Fall Colors...

It’s hard to believe that Summer is almost over, although here in the Northeast it’s been the Summer that never was! This time of year many of my clients are beginning to make plans to start construction in the Spring, but did you know that the Fall is one of the best times of the year to build? Normally the ground has had a chance to dry out, which makes it easier for your site and foundation contractors to get their heavy equipment in and out of the job site. Dirt roads are stable and fixed up from damages of the previous winter’s frosts. I visited many a soggy job sites this past Spring to see concrete trucks stuck up to their axles in mud!

Contractors are also eager to retain a project to carry them through the Winter. By planning now, you can easily have your dream home enclosed before the snow starts to fly. Once the house is shelled in, your contractor will have your undivided attention as he completes all the interior finish work over the course of the Winter. And with the arrival of Spring, you can jump right into having your landscaping completed; this way your new plantings will have an entire growing season to get established.

So, if you thought of building this Fall or are thinking of moving your timeline ahead, give your Beaver Mountain Sales Consultant a call and you can be enjoying the site of your dream home under construction right along with all those Fall colors!

Call 1-800-233-2770 to schedule a consultation!

Andersen Windows & Patio Doors Commitment to the Environment

Andersen Corporation will continue our longstanding commitment to leadership in environmental stewardship and to make a positive impact in the communities in which we live and work.


Some examples of our commitment to the environment include:


ENERGY STAR Program - The U.S. Department of Energy's ENERGY STAR Program made us the first national window and patio door manufacturer whose standard product line met all of its requirements in all three U.S. climate regions. For more information, visit ENERGY STAR Homes. The Environmental Protection Agency named us the 1998 Outstanding ENERGY STAR Homes Manufacturer Ally. Again, we were the first window and patio door company to win such an honor.


Green Seal Certification - Green Seal, the independent American environmental labeling organization, recognized us in 1995 & 1997, thus making us the only window manufacturer to receive such a certification. For more information, visit Green Seal. Said Green Seal President Norman Dean: "If all the windows in the U.S. were as energy efficient as those made by Andersen, we would save 2.5 percent of the annual U.S. energy consumption."


Development of Fibrex Material - Fibrex material is a unique composite that reduces our need for raw material by reclaiming much of the wood and vinyl from our waste stream. Forty percent of its weight is reclaimed wood. Initially, we used Fibrex material in the subsill of our Frenchwood hinged patio doors. But, because of its remarkable performance, we've taken it into other product lines. In fact, we're looking into using it in products besides windows and doors. The environment isn't the only winner. Independent tests show that Fibrex material is virtually resistant to rotting and insulates nearly as well as wood.


For more information about Andersen's commitment to the environment visit: www.andersenwindows.com/servlet/Satellite/AW/Page/awGeneral-3/1200437179427


Submitted by Ross Brown, Andersen Corporation

Dan & Jean's Design - Part 6

Continued from June 26th...

Every day is one day closer to Dan and Jean's dream coming true.

Builder Jim Cammer and his crew are doing a beautiful job, concentrating on getting the outside of the home done during the nice days, which have been few and far between this summer. The numerous rainy days have not gone to waste as there is plenty of inside work.

Jim has worked closely with Mike (Beaver Mountain Customer & Builder Relations) on a couple issue that have popped up during the building process. In one case, Jim's crew needed a couple more pieces of lumber to finish the outside deck. Jim also felt that trimming the porch in a slightly different manner than shown on the blueprints would make for a more pleasing finished product. Mike was very accommodating and made arrangements for Jim and his crew to have the material they needed, without holding up the construction of Dan and Jean's home.

Jim and crew have several more weeks of work, but that doesn't stop Jean from thinking about holiday decorating or Dan from planning a BBQ for his first summer deck party. Hopefully they will snap some picture when the time comes and post them for all of us to see.

The NEW Floorplans pages are LIVE!

We are all very excited about this project! Our months of hard work has paid off in the form of the new floorplans pages that are easier to navigate, searchable and best of all include many more plans!

