Our Homes Have Benefits
The many benefits of an Affordable Florida Home
By Tom Beaty
Apr 25, 2006, 04:54

At Affordable Florida Homes Inc, we are committed to providing our homeowners with high-quality custom homes at an affordable price. This commitment extends through all areas of customer service and construction. We feel that we build some of the best homes available in Florida today, and we are proud to provide our homeowners with a strong, above code home that is built to last, and has all of the luxury that custom home buyers have come to expect.

The benefit of strength

Florida’s tropical climate and proximity to the ocean prompt thousands of individuals and families to purchase new Florida homes each year. Sunny days, ocean breezes, and lack of snow are just a few of the benefits that Florida’s year-round warmth and sunshine can offer to the Florida homeowner. There is, however, an aspect of Florida’s climate that all Florida homeowners need to be aware of and prepared for: hurricanes.

Yes, hurricanes are a fact of life for all Florida residents. But the good news is that you can enjoy the Florida climate and lifestyle with minimal risk of home destruction during a strong storm. How is this possible? It is called above-code construction, and Affordable Florida Homes are not only built above Florida hurricane code standards, they are built far above Florida Hurricane code.


The truth about Florida hurricane code

After the devastation seen in Dade County during hurricane Andrew in 1992, the revamping of Florida building code and inspection procedures got quite a bit of media attention. That is why many Florida home owners and prospective homeowners are operating under the misconception that a home built after 1992 will withstand a category 4 storm like Andrew. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true.

Dade County is one of the few Florida counties that adopted building codes requiring all structures be built to withstand a category 4 hurricane with winds exceeding 140 mph. In the majority of Florida counties, structures only need to withstand a category 2 hurricane, with winds up to 120 mph, to comply with hurricane building code.

So unless a builder specifies that their home is build above-code, the home likely will not maintain structural integrity in a strong storm like Andrew, Katrina or Rita. Affordable Florida Homes are built tough, and will maintain structural integrity in storm winds exceeding 140 mph. We accomplish this standard of hurricane safety by using steel-reinforced, poured concrete when constructing the walls and foundations of our homes, as well as 140 mph windows and stronger roof truss straps than are required by hurricane building code.

The benefit of steel-reinforced, poured concrete

As stated above, every Affordable Florida Homes is built with solid, poured concrete walls and foundations. The poured concrete forms a solid barrier against the elements for your home, and is reinforced with three times the steel of concrete block. This translates into the highest standards of strength and safety for you and your family.

When building an Affordable Florida Home, we give you double the strength and security by using 3000 psi (pounds per square inch) concrete to pour the driveway and foundation of our homes. We then reinforce that foundation and driveway concrete by using both fiber mesh and 6x6x6 steel mesh.

The concrete walls of every Affordable Florida Home have vertical 5/8” rebar spaced every 4 feet from top to bottom, tied to rebar from the slab. Around the top perimeter we place MORE 5/8” rebar. We use 2 horizontal runs all along the top of the wall section. And since we build for strength and safety, the whole rebar grid system is tied together with 6x6x6 steel mesh, top to bottom. When you consider that the National Hurricane Center in Dade County uses the same steel-reinforced, poured concrete construction method, you will see why we are so confident in the strength of every Affordable Florida Home.

Additional benefits of solid concrete construction

The benefits of solid concrete construction don’t stop at storm protection. A solid concrete Affordable Florida Home provides greater resistance to water leakage of any sort, and because concrete is not an appealing material for insects, the concrete walls of your Affordable Florida Home will not be susceptible to rot or insect infestation.

In the event of a house fire, solid concrete slows the spread of the flames. This means that you and your family have more time to exit your home and for fire fighters to arrive on the scene. This could mean the difference between life and death, or at the very least, the difference between repairable fire damage and a complete loss of your home and possessions.

The benefits of a top-quality roof

When thinking about how we could build the strongest, toughest homes for our home buyers, we knew that steel-reinforced, solid concrete construction wouldn’t offer enough protection if we didn’t ensure that the quality of roofing on our homes was raised to the same standard of strength as the foundation and walls.

During a wind storm, the roof is the home’s most vulnerable point of entry. To combat this, we upgraded to 5/8” CDX plywood roof decking that is strong, secure and resists expansion in the event that it is exposed to water. The current industry standard is for builders to use ½” OSB, but we didn’t feel that was enough for our home buyers. That extra 1/8” may sound trivial, but it means that your roof is 25% thicker and stronger structurally.

