Last time I wrote, we had just hosted our first President's Project demonstrational show home open house. And we had worked like the dickens to get ready for it. Immediately after the event, we swung into high gear again to get ready for the second event that was only a week out.

Builders First Source supplied the wall panels and trusses and Norbord supplied the Wind Storm structural sheathing. Then, S.A. Robinson Construction framed the entire house. We also want to thank Anthony Forest Products for supplying the glulams Power Beam and Lumber Unlimited for supplying the radiate roof sheathing. Boise Cascade supplied the Grace Tri-flex roof underlament. It really is amazing to see so many of our partners contribute to the project!

Due to the donations and hard work of everyone listed above, we were ready to show an unbelievable amount of progress by April 22. So, we invited everyone back out to the site. Once again, we had a great turnout of architects, engineers, builders and building officials. The hot topics of the day were the in-line framing techniques and the trusses with raised heels.

At 2:00 p.m., C.W. with Raised Floor Living taught a CEU class. After that, it was time to sit back, enjoy our progress to-date, and have a beer! (Well, I had a glass of wine, but you get the point!) Keep checking back for more updates to the President's Project!

Progress at the President’s Progress showhouse is going gangbusters now!

Progress at the President’s Progress showhouse is going gangbusters now! Shortly after our groundbreaking, construction got underway. A week ago Wednesday, Capitol Concrete dug the footer and the following day they poured the footer. That Friday, they built the foundation columns and this past Tuesday they poured the foundation columns solid and installed Simpson Strong Tie embedded hardware.
As Capitol Concrete was hard at work on that, Lumber Unlimited delivered the girder lumber and Bluelix floor trusses. Meanwhile, Manning Building Supply delivered Norbord Pinnacle Gold floor sheathing. On Wednesday, S.A. Robins Construction framed the Raised Floor System using the Bluelix floor trusses and Norbord Pinnacle Gold floor sheathing. See what I mean when I say work has been fast and furious!
All of this work was done to be ready for our first of two events at the showhouse, which was last Thursday. We had a great event and want to thank the representatives who were there from Raised Floor Living, True Design, MasterCraft Builder Group, Bluelinx, Norbord, and Apex Engineering. We received feedback from a variety of the people who attended the event, including architects, engineers, building inspectors, Realtors and trade contractors. They said they learned a lot and loved how many ideas were shared among the group. Of course, they loved the free lunch too, which Raised Floor Living generously provided.
We invite all of you to see the President’s Project showhouse for yourself at our next event, which is this Thursday. If you want details more details about the upcoming event, please call Jamie at NEFBA at 725-4355.

Two Events Planned at President's Project House

Well, we are making all kinds of progress on our demonstrational showhome! More than 20 NEFBA members were on hand for our ceremonial groundbreaking on April 1. In the photo, you will see (left to right) Judge Nottingham of Carolina Lumber Company, Mike Kozlowski of Apex Technology, Andy Chambers of Mastercraft Builder Group, and C.W. Macomber of Raised Floor Living. They were selected to be in the photo because Judge is co-chair of NEFBA's Wood Council, Mike is chair of the council, Andy is president of NEFBA and C.W. represents the event sponsor.

Now that construction is underway, we have scheduled two on site events! The first one is Thursday, April 15 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. You will be able to tour the site and meet the home designer, engineer, framers, and material manufacturers. They will talk about raised wood floor framing, proper installation and common installation errors. They also will share information about options for hot/humid climates. From noon to 1:00 p.m., we will serve lunch. Both attendance and lunch is free! All you have to do is RSVP to Jamie at jatkins@nefba.com.

The second event is scheduled for Thursday, April 22 from noon to 5:30 p.m. From noon to 2:00 p.m., you can tour the site with the builder and we will serve lunch. You will learn more about raised wood floor construction and advanced framing techniques - things that could save you money and benefit your company's bottom line. You will witness new construction methods that will help you build more energy efficient homes. In fact, the information is so valuable, we are offering an hour CEU presentation from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Then, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. we will open the bar and serve a few appetizers! I've heard a rumor there will be music there too! Of course, the home designer, engineer, framers and material manufacturers will be there to answer questions and give away prizes. And all of this is free to you! Please RSVP to Jamie for this event too.

The home is located at 3630 Green Street, Jacksonville 32205. That is lot 5 in the Murray Hill neighborhood. If you need better directions, call Jamie at 725-4355. Hope to see you all there!