When you go to www.beavermtn.com/floorPlan, the first thing you'll notice is that our plans are broken up into 4 categories; Classic, Signature, MossCreek and Custom.

• Our Classic Designs are the tried and true plans over the past 25 years. They are all under 2,000 sqare feet.
  
• Our Signature Designs have been recently updated and include some designs by award winning designer Murray Arnott. These plans range from 1,500 sq. ft to 4,000 sq. ft. and include solid log, insulated half log and hybrid features.
  
• The MossCreek Designs are exciting luxury plans from MossCreek Designs (http://www.mosscreek.com/) and incorporate beautiful upscale touches to the plans such as timber porches, stone entryways, interesting rooflines and more! These will be added to in the very near future. If you'd like to see more, contact your sales consultant at 800-233-2770!
  
• And finally, our Custom Designs. We are very excited about this line of plans. These represent homes that our clients have worked with our in house designers to create. They are gorgeous, luxurious and reflect their individuality.

And if you know what you're looking for, you can use our search tool to refine your criteria so only the plans that fit your needs will come up. Just click on "Search" on the top navigation bar next to "Beaver Mountain Floorplans".

As always, use these floorplans as a starting point for your home. Our clients typically come to their design sessions with a few different homes that they like and end up blending the different features into their home to make it their own distinctive style.

To get you started, we are offering free 11x17 plans of the floorplan of your choice! Go to www.beavermtn.com/learnmore to register for yours!

*Preliminary Designs are not for construction. They will be mailed to you after registering. For more information about any of our plans, please contact your sales consultant at 800-233-2770.

Yes! There is still plenty of time...

Q- Do we still have time to build this year? ..

This is a question I hear often this time of the year.

The answer – a resounding YES!!

If you are considering building, and you would like to enjoy your home next year, why wait? Start planning the home now, get your order placed for a fall delivery, and have use of it as early as spring 2010!

Here in the Northeast, summer seems to fly by and we all agree it is just too short. As we get into August and the start of the new school year approaches we realize that fall is close to follow.

Don’t let that discourage you. Actually, fall is a great time to build. It is typically drier in the fall than in the spring, and builders often are available, as the home they began in the spring is nearing or at completion. Builders also look to have work for the winter, and to get a house enclosed in the fall for indoor work over the winter months is ideal!

Beaver Mountain is currently scheduling production for September and throughout the remainder of 2009. With low interest rates, competitive pricing from builders and sub-contractors, and Beaver Mountain Fall and Winter building promotions, WHY WAIT?
Late summer and Fall are great times to build !

Call 1-800-233-2770 For more Information!

Can a “High Performance Home” be designed using Solid Log and Insulated Half Log construction?

In short the answer is yes! First though, let’s look at what a “High Performance Home” is. A high performance home, to me, is safer and healthier to live in, utilizes today’s technologies to use less energy, is built with sustainable materials and has a lower overall impact on the environment. A high performance home will outperform a traditional home that is built only with the goal of meeting code. The ultimate goal of a high performance home is to have all elements work together for greater energy efficiency and comfort, while also ensuring healthy indoor air quality.
Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes has been focused on providing energy efficient homes for many years. I am currently working with several clients who are in the process of designing or building high performance homes (a.k.a. green or eco-friendly). Based on specific site conditions as well as personal preference, some are using solid log walls and others are using our insulated half log wall system. A few of the high performance methods being used include passive solar, geothermal, cool color roof shingles, solar panels and spray cellulose or foam insulation. These technologies combined with Beaver Mountain's expertise and quality of materials will set you well on your way to building a beautiful high performance home. The more natural wood products you use in your home such as logs and timbers (vs. man made conventional materials) the greener your home will be. We do not pre-treat or borate dip our logs so they are 100% natural and don’t emit harmful VOCs or other pollutants. Soil, water and air combined with energy from the sun are all that are needed to grow the trees our homes are made of. The thermal mass benefits of solid log construction better utilize available energy in both summer cooling and winter heating. According to the U.S. Department of Energy website you can save as much as 30-50% on your utility costs by incorporating various high performance or green building principles into the structure of your home. You can save 50-75% on your light bill alone by installing energy efficient fixtures and bulbs. The log and timber components our homes are milled from are not only beautiful they are renewable, recyclable and energy efficient.
Contact us today and find out how you too can benefit by designing and building a high performance home with Beaver Mountain.
John Lanner, Senior Design Consultant

