FAQ’s

When you’re buying a new home, every question is important. Take a look at the FAQ’s listed below to find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. If your question is not listed or answered below, please feel free to contact our management team. They will be more than happy to answer any and all questions you may have.

There’s No Such Thing as a Bad Question.

What is brick veneer and how is it attached to the house?

Brick veneer is a non-structural type of masonry construction in which brick is an exterior covering on a home or building. It has the appearance of a solid brick wall without the weight or expense. The brick is attached to the house with metal straps, or wall ties, at regular intervals.
The brick work on a Rhombus Construction home shows a great deal of care and craftsmanship that you won’t find with most builders. Notice the consistent 1/2-inch spacing between the mortar joints. The quality of the material is evident in the brick itself. Rhombus Construction uses a variety of materials for masonry exteriors. These include clay or concrete brick, stone and stone veneer for architectural appeal.

What is the tonnage of your air conditioners?

The tonnage, or amount of cooling power, is dependent on many factors. The size or tonnage of the A/C units for each of our plans is determined by the H.V.A.C. (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) contractor. The tonnage will vary from plan to plan. We strive to incorporate energy-saving features into all Rhombus Construction homes.

How long does it take to build a home?

The amount of time necessary to build a home is dependent on several things. The largest factor is the weather, especially here in the Northwest; rain typically is the most severe which tends to slow down the construction progress. Other factors include the number of change orders requested by the homebuyer, the degree of difficulty encountered to initiate those changes, the size of the home and the availability of subcontractors and materials. On average, a home can be built in 90 days (3 months) to 270 days (9 months) from the time construction starts.

What type of windows do you use?

Because our homes are built in the Northwest where we endure cold weather, we do everything we can to protect the warm temperatures inside the home from the cold, outside air. To accomplish this, we use vinyl clad, double pane windows that reduce the effects of the cold weather on the inside temperature. Rhombus Construction has artfully balanced impressive energy efficiency with the aesthetic desire for natural light.

What kind of insulation and R-factor do you have?

Following energy-efficiency standards, our homes have fiberglass batt insulation in the exterior walls and sloped ceilings. The R-value is the rating of the insulation, and the larger the number, the better the insulating power. The R-value of our exterior walls is R-21, Floors R-30 and the rating of attic insulation is R-33.

Why use OSB roof decking instead of plywood?

Plywood decking is made from large logs that are peeled and glued in layers at right angles to each other. When logs are peeled, knots and other imperfections in the wood are incorporated into the decking panels. These imperfections can create gaps or voids. OSB panels are pre-engineered and made from the chips of small, fast-growing trees. These chips are bound by high pressures and advanced adhesives. This procedure creates a uniform decking panel without natural or internal imperfections. Pre-engineered wood products are also friendly to our environment since they reduce our use of large logs from old growth forests.

Why do your homes have roof vents?

The vents are an efficient way of removing warm air from the attic of a home. By decreasing the attic temperature the vents lessen the use of the air-conditioning unit. In addition, our homes have soffit vents, which provide ventilation to further reduce heat accumulation in the attic and reduce utility costs.

Why do your homes have foundation vents?

The vents are an efficient way of circulating air through the crawl space. By increasing air flow to the crawl space the vents lessen moisture build up which can lead to damaged structural systems in your homes.

Why are water heaters and furnaces located in the crawl space or attic?

Where allowed, our water heaters are placed in the crawl space and/or attic to avoid using valuable living or storage space. Drip pans and drain lines are installed with lines extending to exterior areas.

What about the trees on our home site?

Even though Rhombus Construction exercises care and consideration in planning the location of the home in relation to the placement of existing trees, the existence of mature trees within close proximity to the foundation can potentially cause future foundation problems or pose future damage to the home. Existing trees on the home site may die as a result of construction. Some HOA require the trees remain.

If you are purchasing a home prior to construction, please note that existing trees (other than those removed due to the placement of the foundation) may be removed only if requested by signing a Change Order. In that event, there will be additional expenses for Rhombus Construction to remove the tree(s). If you have questions or concerns about the trees on your home site, please talk with your Rhombus Construction Project Manager

Who will take care of my warranty work?

In many of the cases, the subcontractor who performed the original scope of work will warranty their workmanship. In some instances, warranty work will be completed by a member of the Rhombus Construction staff, unlike some builders who use a separate warranty crew or company. Our professionals take pride in the work that they do, and they know that if it’s done right from the start, they won’t have to fix it down the road.