Concrete Advice
NEW HOLLAND, PA. – Builders aren’t born knowing everything about the construction industry. Just like other professionals, they need to learn the intricate details of their chosen profession. However for builders, it’s an ongoing education.
“There have been some incredible advances in building practices and especially construction products in recent decades,” says Keith Weller, CFO of Superior Walls. “Engineered lumber, vinyl-framed windows, precast concrete foundations and fiber cement siding are just a few ‘newer products’ that have changed the way homes are constructed.”
According to Weller, many builders have found that the best way to gain a successful foothold in the industry is to be open to new product introductions.
“When we launched the idea of precast concrete foundation walls 35 years ago builders didn’t have a clue what we were talking about,” says Weller. “Those forward-looking builders who tried our product have come back again and again. They get a jump start on their construction and sell the competitive benefits of a dampproof basement as an advantage for their home buyers.”
Building Efficiently
For builder Shawn Jessup, there’s nothing more important than building a home with exceptional performance, energy efficiency and comfort. The North Carolina contractor relies on precast concrete foundations for his custom homes. He includes an aggressive insulation package, making sure his homes exceed his customer’s expectations.
“I start with the Superior Walls® XiTM wall panels and then add an insulated basement slab to give my homes a head start on their high performance energy efficiency package,” says Jessup, owner of S.D. Jessup Construction, Inc. in Pilot Mountain, N.C. “I’m building homes that are more than twice as efficient as a standard home built to ‘code.’
“The Superior Walls products are crafted to help give a basement an excellent water, thermal and air barrier. I haven’t found any other system that works as fast and easy, plus offers so much to the overall home in so many important areas backed by a strong warranty.”
Building Green
In New York state, Natale Builders has been using Superior Walls foundations exclusively for many years. A leader in ENERGY STAR®/Green Build designs, the builder creates 40 homes a year and won the NAHB #1 Green Neighborhood in the Country award in 2014 for the 35 homes in their sold-out Rivera Greens development. Each home was started with precast concrete Xi panels.
“Building with precast concrete panels supports our overall company goal of creating homes with exceptional energy efficiency features,” says Larry LaDuca, vice president at Natale Builders in Clarence, N.Y. “Our home buyers appreciate all the energy-saving features we build into our homes. Many of them have told us over the years how much they enjoy having a warm, dry and comfortable basement that adds more living space to their homes.
“These Superior Walls systems match up perfectly with our green building goals. They’re resource efficient, using up to 70 percent less concrete in a new home than conventional foundations. Stud facings eliminate the need for additional wood framing prior to interior finishing. Using fewer materials helps us reduce the carbon footprint of the new home’s construction process.”
Superior Walls, innovator of the precast concrete foundation system, celebrates 35 years of operation in 2016. The company manufactures the only foundation to have earned the NGBS Green Certified Product designation and has precast concrete system licensee manufacturing operations throughout the United States and Canada.
###
