We just broke ground this week on a house in Mooresville, NC (about 45 mins. north of Charlotte). Lumber prices have gone up considerably since I first priced things out two months ago. Panelized products (OSB, plywood, Advantech) are up almost 50%. I've been told that a lot of the lumber supply is going to Haiti right now, which is raising prices on what's left. Also, I've been told that a lot of finish wood (doors, moulding, etc.) is made in Chile, so the supply coming out of there has dried up for now making prices go up.

In the next few months, I do see prices staying high and possibly going up more. It's anybody's guess what things will look like almost a year from now. I wouldn't purchase materials that far in advance, unless you find certain things on a great deal. Most banks will NOT let you use pre-purchased materials as part of your down payment (especially now). If you order materials but don't need them right away, most lumberyards will hold your materials, the question is just for how long. Most lumberyards in this area will hold materials for 30 or sometimes 60 days. In this economic climate, you also have to evaluate the possibility of the lumberyard going out of business after you've paid for the materials, but before you taken delivery.

All of that being said, I've called around a lot over the last week and found a larger lumberyard (not a big-box store) that is actually able to either come close or beat the per unit prices that I got from the other yard BEFORE the prices went up. I wouldn't recommend buying dimensional lumber from a big-box store because their lumber is not the same quality that you'll get from most real lumberyards, but it definitely pays to shop around!

I am currently planning/bidding my HVAC system.  Most of the HVAC contractors I've spoken with either don't have experience with zoned systems, or recommend against them (may be inexperience also?).  I have a floorplan with ~2,200 sq ft downstairs and ~1,000 sq ft upstairs.  I was planning to do a zoned system (gas heat/electric A/C) with possibly two zones downstairs and one upstairs.  The one thing I'm not sure about is how you size a zoned system.  If your system is sized to cool the whole house and only one zone was active, would you not have issues with short-cycling, humidity, etc.?  Any words of wisdom from either an HVAC pro with experience with these systems or a homeowner/O-B with one of these systems installed?

Also, I think I'd rather have a system (duct size, etc.) designed by a professional, since all the HVAC pros around here seem to stick by their "'rules of thumb", and I have seen the issues that arise from that!  Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance!

I have some mold that has accumulated on the floor joists in my crawl space during construction. As a result, we're converting this area to a sealed, conditioned space, and this product is what has been recommended to me by several professionals to remove the mold. They say that bleach doesn't actually kill the spores, and they will start growing again if the conditions allow it. concrobium.com

I haven't used it yet, so I can't tell you how well it actually works.

I have worked Beam systems before, which are very nice and powerful, but they tend to be on the pricey side (I'm not sure what your budget is). If anything, I would recommend buying the bigger of two units if you're in between sizes based on pipe length, square footage, etc. As far as suction, they are generally rated with CFM and water-lift stats. The store at centralvacuumstores.com has good stats on the units that they sell.

One thing you may also look at is the hide-a-hose system. This is one thing I was wanting in my house we're going to start on in a few months, but the budget dictated otherwise, so it will have to wait until the next build. The biggest recommendation I can give is to spec out a dedicated 20-amp outlet for your system. Most systems will be OK with a 15A, but I have seen some of them pop breakers that weren't supposed to pull that much current. Better safe than sorry, since a 20-A circuit requires 12-gauge wire, as opposed to 14 gauge that most electricians use.

Let me know if I can help otherwise.

That unit would probably be a good choice for you. I would run a line from your central vac up to your second story, and cap it and seal it so that you won't have to run it later (similar to how you would stub out plumbing). Those units also have a 10-year warranty, where a lot of other brands only carry a five year.

Also, I'm sure you have, but don't forget to leave room in your budget for hose, power heads, attachments, etc. that you want. I've seen people spend up to their budget on the main unit and pipe, and then have to come out of pocket for the rest.

Good luck!

One of the big draws for central-vac systems is for people who have allergies (which seem to be a lot of people these days), since they remove everything that is sucked up outside the house (typically the garage). Also, once you get to a certain level of house (sq. footage, finish level, etc.), it's almost expected.

I second the recommendation to not use Schedule 40 pipe. I think the only reason people do this is because they can't find a supplier for the pipe, but as you said, it can always be ordered online if it can't be found locally.

As far as running your trunk line, it's generally run through a crawl space/basement or attic, and then up/down the stud cavity to where it will terminate (somewhat similar to plumbing drain lines). You wouldn't want to cut framing members with a hole big enough to run the pipe horizontally through a wall, as it would seriously degrade the strength of the wall.

I understand how a modulating furnace works and it sounds awesome, but my concern is more on the A/C side.  If this system has three zones but only one zone is calling for cooling, are you not still going to have issues with the system short-cycling and not being able to pull the humidity out?