A 30 lb felt barrier between the roof decking and shingles provides a watertight seal, protecting the CDX plywood decking from exposure to moisture. During a wind-driven rain storm, some moisture may get under the shingles, and experienced builders know that 30 lb felt is the best protection against moisture seepage and leaks. Dry wood is always better than wet wood.

On top of the CDX plywood and 30-lb roof felt, we install 30-year architectural shingles. These strong and beautiful architectural shingles capture a similar multi-dimensional look of cedar shake shingles without the huge material cost. And unlike cedar shake shingles, the architectural shingles on your Affordable Florida Home will not be susceptible to rotting, insect infestation and rapid spread of fire.

Since architectural shingles are the number one choice of roofing shingles by homeowners today, your Affordable Florida Home will have an increased the curb appeal, and will ultimately boost the resale value of your home. Many other Florida home builders use this style of shingle, but most often they come at an additional cost. Why pay more for something that comes standard with an Affordable Florida Home?

We use a 6/12 roof pitch that is aesthetically pleasing and suitable for the Florida climate. Our competition is using lower 4/12 and 5/12 pitch roof system; both are less attractive and create more uplift during high winds.

Other building features of your Florida home include 16” on center stud walls, R30 attic insulation material, special drywall installed on the ceiling that protects from sagging. We also install a 6” fascia for a more visible horizontal accent line.

The benefit of a beautiful exterior

All Affordable Florida homes include an upgraded, two-tone paint package for both the interior and exterior of our homes. Our home buyers are offered high quality paint in a choice of colors, and with the two-tone package, one color may be chosen for the exterior walls, and another color for the trim. We use Sherwin-Williams paint for both a better finish and a higher level of durability.

Sherwin-Williams’ new Exterior Loxon XP Waterproofing System provides excellent durability and protection from weather damage. Loxon XP is now our standard exterior paint, and has the added benefit of agents that inhibit the growth of mildew on the surface of the paint.

Enhancing the exterior of every Affordable Florida Home are stylish, raised stucco bands and decorative eyebrow windows in front. You won’t find any cheap, scratched-in stucco accents on an Affordable Florida Home.

A home’s lawn is the framework for a beautiful structure. A shabby lawn implies a shabby home, no matter what the home looks like. Affordable Florida Homes Inc. places St. Augustine sod, (which is a thick, beautiful green grass that has a high tolerance to drought, disease, sun, shade, salt and high temperatures) on each home site once construction is completed. St. Augustine sod costs more, but it looks great and is very durable.

Some builders seed a yard and expect it to grow into a nice lawn. Unlike AFHI, these builders scrimp on both grass quality and irrigation systems. We include a four zone sprinkler system that will keep your lawn and other landscaping projects hydrated and looking beautiful year round. We offer additional sprinkler zones at a price of $400 each.

As an added convenience, each Affordable Florida Home includes an automatic garage door opener with two remotes. We also include a pull-down attic stair system which provides easy access to additional storage space. Most other builders charge home buyers an extra fee for these features.

The benefits of a beautiful, stylish interior

Our attention to detail and our use of high-quality materials are reflected in the interior features of each and every Affordable Florida Home. We provide our home buyers with various extras and upgrades that will contribute to the overall feeling of elegance and luxury that today’s home buyers have come to expect from a custom Florida home.

Starting with the entrance, your Affordable Florida home will have either a stylish side light front door or an equally stylish double front door, depending on the model selected. Beautiful, high ceilings give our homes an open and airy quality. With standard ceiling heights of 9 feet (the industry standard is 8 feet), and available floor plans that feature ceiling heights of up to 14 feet, an Affordable Florida Home lives up to the highest standards of luxury and style.

In keeping with the expectations of today’s Florida home buyer, we use a knock-down paint finish for the ceilings in our Affordable Florida Homes rather than outdated popcorn covering. The walls of our homes are finished with an orange peel effect rather than a sand finish. Both techniques are the preferred look for contemporary luxury homes, and add to the overall appeal and resale value of an Affordable Florida Home.

For the drywall corners, we use round corner beads that give the finished walls in an Affordable Florida Home a smooth, rounded look. 5 ½ inch upgraded baseboards provide a perfect style accent and touch of elegance.

Every Affordable Florida Home includes at least two built-in plant shelves with a switched outlet for decorative lighting accents. All Affordable Florida Homes also include an upgraded lighting allowance of $1000 rather than the standard $150-$400 offered by most builders. Cates Lighting in Palm Coast offers our buyers an array of stylish lighting fixtures that are sure to suite each buyer’s individual taste.


