Choosing Finish Materials When Building Your Own Home

When building your own home, certain building materials must be chosen and ordered well in
advance of when they will be used. This is mainly due to how long the delivery time
is once the order is made. By ordering these materials at the proper time you ensure
that they will be on the job when they are needed.

Some of the materials that need to be ordered with plenty of lead time include windows,
plumbing fixtures, roofing, siding, electrical fixtures, brick, flooring, interior trim and
appliances.

Windows and certain plumbing fixtures should be ordered about the time the foundation is
poured. Windows can take 3 to 6 weeks to get so order them accordingly. Ideally you'd like
these ready for delivery once the roof is framed and covered with sheathing so they can be
installed while the carpenter contractor is still there.

Plumbing fixtures such as bathtubs and shower stalls get put in place on the rough. Two to
three weeks should be plenty of time to make this available for your plumber.

Roofing should also be ordered even if it is a stock item. Make sure the color and style you
want is available so there are no surprises. If it needs to be ordered it gives your supplier
time to order it for you. Once the plywood is on the roof you'll want to shingle it as soon
as possible. This item should also be considered about the time the foundation is poured.

Siding and Brick should be considered once the rough framing is completed. This gives
the other trades a chance to run electric, plumbing, or vents out exterior walls. Once that
is done these exterior finishes should be at your disposal.

Electrical fixtures should be ordered once the rough is finished. If ordering these from an
electrical supply house, specialty fixtures could take as much as six weeks.

Flooring is another item that should be considered once the rough carpentry is finished.
You'll want to make sure items such as carpeting, ceramic or quarry tile, laminate, hardwood,
or vinyl flooring is available when you need them.

Interior trim amd millwork should be measured up for and ordered after the drywall is up.
While the taping and painting is being done, your order can be run. Once the painting is done
your order should be ready for delivery. Give this two to three weeks lead time.

Once the painting is done, ordering appliances is in order. I know a guy who ordered his
refrigerator for when the drywall was done so his favorite beverage was on hand as he worked
on his new home.

Having all the necessary materials on hand is important to keep your homebuilding project
moving smoothly. If your trying to meet a deadline this becomes even more important. If your
paying on a construction loan, ordering materials with plenty of lead time can save you money.

(c) 2006 Mike Merisko
www.sawkerfs.com