When you’re buying a new home, there are a lot of things to consider: location, price, design, number of rooms…
One thing that many people don’t consider is the building materials. What is your home made of?
If you’ve decided to build a custom home, that’s an even more important question because you get to choose just what goes into your new home. You’re not just deciding the look of the building, but also the “ingredients” that go into it.
Any good custom builder is going to recommend using the top building materials for a number of reasons. The first, and most obvious one, is that the better materials you use, the better the final product. How good is the waterproofing on your foundation walls? Living in Vancouver, your waterproofing better be the best you can find or you’re dealing with leaks and drips that could cause a lot of damage down the road.
Second, what kind of warranties do your materials come with? Does the manufacturer stand behind their products? Does the warranty actually cover what it’s claiming? For example, when choosing shingles for your house, just how long is the manufacturer’s warranty? It may say that it’s a “lifetime” warranty, but with the terms and conditions, that may not be true.
Third, has the material been third-party certified? It’s not enough for the manufacturer to say that it’s good. You want to make sure that the products have been checked over by a neutral third party who will guarantee that what the manufacturer claims is true.
And finally, how ecologically safe are the materials? Everyone wants to protect nature and the environment to make sure that these beautiful views will be around for the future. Does the cedar siding come from a sustainably-managed forest? Do the products you’re buying use recycled materials to reduce waste?
So talk to your custom builder and make sure that only the best is going into your brand new custom home.
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