“For some, having a cottage that’s deemed “uninsurable” is like a badge of honour: proof that your getaway is as rustic a woodstove-heated, propane-lit tinderbox as can be built. But brokers say the truly uninsurable cottage is as rare as a cougar sighting…” read more

“Stats estimate that as much as 10 per cent of home electricity is wasted through leaky sockets and appliances. We know how much it stings when you lose money in your jacket. So, think about all the money and electricity you’ve wasted without your knowledge. You might have been a millionaire by now. Well, not really, but the problem is getting worse. Every year we buy more appliances, video game consoles and chargers; four billion cell phone chargers are sold every year. This means even more little plugs to siphon off our pennies…” read more

Use the promo code Spring 20% and you could benefit from an incredible limited time offer from Viceroy homes. Contact your local Viceroy representative today and get an even better home for an even better price.

*Terms and conditions apply; contact your Viceroy representative for details.

Building the custom home you’ve always wanted can be a rewarding adventure … and it all starts with the foundation. But it must be done correctly. If not, it can become unstable and literally you’re sunk.

A proper foundation does more than just hold a house above ground. It also keeps out moisture, insulates against the cold, and holds your house steady even when the earth surrounding it is prone to movement. Finally, a good foundation should last forever.

What type of home foundation should you build for your Viceroy Home? Here are your options:

BASEMENT – POURED CONCRETE FOUNDATION

Most homes in Canada are constructed with full basements to stay warm and dry in the winter. Poured concrete foundations are the most common type, representing a majority of foundations placed in North America. It’s important to insulate them properly as it’s been proven that approximately 25%-30% of a home’s heat loss can be attributed to an uninsulated foundation.

Poured concrete walls are an excellent choice for most homes as they are strong, dry, durable, virtually maintenance-free and affordable. A poured concrete foundation can be constructed quickly, usually in about three days, and can be poured year-round through even severe winter weather. It’s water and fire resistant, and allows excellent insulation through the inside framing. The solid, joint-free construction of poured concrete provides greater design flexibility and is adaptable to most home designs. Plus, it’s usually easy to find skilled tradespeople who can pour a concrete foundation for you.

BASEMENT – INSULATING CONCRETE FORM (ICF)

Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) is an effective and convenient way to build a basement foundation. ICF is a system of formwork for concrete that stays in place as permanent building insulation. The ICF forms are interlocking modular units that are dry-stacked (without mortar) and filled with concrete.

The concrete is not exposed to the interior or exterior of the basement wall as the panels on each side of the concrete insulate the basement walls and create a barrier. Basements built with ICFs are more comfortable, quiet and energy-efficient than those built with traditional construction methods. However, ICF foundations are more expensive to build than a poured concrete foundation and, because of the cost, they’re not as common a choice for Canadian homeowners.

BLOCK FOUNDATION

Block foundations are the second most popular system after poured concrete. Blocks are available in a variety of sizes, the most common being 8” x 10” x 16”. The rows of block are started on top of a poured footing and are laid with a 3/8” or ½” mortar joint between them. Depending upon certain conditions, installing foam board insulation on the exterior is recommended. Block foundations are commonly used in remote areas where concrete is not readily accessible.

WALK-OUT FOUNDATION

On flat lots most homes and their foundations are rectangular or square and backfilled on all four sides. On sloping lots that’s not the case. Sloping lots lend themselves to the use of walk-out foundations, often referred to as “daylight basements”. A walk-out foundation is set into the side of a hill; only the back and the sides are backfilled with earth. This allows for the installation of a door system exiting from the “basement” or lower level. On the right type of lot, a walk-out can make sense by adding extra living space to the home at a reasonable cost.

CRAWL SPACE FOUNDATION

Due to soil conditions or cost considerations you could choose a crawl space foundation. Crawl spaces are common in warmer areas of Canada, such as parts of B.C., but can also be suitable for homes built in cottage country. The footings must be located below the frost line and natural ventilation for unheated crawl spaces must be provided by installing a series of vents in the foundation wall. Rigid insulation is installed around the perimeter of the foundation wall on the interior side, and batt insulation is installed in the floor system above.

SLAB-ON-GRADE WITH IN-FLOOR HEATING

 A slab-on-grade is defined as any concrete slab poured over excavated soil. Virtually any concrete pour should contain radiant tubing, even if you have no immediate plans to heat the space. Installing radiant tubing within a concrete slab is probably the easiest, most cost effective, and highest performance application of this technique. The thermal benefits are unsurpassed. From a radiant heating perspective, it doesn’t matter if the slab is actually “at grade” or is poured several feet below grade as part of a full foundation.

When every detail of a good foundation is done perfectly, it should last forever. Be sure to check with your Viceroy Sales Representative or Independent Dealer at the preliminary design stage to determine the best foundation plan for your Viceroy home.

Coming soon, watch for Part 3 in our Adventures in Building series where we take a look at what to watch for with windows.

Viceroy recently sent a team to Sendai, the city at the center of the earthquake and was amazed to see the extraordinary extent of clean up and repair that has taken place in the intervening 6 months. The Viceroy team was able to tour the affected areas and have several days of meetings with our builder clients.  The attitude of Japanese people that we met on the trip was extremely positive and forward looking. This is one of the quickest rebounds that any country has achieved.

