Centex homes

[KC]

Walked through a new construction Centex home this morning.  Two story 3/2/2, probably 1400sf.   Tile work finished, walls sprayed, baseboard in.  All I can say is, "Wow".
 

Cracks in several of the wall corners already, baseboard job that makes the guy who did mine look like a stud.  It was bad.  But what really got my attention was the second floor and the job they did laying the OSB.  Oh my.  Several of the joints were fully 1/2" wide, filled with something (caulk or foam?).   Three or four places where one piece was higher than the one next to it were 'leveled' with what appeared to be the 'claw hammer method'.  Understanding they're working to a price point (entry level starter), I still can't imagine that floor would be acceptable to any potential buyer looking at it before the carpet was down.  

[daddo]

Those are new fixer uppers.
The cabinets and vanities will need replacing soon after purchase, the siding is crooked and warped and I'm sure the slabs will shift, rendering it all hopeless. Cheap thin paint will look bad after a year.................
I met one where the air conditioning plenum was reduced by 1/2 just to squeeze through the joists that couldn't be cut. Told them I couldn't fix it without moving the entire indoor unit and ducting. Inspections are worthless.

[KC]

Those are new fixer uppers.  
 The cabinets and vanities will need replacing soon after purchase, the siding is crooked and warped and I'm sure the slabs will shift, rendering it all hopeless. Cheap thin paint will look bad after a year.................
I met one where the air conditioning plenum was reduced by 1/2 just to squeeze through the joists that couldn't be cut.  Told them I couldn't fix it without moving the entire indoor unit and ducting. Inspections are worthless.

I noticed the crappy siding in the new development south of Walmart.  Never walked through those.  At least the exterior looks better on the Centex.

[pprobus]

Centex built one of the newer buildings in the late '90's at a Naval Base I worked at.  Large cracks in the thick poured concrete floor (single floor, although a very high bay building) that caused concerns with our Structural Engineer as to the integrity of the foundation and floor.  Upper management had brought Centex's representatives in to analyze the issue, but I switched jobs before the resolution of the problem.  I do know there were many other issues with the building as well a couple of which I was able to address as they were within my discipline.  Overall, I was not impressed and swore to never buy a Centex home if that's how they construct a multi-million dollar "commercial" building.

Paul

[Cooler]

I had no idea what a Centex home was.  I googled it.  Their site says, "At Centex, we don’t just build homes—we build memories."

I guess "bad memories".

There is a "factory builder" of homes near my house.  I did a walk through of the homes and a tour of the factory.  I was impressed. Their homes are well-regarded in the area.  There is a limitation on the width of the houses, but not the length.  

The factory was built near the land that the development was on.  So typically the move was less than a mile.  

They are now selling houses in other areas.  They sold one near the local cemetery.  The slab was poured (no basements in that area because of the water table).  In two days after they started on the actual home, it was in place.  They moved the front and the back of the house separately.  They joined the halves and added the ridge to joint he roof.

within a week the garage door was installed, all the  windows were installed and the house looked complete.  I could not see what was going on inside however.  

The walls are all built on a flat table with squaring fixtures to assure accuracy.  There are jigs to assure spacing on the studs, it is a highly mechanized and accurate way to build.  

On the other hand their "base" model includes electric heat, which they can fully wire at the factory.  But it is ghastly expensive way to heat a house.  They also offer forced air and hot water heating, but at a significant upcharge.

The models I looked at had "builders' basic" fittings and finishes and were unimpressive.  They did offer upscale finishes but when you went to sell, it would be hard to recoup the extra expense as all the "comps" would be much cheaper.  

 

[daddo]

I like this idea.

[Cooler]

I like this idea.



Where is the insulation in this house?

[CLETUS]

There is a wall on the interior side of the concrete. From the video it looks like they build a house then wrap it in concrete.

[Cooler]

There is a monthly magazine on concrete homes that I leaf through occasionally when I am having coffee at Barnes & Noble.  Some of the techniques are very appealing, and they all seem hurricane resistant.

Some claim that the concrete (like the logs on a cabin) are the insulation.  They are not.  They are just slow conductors of heat and cold.

[pprobus]

There is a monthly magazine on concrete homes that I leaf through occasionally when I am having coffee at Barnes & Noble.  Some of the techniques are very appealing, and they all seem hurricane resistant.

Some claim that the concrete (like the logs on a cabin) are the insulation.  They are not.  They are just slow conductors of heat and cold.

Technically, that's what insulation is.  Even the best insulation does not totally block heat conduction.  But you are right, concrete is not a good insulator.  There was an article in the local paper a few years ago about a local person who had a modern concrete home built.  I seem to recall that they used foam forms to cast the concrete but that the foam stays in place to provide insulation.  Not too sure of the details as it was quite a while ago that I read the article (i.e. I'm not sure if only the interior had the foam or if both interior and exterior or if only exterior, etc.).  

Paul