According to the projections put forth by the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI), the US economy has emerged fully from the economic downturn which prevailed in mid 2010. The projected GDP growth for 2011 has been an impressive 3.2% over the 2.4% in 2010. Therefore, these could be better times for taking up a new home construction project which was long overdue.
Of course, the first thing to do for a new home construction would be to hire an experienced building consultant. You can scour through the options and find an experienced and a duly licensed firm for ensuring a satisfactory job. However, you need to be well prepared to evaluate the work done, on the basis of established norms and standards which are to be followed. It is, therefore, crucial to have a check list at hand once the new home construction has been completed.
New Home Construction: Aspects to Check On
Your new home construction checklist should bear the following important points:
- Check if the foundation is plumb and square. Also, you need to check on the thickness of walls and see if they conform to the local code and refer to the local code for the backfill height.
- You must reaffirm if pest control measures have been carried out before pouring the slabs. The wooden frames and panels should have been adequately treated with borate chemicals for keeping termites away.
- Checking on the septic system is just as important. Have you checked if it is of adequate size? Are the leach lines structured according to the local code? Has mapping of the leach field been done so that you are aware of where the lines and the boxes lie?
- If there are exterior slabs, make sure they are self draining ones.
- If there are staircases, check whether the structure abides by the local norms. Ideally, they should be 36 inches wide. All the risers should be exactly same in height.
- Are water barriers installed into the external walls? Ideally, there should be a felt layer which prevents water infiltration. If there isn’t one, how will wood rotting be prevented?
- All basement or garage slabs will be provided with a plastic vapor barrier. Check if your contractor has provided the same.
- If the water supply pipeline is serving more than 2 outlets, they should be at least ¾ inch in diameter. A ½ inch diameter should be sufficient for supplying water to a couple of fixtures.
If you have engaged a contractor, make sure that you check all these new home construction points prior to paying him.
