foundation

The contractor told me the R-value was nearly 50 compared to standard poured concrete, so I'm wondering has anyone else here made the switch to insulated concrete forms for their own builds?

Unpopular opinion: open floor plans are overrated once you actually live in the house

I was at a builder meetup in Nashville last week and overheard two guys arguing about this. One was saying open concept is the only way to sell a custom home. The other was adamant that families hate having zero privacy and hearing the dishwasher from the living room. My wife and I built a semi-open plan 3 years ago with a half wall between kitchen and living room. It still feels connected but you can hide the mess when guests show up. I'm starting to think the all or nothing approach is wrong. What do you all think? Has anyone else gone with a compromise layout and regretted it or loved it?

My contractor accidentally built my pantry backwards and it actually works better

So we were doing a custom build outside Portland and I told my guy I wanted the pantry door to swing out into the hallway. He spaced on the plans and framed it so the door swings inward into the pantry instead. I was pretty mad at first because I thought it would eat up all the shelf space inside. But once we finished it up I realized I could put floor to ceiling shelves on the inside of the door and now I have like 30% more storage than I planned. The weird part is the door hits the back wall at exactly the right angle so it doesn't block anything. Has anyone else had a builder mess up a detail that ended up being a happy accident?

Open floor plans vs closed rooms... which actually works better day to day?

I've been going back and forth on this for my build outside Austin. We were dead set on a big open great room until we stayed at my cousin's new place in Dallas with that layout... and the noise from the kitchen just carried everywhere. But then my buddy says closed rooms feel cramped and outdated. Has anyone else wrestled with this and landed on one side?

I visited a friend's new build in Bend and saw they put all the plumbing on exterior walls

On one hand it saves interior space and makes future access easier, but on the other hand doesn't that just guarantee frozen pipes every winter in a place that hits single digits, so which trade-off do you guys think is worse for a cold climate custom build?

Our architect in Bend pointed out a major flaw in our window placement

We were set on a wall of south facing windows for the view, but she said it would turn the main living area into a greenhouse by 2pm in summer. She pushed us to move half of them to the east wall instead. Now we get morning light without the afternoon heat trap. Has anyone else had to rethink a big design choice late in the planning stage?

Rant: I let my builder talk me into a 'maintenance-free' composite deck and it's a total lie.

We paid about $12,000 extra for the material, and after just two winters, it's covered in ugly black mildew spots that won't come off. I learned that 'maintenance-free' just means you can't sand or stain it, so you're stuck with whatever happens. Has anyone found a cleaner that actually works on these things?

PSA: I was wrong about putting the laundry room upstairs for 10 years... until my water heater burst.

Pro tip: I used to think a 4-inch concrete slab was fine for a garage floor, but after seeing a friend's in Michigan crack after one winter, I went with 6 inches and fiber mesh on my own build.

Has anyone else had to change their mind on a basic spec like that because of a real world failure?

I thought a whole house fan was just a cheap AC substitute until my neighbor in Phoenix ran his for a month and his power bill dropped $180.

Has anyone else installed one in a hot, dry climate and seen similar savings?

My new kitchen sink drain failed the day after the plumber left, had to pull the whole cabinet apart.

I was set on a huge master closet until I saw my friend's setup

For months I told my builder I wanted a walk-in closet bigger than our bedroom, like something from a magazine. I mean, I had the whole layout planned with islands and built-ins. Then my friend Sarah showed me her new house in Charlotte, and her closet is maybe 8 by 10 feet, but it's all custom drawers and pull-down rods. She said, 'I spent the extra square footage on a bigger laundry room instead.' It hit me right then. I was chasing a picture instead of thinking about how we actually live. We do laundry every single day, but we just grab clothes and go. So I called my architect yesterday and asked to shift 50 square feet from the closet plan to the utility room. Has anyone else made a big change like that after seeing a real, lived-in house?

Question about radiant floor heating... we put it in our whole main floor and honestly regret it.

Remember when a builder's word was the contract?

Back in 2010, my foundation pour got rained out and the crew just showed up the next Monday without a single change order. Last month, my current project manager emailed me a $1,200 fee for a two-hour weather delay. Has anyone else seen trust get replaced by paperwork like this?

Heard a contractor in line at the hardware store say 'we never insulate interior walls', and it got me worried.

He was telling his buddy it saves money and time, but that's a huge red flag for sound control between rooms. My architect specifically called for sound batts in all non-load bearing walls on our Denver plan. Has anyone else had to push back on a crew skipping this spec?