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Hear from Jeff Satterwhite about what is required when you’re building on a Floodplain in terms of the various mechanical features for your home.

Renovation Part II – Mechanicals and Floodplain

St. James Plantation, NC – This part of the land (that Jeff is on) is on the floodplain, on the marsh – all mechanicals, electrical wires, switches, compressors – anything that has to do with mechanical or wires, has to be above the freeboard of the floodplain. This area is an AE-11 zone. So, in Brunswick County, you have to have 2 feet above the AE-11, meaning everything has to be above the 13 foot elevation. The ground elevation here is about 6 feet, which means all mechanicals have to be 7-8 feet above the floodplain in order to be compliant with the local and CAMA building codes.

Watch Previous Ceneterline Construction Chat videos to learn more about the Brunswick County, NC Building Process.

If you have any questions or comments about renovating your home, please contact us at (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Have you thought about doing a renovation on your house? Jeff is doing 3-part Renovation series of videos. Below is the first video about putting columns on a flood plane.

Renovation

Elevated Renovation –There is a concrete column in this case – this home is in the floodplain in St. James Plantation, NC. There are a couple different ways to do an elevated house. You can do it on pilings or you can do it on masonry units (concrete columns).

These are built out of block filled with masonry or concrete, so the CMU is laid with a 5/8 threaded rod in the center of it for wind hold down, then the entire column is filled with concrete.

So depending where you are in a floodplain or where you are in St. James Plantation or Eastern NC determine how high the columns need to be. The outer surface has been parged with the cement material to give it a sand finish and you can go back over the top of it with a stucco or a variety of different types of finishes.

If you have any questions regarding elevated construction or a remodel for your home in Eastern NC, please contact us at (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Watch Jeff Satterwhite’s video below to learn about what LP Gas Tanks are, why we need them in Southeastern NC and what is different about them compared to Natural Gas.

Centerline Construction Chat – LP Gas tanks

In this area of NC, there is no natural gas  – most people from the north and populated cities are used to natural gas piped to your home with a big blue regulator that regulates the gas pressure in your home.

We rely on LP Gas here since we don’t have that. There is a tank under the ground, they come in different sizes from 300 up to 1,000 gallons. Most homes have between 350-500 gallon tank.

Normal system is a ½ psi for pressure for propane, sometimes it will be a 2 psi system if you have a large requirement for natural gas, if you’re heating off LP or you have a backup generator. Ther is a regulator on there showing it is filled to 85%, never filled to 100% because there is always room for expansion.

This tank has a regulator that will regulate the pressure for the entire house, your gas tank, backup generator, heating and AC, cooking, fireplace, etc. will all work off the LP just like natural gas. The only difference is that gas appliances will have to have the orifice changed, because LP and natural gas are different sized molecules that burn differently so they have a different sized orifice for the actual burner inside the item.

For questions or to learn more, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

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Click Here to watch our last Centerline Construction Chat video about Painting

Learn about the process of painting every aspect of your home, what types of paint are used and other important advice. (text version below)

Painting

Several tools are used in the painting process. Of courses there is a paint brush and roller, which are primarily used. Also, we use the pressure sprayer, which is mainly for priming in large areas for undercoating because it will put down an even coat of paint.

On the trim work, we use Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore oil-based paint because these lay down an even, smooth coat of paint that dries evenly, not ropy or streaky like a latex paint would do on trim materials.

On the walls, we use a flat material Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams latex and we use an oil, semi-gloss paint on the trim.

Painting could be on several different types of materials like a trim or baseboard (which is an MDF product so it comes primed from the factory) – these type of products would have the oil-based paint. Other pieces like a sheetrock wall or ceiling would have latex, flat paint.

Another important aspect of painting is using a good, high quality caulking because a cheaper one will crack open when it heats and cools in the crevices and leave a black line when the paint job is complete.

One of the other main products used is sand paper. There must be sanding done between each layer of paint because you must remove the dust and debris between the layers of paint so you can have a nice, even, smooth coat of paint at the end.

For questions or to learn more, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

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Click Here to watch our last Centerline Construction Chat video about Backup Generators

Watch Jeff Satterwhite discuss what backup generators are and how they work below.

Backup generators – The generator is about the size of a large suitcase. This one is a 20kw backup generator that runs off a propane tank in the ground, which turns on automatically if you lose power.

When the main line breaker panel loses power, the generator automatically switch changes from line power to generator power. The items on the generator circuit will be up and operational at that point. The process can take 30 seconds to one minute.

When the line power comes back, the automatic switch will change back to line power and run the generator for a two-minute cooling cycle, then turn itself off.

A backup generator is a nice luxury to have. It is not necessarily needed in Southport  and Brunswick County since we have underground power which is stable. But we do live in an electric world so it is a nice luxury to have in the case of a heavy storm.

It would have been a nice addition to the recent Sandy that swept through the Northeast.

For questions or to learn more, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

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In this video, Jeff Satterwhite explains Grinder Pumps – what they are, how they work and how to know when yours is not working! See below for the text version.

