Building Materials

Specifications for Cypress Villages Standard Homes*

Click to learn more about the components of our homes:

FOUNDATIONS

FRAMING

EXTERIOR WALLS

ROOFING

WINDOWS AND DOORS

FLOORS

FINISHES

MILLWORK

CABINETS AND COUNTERS

SPECIALTIES

BATHROOMS

PLUMBING

MECHANICAL

ELECTRICAL

COMMUNICATIONS

APPLIANCES

*These specifications are subject to change.

FOUNDATIONS

• Frost-protected shallow foundations with continuous reinforcement, moisture-proofing and insulation.
• Reduces total required cubic feet of concrete.
• Insulation reduces heat loss to the ground
• Slab - 4” insulated (R-10) concrete slab on 4” crushed stone base with cross-linked polyethelyne vapor barrier.
• Assembly helps prevent moisture problems and heat loss.
• Environmentally responsible concrete – with minimum 30% replacement of cement with fly ash and slag.
• Minimum 60% of aggregate salvaged from demolished roads and sidewalks.
• Cement production accounts for 7-8% of total CO2 emissions from human activities. Fly ash and slag are byproducts of burning coal which would otherwise be sent to the landfill.

FRAMING

• Wall framing with 2x6 finger jointed wood studs
• Finger jointed studs increase dimensional stability and can be manufactured with smaller trees and wood scraps – which both reduce wood waste
• Wood supplied from mills that can demonstrate their wood is from sustainably harvest forests
• Advanced framing techniques such as, 24” O.C. studs and two stud corners
• Reduces total linear feet of wood in building
• Universal design – blocking installed in bathroom walls for future installation of grab bars
• Engineered wood roof trusses, 24” O.C. with 5/12 and 6/12 pitched roofs
• Framing and trusses are reinforced to accommodate storage in attic
• Second floor framing – open web truss with ¾” tongue and groove plywood, exterior grade
• Glue in exterior grade plywood has no synthetic urea formaldehyde, a volatile air pollutant.
• Unit separation wall assembly has 2-hour fire separation and a 58 STC – achieved with four layers of drywall, resilient channels(to reduce sound transfer), and two inches of insulation.

EXTERIOR WALLS

• Siding - Lap siding composed of fiber cementboard over 5/8” furring strips and building wrap. Stucco board and shingle style siding also available.
• A combination of cement, sand, and cellulose fiber, fiber cement siding is insect resistant, extremely durable and substitutes fly ash for cement to reduce its carbon footprint
• Corner boards and trim: sustainably harvested cedar
• Decay and insect resistant
• Sheathing - Oriented strand board (OSB) 7/16” for walls and 5/8” for roof
• OSB uses smaller trees, has no added urea-formaldehyde adhesive, and is from mills which can demonstrate their wood is from sustainably harvested forests.
• Insulation – spray applied soy-based insulation,R-22 in the walls and R-38 on the underside of the roof and rafters
• Energy models show the high R-value and low air infiltration value of this insulation to yield energy savings of up to 67% greater than a typical existing home and 51% greater than a code compliant new home. Reducing your costs and your carbon footprint.
• Gypsum board on interior walls with low-VOC paint and a vapor retardant primer.
• 100% Synthetic gypsum is a by-product of pollution control measures at coal burning electricity plans. Use of synthetic gypsum prevents land destruction from mining gypsum.
• Vapor retardant paint helps stop vapor diffusion through the wall. Vapor diffusion can contribute to moisture problems.
• Garage construction – 2x4 studs, engineered trusses, OSB sheathing, siding and trim to match home

ROOFING

• Slate style shingle roofing system with 50 year warranty, www.ecostar.carlisle.com .Smoke gray is standard, 8 other colors are available.
• Class 4, highly resistant to hail, tree limbs, snow and ice.
• Made from 80% pre-consumer recycled rubber & commercial roofing material
• 100% of tile can be reused and recycled
• 67% lighter than slate: no structural reinforcement required, less fuel required
• Aluminum gutters, downspouts and flashing,factory applied color increases durability
• Total 80% recycled content, of this 1/2 is post-consumer
• To produce aluminum from recycled material requires only 5% of the energy required to produce aluminum from ore.

WINDOW AND DOORS

• PLATINUM - Aluminum clad wood windows www.hurd.com
  
  • Energy Star Rated, double pane with argon gas and low-e coating.
  • U-value 0.35 SHGC: 0.26
  • UV protection on South and Westwindows to inhibit fading.
  • 80-90% of aluminum is recycled and 25% of the glass
• SILVER - Vinyl windows with glazing equal to Platinum. www.hurd.com
  
  • One fixed 24” x 48” east facing skylight.  Additional skylights optional.
  • Electric operation and cellular shade optional
  • Exterior Doors
  • Double doors in sizes indicated on plans with ¾ lite. Three standard styles.
  • Energy star rated insulated fiberglass doors with wood texture, U-value 0.30 and SHGC 0.19
• Interior doors
  
  • Humabuilt Wheatcore^TM Doors. Painted poplar veneer or clear finish maple veneer doors with Wheatcore.  
  • Manufactured in Kansas 
  • Three standard styles with either flat panel or raised panel design. 
  • Sustainably harvested mid-westernwood veneers, poplar or maple
  • Engineered wheat core
  • Free of synthetic formaldehyde
  • Ultra low VOC finish
  • Garage doors
  • Carriage style wood composite doors with R-7insulation