Checks & Caulking

You just noticed some small splits or as they are called in the log home industry “checks”, in the logs on the outside of your home, what should you do? First off, this is a normal occurrence. These can occur in the first couple of years after your home is completed, especially on the more exposed west and south sides of the home. These sides receive more sun and higher temperatures. This can cause the logs moisture content to dry more than the less exposed sides. This additional drying will sometimes cause checks to occur.
How concerned you should be, depends on where the check is, if they are small, less than a ¼” wide and on the under side of the log radius, you can apply caulk or leave them alone. If they are on the upper side of the log radius they should be caulked.
Checks on the upper side of the log can have rainwater or snow melt running into the opening. This will increase the weathering process of the wood and during the winter months, the water can freeze and expand increasing the size of the opening.
To get a good weather tight seal with the caulk, we recommend using a wire brush or coarse sand paper to remove any dirt and finish from around the crack, then clean the area with mineral spirits, let that dry then apply caulk into and over the crack. Allow the caulk to skim over, and then apply a coat of finish over the caulk. This will create a weather tight seal over the check.
We provide Sashco’s Conceal caulk for caulking any small gaps that may occur on the outside of the logs. If you decide to use another brand of caulk make sure it is a high quality caulk and for exterior use, as a rule of thumb the high the cost of the caulk the better the quality. And make sure the caulk color will match the finish color.
Also check the handrails and exposed log ends for new checks. If you have any questions please give us a call, we will be happy to give you some guidance.
Fred Hathaway

Dan & Jean's Design - Part 5

Continued from June 9th...

What an exciting day June 15th was for Dan and Jean. This was the day that three tractor trailers pulled up to their building site and delivered the logs for their home, along with many other materials, but after all it's the logs which make it a log home.

Site work was done, the foundation was poured, and Dan and Jean's builder, having picked up the first floor materials a week earlier, was not only ready for delivery of the main structural components, he was ready to begin assembly of the log walls.

In order to keep the project moving along, the builder had made arrangements with Mike (Beaver Mountain's Customer & Builder Relations) to schedule Technical Assistance. So bright and early on the 17th, Jim, Beaver Mountain's Field Technical Advisor, arrived to assist in getting the log wall installation underway. About a week later, the log walls were assembled and the builder was ready to move onto the roof system.

We will wrap up this string of post the week of August 10th, when we give an update on the building progress.

Thinking outside "THE BOX"

For the past several months I have worked with a lovely couple on their dream home. And while many of our correspondence has been by fax, phone and email- for now "the box" has made a lasting impression on Ken and Lori’s Beaver Mountain building experience!

These attractive and yet sturdy boxes are typically used to mail documents, drawings and other items that otherwise would not fit into an envelope. A few months back when Ken and Lori needed to review some documents, being the frugal, environmentally responsible person I am, I decided to try something different with my nearby neighbor.

I placed the first documents in “the box” and with Lori’s permission decided to drop it off at their house. Lori in turn, left me a message that after they reviewed the documents she too, would leave “the box” on the porch for me to pick up. Over the next several weeks we passed "the box" back and forth many times. All the while our design and engineering department, in conjunction with the builder, collaborated and analyzed the design, materials and site location in order to satisfy NYS Energy Star requirements. They analyzed windows, overhangs, thermal mass, color and type of roof shingles as well as the energy efficiency of the corner styles. As a result, Lori and Ken will be substantially reducing their carbon footprint not only with their design but with the use of geothermal radiant heat and enough photovoltaic solar panels to provide 93% of their electrical usage.

