Updated Model Home Pictures
Recently, I have had several requests to see the current status of the Model Home. We are in the process of finishing a few details and furnishing it. Enjoy these pictures!
Inspiration from Nature: Glass
Windows are one of the most important ways to showcase the incredible views seen from most every room in Tralee’s model home. Marvin Windows and Doors was chosen because of their styles and reputation. For nearly a hundred years, this family-owned and operated company has been at the forefront of technological advances in the industry. They were the first company to offer Low-E glass on their entire product line. Energy efficient windows can translate into big savings heating and cooling a home.
According to the Efficient Windows Collaborative, two primary ways to increase a window’s efficiency are by using “low-E glass” and “Argon gas fill.” Marvin windows have both. “Low-E glass” refers to a low-emittance coating of microscopically, virtually invisible thin metal layers that suppress heat flow. “Argon gas fill” refers to inserting Argon between the layers of glass to furthermore decrease the radiant heat transfer. Argon is inexpensive, non-toxic, non-reactive, clear, and odorless. Interesting factoid: Energy efficient windows can save a homeowner 39% in heating bills.
Pictorial Update of Model Home: Nearing Completion
The house is nearing completion and looking wonderful. Again, I have to say Paul is a genius with the details of crafting this house.
The sod is in.
Clinch Mountain view from the driveway.
The outdoor count rumford fireplace is finished.
The kitchen should be finished by Friday--we'll see.
Arched window in family room overlooking Clinch Mountain.
View from upstairs bedroom overlooking lots 10 & 11.
Inspiration from Nature: Wood
Custom woodworking throughout the model home at Tralee has been key to creating an “old world” feel. Master carpenter Jeremy Barlow is responsible for hand-crafting columns and beams. He spent two weeks building eight Corinthian style columns on the main floor. Each column was then stained with a mahogany finish and rubbed with black paint to give it a distressed look.
Jeremy also added three enormous beams in the family room to give it a French Country touch. Measuring 6 by 10 inches thick and 24 feet long, the beams are not only attractive--they’re structural.
The kitchen cabinets being installed next week are made of knotty alder wood. Alder wood looks like cherry but can be stained a variety of colors more easily. Finally, a mahogany front door with curved beveled glass makes a stunning first impression for any visitor. Interesting factoid: Alder trees benefit other plants growing near them by creating exceptionally nitrogen rich soil, and their fallen leaves make fertile compost.
Inspiration from Nature: Stone
Another key material used to create that “old world” feel in Tralee’s model home is stone, inside and out. C.J. Ogle Stone Company, Inc. based in Sevierville, TN, has spent four months meticulously applying to the exterior tons upon tons of limestone quarried from middle Tennessee. They have been providing quality stone masonry installation with stone native to the Southeast for more than 40 years.
Inside the home, a variety of limestone, flagstone, and travertine adorn the floors. Limestone was chosen for the kitchen and foyer, travertine lines the master bath and patios, and flagstone flanks the fireplaces. All three types of stone are sedimentary rock, which covers 75-80% of the earth’s land area. Interesting factoid: The largest building in the world constructed primarily of travertine is the Colosseum in Rome.
Update on the Model Home: "Perfection Takes Time"
The model home on Lot 35 has seen some delays but only because of developer Paul Smiddy’s commitment to the finest product. When the Australian Cypress they had ordered for hard wood floors was installed, Paul noticed a number of knots and voids. Deciding this was not the quality of wood acceptable in this home, it is all being ripped out and replaced with select 7-inch quarter-sawn white oak floor. This special process for cutting lumber wears more evenly, reduces shrinking and swelling, and creates incomparable grain patterns.
Another time-consuming but essential step to creating an old world look to the home is a custom process of texturing the walls with plaster and vermiculite. Artisan Jay L Self has been applying this technique to homes for Paul for 17 years. It will take him approximately 70 hours to complete.
Building two masonry fireplaces, one inside and one out, has also taken some time, but it is a requirement of all homes built at Tralee. No pre-fabricated fireplaces are allowed. The style of fireplace chosen for the model home is a technique designed by Count Rumford in the late 1700’s and was used in Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. Rumford fireplaces are tall and shallow to reflect more heat, causing them to be much more efficient heat sources than typical fireplaces.
When asked why he labors over every detail, Paul responds, “So much of this doesn’t feel like quality to me; it just feels the way it’s supposed to be done.” The model home is expected to be completed in October or November.
Progress Update on the Model: Superinsulating
Among some of the interesting details in the model home, Paul has chosen to superinsulate the house. First, they sprayed a foam insulation in all exterior walls and in the attic, and then they covered the foam with an R-19 batting, which effectively gave the home an R-30 value. Paul expects that the investment in insulation will return in rich rewards in lower utility bills. With this much insulation in the house, there are not any vents in the attic or crawl space.
Progress Update on the Model: Finishing Framing
After being away from The Farm at Tralee for a few weeks, I was anxious to see how the model home was coming along. When we last wrote, it was just being framed. Paul Smiddy and his team of experts are moving beyond the framing stage now. Paul has chosen to use a number of interesting building materials and techniques not commonly found in most homes. For example, the exterior walls of the home are constructed out of 2" x 6" studs, and instead of using traditional 7/16" sheathing, Paul has chosen to use 5/8" materials. "The thin stuff cannot support the weight of the slate roof" Smiddy said.
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Construction at The Farm at Tralee: Foundation of Model Home Completed
Construction of the model home is underway on Lot 35. The foundation was completed last week and the framing of the model begins today. From the back yard patio, this beautiful home site boasts miles and miles of a thousand shades of green rising into the peaks of House and Clinch mountains. Construction is projected to take approximately 6 months to complete.