FLOORS

• Porcelain tile by Crossville is standard in kitchen and bathrooms in 5 standard colors and two standard designs
• Eco-cycle tile for PLATINUM, 40% pre-consumer content
• Durable and easy to clean(reduces use of cleaners and need for replacement)
• PLATINUM Bamboo flooring standard in all other locations. www.wfibamboo.com
  
  • Vertical style in natural or carbonized and Horizontal style in natural or carbonized
  • UV cured low VOC finish with 25 year warranty,
  • Adhesive: low-VOC, formaldehyde content is 7.5 times lower than maximum allowed by HUD
  • Rapidly renewable, ready for harvest in 4-6 years, as opposed to 50-200 years for hardwood
  • Upgrade option to strand bamboo
  • Durable, harder than red oak
• SILVER– laminate flooring
• Upgrade options to engineered hardwood flooring with a bamboo substrate www.woodboo.com , or domestic stone.

FINISHES

• Paint on Walls and Ceiling – Primer plus two top coats, sprayed with roll-on top coat.
• Zero-VOC and free of toxins for better indoor air quality
• Clear finishes and stains
• Factory finish whenever possible to improve quality and durability
• Field applied finishes are low-VOC and ultralow toxicity
• Adhesives and sealants will comply with low-VOC standards established by LEED

MILLWORK

• PLATINUM Painted wood baseboard and casing in two styles
  
  • Craftsman style with flat panel doors
  • Colonial style with raised panel doors  
  • Harvested and milled in southeast Iowa. (to be confirmed)
  • Millwork upgrade to soft maple with increased detailing  
  • Millwork upgrade to painted or natural finish maple crown molding
• SILVER Painted ranch style baseboard and casing.

CABINETS and COUNTERS

• PLATINUM Cabinets: Humabuilt Wheatcore Cabinets with maple or beech veneer and frames. Full overlay doors in shaker style or raised panel in clear finish or toffee or coffee. http://www.humabuilt.com/Pages/Cabinets.html Standard cabinet specifications vary by house model. Cabinet upgrades available through cabinet supplier at retail price.
  • Manufactured in Kansas – regional sourcing reduces
  • Sustainably harvested mid-western wood veneers, maple or beech
  • Engineered wheat core
  • Free of synthetic formaldehyde
  • Ultra low VOC finish
• SILVER Cabinets: standard quality cabinet
• PLATINUM Countertops: Solid surface quartz countertops in kitchen and bath. www.cambria.com
  • 93% domestic quartz
  • Manufactured in LeSueur, Minnesota
  • Non-porous, NSF certified for food safety
  • Durable and easy to maintain
  • Greenguard^SM certified as low emitting material
  • Three standard colors, custom color options available.
• SILVER Countertops: Wilsonart plastic laminate on plywood base
  • Wilsonart laminate is Green Guard certified
  • Plywood free from synthetic formaldehyde

SPECIALTIES

• Radon remediation system. Passive system installed in all homes. Radon levels can vary dramatically from one lot to the next. Radon
  

  

  levels in a home can not be established until after the home is built. Installing radon remediation during construction is much more cost effective than retrofitting.

• FENCES and RAILS – cedar
• Kalash – golden roof ornament custom made in Fairfield, Iowa
• Storm Safety – community emergency siren and a Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) approved Emergency shelter with back-up power located below Meditation Hall. FEMA approved in-home shelters or underground shelters optional.

BATHROOMS

• Ceramic tile surrounds in shower and bath
• Dual flush toilets
• 1.6 gallon and 0.9 gallon flush buttons cansave up to 50% on toilet water usage. TOTO
• Faucets – three standard styles and two finishes
• Low flow faucet aerators reduce water usage while maintaining good pressure

PLUMBING

• PEX piping
• PEX is flexible, requiring fewer joints and reducing the risk of cracking under freezing conditions. Joints are mechanical, eliminating lead solder.
• Copper pipe is energy intensive to produce, and is prone to corrosion, and solder joints contain lead.
• PVC piping is toxic in its production and continues to leach toxins throughout its lifetime
• Stainless steel double sink in kitchen
• Water filtration system

MECHANICAL

• Platinum: High efficiency Geothermal heat pump for heating and cooling – 70% savings compared to conventional systems. Low and high speed, two stage forced air heating and cooling. Heat recovery ventilator for fresh air at 80% efficient transfer.
• Silver: High efficiency electric hot water baseboard heat. Whole house fan. Heat recovery ventilator for fresh air at 80% efficient transfer.

ELECTRICAL

• Energy efficient lighting fixtures, switches, and receptacles wired to minimize EMF.
• Wind generated electricity.
• Platinum: Photovoltaic 500 watt grid-tied starter system with optional upgrades.

COMMUNICATIONS

• Fiber Optic cable to-the-home will be provided giving access to the fastest Internet available. Additional services such as Digital TV, and VoIP will also be available. A neighborhood wide wireless network will provide fast Internet access anywhere within Cypress Villages.

APPLIANCES

• Platinum: ENERGY STAR appliances provided, sizes vary according to house model. Dishwasher optional in one and two bedroom models. Upgrades available if compliant with Energy Star.
• SILVER: Appliances by Owner. Energy Star efficiency or better.