JVL Heritage Homes of Iowa

These are the superior construction specifications you can expect in every Heritage Home. Certain features you choose may change or improve these minimums. We set high standards when selecting the materials and products used in every home, and we are proud of them.

PLANS: Complete building plans are included along with the suggested foundation and garage plans, if required, for the on-site construction work and for your use in obtaining financing.	FLOORS: Floor joists are open joist engineered floor trusses at 19.2” on center. The floors are 3/4” tongue and grooved oriented strand board (OSB), glued and nailed to the joists.

LAMINATED BEAMS: 1-3/4” x 11-7/8” laminated beams run the entire length of the home for both the rim joists and the center structural beam. After the house is set on the foundation, the center beams of each modular are bolted together with 1/2” steel bolts. This eliminates the need for a center steel beam and adds the necessary strength to the structure.	EXTERIOR DOORS: The front door and other outside doors, including the optional French Patio Doors, are made of warp-free steel, with a wood thermal break, urethane foam insulation, and adjustable thresholds. The vinyl frame patio doors have 1” low “E” insulating glass.

WALLS: All load bearing walls are built with 2 x 4 studs at 16” on center. The outside walls are sheathed with 3/8” oriented strand board for strength and as an air barrier and is applied with both nails and adhesive. OSB doesn’t have the voids that plywood has, and because of the oriented strands, provides more strength than plywood.	ROOFS: Roofs are framed with 2 x 4 engineered trusses 24” on center and sheathed with 15/32” oriented strand board. Shingles are 250 lb. CertainTeed asphalt 3-tab with seal down adhesives (self-sealing on summer’s hot days) applied over a double layer of 15 lb. asphalt impregnated felt. Eave overhangs are 22” and gable end overhangs are 16.”

INTERIORS: All interior walls and ceilings are gypsum drywall that is textured orange peel and painted at our factory. Rounded drywall corners are standard on all outside corners and on the window returns. The ceilings have a knocked down texture finish and are painted. The paint is washable, vinyl latex high-build, low sheen enamel, from Iowa Paint.	SIDING: Low maintenance and durable vinyl dutch lap siding. Backed with a lifetime guarantee, be assured that you’ll never paint the exterior of your Heritage Home. Also available as a design feature is a fiber cement board that is made from Portland cement, ground sand and wood cellulose fiber. This product holds paint extreamly well and will not rot or delaminate. Other design features include western red cedar 1x8 lap siding, spruce log siding and a multi-colored vinyl siding.

WINDOWS: These superior, thermal-efficient, vinyl windows are Certainteed NewCastle with fusion-welded main frames and sashes to provide optimum structural strength and superior air infiltration and water penetration performance. The combination of vinyl profiles with insulating argon gas filled air space and 5/8” double pane	ELECTRICAL: A 200 amp panel box with 40 full size breaker spaces is wired and included to hang on the basement wall. Wiring is grounded and light fixtures, smoke detectors and bath fans are installed. No mast or service entrance is included. Bath, kitchen and exterior outlets have GFI protection.

PLUMBING: All water lines are rigid copper, while waste and vent piping is DWV Schedule 40 PVC plastic. Shower and tub/showers have Moen pressure balancing valves for anti-scald protection. The kitchen sink and lavatories have single lever Moen valves and PVC corrosive-resistant sink waste traps. The water closets are PRO-FLO brand, with the best 1.6 gallon flushing system we’ve found.	HEATING: Our standard design calls for the furnace and duct work to be in the basement. Registers, boots and return air grilles are installed through the floor for basement connections. A metal flue is available if you plan to have a gas furnace or gas water heater. Thermostat wiring is installed. The furnace, ductwork and water heater are provided by others.

