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SummerGlen
Golf Club Community
15480 SW 13th Circle
Ocala, FL 34473
352-245-3897
800-277-8707
Fax: 352-245-8493
Email: info@summerglen.com

Visit our sales office open daily 9-5, Sundays noon-5.

Home> Resources >50 Ways We Build Quality Into Your SummerGlen Retirement Home

FLC Goes The Extra Mile In Quality Construction For Your New Home

Every builder claims to build the “best” quality home, but what does that really mean?  At SummerGlen, we take some very specific steps to ensure our homeowners get the very best quality at every stage of construction. 

There are literally hundreds of little things we do to make our homes better than those you’ll find just about anywhere.  But here are 50 things that you’re not likely to find in homes built by other builders in Central Florida.

Read through this list… then compare our features and standards with any other builder.  Then compare our prices.  We think you’ll see why SummerGlen sets the bar for quality and value in great retirement living.

Before we start:

1. We meet with every customer to customize your home so that it meets your needs exactly.

2. We only charge for changes that cost money. While most builders charge a “change order fee” even for items that don’t actually cost them money (for example moving a door or window). You’ll never incur such “phantom costs” at SummerGlen.

3. We keep our pricing on options and changes at a reasonable level. If you compare, you’ll usually find our option costs to be much lower than our competitors. And, unlike many builders, when you delete a standard feature, we give you a credit for it.

4. Every single home we build has its own individual set of plans. We never use “generic plans” where one set of drafted drawings is used for many homes. You’ll approve a set of plans that spells out exactly the changes and options you have selected. That way, there is much less potential for errors during construction.

5. The grade for each home site is established by a professional land surveyor. We require a minimum of 24” above the roadway for every home to assure proper drainage. Our houses are typically about 8-12” higher than our competitors, resulting in more positive drainage away from the homes.

6. Each home is individually reviewed by several engineers before it is started. Mechanical and Electrical engineers review every plan and provide detailed drawings that reflect the exact home we are building as it sits on every lot. This assures among other things, a more efficient air conditioning system. Then, the truss company designs and an engineer reviews and certifies every roof system before we start the home. Finally, a separate Engineer reviews the final assembled plan package to make sure we meet, or quite often exceed local and national building codes for structural performance.

Once we start your home:

7. Our on-site supervision of your home’s construction is by licensed building contractors. Most builders use “superintendents” who are generally not licensed contractors. Trained and licensed professionals can often spot errors or problems that would be overlooked by a superintendent with less training and experience.

8. We use a monolithic foundation that is a minimum of 20” tall. This ensures we have at least 12” below the grade and 8” above the grade. Many builders use 16” tall foundations.

9. We use 3000 pound concrete for our foundations--a special blend that does not have a fly ash “filler” that comes in some cement. Cement that incorporates such additives produces a finished product that is not as durable or strong. The fly ash free cement used by SummerGlen is more expensive and a little harder to work with but we think it’s worth it in setting the foundation for a top quality home.

10. We NEVER “load” the foundation with concrete block the day after we pour the slab. We always wait a minimum of 48 hours, which is the most critical curing period in a concrete slab. Many builders begin loading concrete block on the slabs with heavy forklift trucks the very next morning after pouring. Although all slabs in Florida are subject to minor settling cracks, such practices increase the likelihood, and in some cases, the severity of slab cracking.

When the walls go up:

11. We reinforce the concrete walls of your home using a special material called “Dura-wall,” not normally used in residential construction because of the labor and material cost involved. Dura-wall is a ladder-shaped reinforcement grid that is put in the mortar joints between courses of block every three courses. This system adds a great deal of stability and additional structural integrity far beyond “minimum” code requirements.

12. We use “Super” or Type “S” mortar mix. This mix is more expensive, but it has more cement in it and results in a more structurally sound product. Type “S” cures to a higher strength much quicker than a standard mortar mix.

Trusses and Framing:

13. SummerGlen requires standards for our roof trusses that are substantially above minimum building code requirements. (As you might guess, many builders follow the minimum code requirements to minimize costs.) SummerGlen specifies that the top and bottom chords of all trusses are all #1 grade material. Truss companies typically only use the #1 only on the top chords, unless otherwise and only on the bottom chords of trusses when specified by the Builder, otherwise using #2 or even #3 grade yellow pine for the other parts. This can lead to problems down the road with lumber warping after your house is done. We end up with straighter ceilings and flatter roof planes because we require all chrord lumber to be #1 grade yellow pine.

14. We also require that gable framing be at 16” on center instead of settling for 24” on center as the code requires. Straighter, flatter gables enhance the aesthetic appearance of your home.

15. We design every one of our truss systems to incorporate the attic storage area over part of the garage. This isn’t an afterthought, it’s an integral part of the construction process.

16. SummerGlen has developed special bracing techniques that give our homes stronger gables for better resistance to gale force winds. Our methods are far less prone to errors in the field, which could compromise the strength of the roof structure.

17. We specify that a nail goes in every fastener in our roof systems. If there are 12 nail holes, they get 12 nails. Eight nails might meet code and be “enough” for most builders, but we don’t want to compromise on quality for this important component of your home.

18. We use 30 pound roof felt. 15 pound felt is code, but the extra thickness offers more protection.

19. SummerGlen homes typically have more roof vents than those of other builders. The better your attic is ventilated, the more energy efficient your home is. Plus our roof vents incorporate baffles to help minimize rain intrusion.

