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I have narrowed my choices down to Simonini and another builder. Has anyone had any good (or bad) experiences with them? I really like their model home and their attention to architectural details, however, I'm concerned about the finished product because they are now building on concrete slabs instread of crawlspaces and using engineered wood flooring. Any advice would be appreciated!
I haven't built with them, but I'm familiar with their level of quality and they build a nice home. Do you already own the homesite? If so, they will likely build on a crawlspace for you if you're willing to pay for the difference between that and a slab. As far as the engineered flooring goes, most people will tell you that you're better off that way. It actually costs more and you have less issues with it bowing because it's not a "tree" that was cut down and cut up but rather an engineered product that was designed specifically for that purpose. Feel free to dm me if you have any more specific questions about their construction.
..... As far as the engineered flooring goes, most people will tell you that you're better off that way. It actually costs more and you have less issues with it bowing because it's not a "tree" that was cut down and cut up but rather an engineered product that was designed specifically for that purpose. Feel free to dm me if you have any more specific questions about their construction.
I don't think most people will say this. A properly installed solid hardwood floor has no comparison and it won't bow. Bowing occurs because the installer didn't know what they were doing and/or the builder used poor quality wood that wasn't properly acclimated for the site. The fact there are 100 year old homes with these floors that are just fine are proof enough of this.
Furthermore a real hardwood floor can be refinished. There are big issues if you do this with an engineered floor.
I don't think most people will say this. A properly installed solid hardwood floor has no comparison and it won't bow. Bowing occurs because the installer didn't know what they were doing and/or the builder used poor quality wood that wasn't properly acclimated for the site. The fact there are 100 year old homes with these floors that are just fine are proof enough of this.
Furthermore a real hardwood floor can be refinished. There are big issues if you do this with an engineered floor.
Sorry, you're right, total misunderstanding. Since the original post was talking about the foundation, my assumption was that we were talking about 2nd floor floor-trusses...the bones of the home.
Now I follow it. If they're doing a slab, they HAVE to do engineered hardwoods, the moisture content is too high for real site finished flooring and they'll curl up like a pretzel.
Thanks for the replies! Yes, we will own the land and just need to settle on the builder to construct a home on it for us.
I agree with the hardwoods. I'm in a 45 year old house with great original hardwoods. The engineered product hasn't been around as long, but i know it has improved over recent years. they would use handscraped engineered wood which has a great look and won't look as bad with scratches since it's already distressed. But the fact that you can't refinish it is a big concern for me. They said it would cost about $20,000 more to build on a crawlspace which seems a bit high. I'm wondering if they have too much profit/overhead built in since they are a bigger company/brand, resulting in the higher cost to build. I'm looking at a quote from another builder which is comparable but on a crawlspace.
I'm just curious about your view about building with crawl space. I've purchased a house on slab; in fact, I prefer slab, which is the major way they build foundations in Northern Virginia, where I've lived for a while. I also prefer basements built obviously on concrete slab, which was the case for one of my homes for 20 years. I have seen Simonini homes from the Heydon Hall subdivision in SouthPark. The homes appear well-constructed with splendid millwork and detail. I was told by my realtor when we were searching for a house last year that Simonini is a very good builder.
So, why do you prefer crawl space to concrete slab, and do you know if Simonini builds with basements? Who knows, I might be considering one their homes in a few years. By the way, I agree with you on natural hardwoods, which you can stain and finish to your own aesthetic eye. The problem I think is getting quality tradesman to do this work. Not to hi-jack this thread, but do any of the realtors posting here know of a quality wood flooring outfit that does this work in Charlotte?
If you need a const to perm OTC loan let me know, few lenders in this area have them.
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