New Construction Includes Front Steps

            One of the last exterior areas to conceptualize in the new construction and then build was the front steps that lead into the house. As I’ve mentioned before, one challenge we’ve worked with and to our advantage is having a seven-foot elevation for our house to stay out of the flood zone. This challenge keeps coming up and we’ve solved the dilemma with our builder, Blue Moon Bay, with creative and cost-conscious solutions. So, when it came time recently to decide how to make the front steps functional, attractive and affordable, once again we applied those principles to the entrance of our house.

            The builder wanted to know first of all what we had in mind for steps. It was important to us for the front of our house to be welcoming and distinctive, yet also affordable. We wanted steps that were angled, but not drastically, and easy to step up. The solution was to pour a concrete slab for the steps to sit on and then use the split face brick, which we also used for the foundation, for the steps turned so that the face of the brick is visible and the right height for the steps. Then, concrete will be poured into the brick for stability and strength. The outcome is quite attractive, a little unusual and very functional.

            Inside the house, the subs are working on getting ready to paint, add cabinets soon, and move toward completion within a few weeks. The cabinet maker has put the custom shelving in the closets and it is exactly what we wanted, very well built and sturdy, and will help us keep our things organized. We worked through this process together with our builder to make sure they understood our needs and we understood the constraints and what made good decisions for practicality and solid construction.

            We are so pleased with how everything has worked out so far. We’ve had wonderful people to work with from our builder and his staff to the different subcontractors and their crews. We’ve certainly had a few challenges along the way, but they’ve been solved in a creative and practical manner. If you’d like more information about our new construction, give us a call at 501.520.9201 or 501.262.9310. Stay tuned for more on the new construction of the interior finish out.