The benefits of environmental efficiency

With rapidly escalating energy costs putting a major strain on the American wallet, many homeowners of today are worried that they will not be able to sufficiently heat and cool their homes. This is just one area where Affordable Florida Homes Inc. gives more to our buyers in the way of monetary savings and increased peace of mind.

Each Affordable Florida Home is built with maximum energy efficiency in mind, starting with solid concrete walls that help keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. AFHI continues the commitment to energy efficiency with R30 attic insulation material. R30 insulation resists heat transfer and contributes energy savings by reducing the demand on heating and cooling systems.

We use double pane insulated glass windows that provide additional energy savings, are rated for 140 mph winds, and offer the added convenience of tilt out design for easy cleaning. We combine high style with energy efficiency not only in the quality insulated windows, but in beautiful marble window sills.

Every Affordable Florida Home comes pre-wired for ceiling fans and under cabinet lighting, as well as television and phone outlets in all in all the bedrooms and in the great room. Ceiling fans lower your energy usage and are wonderful at cooling your home. They are available in a variety of unique decorative styles that allow the home buyer to express their own personal taste and style. Pre-wiring for cable and phone saves our customers time, hassle, and money because they don’t have to pay for these features to be installed later on.

The benefits of a kitchen that is both practical and luxurious

Every Affordable Florida Home includes a beautiful, upgraded kitchen that will provide our buyers with a functional and practical cooking space. Upgraded kitchens also increase the universal appeal of any home, which means a greater resale value for the home.

We use Thermaform raised-panel cabinets to set the tone of elegance and style in every kitchen. Durable, resistant to stains and discoloration, easy to clean and maintain; Thermaform cabinetry is always a solid choice. These lovely cabinets are available in a wide array of colors, including wood grain, which allows our home buyers to further personalize the décor of their kitchen.

Granite countertops in a choice of colors are a standard feature of all Affordable Florida Home. We use granite for our countertops because it is a very durable, natural material that is easier to maintain than marble, but provides the same luxurious look as marble.

Granite is a perfect material for the cooking enthusiast who wants functional, durable countertops. It also has the aesthetic appeal that luxury home buyers are looking for. Beautiful, durable granite will withstand extreme heat and cold, is resistant to scratching, will not crack under ordinary use, is 95% stain resistant and is very easy to repair in the event of damage.

Our upgraded kitchen package includes high-quality Kenmore appliances, including a smooth top range, garbage disposal and built in microwave with vent hood system. The look of your kitchen is further polished by elegant Kohler fixtures.

Finally, a make or break element of any home décor scheme is the flooring. We offer our home buyers a choice of ceramic tile in dozens of colors and styles from Master Tile to compliment the look of the kitchen, nook, foyer, bathrooms and laundry areas, where tile flooring is a standard feature on all Affordable Florida Homes.

The benefits of upgraded bathroom features

Each bathroom in an Affordable Florida Home includes wall mounted vanities, Kohler fixtures, and ceramic tile in a variety of styles and colors. Ceramic tile is included in bath and shower areas as well as flooring. An added feature not usually offered by other builders is a beautiful glass shower enclosure along with a sumptuous bathtub in the master bathroom of every Affordable Florida Home.

The benefits of energy efficient and cost-effective heating and cooling appliances

Energy efficiency, durability and reliability are the top considerations when selecting the major heating and cooling appliances for our Affordable Florida homes. Each home includes a Trane 13+ SEER heating pump to provide central heat and air conditioning. Trane is a company with a long-established reputation for quality and great service that spans over 90 years. The variable speed fan in your Trane heat pump lowers a home’s humidity to a comfortable level, and maintains the perfect temperature in every room with no hot spots or cold drafts. We even install cold air returns in the bedrooms to reduce hot spots.

We use a State Select hot water heating unit with a 50 gallon capacity for all of our Affordable Florida Homes. Our home buyers never have to worry about running out of hot water mid-shower!

The benefits of choosing a Florida home builder with a reputation for innovation, integrity, and superior customer service

All of our Affordable Florida Homes meet or exceed industry standards in each area mentioned above. If you purchase an Affordable Florida Home, you will receive the highest level of luxury, quality, style and efficiency with your new home. We are so confident in the quality and structural integrity of our homes that we have included a 10 year structural warranty on every Affordable Florida Home.


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