The Pre-Drywall Inspection 2 March

Pre-Drywall Inspection 2 March

We met with our project manager, Jason, at the home site for the pre-drywall inspection, which took an hour or so.  The Ryan building machine continues to march forward, seemingly relentlessly, and the home is looking really great.

At the meeting, Jason explained a number of the features of the building process and the home itself. It was fun to walk around and ask questions, or simply for more information about how the home was constructed. As has been the case all along, I've been impressed with the knowledge level of the project managers and their willingness to explain what is being done and why.

I've also been impressed by the details involved in building a new home in the modern era, as well as the different techniques that are now employed to make the house more solid, comfortable, and energy-efficient. For instance, I was unaware that floorboards are glued as well as nailed to the floor joists, and that drywall is also glued as well as screwed into the walls. Jason explained the process used to ensure the integrity of the pvc piping prior to drywalling, as well as the county inspection processes involved.

From what we can tell the home is coming along quite nicely. We remain very, very excited. At one point I was wishing the house was a little bigger, but now that it's framed, it seems plenty big as is.

My only issue is that the Ryan business model allows for very little flexibility up front when spec'ing the home. There is a standard set of options. However, the impression is made that anything non-standard is not permitted. But, of course, we see neighboring homes with some non-standard features. When asked we were told that the policy on non-standard features is kind of fluid. Things like extra windows in the foundation, or insulation/drywall on the weather sides of the garage, or extra insulation in interior walls, or a two-door option in the basement walkout, are small things that would make for a happier customer if they were offered. I realize the business model is proven and set, but some additional flexibility would probably go a long way. Just saying.

In any case, we're rolling with it and we're excited. Pictures to follow. It was just too cold and windy today to take many.