So over the next few months the chronicles of “the box” will quickly draw to an end but the excitement that comes with the delivery and construction of Lori and Ken’s beautiful new “Environmentally Friendly” Beaver Mountain Home will last for many years to come!Debbie D- Building Consultant

For more information on how Beaver Mountain can help you build your dream home call 1-800-233-2770

Dan & Jean's Design - Part 4

Continued from June 1st...

Our production department began milling Dan & Jean's wall logs on May 20th. This process involves taking a kiln dried rectangular "cant" of pine and running it through a special planer which mills a face on all four sides at the same time. Setting up the planer takes between four and six hours. Once the planer was ready, it took about four hours to mill Dan & Jean's logs.

Next, our precut production line took the lineal foot logs and cut them into all of the individual log pieces required for the log walls. This process includes cutting the logs to length, milling for splines, milling the necessary log corner joints and predrilling all of the logs for lag screws. After three days, the wall logs were cut and dry stacked.

Meanwhile, our panel shop was manufacturing the gable panel walls and precutting the rafters over the span of about one day. The component shop took about a day to manufacture the timber posts and truss pieces. Materials such as plywood, framing material, shingles, fasteners and finishes were pulled from inventory and packed for delivery in about 1 1/2 days.

Before we packed the logs for delivery, Dan and Jean were invited to visit our production facility and view their dry stacked wall logs. They arrived, along with their builder, and spent a little time sizing up the future rooms, taking snap shots and doing the "final inspection" of the wall logs.

Materials are pulled and we are ready to deliver Dan and Jean's package. Check back the week of June 29th when we will let you know how delivery went.

Dan & Jean's Design - Part 3

Continued from April 20, 2009...

Near the end of March, the quote was updated to reflect Dan and Jean's redesigned home, and the builder submitted revised numbers. After reviewing the new plans, quote and builder's figures, on March 31st, Dan and Jean signed their revised approval drawings, purchase agreement and Detail Specification Form. A delivery date of June 10th was agreed upon, moving the project to the next phase in the design process.

The project was next put into the engineering department schedule for completion of Construction Drawings, including foundation and framing plans and construction details which the contractor will use when building Dan & Jean's home. Thermal Performance Calculations were also run to document that the home will meet state energy codes. On April 27th, these Architect sealed drawings and thermal calculations were sent to the customer. The engineering department then began work on Assembly Drawings.

Assembly Drawings, which include log & panel wall cutsheets, precut timber cutsheets and rafter patterns, plus the material list were next completed and forwarded to the production department on May 11th.

In Part 4, we will continue to chronicle the manufacturing of Dan & Jean's home as we approach the June 10th delivery date.

The Fun is in the Journey; The Pride is in the Home!

I recently went to visit a Beaver Mountain Home under construction. I met the homeowner at the site. Both he and his project manager took me around the property where they explained the plans for the finishing touches of the home such as the tile style, the floor coverings, kitchen pantry area, and master bath fixtures. They removed their unique light fixtures from the boxes they were stored in and they lifted the protective covering off of furnishings that were waiting to be moved into the completed home for me to see. As they moved from room to room, you could see in their eyes the pride and satisfaction that the project was giving them, but more importantly, they were having fun!

Building your dream home, whether it is a 4000 sq ft lake house, or a 1200 sq ft hunting cabin is an experience where the fun is in the planning and the journey as much as in the finished product. At Beaver Mountain we understand this, and we do our best to help you plan, design, and co-ordinate the construction of your new home. We want you to remember your journey as a wonderful experience! We know you will be proud and completely satisfied with your Beaver Mountain Home for generations.

Come to the Mountain and see our model homes, check out our web site for plans, ideas, and information or call 1-800-233-2770 for information or to make an appointment.

