Tag: slab

When someone walks into my sales office, one of the things I am dying to tell people is that we conduct extra inspections on our homes during the construction process.  Most people just look at me blankly when I do my twirl and jazz hands at the end of delivering this precious message. 

Although the meaning of this is pretty insignificant to people who are not self-proclaimed construction nerds, I still feel this message needs a little bedazzling.  So I asked J Mason our COO who also happens to be another Graduate Master Builder (cue the jazz hands and twirling) working at Antares Homes to explain this better than I can.

“Each Antares home undergoes numerous and rigorous inspections conducted by four separate groups. The most familiar of these is of course the municipal building code compliance set of inspections. The International Building Code (together with local modifications) is enforced via multiple inspections at differing construction stages, to assure compliance with the hundreds (if not thousands) of requirements. In addition to these municipal inspections, each home also receives a ‘pre-pour’ foundation inspection, conducted by a Structural Foundation Engineer to insure that the slab is properly prepared prior to the placement of concrete.”

So, in addition to the city-mandated inspections we have a Structural Engineer give us the thumbs up before we pour!  Ta-Daa!

J also said, “Antares has also engaged a third-party firm as part of our Comfort Home program. These folks conduct inspections pre-drywall and prior to closing to verify the thermal integrity of the building envelope, the insulation installation and the performance of the air distribution system. These inspections are among the most exacting in the industry. Most builders would say ‘That’s enough!’ (or ‘That’s TOO much’). Antares, however has a third initiative, which is the driver behind an additional third-party inspection. We are committed to continuous improvement of our business, and of course construction practices are a primary focus. Simply put, we want to get it right the first time. We warrant our homes, and understand the risks associated with that, and know the best solution is correct construction.”

Well that can’t be said any better!  Continuous improvement is a cornerstone of the Antares philosophy. J goes on to say:

“A key requirement of any improvement initiative is an effective measurement system. For the past several years we have engaged Burgess Construction Consultants to conduct a thorough pre-drywall inspection on every home we build.  This inspection covers approximately 175 code and best-practice related items, and is primarily a data-based measurement system for each of our Trade Partners (you know, the guys who pour the slab, swing the hammers, install the mechanical systems, etc.). The results of each inspection are provided to the Construction Manager and the related Trade Partners, and corrective actions are taken as needed. The data is also compiled on a historical basis allowing us to measure performance on a per-Trade Partner basis. This recurring procedure has yielded significant results, with items needing correction declining to a level that outperforms the average of all DFW builders that are in the Burgess database. This additional inspection procedure is part of our ongoing commitment to provide the durable, high quality homes for which Antares is known.

And that my friends is why I get all dance-y when I start talking about EXTRA INSPECTIONS!