The whole world was amazed at how the Japanese people pull together, and worked extraordinarily hard in very difficult circumstances to overcome this challenge. It is to the great credit to the Japanese society and culture that they were able to move so far so fast.  Japan has many years of rebuilding ahead.  Many families are still without a permanent home, however they are working diligently to rebuild their country.   Viceroy continues to ship house packages every week to Japan from its Richmond BC factory and will do everything it can to contribute to the rebuilding process.

Sendai, known as the “Green city” is surrounded by mountains, hot springs resorts, beautiful temples and warm and hospitable people.  Japan is a wonderful country to visit and a great culture to discover. If you are looking for a great adventure visit  Sendai.  The local businesses will appreciate your visit as any contribution helps to the rebuilding process.

However, few life events seem to compare to the stress that people feel about moving. Our research bears that out. When we asked a sampling of people who moved recently about their level of anxiety of when it came to moving, a whopping 52 percent said it was high — of that figure, half said it was ‘very high.’ Only 19 percent said their anxiety was low.

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Here are six resolutions that will help you maintain the value in your home while making life easier for you and saving you some money.

I resolve to do regular maintenance.
There are things you should do every year to keep your home in working order. In the long run, you’ll end up saving money as routine maintenance can help avoid larger, more expensive repairs. This includes things like cleaning the furnace annually and changing furnace filters monthly, cleaning roofs and eavestroughs, checking decks, balconies and porches to ensure they are not rotting and inspecting weather stripping around doors and windows to determine if air is getting in and you need to re-caulk those areas. Putting maintenance off until later might not only be costly, but also dangerous.

I resolve to keep track of my receipts.
Create a simple system to keep track of any maintenance or repairs that were done to your home and by what supplier. That way you’ll know exactly when you replaced the roof or upgraded the furnace and who to call if you have issues. Keep all your receipts for home improvements throughout the year in one central spot or file folder. This will make things easier for you at tax time, plus you’ll know the value of home improvements over your entire ownership when the time eventually comes to sell.

I resolve to uncram my closets.
Funny thing about closets, no matter how big they are they end up getting crammed full of stuff. Clean out your closets so you don’t waste time looking for things. Donate what you no longer need, and organize the rest to that you can easily find the things you use frequently. Drawers, cupboards, and shelves need to be occasionally purged and rearranged. Tackle one or two drawers at a time so it’s not a huge task.

I resolve to be safe.
It’s important to test your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to make sure they’re in working condition. One easy way is to change your batteries twice a year during the spring forward and fall back time changes. Check electrical systems for worn or exposed wires, and check heating systems and appliances for gas leaks and adequate ventilation.

I resolve to beautify my home.
No one likes to wash windows, but it is amazing what clean ones can do for your home’s appearance. Don’t forget the screens. Remove and hose them down if possible. If you don’t want to do it yourself, consider hiring a professional from time to time to really brighten up your view of the world. Thinking about landscaping? Do it yourself or hire a landscaper. It will add to the curb appeal of your home and increase your home’s value.

I resolve to repaint at least one room in the house.
Changing your wall colour makes a room look so fresh, and it’s an easy and inexpensive way to update your home décor. Once you’ve done one room and it looks great, you’ll probably be inspired to move onto another.

Manufactured homes can be delivered in many different ways, from pre-cut materials to precision manufactured components. When you choose to build a Viceroy home, it can be delivered pre-cut or panelized. Pre-cut is a convenient and intelligent way to build a good quality Viceroy home. You can also choose to build your Viceroy home with the convenience of wall panels. Panelization takes convenience one step farther to save you time and money while helping to ensure a good quality home.

How panels are made
Working with Viceroy wall panels is a faster, more precise method of house framing.  In general, the blueprints for your home are recreated in accurate software to define and identify the required measures and the best cuts possible that optimize the standard lumber sizes for its maximum use. Then our electronically computerized saws cut the framing pieces controlling sizes to be accurate, straight and consistent. To manufacture the wall panels we add an extra step: the cut lumber is laid in our panel lines for accurate assembly including appropriate nailing, sheathing application, and to precisely cut windows and doors openings.

This process is completed in a climate-controlled facility where wood is properly stored away from the elements, which ensures consistent quality and fit. All components are manufactured to strict building standards and codes, and thoroughly inspected every step of the way.

The benefits of panels
Panelized walls are built off-site in Viceroy’s state-of-the-art indoor facility and brought on-site to be erected. With panels, a home can be framed in less time and usually results in a better quality finished product. Panelized walls are generally straighter and more accurately built than those framed on-site

Using wall panels can reduce construction costs by providing both consistency and precision for easy site assembly. By using consistent straight walls, the installation of drywall and other interior finishes is efficient and convenient. Erecting a panelized structure is an accurate process that’s easy to follow and saves labour costs.

Far less scrap is generated on a job site using panelized walls. This saves money in waste scrap and dumpster rental and removal. And there is less worry about jobsite theft as panelized walls are of little use to thieves and simply hard to steal.

Compare for yourself the benefits of building a Viceroy home with panels.