Stopping Carpenter Bees

Warm spring weather is here and with it the insect world reawakens. The carpenter bee or boring bee, so named because of the ½” diameter hole that they make in wood, also comes to life and starts looking for a site to start a nest.

The adult carpenter bee resembles the common bumblebee but has a shiny bluish-black abdomen, where as bumblebees have a hairy abdomen that is mostly yellow. They have a preference for certain softwood species, including southern yellow pine, white pine, cedar, redwood, Douglas fir and cypress. They overwinter in the wood, emerging in late April through June, find a mate, and search for a nest site. The female bores a new tunnel or cleans out an existing one. She bores into the wood approximately 1 inch then turns 90 degrees and tunnels another 4 to 6 inches and lays her eggs, starting the next generation.

Carpenter bees tend to return to the same area that they emerged from. Look for small amounts of sawdust on the logs and ground, which result from the boring. The hole, approximately ½ inch in diameter and almost perfectly round, is usually found up near the eaves or upper logs. When you find that the bees have started a nest you need to stop the bees and plug the holes.

The best control is to put a finish on the raw wood before the bees find the wood. Bees prefer unfinished wood but will bore and nest in stained wood. Special additives can be used with the finish to deter bees. We offer NBS30 (natural botanical) repellent, which is mixed in with the finish. There are other chemical products that can be put on or in the bored hole area to control their presence. Another method is to run a length of flexible wire into the tunnels to destroy the bee and larve, and then the hole can be filled with steel wool and caulked.

By being aggressive about detering carpenter bees, you can control their presence.

Fred Hathaway, Purchasing Manager

Thinking about Remodeling?

Are you looking to add that touch of luxurious lodge or cozy cabin to transform your current home into a rustic mountain retreat?

Did you know that not only does Beaver Mountain Log & Cedar Homes design and manufacture log, panelized half log and hybrid wood homes, but we also offer a diverse line of individual log/timber components as well.

We offer:

- A wide variety of wood siding options to satisfy any style
- 1/2 log timber stair components
- Large milled and lathed turned log and timber components
- Wood railings, decorative posts

and much, much more!

Come to the Mountain and tour our (3) model homes, showroom and design center and see for yourself how you can transform your home and give it that unique handcrafted, mountain appeal.

For more information call 1-800-233-2770

Enhancing Your Buying Experience

Beaver Mountain recently received a 50-50 matching grant from New York State to train our employees in process improvement. The funds we received from this grant allowed us to hire an outside consulting firm to help us stream line our home order process and help us implement better procedures. As a result we have been able to move home orders through our facility faster and with more accuracy and quality control. In some cases we can deliver your home in as little as 4-6 weeks from time of order, however, the earlier you start the process the better. Typically 8-12 weeks provides enough time for custom order items and finalizing construction details.

This has been beneficial to our clients as we are able to better accommodate their needs. It also helps us find any mistakes that may have happened and correct them prior to delivery, ensuring that delivery will go smoothly. Beaver Mountain is always evolving, looking for ways to improve our processes and our products and this is just one example of how we are staying ahead of the industry. Thanks to the funds received from New York State we have been able to take advantage of this important training.

-Drew Prochazka, Business Manager

COME TO THE MOUNTAIN... IT'S FREE!

Did you know Beaver Mountain has (3) model homes that have been described by industry experts, “as one of the most impressive displays in the northeast?” And did you know that Beaver Mountain's manufacturing facility is affectionately called, “The Cabinet Shop?”

We know these things very well and we would like everyone to know about them. The best way to do that is to schedule a personal consultation or sign up for a mill tour and seminar! We are so confident that you will love what you see that we are now offering a “Travel Reimbursement Program” to make it easier for you to Come to the Mountain! If you make the trip to see us and purchase a Beaver Mountain Home, we will reimburse you for the costs of travel and lodging. To learn more, contact your Beaver Mountain sales consultant for all the details!