Grinder Pumps

Grinder Pump Tub – This is 6 feet deep and as wide as the circumference of the lid. It is basically a big fiberglass bucket in the ground, and when you flush your toilet, the gray water from it runs into this bucket, underground. There is a 4-inch line running from your toilet into the tank, falling to the bottom.

There is a big huge grinder pump or a macerator that sits at the bottom of the bucket with a float, when the bucket fills to a certain level, the float flips on the switch and it grinds the material like a blender and pumps it into the street through a 2-inch line.

You need to be careful with your grinder pump, because it is like a blender in that it has a large blade and it can get clogged.

The control box – Is a 220 volt controller that controls the grinder pump and the switches in the tank. If the red light is blinking and there is an alarm going off on the control box, then the grinder pump (macerator) is not working and the alarm float is to its max level since the grinder is not working.

If this happens, you must call the county (Brunswick County) for them to come over and take care of your problem.

For questions or to learn more, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

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Watch Jeff Satterwhite explain what a driveway made of pavers is and the different options you have when building a paver driveway.

Paver Driveways

There are several different materials you can build a driveway with. For example, there is normal concrete like the curb, asphalt like what is in the street, then there are pavers.

The driveway in the video is a masonry paver product. The color is charcoal with a red tone. – Pavers come in different sizes and color varieties.

This particular paver has a blend of charcoal material, red burgundy material and a blend of yellow. There is a multitude of different styles and sizes between stone configurations – you can have a basket weave, Flemish bond, straight pattern – tons of different patterns to choose from. The driveway in the video is bordered with a charcoal blend. It has a nice yellow and charcoal grey color and the body of the driveway is a red blend with some charcoal color.

The base of the paver driveway is 8 inches of crushed, compacted granite – it is made of a combination of stone, sand and granite, blended together into a solid base before they are hand installed. There is a fine sand that goes between the cracks that keeps it from washing. No concrete and no bonding or mortar material keep them together and each brick is hand laid.

There are star and circle medallions in this particular driveway. There are a lot of different styles of insets that can be added to the driveways.

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For questions or to learn more, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

Learn about the Irrigation System and the Backflow Preventer from Jeff Satterwhite. In this video, he shows you all the different parts of an Irrigation system, why they’re necessary and how they work. Read details from the video below the video.

Backflow Preventer – Once water has passed through this system, the Backflow Preventer stops water from flowing back from irrigation lines into city drinking water

In this particular area of NC irrigation and drinking water comes from the same source – so in the case that the main line is cut somewhere down the stream the valve creates a siphoning effect that prevents the water  that has been in the yard or the yard lines from getting into the drinking system.

An Insulted box must go over the backflow preventer because it will freeze in the winter. Another option would be to remove (shut off) the Backflow Preventer during the colder times of year when freezing can take place.

The cost of a Backflow Preventer is around $300-400 (which is why you want to protect it during freezing temperatures)and it requires installation by someone certified. The Backflow Preventer must be inspected every year by certified inspector to make sure it is working properly.

The control valve – There are a multitude of control valves we use – we mainly use Rain Bird and Orbit. A timer can be set up in a wide variety of programs such as multiple time zones, multiple areas of sprinkling and multiple times of day. This would be for the purpose of going on vacation or hotter/colder times of year.

A dedicated line runs back to the panel so it wouldn’t get tripped off in case there is some other type of GFI trip in the house it won’t cut off irrigation.

Control valves in the box will open when you change settings. You can do a manual start and use them immediately. Spray heads are typically underground and will rise during use. This one (in the video) is a mister head – there are a variety of different heads – such as 180, 90, 360 degree heads and also heads that oscillate back and forth.

For questions or to learn more, contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com

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Watch Jeff Satterwhite in the video below explain the different types of stone that are used in building and how they are used. See the text version below.

Simulated stone

2 types: Flat Stone – for flat wall, and Corner

Several manufacturers’ make the stone. – Eldorado is who makes the stone shown in the video (Owen’s Corning is a company which produces Cultured Stone)

The stone comes in a variety of different colors and styles and is made of a light weight concrete which is created in a mold. Some varieties include Ledger Stone, Field Stone and River Stone.

2 areas stone can be applied to: Masonry wall or Wood wall.

If applied to a Foundation or Masonry wall, a cement coating is put on, let to dry, then another cement coating is applied the back of the stone or to the wall, where it will be stuck to the Masonry wall.

The Corner Stones are done the same way but they go around corners, they’re put in like a puzzle on the wall or foundation.

On the Wood wall, a moisture barrier (like hydro stop) is attached to the wood wall, and a lath is used, which is nailed over moisture barrier. A base coat is then put on to dry. You apply these the same way you would on Masonry wall – Cement material is put on the back of stone with a scratch coat.

These particular stones are only good for vertical surfaces.

If you are using stones in a horizontal area, like stair treads or a porch, you would need to use a natural stone like Pennsylvania Blue Stone because the other products are not durable enough for foot traffic.

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For more information or questions, go to:
www.gocenterline.com
Contact Jeff Satterwhite: (910) 620-8883 or Jeff@gocenterline.com