laupenhomes's blog

“When you start looking and keep your mind open – you’ll be amazed at the number of options you really have.”

The house is really coming together. The framer has finished the structure and the roof is on. The plumber and the radiant heat contractor have wrapped up the rough-in phase of their work. We have installed the decks for the second level and are now spending our time building all the details like arches and the fireplace surround. Today and Thursday the concrete flat-work crew will be installing our floors. All floors in the house are going to be smooth concrete with colored stain on them. With the floor being all concrete, the radiant heat will make this an extremely comfortable home.

LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Homes and building are certified as LEED based on a rating system. This rating system encompasses a broad spectrum of criteria. Everything is considered from the location and size of the building to materials and process used to install them. LEED is also the only green type of certification that requires third party verification.

We brought in two crew members from ICWalls, Inc. This is the company that installed the ICF’s (insulated concrete forms) on the first floor of the house. We hired four local carpenters to assist them with the walls. The walls were completed on the April 30th.

Constructions also began on an eight foot high retaining wall in the front of the house. Once complete, this wall will give the Coopers a 12 foot wide level front yard.