1-800-233-2770

Dan & Jean's Design - Part 2

Continued from March 30, 2009...
After reviewing the design, Jean decided she would like a third guest bedroom on the main floor and the master bedroom bumped out to give more space. I revised the design and with the bumped out master bedroom, we also added a covered porch for that room and a rec room down below in the basement area. I emailed the drawings on to Dan & Jean for their review, as well as their sales consultant Chris, for updated pricing.

"Some of the changes made were to better orientate things in the floor plan to take full advantage of the features inside the home, as well as views outside. "

Jean stopped in one day on her way by to talk about options for dressing up the appearance of the approach side of their home. She met with her sales consultant Chris and discussed adding some roof lines and more glass to that view of the house. At that time we invited them back, along with their perspective builder, to explore some of these options on the computer. Jean agreed the builder would be a big help at our next meeting so we could avoid making changes that would blow the budget.

We had our meeting near the end of January with Dan, Jean and the perspective builder Jim Cammer. We were able to dress the front of the house up with some false roof lines, some log siding to cover the exposed basement walls and some stone work around the entry way. We relocated a few windows and added a mudroom entrance from the rear of the house during this meeting as well. Jean loved the changes and was ready to move onto the approval drawing stage of the design process. We agreed to meet again once the ¼ scale approval drawings were complete.

We got back together in February to review the approval drawings and made some minor changes. We discussed different areas of the home and walked through each room thinking about the ways they intend on living in each space. Some of the changes made were to better orientate things in the floor plan to take full advantage of the features inside the home, as well as views outside. Once the revisions are complete on the approval drawings, they will be able to get final quotes from Beaver Mountain as well as the builder and his sub contractors. Revised drawings will be sent out shortly.

Now that our quote has been finalized and the builder has been able to put his numbers together Dan & Jean feel the project is coming in a bit over budget. I spoke with the builder and reviewed some changes we could make in the design that would reduce cost without compromising too much in the overall layout. We both felt these changes would be required to bring the cost down so we set up an appointment with Dan & Jean to re-work the plans.

I met with Dan & Jean around the middle of March and re-worked the design trying to shave some cost and bring them back into their project budget. We eliminated the bump out on the main floor along with the small private covered porch off of the master bedroom. This caused us to move the master suite back within the main footprint of the house and relocate a guest bedroom down to the daylight basement area. We were able to eliminate one of the garage bays in the basement to make space for the bedroom, as well as relocate the rec room, which was in the bump out below the master bedroom that we removed. These changes really make a lot of sense from a cost standpoint as well as from a “Building Greener” standpoint. We spoke to the builder on the phone during this appointment and he agrees we are heading the right direction. The next step will be updating the quote and getting revised pricing from the builder and his sub contractors.

Watch for Part 3, coming in June.

John Lanner, Senior Design Consultant

"The Devil is in the Details"

Recently I received a wonderful letter from a customer currently building their log home. As a Sales Consultant here at Beaver Mountain, I try to convey this philosophy to people repeatedly. To hear (read) it from a client is the ultimate validation!

“Until I built a log home I didn’t have a complete appreciation for the importance of choosing a manufacturer. Log home construction is unique. We chose quality and we have throughout the process but I mean the right manufacturer is not only about appearance but about structure, structure, structure. Beaver Mountain Log Homes are battleships in their structure surrounded by some of the finest detail work I have ever seen. Structure not done correctly at the start can never be corrected and in a log home the logs are the structure, the insulation and the appearance. They say the devil is in the details and they are correct. I was astounded in the milling tolerances, in a fifty four foot wall with multiple openings (doors, windows, etc), each opening was perfect."
- Excerpt from John C- Beaver Mountain Customer 2008

SATURDAY, APRIL 18th: FACTORY TOUR!

Please join us and see for yourself the details and the precision craftsmanship of our pre-cut log walls, panelized components, and timbers.

Call 1-800-233-2770 for more information!

Explaining Log & Timber Checks

From my experience in the log home industry, the number one question ask by customers viewing their home dry stack is about log and timber checks.

