Oakwood Homes: Denver, CO

Frost-Protected Shallow Foundations (FPSF)

• No special tools were needed and crews needed very little specialized training.
• Code officials were reluctant to accept FPSF and, in at least one jurisdiction, would not allow the technique.

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PEX Water Supply Piping

• The plumbing contractor rated the system favorably.
• Plumber requested the use of open-web floor joists to facilitate piping installation.
• Because flexible copper was used for under-slab runs, connections were necessary between the PEX and the copper.
• It is important to have ample slack in the PEX lines to allow for expansion and contraction (manufacturer recommended 7 inches for every 50 feet of pipe). Therefore, the tubing was not secured too tightly to framing members.
• A valve was installed upstream of the manifold to allow debris to be flushed out of the street line prior to running water through the manifold.
• The field manager noted two leaks in 20 homes—both leaks occurred at an inadequately crimped line and were easily fixed.
• The PEX system required less skill to install and fewer connections than a copper system, and the plumbing was installed much faster.

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Cellulose Insulation:

• Some unconventional preparation was required prior to insulating—the crew covered windows with plastic, installed a membrane on the common walls between the living area and the garage to hold the material in place, filled some small inaccessible areas with fiberglass batt insulation, and swept the entire house prior to installation to avoid foreign debris being vacuumed into the insulation hopper.
• Three workers completed the fairly simple installation process of spraying the cellulose. The insulation filled all wall cavities, and after excess material was scraped off, produced a neat finished appearance. The excess material was then vacuumed up and returned to the hopper for remixing.
• The insulation appeared to provide tighter construction than fiberglass. However, air-sealing for the control (fiberglass) house was not observed, and therefore could not be compared to the test house.

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Fiber-Cement Siding:

• The installation process was similar to wood siding installation. Installers used a circular saw with a carbide blade for cutting and a pneumatic nail gun for fastening.
• Installation time was less than for wood, but more than for vinyl siding.

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Additional Information

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