INSULATION: Exterior walls have 3-1/2” of fiberglass batt insulation with a vapor barrier (R-13) between the studs. Then we add 3/8” OSB waferboard sheathing, which acts as an air barrier and adds structural integrity. Next, the exterior of the walls is sheathed with 3/4” rigid foam insulation with a foil face. Our rigid foam is Celotex brand Super Tuff-R, a glass-reinforced polyisocyanurate with an R-5.6 rating. Economy polybead may be all right for coffee cups, but not for our homes. With the rigid foam, our standard wall has an R-value of over R-20 – considerably better than the outdated 2 x 6 wall construction system. The attic insulation is highly efficient cellulose insulation blown in to average an R-40. Even more insulation is available with our Superinsulation System, which gives you R-25 walls and an R-50 attic.	KITCHENS: Cabinets have solid oak frames and raised panel oak doors. The cabinets are also finished in our factory with the same up-to-date process as we use on the millwork. The cabinets are available in cinnamon, natural amber, or clearcoat with the natural arch upper door style. Hickory, rustic hickory, maple, maple shakers, knotty pine, and cherry cabinets are also available along with optional drawer bases, utility cabinets, dishwasher panels, appliance garages, valances, corner cabinets, lazy susans and crown mouldings. Countertops are Formica brand with a 4” ceramic tile backsplash. Stainless steel sinks are standard and include a garbage disposal and a single lever Moen faucet. A hood fan with charcoal filter is included over the range area.

FRAMING ANCHORS: Steel framing anchors and hurricane ties are used on the floor system, the outside walls, rim joist, wall to roof and to reinforce specific structural framing members.	APPLIANCES: Sears dishwashers, ranges, cooktop grilles, refrigerators, above-the-range microwaves, etc. are available as optional design features.

FLOORING: Each home includes vinyl and carpeting. The vinyl is Armstrong Midstar 14’ wide sheet vinyl for fewer seams, installed over 1/4” underlayment in the kitchen, baths, entries and laundry areas. Our standard carpet is the new Shaw Industries textured plush in brilliant stain-resistant colors installed over a 7/16” thick foam pad. An upgrade textured saxony/berber carpet is available room by room or for the whole house.	BATHS: Baths have oak vanities with formica tops and oak edges, 4” ceramic tile backsplashes, and oval drop-in lavatories. One-piece onyx lavatory/tops are optional. The main bath has a one-piece, fiberglass tub/shower with a smooth gelcoat finish and curtain rod. Master baths have a one piece fiberglass shower stall with a gelcoat finish and tempered glass sliding door. Tub, shower stalls and vitreous china stools are standard white color unless otherwise specified.

CODES: All Heritage homes are inspected during construction and certified by the Nebraska Public Service Commission, Housing Department to comply with the Uniform Building Code, Uniform Plumbing Code, Uniform Mechanical Code and National Electrical Code. Some areas require additional snow loads or local modifications to these codes and Heritage Homes can accommodate these special needs. All construction meets or exceeds the requirements for conventional financing.	WARRANTY: Be sure to ask for your written warranty that includes a limited one year workmanship and material warranty plus a ten year structural warranty. Warranty requests will be handled through your local Builder/Dealer. These specifications may change because we are constantly researching materials and methods to improve our homes.

THERMAFLECT Low “E” insulating glass makes NewCastle windows more thermally efficient than standard Thermopane wood windows. Vinyl has excellent insulation properties and is a nonconductor of heat and cold, so our window frame will be comfortable to the touch and will greatly reduce the chance of any frost or condensation. The overall window performance has a U-value of 0.40 and an air infiltration rating of .10 CFM. The THERMAFLECT low emissive (Low “E”) glass has a unique two layer coating rather than one silver layer for outstanding performance. In cold weather, it reflects the long-wave radiation back inside to maintain warmth, while letting the shortwave radiation in for light and to add warmth. In warm weather, it reflects the long-wave radiation away from the house to keep it cooler, while still letting in the light. It even blocks 82% of the damaging ultraviolet rays. And it does it all without tinting the view inside or out. The CertainTeed vinyl windows are virtually maintenance free. They never need painting and the vinyl lineals are covered by a lifetime, non-prorated warranty backed by CertainTeed’s nationwide network of manufacturers.	MILLWORK: Interior doors are oak, with oak jambs and casing. They are stained and finished by our own employees, using an environmentally safe aniline dye stain that penetrates the wood and brings out the natural wood grain better than solvent-based stains. The wood is sealed and finished with resisthane, a water based polyurethane, that is approximately nine times harder than solvent-based products. Windows have round corner drywall returns with oak sills (oak jamb extensions are available). Jamb extensions, sills, casing and base are oak, available in natural amber, cinnamon or clearcoat colors.