We are so thrilled to be in the Piedmont Virginian magazine's Home and Garden spring issue (page 77).  

The Piedmont Virginian is a quarterly journal that promotes historic preservation, open spaces, sustainable agriculture, country values, arts and artists, local food and wine, sustainable living, and the sporting life.

Even if you don't subscribe to the magazine, please be sure to read about E. Fletcher Construction on the Piedmont Virginian's blog.

www.blog.piedmontvirginian.com/2014/04/01/e-fletchers-locally-crafted-approach/

When you think of a house that uses solar power or geothermal heating and cooling, what kind of house comes to mind?  If you run a search online, you may find many modern-looking homes that use these technologies.  However, a classicly styled home can also use sustainable systems.

This photo shows the back of one of our current projects in Rappahannock County, VA.  This classic farmhouse has a fieldstone and brick chimney, wood siding, a standing seam roof, and uses mainly local materials.  But the house will also incorporate sustainable technologies, including a geothermal HVAC system and enough solar power to meet all of the home's energy needs.

Sustainable technologies are not limited to a certain home design or style.  E. Fletcher Construction works with all types architectural styles to incorporate these important sustainable systems that can provide considerable long-term savings to the homeowner.

Construction by E. Fletcher Construction, Washington, VA

Views courtesy of the Blue Ridge Mountains

E. Fletcher Construction uses quality materials in all of our custom homes and structures, both inside and outside the walls.  We have recently installed a spray-in fiberglass insulation system in one of our homes in Fauquier County, VA.

This insulation is sprayed directly from the truck into the wall cavity.  A small amount of acrylic binder coats the fibers and makes them sticky, allowing the fibers to adhere to the cavities and eliminates the need for netting used in other insulation systems.

Installers overfill the cavities and then, using a special scrubbing tool, trim the excess material so it's flush with the studs.  While one worker sprays in the insulation, a second worker then vacuums up the material that doesn't stick to the cavities.  This excess vacuumed material goes back into the truck.

Insulation is specfied by its thermal resistance, or R-value.  "R" means resistance to heat flow.  The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.  This insulation was blow in a 6" cavity,  provides a thermal value of R-21, and has superior sound reduction qualities.

Spray-in fiberslass insulation is an environmentally responsible product because it's made from 25% recycled material, contains no formaldehyde, and is a high performance thermal insulation, therefore reducing the homeowner's energy costs. 

By Susan Whitson.  Here in Rappahannock County, Virginia and in the surrounding Shenandoah National Park, the autumn leaves are just starting to turn to brilliant shades of gold, orange and red.   However, if you want to break ground next year on your building project or start a renovation, now is the time to start the planning process.

FIND AN ARCHITECT:  You might want to meet with a few architects whose work you admire and get an idea of how they work with you.  Additionally, if you are trying to restore native grasses, remove invasive species or create a wildlife habitat, you might also meet with a landscape architect to help create the desired environment around your home or structure.

FIND A BUILDER: It's important that the builder be a part of the planning process from the beginning.  The most successful projects are those where you, the architect and the builder collaborate, listen to each and exchange ideas.  The builder can give valuable guidance on site prep before you even start putting down a foundation and putting up walls, as well as ideas about the finishes your home will have.  The builder will also lay out a timeline of when the project will start and end.

START THE DESIGN PROCESS: Once you have an architect and builder, you can begin the design process.  This process can take several weeks or months with the exchange of ideas.

BREAK GROUND:  Here in Virginia's Piedmont, we recommend breaking ground in the spring when the weather and temperatures are more conducive to starting the building process.  Once designs are finalized and drawings are completed, you can start building.

If you have questions about the building process, email us at susan@efletcherconstruction.com.