Indoor plumbing is arguably one of the most important technological advances of the modern age. Proper management of wastewater has helped to dramatically increase the average life expectancy of humankind as well as decrease societies susceptibility to waterborne diseases. Modern septic systems treat waste produced inside your home by toilets, showers, washing machines, and faucet use. Failure to maintain the system can cause huge and sometimes costly problems for homeowners. Here are some general rules that will keep your system functioning for the life of your residency.

1. Toilet paper and human waste are the ONLY things you should be flushing down your toilet. Excess food waste down a drain or garbage disposal can drastically increase the amount of sludge in your septic tank. Grease and all other food scraps should be disposed of with regular garbage. If you tend to put a lot of food waste down the disposer it may be a good idea to add a grease interceptor between the kitchen sink and septic tank. You should also never dispose of anything non-biodegradable using your septic system. Common problematic items include cigarette butts, feminine products, condoms, disposable diapers, paper towels, or any other plastic or non-biodegradable items.

2. Protect the area where your septic tank is buried. Septic tanks should be installed under an area of soft ground with relatively low traffic. Excess weight from driving even small vehicles over it could cause the tank to collapse, leaving you a very costly and smelly repair to deal with. Excess water in the soil and above ground can cause a similar problem so it is important to pay special attention to the drainage tables around the septic system. Automatic sprinkler systems in the area are also not recommended.

3. Limit excess water use with a few simple efficiency practices. Easy water saving habits can go a long way in preserving and extending the life of your septic system. Not letting faucets run while shaving or brushing your teeth can save gallons of water a day. Installing more efficient faucets and toilets can also cut household water use nearly in half. Prevent unnecessary water waste by addressing and repairing any leaky faucets or pipes. Even a small drip can add up over a long enough period.

4. Maintain a consistent maintenance schedule and always consult a licensed professional when fixing or modifying your septic system. As a homeowner it is important to know the location of your septic tank and drain field along with a sketch and your maintenance records for future service visits. You should also keep a detailed record of any inspections, pumping’s, permits, and any other maintenance activities. It’s also highly recommended to have your system inspected annually by a licensed professional to take preventative action before small issues become big problems.

Educating everyone in your household about proper septic system care will have a direct effect on the overall health and lifespan of your system, possibly saving you thousands of dollars in the process.           

There are two types of foundations predominantly used during the construction of a new home; Stem-Walls and Monolithic slabs.  Both carry specific benefits and challenges during construction and it is important to know these before breaking ground during a new home building project.  In this article we will explore the differences and benefits between the two types of foundations.

Monolithic Slab

Monolithic means “all in one pour” so the foundation is constructed in one single pour that is made up of a concrete slab with thicker areas under load bearing walls and all perimeter edges to take the place of footers. Because this Slab is poured all at once, it is much faster and keeps labor costs low.

When used under the right conditions, Monoslabs can be just as sound as Stem-Wall slabs. In most sub division community builds, the ground is level throughout the entire property and more densely compacted with very little fill dirt required. In this case, if all finished floor elevations are the same from lot to lot and there is very little slope, Monoslabs may be the best choice.

There are some major issues that can arise if lot conditions are not contusive to a Monolithic Slab. They can not be used when a lot of fill dirt is required because the concrete is more likely to crack if the ground isn’t compacted well enough. This is a problem for homes that need to be built up to rise above a flood plane provided by your engineer (as most lot builds in Florida must). In this situation, Monoslabs tend to crack around the perimeter walls and other major load bearing areas. This cracking can cause structural issues which affect other aspects of the house further down the building process like drywall and flooring if the framed walls aren’t stable.

For these reasons, most lot builders in Florida (including us) prefer stem-wall foundations.

Stem-Wall

Stem-Wall slabs are constructed in a multi-part process where a footer is poured at virgin ground level, then blocks are laid forming a wall up to the finished slab elevation.  This type of foundation is much more stable when fill dirt is required achieve the final build elevation. This process takes a bit longer than the Monolithic Slab, but a more stable foundation will prevent other issues down the road that could arise with trusses or wall construction.  When dealing with varying lot conditions Stem-Walls are a much more consistent method of foundation construction.

Quality construction starts with a solid and consistent foundation.