Groundbreaking Scheduled for April 1, 2010

Well, the good news is we are achieving a lot on NEFBA's President's Project. The bad news is we are not achieving it as quickly as we had originally anticipated! However, we should have our permitting complete by the end of the month. On March 24, we will begin clearing the homesite. And our official groundbreaking is scheduled for April 1 at 11:30 AM! It will be a small affair, but everyone is welcome to join us! Call Andy Chambers at 483-7933 for more details.

Andy has been hard at work organizing NEFBA's trade partners who have generously agreed to participate in the project. I will write more about each of them over the coming months, but we want to thank some of the early participants including Blue Linx, Lumber Unlimited, Norbord, Manning Building Supply, Builders First Source, LP, and S.A. Robinson Construction.

We also have scheduled two site events that will be educational and fun! The first is an open house on April 15 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. This event will demonstrate how the Raised Wood Floor System works, including the piers, floor joist, rim board, floor sheathing and tie down strapes and hardware. Representatives from the various suppliers will be available to answer questions. Lunch will be served too! At the end of this month, I will write another blog with more details about all the things that we will be showing you at this event.

The second site event will be April 22 from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM. The event will showcase advanced framing techniques. There will be a CEU class on the "Benefits of Raised Wood Flooring and Advanced Techniques" from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM. Then, the bar opens at 4:30 PM and dinner is served at 5:00 PM. Of course, I will blog more information about this event too!

We hope you will join us for one or both of the site events. It is a great way to learn hands-on about new materials and techniques. For more information about the project or any of the events mentioned, just contact Andy Chambers at 483-7933 or me at 610-3699.

NEFBA President's Project Moves Forward

Just because I haven’t posted anything in a couple of weeks, doesn’t mean we haven’t been hard at work bringing this project to life! So, I thought I’d catch everyone up to speed on where we are…

First, we have been working with Bob Esposito at True Design Studios to finalize the architecture and floor plan. And now they are done! The President’s Project home will be a traditionally styled cottage that complements the homes in the well-established surrounding neighborhood of Murray Hill.

The cottage will have an open kitchen that overlooks the living and dining rooms. There will be three bedrooms and two baths, as well as, a day foyer on the driveway side of the home. This space will function as a mud room – a.k.a. a drop zone for shoes, jackets, umbrellas, backpacks, etc. There is also a private laundry room. Bob told me one of the things that makes this home so welcoming is the functional arrangement of the well proportioned spaces.

Of course, another thing that makes this home wonderful is its raised floor design. Bob believes this is a superior method of construction in flood prone areas, it allows easier maintenance of mechanical systems, affords superior protection against water intrusion, increases security of the home and enhances the opportunity for creative landscaping and curb appeal. Quite a list, huh?

Second, Andy Chambers has been hard at work coordinating all of the affiliated trades and suppliers who are contributing to the project. He also is organizing all of the necessary permits. If you are interested in learning more about getting involved, please contact Andy at 483-7933.

NEFBA Announces 2010 President's Project

Well, I suppose this story starts last July. That's when "Raised Floor Living" hosted an event at the NEFBA offices. In addition to having fun, they taught attendees about the benefits of raised floor construction and held a raised floor competition. The winner of the competition received architectural and structural plans for a raised floor home, as well as $15,000 in hard cost for building the home. As fate would have it, Andy Chambers, President of MasterCraft Builder Group and 2010 NEFBA President, won the competition. Little did we know then what a huge impact this would have on NEFBA in 2010!

You see, as soon as Andy won he started thinking about what an awesome opportunity this would be for our membership to come together and support Builder's Care - our charitable organization - and NEFBA. It would also give our members an opportunity to learn about a variety of new building products and advanced building techniques. He presented his ideas to Raised Floor Living and to the Executive Board of NEFBA and his plans for an educational and demonstrational showhome became a reality!

This blog will follow Andy and the many trades and suppliers who are making this project come to life. Along the way, we will share information about the new products and building techniques, as well document the building of the home.

By the time the home is complete - around July, we anticipate over 25 trades and suppliers will have donated to our project. Right now, Andy is talking to everyone who wants to be involved and sharing the marketing benefits that go along with each level of participation. If you are interested in learning more, please call Andy at 904.483.7933.