Services

The quality of the windows your builder uses is probably the single most important gauge or indicator of the quality of the home. As a result, it is important to be able to recognize a window and determine its “quality”.   The vast majority of windows used in new construction today are vinyl windows (there are aluminum and fiberglass windows and they all have a case for quality, but let’s talk about the windows you will most likely see in a home you want to buy). Here are 3 great indicators that will help you determine window quality: 

1. 1. Air tightness – leaky windows bring hot moist air into your conditioned home or allow warm air to escape in the winter. Your windows are the greatest source of condensation and water damage after leaky foundations.  Single hung and double hung windows are among the least expensive windows – and unsurprisingly, they are also the leakiest windows on the market today.  If your builder uses multi-lock casement windows – you can be sure they are spending the needed resources behind the walls.

1. 1. Window construction – without getting into great detail, there are many different types of vinyl extrusions used for windows and their insulative value is generally attributed to the number of air chambers in the extrusion.  The type of reinforcement used in large windows and also the glazing (the sealing of the glass to the frame) are all factors that affect the window “quality” – and then there’s the actual glass.  Most windows will be dual pane with a gas filled chamber with a low-E coating to reflect radiant heat.  Builders with a keen sense of energy will arrange a home with respect to the seasonal sun and play with the roof overhangs to shade the windows in the heat, but allow some solar gain through the windows in the evening or morning when the radiation is lower.  Most builders use standard low-E coating and gas filling and apply the same method for all windows.  If you have a builder that provides you with an option to upgrade to tilt/turn or triple pane windows, it is a good sign that the builder’s knowledge of windows is above average and there is an understanding of maximizing energy efficiency of the windows in your home.  It must be said, however, that the majority of windows used on the market are very similar in terms of construction and glass – and the type of opener is a far greater source of energy savings and air tightness.

1. Exterior Finish – the prevailing trend or style for color of window frames is dark or black. There are two basic approaches to creating dark vinyl windows. The first is to apply a coating – either exterior paint or a bake-on film or some similar application. The second is to wrap the vinyl extrusion with a dark colored aluminum.

Testing has shown that aluminum wrapped windows stand up to the hot sun and elements far more successfully than painted vinyl.  There are not many vinyl window manufacturers that employ an aluminum wrap, but they are definitely a worthwhile upgrade.  

There are two main types of spray foam: open cell and closed cell.  They are formed by combining two different chemical components and the reaction of those components is what causes the foam to expand and “dry”.  There have been some studies that suggest that the foam reaction creates gas during the reaction that is harmful to our health, and that the reaction continues long after the home is occupied and the gas continues to infiltrate the air of the home.

While they are both foam – closed cell (as it implies) reacts and forms a dense film on the surface that acts as a vapor barrier.  This type of foam is more prone to trapping gases.  Open cell foam feels like a foam mattress – it does not “trap” air (or moisture) and can vent continuously – making it far less likely to have any downstream effects of off gassing. 

Why use foam at all? Foam has huge benefits. The greatest of which is that it expands to fill all the cracks and small spaces behind receptacles and wires/pipes.  This is important because the effectiveness of any insulation is based on the premise that it occupies the cavity entirely – if there are any voids, the insulative value of the assembly drops significantly and the voids can cause microclimates inside the wall cavity, which is where condensation and mold can accumulate.   Open cell spray foam practically eliminates this.

There are many alternatives including cellulose, wood fiber, mineral wool – all of which work very well when installed correctly.  We have used many of these alternatives in the past as well.

STEP 1.  We start with a CONSULTATION.

This can be done in person, or over zoom/video.  The objective is to understand your property, your vision, and your budget.  If you have a scrapbook of ideas or some favorite plans or features of homes that you love – these are all great things to bring to the consultation.  It is also great to have some details about the property (if you have one already) available for this meeting.  It is important to have all of your initial questions answered at this meeting – because at its conclusion, we will need to make a mutual commitment to move to the next step of our process.  We draft an Intent to Build contract detailing the projected budget, size and detail of the home and prepare it for signing.

STEP 2. DESIGN & PLANNING

We start by signing the Intent to Build contract and collect a deposit (usually 1.5% of estimated value of build).   We start with the floorplan – working through the spaces and rooms to ensure we have captured all the details – and have given enough time to test out some of the recommendations we may make.   After we have set the floor plan, we move on to the elevations, roof, and exterior details as well as interior details.  Depending on the complexity of the interior design, we sometimes recommend involving an interior designer to expedite the process.  At the conclusion of this planning step, we compile a budget based on the selections and design, and draft a construction contract.

STEP 3. CONSTRUCTION

We prepare the site, excavate for the foundation, and construction begins!  We will have periodic site meetings after the framing is completed (or as the need arises) so that you can walk the actual home, give feedback on things like switch and light location, and perhaps in making any site changes necessary.  Please be careful when you visit the site – it will often be a busy place and we will schedule a visit to minimize the noise and the danger during your visit. We will be communicating with you through our Buildertrend software, making sure there is a good clear record of any decisions and changes that are being made.    

STEP 4.  HOME COMPLETION & WARRANTY

When the home is nearing completion, we typically have a walk through prior to move-in, ensuring you are familiar with the home’s systems, and if any deficiencies are noticed – they can be corrected prior to move-in.  Upon satisfaction of the Build Contract, we “hand over the keys” and you are home!  We have a warranty that covers some of the normal nail pops and drywall cracks that arise after 12 months, and also a structural and exterior warranty on the home.  This warranty package will be reviewed with you upon completion.