According to the Standard on the Design and Construction of Log Structures, a check is "A radial crack in the log that occurs as the wood is seasoning". The definition goes on to say that a check is "...a natural an unpredictable result of the seasoning process that generally does not affect the structural integrity of the log."

As a timber dries, the cells at the outer surface lose moisture more quickly than those at the center of the timber. This process causes stresses in the timber which is relieved by a check occurring. This happens whether the timber is air dried or kiln dried. Generally speaking, a larger timber will produce a larger check. Here at Beaver Mountain, our combination of air drying and kiln drying, work to remove the majority of moisture from our timbers. This, along with our grading procedures, mean that although logs and timber joists will have checks, the amount and size of checks is controlled as part of the production process.

This process starts during milling. As we run material through the planer, we try to orient any existing checks up and down so they are not exposed on the inside or the outside of the home. If the stock material does not allow for this kind of orientation, we try to place the existing check to the inside so it is not exposed to the weather.

Next, because we pre-cut every home, we are able to remove any check that does not meet the Wall Log 53 Grade, which is a structural grade. However, we go a step further and visually grade out unpleasing checks that are structurally sound, but may not be visually appealing. We make every effort to place logs that do have checks in areas of the home so as to be less noticeable, such as behind kitchen cabinets, in bathrooms and closets. Logs that have checks on the outside top half, can be placed under overhangs and porches and thus not exposed to the weather.

Remember, checking will occur during the timber drying process, so a timber with no checking may not be dry. It makes for a nicer home when check size and location are controlled, after all, checks are part of the natural beauty of wood.

Rick Hamm, Production Manager

Dan & Jean's Design Process

While working at the Syracuse Home & Garden show this past weekend, I was asked the same questions over and over……..Do you sell pre-designed kits? What if we have our own floor plan? Can you custom design? These are all valid questions of which you will receive many different answers on throughout the log home industry, so I would like to give you our answer on “Design”. At Beaver Mountain we pride ourselves on custom designing your dream home to meet not only your wants & needs but your project budget as well.

The following is just one example of a typical design process here at Beaver Mountain, but I thought it would be nice to lay a project out for you from the start. Since this project is not yet complete and the design is often times a multiple step process I will be posting updates as things move forward……..

The design process for Dan & Jean Marie:

I first met with Dan & Jean Marie back in December for a preliminary design consultation where I learned they wanted to build in two phases. The first phase was going to be a two car garage with living quarters above, carriage house style, and then when they were ready to move up full time, they would attach a house as phase two. After reviewing their ideas, we soon realized it would be best to merge the two phases and build the house and garage all as one structure. This would reduce the overall footprint of the home and take full advantage of their site. We discussed a few options for positioning the house and decided it would be best for me to visit their site. We set a schedule for a site visit as well as a follow-up appointment to get the design started.

I made my visit to the site early one morning in December & took several photo’s of the area we all discussed locating the house. Based on the natural slope of the property and the beautiful country views, I felt we were in a great spot! I headed back to the office and put some of my initial ideas on paper to share with Dan & Jean Marie during our next scheduled visit.
The New Year arrived and Dan & Jean came back for the preliminary design session where we sat down at the computer and began the house design. We located the garage space below the house in the daylight basement area to take advantage of the natural slope of the land. Also planned for this space would be an entry / foyer with timber stairs up to the main living areas, laundry room, full bath and a utility room. The main floor was blocked out with the great room, kitchen & dining overlooking an open meadow to the west. To the east we planned for a master suite, (2) guest bedrooms and a full bath with the master suite capturing the sunrise over open fields separated by a wonderful tree line. The design session went well and gave us the info we needed to begin the estimate process. We discussed getting back together once they had a chance to review the preliminary design and we had a chance to run some numbers.

Watch for my next posting on Dan & Jean's design process the week of April 20Th.

John Lanner, Senior Design Consultant