This is exciting! And look at the houses in the background - its Gableville!

The neighborhood was originally developed back in the '50s as a bunch of one-story ranch-style vacation cottages and capes. Over the years some houses were knocked down, second stories and garages were added to others while some were just left intact. The end-result is that you will find just about every type of house imaginable on the same street- from Bauhaus-international style to Mediterranean villa to New England saltbox to some strange hybrid concoctions in between as well as the traditional Hampton-style shingled farmhouse. In a neighborhood rife with such eccentricity, gables and all, I think my house will blend in perfectly!

I'm curious as to which franchise you are working with for your Superior Walls, and what your opinion of working with them is. I think there were 2 franchises in NY state the last time I checked. I plan on use them as well, which is why I ask. Also, how competitive were their prices and fees?

Thanks!

I used Superior Walls of the Hudson Valley (http://www.swhv.com) located in Poughkeepsie, which is approximately 200 miles from my house site. I really can't say that I have any complaints (so far) with my Superior Walls experience. I suppose my only gripe is that it does not allow you to have supreme design flexibility- each segment has to be at least 1.5 feet in length and has to be supported by a corner joint, i.e., no stand-alone wall sections. Also, I was REALLY annoyed that they offer an 8'2" height wall and a 10' height wall, but no 9' height. When I asked my account rep he said that it made no sense to offer a 9' when there was only an $8/linear foot difference in the price between the 8'2" and 10' walls. I can understand that... but it makes it quite a challenge if you want to achieve a 9' ceiling height(like me).

Cost-wise, I am not sure how this stacks up compared to doing a monolithic pour or using ICFs. As a rule of thumb, for the 8'2" walls you are looking at approximately $66 per linear foot plus additional charges for beam pockets, window cutouts, door openings, stacking charges, taxes, outside/inside corners, engineering, etc. Still, all things considered, I am pretty happy with the product, the cost and the prompt, courteous service. I think I am really benefiting from the fact that the Superior Walls (after they are completely dried out) will have a nice, consistent finish that never needs finishing or maintenance, and it all comes together in a single day. There is no stray rebar or ICF seam to cover up.

However, I have yet to see how the first floor walls will stack up, so-to-speak. I understand that this will be really tedious because it requires extra precision, leveling, grinding, etc. So I will let you know how this goes in (hopefully) two weeks.

Also, I understand that the Superior Walls R5 (which is what I am using) will be discontinued soon in favor of the Superior Walls Xi which is supposed to contain an extra 1.5" of foam R-24 insulation. This is due to anticipated changes in the IBC that will require all basements to have a minimum R value of 24. The Xi eliminates the need for having to bat in fiberglass insulation between the studs after the fact. But then again, it's also supposed to be 20% more expensive.

That is all. :-)

Congratulations on the beginning of your home. My wife and I are really impressed with the design of the greenbelt 2 and are considering building one ourselves. Im looking forward to your progress. Ill be curious to see what it looks like with a garage.