20. We use steel studs for interior framing the walls of your new SummerGlen home. This means straighter walls, not only when you move in, but more importantly, months later because wood framing is more subject to warping as it slowly dries out.

21. Even though we use steel studs for framing, we use wood bracing inside the walls at all doorways, and at all nailing locations for cabinets and trim. This means, doors are hung better and will operate more predictably for years to come. It also means that cabinets, baseboard and trim are less likely to settle and crack over time.

How we finish your home:

22. We specify only drywall made in the USA. We take great care never to use drywall from China or other questionable sources.

23. We never “short” drywall installers by making them use scraps to finish up walls. Using only large workable drywall segments is more expensive, but results in a better finished product.

24. We use only new and “fresh” drywall with the paper seals still on the joints. Again, this results in straighter walls.

25. We use top-of-the-line Sherwin Williams paints. Every paint company makes several grades of paint, and most builders use a base “contractor” grade. We use Sherwin Williams top grades for better application and protection against the elements.

26. We install our tile floors under cabinets and plumbing fixtures. Many builders install cabinets and fixtures first then tile to them. Our way is the right way, even though it uses more tile and takes more time.

27. We use the “Kurdi” shower system. This high tech system costs considerably more than standard installation techniques, but it offers vastly superior installation and protection against water intrusion.

28. The “Kurdi” system is so waterproof that it doesn’t require anything but regular drywall underneath tile walls. But we still install more expensive cement board as an extra level of protection against water intrusion in these critical areas.

29. We use “stain resistant” grout for our ceramic tile installations, which improves resistance to staining for better appearance longer than standard grout.

30. SummerGlen’s standard light fixture package is several grades higher than many builders’ standard fixture lines.

31. We install a full compliment of upgrade level kitchen appliances in your home. Most builders do not include the refrigerator or microwave in their standard appliance package, but SummerGlen includes a side-by-side refrigerator and over the range microwave in every home we sell. We also include a dishwasher with sound insulation, a half-horsepower disposal, and your choice of a deluxe self-cleaning gas or glass cooktop electric range.

32. We offer florescent bulbs at no additional charge as part of our standard “SummerGreen” energy efficiency package. These more expensive bulbs are usually an upgrade for other builders.

33. All SummerGlen homes include a whole-house electric panel surge protection. While it costs extra, we feel it’s an important element in helping to protect the electrical systems in your home.

34. We use “MERV-10” air filters in the A/C systems, which results in cleaner air inside your home as well as a more efficient air conditioning system. Other builders install standard fiberglass filters which cost much less.

35. We take the time to seal off every air vent during the construction process so your A/C ductwork isn’t infiltrated by construction dust that could be blown out into your new home after move in.

36. SummerGlen offers programmable thermostats as a standard feature. These are usually only offered as extra-cost upgrades by many builders.

37. We offer better standard faucets that many builders.

38. We offer better standard carpeting than many builders.

39. SummerGlen has more flooring alternatives than many builders.

40. We use special cement stain finishes on all garage floors. This isn’t typically a standard item in this price home.

41. We use decorative concrete stain finishes on the front and back porches. Most builders offer only bare concrete porches in their standard building price.

42. Our landscaping standards are higher than many builders.

43. We utilize a more expensive but more water-wise drip irrigation system for all plants and shrubs.

Your home warranties:

44. Your SummerGlen home comes with a Money-Back Construction Satisfaction Guarantee. We know of no other builder that makes this guarantee—you will be happy with the construction quality of your new home or we’ll buy it back from you.

45. As an extra layer of long-term protection, we offer a 10-Year insured structural warranty through Residential Warranty Corporation. This helps protect your long-term investment in your home by ensuring that any covered structural problems will be rectified for 10 full years.

46. SummerGlen utilizes the best web-based warranty system in the industry. We average six days from the day a homeowner turns in a warranty issue, to the day we get it corrected and signed off. The majority of our service calls are handled in three business days or less.

Your SummerGlen lifestyle:

47. SummerGlen is a resident-owned community. Unlike many developers of so-called “lifestyle” communities, we have not incorporated such devices as CDD’s or recreational leases that boost developers’ profits, but saddle homeowners with extra living costs for many years.

48. Our golf course is an equity membership course, which means that the members will have the opportunity to own the course and control its future at the end of the development period. The golf courses in many communities continue to be owned by the developer even after all homes are sold. This often means homeowners have little say in how the course is managed and maintained.

49. We design SummerGlen to be affordable year after year. Our modest monthly association fees even include lawn mowing, blowing and edging—a substantial cost item rarely offered in most communities even those having considerably higher fees.

50. Our homeowners’ association is already stable financially and operating without developer subsidies. Many communities operate with developer subsidies throughout development, then must face the prospect of a substantial rate increase at turnover.

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For more than 30 years, building the best
in Florida active adult living.

SummerGlen is an over-55 adult retirement community in Ocala, Florida, offering the best adult-oriented retirement lifestyle in Central Florida. SummerGlen is an age-restricted community offered for sale to adults over the age of 55.

If you're thinking of retirement in Florida, we invite you to visit SummerGlen and discover the best in life by Florida Leisure Communities, for more than 30 years, a leader in building Florida adult lifestyles.

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