For those who choose to live in Western North Carolina, they’re often drawn by the allure of the majestic mountains. At the Weaverville project, we are remaking the back of the house to maximize outdoor entertaining and to make the long range views of the mountains the star of the backyard show.
As with many homes in the mountains, this home sits at the crest of the hill with the backyard sloping. The lower level of this home is a full, walk-out with the front of the level at and below grade. There is another level below this, which could be considered more of a traditional basement level. This lower level basement was in built using a ready-made wall product. The stone paver patio was then added on top of this. We knew when first looking at the home that the patio was settling and cracking. We had to inspect further though to find the underlying problem.
Ready-made wall products are an excellent product. The product is a panel system with stud walls and pre-existing channels for running electrical and plumbing. Using these systems can save time and money. Generally, this product is an excellent choice for the use it was employed for on this house. However, when it isn’t installed properly, it can lead to structural failure. As a consequence, we are having to demolish the existing patio and remove the ready-made wall product. There’s a lot of material to remove here and equipment like bobcats fit with jack-hammers are a must.
We’ll be starting with new structure before too long, but in the meantime, enjoy these pictures from the jobsite.
