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ARCADIA 3248+4 in NEW HAMPSHIRE
Construction Album

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The Arcadia is a small home designed to feel spacious. All of the necessities for living are on the main floor, with the more optional activities located in the lower level. By using the Sunspace for the stairway, the use of the inner shell of the home is maximized. The Arcadia is the perfect home for a small family, couple or a single person looking for an affordable home with architectural style.
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As in any building project, the foundation is the critical first step.
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The subfloor is built with 2x10 framing, including a triple outer band.

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The Enertia® home kit arrives in covered bundles on flatbed trucks. The smaller Arcadia homes are one-truck deliveries, but the 48' Arcadias are two-truck deliveries. The owner/builder hires a forklift to unload the truck.
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The lower level of an Enertia® home is characterized by a string of windows on the South that let light and solar heat into the basement. The concrete shear wall between the lower level sunspace and the rest of the basement serves as a support for the inner timber wall above. The timbers and posts that form the lower South wall above the foundation are are part of the Enertia® kit in the Arcadia models, but are an option in other models. This is because the Arcadia has a dropped, split-level Sunspace.
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Backtracking just a bit, this is the beginning of the Kit phase of construction in an Arcadia. Anchor bolts are embedded in the foundation wall. Corresponding holes are drilled (on site) to match so that the 2x10 plate and first row of timber can be tightly fastened to the foundation. Here the top plate has been installed and putty tape adhesive is being affixed to it.
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The putty tape insures a tight bond between the top plate and the first row of timbers. A timber has been drilled and lowered over the anchor bolts. From this point forward, the timbers will be spiked to the row below with 10" and 12" twisted spikes.
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After the subfloor has been flashed, the door frames are set and braced. The door frames provide "markers" for the timber positions. Metal spline is set in each door frame to match with end grooves on the timbers. This systems keeps the timbers properly aligned and also allows for timber settlement.
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Doors and windows will be set within their frames after the roof is on the house.
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The Enertia® home is also distinguished by its double North wall with an 8" air space between two solid timber walls. At the door openings a buttress is installed to stiffen the double timber wall. Door frames are slotted to allow for settlement. Each component of the kit is approriately labeled to match the construction "chart."
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This is a closer view of the base flashing which is part of the Enertia® kit. The lapped corners will be covered by vertical corner boards, which are also included as kit components.
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Enertia® homes are solid timber all the way to the peak of the gables.

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The South Wall is essentially a timberframe wall with openings for large windows. On the East wall the sloped beginning of the gable wall can be seen.
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After the main level South wall is complete, the "Towers" are timber framed. Jumping ahead a bit, you can also see the structural insulated panels (SIPS) that form the roof. These panels can be ordered through Enertia, or the owner/builder can order them elsewhere.
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When all the rafters are set, the Enertia® kit is complete. The next step for the owner/builder is to install 2x10 collar ties to rigidify the roof system. These are readily available at a local lumber supply, so they are not included in the kit.
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By the way, it was not bright and sunny every single day.
This Arcadia will use SIPS panels for its roof. Once all the wall timbers and the roof system are in place, the panels can be installed. The crane that set the ridge and rafters can be used to quickly raise the panels to the roof.
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The SIPS have been ordered in the correct width, but there are some cuts needed to get exact lengths in some locations. A special chainsaw attachment facilitates quick cutting of the panels. Special eyelets are screwed to the panel so the crane can hook it and raise it in a controlled manner.
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Some panels are best maneuvered into place from the outside and some from the inside. Panels that will be in the Sunspace will be seen from below and have tongue and grooved wood on their lower side.
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The SIPS panels in this thickness have an R40 insulation rating.
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The backup heat source in a typical Enertia® Home is radiant heat. A network of Pex™ plastic tubing runs through floor joists under the main level floor. Reflectix bubble-foil insulation will be positioned an inch below the tubing to guide the radiant heat upwards. Hot water will run through the tubes and heat the floor above, and the home's occupants. A similar network of tubing was run through the slab of the lower level to provide occasional heat to the secondary space downstairs.
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After the SIPS panels are all installed, the roof is "trimmed" with fascia boards.
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Windows are installed. Most window installation is done from inside the house, but the upper sunspace windows can be set from outside with a lift truck.
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Materials for the finished roof are just waiting for their turn to be installed.
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The house is "dried-in," and the interior work can be done out of the weather. Visit the "Photo Tour" for this home to see the completed home.
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