P.S.  Thanks for the info.  I hadn't even considered York equipment.  Most of the better HVAC companies around here that I know are Trane dealers.

I've found that there are two types of GCs in my area, ones who have their own crews and work on the job site with their crews, and ones that ride from one job site to another overseeing their subs. The second type doesn't usually have any real crew members/laborers, just possibly some site supervisors.

Of the working GCs, I found two in my area that are willing to work with O-Bs without complaining about not doing the whole project. The one I decided to use is one that two of my family members have used in the past for O-B projects with good results. If you can find one willing to work with you, it can work out very well.

That being said, the "supervisor" type of GCs also sub out their framing.  Around here, there are several crews that have GC licenses, but prefer to only do framing for other builders. These will probably be people you will not have heard of or recognize their names. The best way I found to discover these guys is to talk to the people at the local lumber stores (not Lowe's, HD, or 84).  Most of these guys know the better "framers" in the area, and want to help you out as it's in their best interest also.

After reading everything I have so far, I'm pretty much sold on the idea of DIY PEX plumbing using manifolds. My problem is, I don't understand where people mount them. Do you have some type of in-wall box like a low-voltage A/V distribution box? Or do you stub out each line and mount the manifold over the drywall? Every plumber I've found locally who uses PEX still does one supply line snaking through the house instead of using a manifold, but I don't want all those joints behind drywall for leaks to spring up later.

Thanks in advance.

Thanks to both of you guys for clearing that up for me.

What type of fittings did you use with the MANABLOC? I've found options for crimp-on, press-on, and compression. It looks like the press-on or crimp-on type would hold better to me.

I have spoken to the UBuildIt office in Mooresville/LKN.  They seemed knowledgeable when I spoke with them, but their fees seemed to be too steep for no more value than I would have gotten from them.  I have several family members who have owner-built in the last few years, and several friends who are GCs, so I already have most of my subs picked out for the trades I'm not planning to do myself (still need to decide on HVAC, stone, and drywall).  I would be very interested to see if you do use them, and if so what your experience is like.

Please keep in touch if you need anything else.  I haven't found many other people on here in this area who are active.

We got our builder's risk policy (requirement of the construction loan) through an independent agent, but the policy was underwritten by Erie in PA. The small bank we got the loan through actually also sells insurance, but their quote was over twice as much for the same policy. I got plenty of quotes from local insurance agents and nobody seemed to bat an eye at me being an owner-builder.

As Adam said, it will be difficult, but I would definitely recommend calling all the smaller local banks and credit unions around you. We started our house in March of 2010. I must have talked to 30 different banks, and I finally found one that was willing to work with me as long as I used a contractor he was familiar with to do the framing and basically get the house "dried-in". They knew one of the contractors on my short list that I was looking to use, so it all worked out for me.

I don't know what your situation is, but if you have other property you could borrow against or have significant equity in the land already, I know several people who have gotten creative coming up with money for construction and then paying it all back off with a mortgage once their house is completed.

We got approved by Carolina Farm Credit a few weeks ago, but chose not to go with them because of their terms. They have two different programs, one that they hold in-house, and one that's sold to their parent company after the construction term is up. The one they keep in house locks the rate in, but right now the rate on that program is 7.5%. The other is closer to market rates, but you can't lock the rate in.

We were actually able to get approved with Piedmont Bank for the construction loan, because we're using a GC that they're comfortable with to get the house dried-in, and will then pay him by the hour for anything we need afterward. They officially "don't do O-B loans". For the mortgage, I'm using Wells Fargo. They'll let me lock a rate in for 12 months, but you pay a rate-lock fee based on how long you're giving yourself for construction (12 months = 1%).

Piedmont Bank is owned by Yadkin Valley Bank (who also owns several other banks including High Country), so you might try checking with them.

I'm planning a new build in Mooresville, NC, and a low-pressure septic system that I've never seen before has been spec'd.  Basically, it's supposed to only take up half the area of a traditional leach field.  We have to do this on our 3/4 acre lot to leave the option of installing a pool later down the road.  The manufacturer's website is below.

tjpanel.com

It uses concrete blocks instead of pipes in gravel fields to distribute.  From what I can find in research online, it looks like this system is currently only being used in NC.  Does anyone have any experience or know anyone who's used this type of system before?  The manufacturer is right up the road in Statesville, so I may try to meet with them.

Thanks.

Were you happy with the Eagle's Nest home?  I've spoken with them several times, but their prices seem to be more than I could get materials plus labor here locally for stick framing.

Were you happy with the finished product?  Any issues?  I'll be breaking ground in Mooresville sometime in the first have of next year, and have been eyeballing this system for a while.  I've seen it used on several jobs around the area.