information on keystone home builders (Alpharetta: neighborhoods, buyers, construction)

[3peaches]

hello, i'm also a single mother running to georgia from florida, i'm having a home built in augusta by keystone homes. i've done as much research on this company as i could, but i feel 90% comfortable with them. i'm use to concrete block homes(taking 8 months to a year to build) and not wood frame/brick homes(taking 5 months) with water lines ran through the attic. if anyone have any personal information on this company and is it standard with all builders here to have water lines installed this way, please share with me. thank you in advance.

[Brewboy]

Hello!! I work for a home inspection company in Alpharetta and it is standard that homes have their lines running through the attic. Is this home you are looking at being built with hardy plank or concrete siding or just partical/wood siding? If it is just wood/partical board siding I would highly stay clear of that because of the termite issues involved. I looked at their site and I only see one or two neighborhoods that are being built with concrete siding. Not sure which neighborhood you are looking at, but to be honest I would stay clear of this builder being they are just using SIDING, which is usually partical board. Just my opinion though!

[3peaches]

thank you for your response, the neighborhood is walton hills(please take a look), the siding is partical/wood siding, but it's only on certain parts of the structure and foam insulation sheets are constructed to the outer perimeter studs of the home. this seems unstable to me when the brick is applied. they said is up to code and a standard procedure.

[Brewboy]

Okay well first off to be honest I would stay clear of wood/partical siding. For the price range you are looking at the wood they are using as siding is not good at all. It will buckle if it gets the slightest bit wet and you could run into termite problems down the road. The resale on these types of homes is horrible as well. Not sure what your budget is, but keep looking if I were you. Again, just my opinion!!! The sheeting between the brick and stud is code, but that doesn't really mean anything depending on the codes of that city/county. Each county/city has their own codes, along with ASHI having their own codes.

[3peaches]

again thank you brewboy for your comments. i'll be considering everything learned.

[keystonedbl]

I came across this forum and wanted to clear up a few things. I work for Keystone and have some more information on the topics mentioned below.
Our siding is vinyl siding made of OSB, not particle board. The Walton Hills neighborhood is mostly brick which is attached with brick ties. The sheathing is all OSB so no worries there.

As far as termites, there is always a risk if there is any wood in your home. Keystone applies a chemical barrier under all of our slabs, garages, porches, or any area where concrete meets the home. There is no dirt left up against the home or wood exposed. We also install bait systems which the homeowner has the option to maintain.

The piping we use is PEX piping which has superior installation and physical properties. It lasts longer than copper and is designed to create better connections and fittings than copper.

As of this year we began offering builder meeting and pre-drywall meetings to explain these and other construction items to our home buyers. Our web site provides some additional information and ways to contact us.

Hope that helps!