Yes, of course!

Are you looking to change the footprint of your home or adding permanent features such as pools or decks?  

-> If so, you may need to make sure you are within the boundaries of your property.  If you are on an acreage, this may not affect you.  If you are in a controlled neighborhood, you will need to ensure your plan is approved by the Architectural Control Committee (ACC) and/or the Homeowners’ Association (HOA).  If you need help with the design of your project or with a surveyor to provide a siteplan, contact us, we can help you.

We need to get an idea of what this will cost. How do we do that?

-> This depends a little bit on the size of the project. Let’s treat them separately:

1. SMALL PROJECT: You are looking to remodel a kitchen, bathroom, move some interior walls, change flooring – or a combination of things like this.  The first step in this process is to have a site meeting and come up with a scope of work.  The second step is to select any product required (flooring, cabinets, countertops, etc) and have it priced.  The third step is to combine material costs with labor costs and draft a contract.  Then, sign the contract, collect a deposit, and off we go.  

1. LARGE PROJECT:  Adding square footage or permanent features such as pools, detached garages, etc.  This type of project requires some plans, a site plan showing the boundaries of the property and the proposed changes, and any approval applications and permits.   For these projects, we meet and create a scope of work detailing what you want done.  We draft an Intend to Build agreement with an associated deposit to complete the project planning based on an estimated budget.  After we have collected all the necessary information, we finalize the budget and project contract so that we can be ready to start soon after the permits are drawn and we gain necessary approvals. If the project is delayed, or you choose an alternate contractor, the necessary planning information will be provided to you (like the site plan and blueprints for example).  If everything continues per contract, the initial deposit will be applied to the contract price.

That’s great, but can you give us some indication of cost before the meeting? 

It’s really hard to give any specific numbers without any details – but, there are some general comments that can be made.  

Much of the cost of remodels are unavoidable: we need to remove existing elements and replace them with what you want.  The demo, dust control, etc are all costs that need to be factored into the project.  Along the way, we may inherit “issues” that are discovered during demolition, and will need to make repairs as well as perhaps adjust the scope of work to complete the project per contract.  You will need to be ready for some unexpected events (both morally and financially).  

In a new construction home, the cost of a home is distributed over the entire area of the home, even if the kitchen area is far more expensive to build per sf than a bedroom for example, because of the concentration of product in the kitchen (cabinets, plumbing, electrical, etc).  If your remodel involves the areas of the home where most of the product is concentrated – you can expect the cost of the remodel to be greater than if you were expanding a bedroom for example.

You can definitely affect the cost of your remodel through your selection of products – and we can definitely help direct you to sources and selections where you can save.

Let’s give you a cursory guide for cost based on new home construction which generally ranges from $200/sf to over $400/sf on the high end in our area. It is not exact, but gives a pretty decent approximation.

Using two indicators: cost of product selected and concentration of product, you can approximately ballpark your remodel to land on the spectrum  of $200/sf  on the low product density areas with simpler products and $400+/sf for high product density areas with higher cost products.  For example, a 50sf bathroom can start at $10,000 on the modest end and $20,000+ at the higher end.  Again, this is a very coarse estimator – but it gives you a ballpark picture for cost. 

We would like to talk to someone from Skyroot about our project – how do we connect?  

-> You can schedule a video meet here to start.  Depending on the project, it may be necessary to meet onsite, which we can schedule during our call.

That is actually a very good question.  Traditionally, real estate agents have agreed that not having a pool makes your home attractive to a larger group of potential buyers.  There are “pool” people and those that are not.

However, the last international health crisis we experienced, actually showed an increased demand in homes with pools.  And, all pools are not created equal.  A new pool will give you the opportunity to ensure that your pool includes the new surfaces and technologies that minimize maintenance and increase the lifetime and comfort of your pool. 

A pool is a sizable investment, and the cost does not always increase the value of your property proportionately.   Pools are very much something that our clients install for themselves to enjoy, not necessarily with the goal of making a profitable investment for resale. If installed correctly, a pool can become an integral part and the highlight of your property. 

Most people who approach us about a pool – want a pool, and the question is very seldom “is it really worth it?”.

At Skyroot, we build a maximum of 10 homes per year.  This means that our process is not as linear as many builders we compete against.  We are a family run business, and our reputation and process is something we prize.  

We often take on projects with a higher degree of customization, with complex build sites, and with varying architectural style and levels of finish.  This is in part because we have the flexibility in our process to do so, and also partly because of our experience and expertise.

What does this mean practically? Whether your home looks like a French country villa, or an ultra modern cliff home, or as simple as a barndominium – we can build it – well.

Coming from Canada, we build your home as a complete system, with a focus on energy efficiency.  We have built with SIP panels, ICF, ZIP and many other systems. We can guide you through many of the challenges and benefits these systems present as you explore options.

We are based out of Lenoir City, TN, and work in a radius of roughly 1 hour.  We try to localize our active builds to make managing them more effective. 

Contact us to check our current build availability.

In new construction, there are two basic types of financing.  

1. OWNER FINANCING, where the buyer obtains a construction loan from a lender of their choosing, and the builder makes draws with the buyer’s lender according to construction progress and a schedule outlined in the build contract.  When the home is completed, the buyer “closes” the financing with the lender directly.
2. BUILDER FINANCING, where the builder handles the financing of the home during construction and the buyer obtains financing for the home upon completion.  

Both types of financing are commonly used, but owner financing is usually the more cost effective option for the buyer.  We are happy to refer buyers to local lenders with whom we have worked together in the past.