An important decision that can go overlooked during the construction process of your new home is the type of insulation to be used throughout the structure. Not doing your homework on the different types of insulators can have costly repercussions throughout the life of your new home. Historically, fiberglass insulation was the standard material used when insulating a residential home, but recent trends show a shift in the market toward spray-foam.  Spray foam is widely recognized by builders as the superior option to traditional fiberglass and here’s why.

Spray Foam has the ability to expand once applied to the area. Standard spray foam consists of two chemicals, polyurethane and isocyanate, commonly found in various materials likely around your house already (mattress and furniture foam). When the compounds are sprayed out of a spray foam gun they expand as soon as they leave the hose. This affords it the ability to completely cover the area in need of insulating. It fills every nook and cranny drastically reducing the airflow when compared to its distant cousin fiberglass.  Spray foams expanding capabilities allow it to save somewhere around 30% in annual energy costs potentially saving the homeowner thousands over the products lifespan.

Another huge benefit of spray foam is the life of the product. The measure of how well a product can restrict the flow of air is the resistance value or R-value. The R- value of fiberglass is 2.2 per inch when it’s brand new and will deteriorate over time with an expected life span of about 10-25 years if it remains dry. On the other hand, spray foam has an initial R – value of 3.5 and maintains that high level of performance for upwards of 80 years. Although foam must be applied by a professional if it needs to be replaced or repaired, there is a slim chance it will take place in your lifetime due to normal wear and tear.

Unlike fiberglass insulation, foam is also impervious to mold and bacteria. One of the worst nightmares to a homeowner is mold appearing anywhere in their house. The open cell foam compound popularly used for residential insulation does absorb some moisture, but spray foam provides no nutritional value to mold or bacteria.  If there is nothing for the mold to feed on, then it won’t be able to grow or spread. Pair that with its superior ability to prevent moist outside air from penetrating the sealed barrier mentioned earlier in this article and you have a solid first line defense from harmful bacteria.

The major negative attribute of spray foam is the initial cost. Fiberglass generally costs about $0.40 per square foot and can be installed by anyone. Spray foam generally costs around $0.80 to cover the same area and must be applied by a professional due to some minor health risks when in wet form. After about a 12-hour curing process where the foam is allowed to harden it becomes safe to touch with no harmful gasses emanating from it.

Spray foam is quite literally a product that will pay for itself over a few short years by cutting down on energy costs and providing a smaller workload for the air conditioning unit. We highly recommend it in every home we build.

One of the first things people notice when visiting your new home is the driveway. There are a ton of different options when it comes to choosing the right materials for the job. Two of the most popular options are decorative paver stones or concrete slabs. The three most important factors to consider are the initial cost, maintenance cost, and overall aesthetic look.  To help you decide which route best suits your specific job, we’ll compare both materials with these three factors in mind.

Initial Cost

There is a slight disparity between the two materials as far as initial cost is concerned. A concrete slab driveway will generally be the cheaper option if you elect against an upgrade to stamped concrete, but not by much. You can plan on saving around 10% when choosing concrete over decorative pavers, but those savings could be forfeited down the road with higher repair costs.

Maintenance Cost

Concrete is relatively easy to maintain but cracking is likely to occur at some point down the road. As the ground moves over time it puts stress on the surface of the concrete causing it to crack in various places. If a minor crack appears it can sometimes be fixed with a spot treatment or patch, but the repair will be easily noticeable with how difficult it is to match concrete poured at different times. If the cracks are severe and over multiple spots you may have to tear up the entire slab to redo it. 

If pavers crack, each one can be easily removed and replaced. You can order the replacement paver to closely match the color of the damaged one thus not disrupting the pattern. If they sink, simply remove the sunken paver, add fill dirt to bring it back up to the proper level and replace it. Both repairs can be done with a much lower cost and labor compared to problems encountered by ground shifts beneath concrete. 

Overall Aesthetic Look

One of the first things people notice when arriving at a new home is the driveway so it’s important to make sure it provides the first impression you desire. Paving stones come in a variety of shapes and colors, providing design freedom to anyone building a new home along with being generally more appealing than a boring concrete slab.

However, there many different practices used to alter the appearance of concrete such as texturing, staining, or stamping.  Stamped concrete is a technique used to mimic the appearance of pavers although you still have issues with cracking and repairs.

Many people prefer the look and benefits of lower long-term maintenance costs of pavers over concrete, but personal preference and budget will go a long way in ultimately determining which route is right for you.  You should look closely at all options and get quotes for both before making a final decision.