Why has my garage floor cracked?

At the time of construction, we install what is called a “zip strip” into the wet concrete,  these are an embedded plastic strip which give the inevitable hairline cracks, which are inherent to any concrete slab, a straighter line to follow.  A typical 3 car garage will have 3 of these lines, one side to side and 2 front to back, it is common for these lines to be visible as the concrete fully cures over time.

My furnace is operating erraticly, what should I do?

99% of the time erratic furnace operation is caused by a dirty air filter.  When these become clogged, your furnace will start the heat cycle but will quickly shut down as the airflow is not sufficient to maintain safe operating temperatures inside the unit.  Try changing your air filter before calling for service, the specific size can be found printed on the edge of your current filter.  

My smoke detector chirps and will not stop, what should I do?

This indicates that the 9 volt battery backup inside your smoke detector needs to be replaced.  They will beep once every few minutes until the battery is changed, it is a normal safety feature as smoke detectors are required to be powered by both 110 volt house current and a battery backup.

My bathroom, kitchen, garage or outdoor electrical outlets stopped working, what should I do?

The electrical outlets listed are protected by what is called a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI).  These are required at any damp electrical locations and protect you from shock hazards by being ultra sensitive to a grounding situation such as dropping a hair dryer into a sink of water.  If this happens, a button will trip on the front of the outlet itself thereby stopping the electricity, to turn the power back on, the outlet will need to be manually reset by pushing the reset button.  Keep in mind that a GFCI outlet can control an entire circuit so if you lose power in your master bathroom outlets for example, the reset able GFCI outlet for this circuit may be located in another bathroom of the home.  GFCI outlets are easily identifiable by the 2 buttons they have in the center of the outlet, one to test and one to reset.  You will commonly find 2-3 GFCI outlets in your kitchen, 1-2 in one or more bathrooms, 1-2 in the garage, and 1-2 outside as exterior outlets

Why can't we have a patio instead of a deck? 

When the elevation of the door too high you can't pour a patio ( or concrete stoop in front ) because if you pour concrete too thick the weight will make it settle.

How long does it take to build a house?

After we obtain a building permit it takes about two weeks to install a foundation, after the foundation is done it should take around ninety days from the time lumber is delivered to complete the house as long as it does not have hardwood or painted millwork (either of these items should add about one week to the build time). However in most cases homes are built in the order that they are purchased in and there is usually a waiting list to get a home started.

Why can't we move windows in our houses?

Windows and walls can't be moved because it would require having an architect and an engineer re-draw the whole plan to get a building permit.

Why can't you build a certain plan on a certain lot?

Each juristiction requires specific setbacks for each side of the property so some plans don't fit into the allowed building envelope on some lots.

If I bought my house before my neighbor why are they getting their foundation installed before my lot?  

In many cases excavation needs to happen in an order that will allow all lots to be excavated without having to export all of the material from the site.In some cases this will affect the order in which homes are framed and in others it will not.

Do I need to cover my hose bibs in the winter?

It is not necessary to cover hose bibs for light frost or mild winter conditions.  Your home is equipped with freeze resistant hose bibs but any hoses must be disconnected to allow the water to properly drain from the faucet for them to work properly.  For prolonged freezing or Arctic storms, you should consider covering your hose bibs as added protection against a frozen water pipe.  Also refer to your home owner manual under the seasonal checklist section for more information.

Sometimes we run out of hot water under heavy use, why?

When installed, our hot water heaters are set to the conservative “normal” setting, this is a very safe temperature but can cause a shortage under heavy use.  If you need to adjust the temperature higher, you will find a red dial at the bottom front of your hot water heater for doing so.  Increase the temperature in small increments until the desired capacity is reached for your use.  Please keep in mind that adjusting the temperature up too high can increase the risk of scalding, adjust the setting to your personal preference. 

When do I get my keys and where do I pick them up?

Keys will not be available for disbursement to a Buyer until loan documents are signed, funding by the lender has taken place and title has been recorded by the county in the Buyer’s name. The title company takes the closing packet to the county’s assessor’s office and receives the recording number then notifies escrow who in turn notifies you the buyer as well as the listing office.

The buyer’s agent can either make arrangements to pick them up or the buyer may pick up their keys at the listing office once escrow has called the listing office to confirm that recording numbers have been obtained.

Can I choose my interior paint color(s)?

Unfortunately at this time there is not an option to choose interior paint colors. Our standard interior paint color is one shade darker than white by then name of “Orcas White”.

Seattle Pacific Homes wants to give presale buyers a precise as possible closing date so that you the buyer can prepare accurately for your impending move. Rather than guess or calculate this date at the time of contracting, we wait until the foundation is in and we have the date for lumber drop solidified. This enables us to proceed building on schedule and close the home on time. We have found this method to be very efficient and buyers’ are actually very receptive to it.

Who can I ask when questions arise during the construction process?

We encourage buyers to ask as many questions as they would like during the building of the home. The “Builder Addendum” outlines the proper channel to get the questions answered correctly. We are happy to address all questions thru the listing agent for the neighborhood; with as many going thru the selling agent as possible. That way they are “in the loop” as to what is happening along the way.
Questions should not be asked of any workers on the home and they are instructed not to answer buyer questions as well.

What is the warranty that I receive with my home?

Seattle Pacific Homes offers a limited one year home warranty. On the day of your final walk through with the superintendent that built the home you will be given a binder. The superintendent will carefully review the contents of the binder with you which includes the home warranty. Please feel free at anytime during the building process to request a copy of this warranty and one will be provided to you for your review.