Fort Lauderdale Shell Construction Contractors
For a combined forty years, the shell construction contracting company of Richard and Rice has served the Fort Lauderdale, Florida community of developers and general contractors with distinction. Our Fort Lauderdale area-based team consists of the following: skilled carpenters, foundation contractors, truss roof fabricators and masonry craftsmen. Our team has consistently met and passed the test of time in the demanding building market of Broward County, FL. Richard and Rice Fort Lauderdale shell contracting services include critical foundation installation, block masonry and roof truss construction and installation.
From the beginning to the end of your project, the team at Richard and Rice are there to meet the custom needs of your construction project (See list of Richard and Rice developer clients). Richard and Rice provide shell contracting for high-end luxury homes, conventional single and multi-family construction projects. We work with some of the largest developers in the United States and also with more modest sized companies that served a variety of home styles and price points. Our light commercial construction division provides shell contractor services for industrial buildings and commercial worksites in Fort Lauderdale, throughout South Florida, and beyond.
Over the years of our service, Richard and Rice has played a significant role in the residential and commercial build-out of the greater Fort Lauderdale area. We have successfully built the shell construction of tens of thousands of homes in Florida. Each home and worksite is unique and requires compliance with precise plan specific details which our developers and clients provide us with the greatest of confidence.
Regardless of the size of your Fort Lauderdale construction project, we have the skilled craftsmen, equipment resources and construction management expertise to get the job done properly, on time and on budget.
Call the Fort Lauderdale shell contracting team of Richard and Rice today at 954-418-9831 and learn how our team can join your construction team.
Richard and Rice – Fort Lauderdale Construction Foundation Services
Common Types of Home Foundations in Fort Lauderdale Florida
There are dozens of techniques to construct home and building foundations. The following are the most common types of foundations for the residential market in Florida.
Fort Lauderdale Concrete Slab Foundation Construction
The standard concrete slab foundation is the most commonly utilized foundation in modern home building in Florida. The term, “Concrete slab” is a good explanation of what this foundation is. It’s nothing more than a slab formed by a block or series of blocks of flat concrete. Slabs are typically anywhere from four to eight inches thick, depending on the weight load of the structure. The slab is reinforced with steel rods (rebar) and often includes drainage pipes to carry water and moisture away from the structure. Once the proper site-specific foundation is prepared, the home is built directly on top of it.
Benefits of a Concrete Slab Foundation for Fort Lauderdale developments
Concrete slab is used for many construction projects because it has a modest cost and can often be constructed quickly. Another benefit of a slab foundation is the fact that there’s no airspace in between the home and the foundation. As a result, there’s no room for water/moisture infiltration, mold or termite infestations.
Pier Foundation Construction
Pier foundations are constructed using small circular or square pads of concrete that are located in strategic points along the outer perimeter of the home. These pads are inserted and secured into the ground using treated wood posts or steel rods. The posts or rods are then connected to the home for support.
Benefits Pier Foundation Construction
Pier foundations are ideal for plots of land where a traditional foundation is difficult to lay. While it’s not always the first choice, a pier foundation is one of the sturdiest and longest-lasting solutions. It provides excellent support and doesn’t come with some of the potential negatives that are associated with crawl space foundations.
Crawl space foundations are built on small structures that, essentially, act as miniature basements. Generally speaking, a crawl space is no more than three or four feet high, and concrete pillars are placed around the perimeter to support the structure above.
Benefits Crawl Space Foundation Construction
A crawl space is arguably one of the most durable foundations in areas with a high groundwater level. The crawl space provides better protection against water and loose soil while simultaneously providing better airflow underneath the home during hot months.
Regardless of the type of foundation your project needs the team at Richard and Rice has the work force, heavy equipment, and management and logistical expertise to meet your demanding budget and construction timeline needs.
Contact the Richard and Rice Fort Laudedale Foundation Construction Service team today at 954-418-9831. Learn how we can play an important role in your Fort Lauderdale shell construction project.
Richard and Rice – Fort Lauderdale Fl Construction Masonry Services
Types of masonry walls used in residential construction in Florida
In Florida, most residential exteriors are built using one of two methods. One method is concrete block construction or CMU construction, or Concrete Masonry Unit. The other method is an engineered wood frame construction.
A brick or stucco home is a little different. Brick/stucco is nonstructural and is simply a face on the exterior that supports no weight other than its own. The roof is not attached or bearing weight on it. Brick facings can make an infrared inspection impossible due to a “thermal disconnection”. An airgap is located between the outer plywood and brick.
Stucco facing is a mortar type mix. It is applied in many layers. Properly installed, stucco can protect the building for many years.
Wood Frame Carpentry Construction
With wood frame carpentry construction, the exterior walls are constructed with 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 dimensional lumber. The lumber member is spaced between 12″ and 16″ on center and is determined by using required building codes. The wall is anchored from the bottom of the wall at the slab to the top of the wall. The wall sits on a pressure treated 2×4 on top of a weather barrier that sits on the concrete slab itself.
Homes are designed for wind loads, sheer value, up lift and hold down protection. Rods, cables, clips and other hardware are incorporated into the design. The use of fasteners and nail spacing and patterns are also part of the design.
Stucco and block construction masonry is often the most cost effective and aesthetically suitable for many Fort Lauderdale, Florida home designs.
There are many manufactures of high-quality stone and brick composites that provide non-load bearing exterior facia veneer to a home which can enhance the architectural design and aesthetic appeal of a custom-built home.
South Florida Masonry Construction: Fire Safety and Hurricane Wind Durability
Benefits of Masonry construction
A big advantage of using concrete block masonry walls is its durability. Concrete is one of the strongest materials available and is not susceptible to rotting, mold, or damage from various types of pests. Concrete is also fireproof and is often used as a firewall between rooms and other structures. It’s also ideal for wet environments because of it’s ability to resist moisture. Another benefit is friendliness to the environment. Concrete block masonry walls often use recycled materials that don’t contain any harsh chemicals that will negatively affect your health or the health of the environment. The thickness of concrete blocks also acts as great insulator, reducing energy use and reducing the needs to harvest lumber. When choosing concrete block masonry walls, you’ll experience a decrease in construction time. Faster construction ultimately leads to lower labor costs.
Many Fort Lauderdale and South Florida homes-built post Hurricane Andrew are block masonry construction reinforced with rebar and or concrete pillars, engineered hurricane-strapped roof trusses are attached to the wall blocks via hurricane approved straps and ties. These improved block to truss fastening designs provide greater wind force resistance than prior roof construction methods.
Richard and Rice provides Florida Hurricane code compliant concrete block construction developers and general contractors throughout the Fort Lauderdale – South Florida area.
Richard and Rice – Fort Lauderdale Carpentry Services
Fort Lauderdale Truss Carpentry Framing
Roof truss construction is the most common technique used in residential roof construction in the Fort Lauderdale Florida area. Truss construction offers home builders with a great variety of roof styles and creates large interior space for creative interior home design.
Benefits of Truss Carpentry:
More than 80% of new homes constructed today use pre-manufactured roof trusses instead of traditional rafters to support the roof. Pre-fabricated roof trusses are triangulated wood structures are carefully designed to carry the load of a roof to the outside walls. Then they are delivered to your construction site and installed using a crane after the home’s walls have been constructed.
Trusses can typically be installed in a single day, speeding the home construction process and getting the structure closed up sooner, which helps prevent moisture and other weather elements from getting inside.
Trusses are cheaper than conventional roof framing due to labor savings and since they are built from shorter lengths of 2×4 lumber rather than the large size lumber required in building rafters and ceiling joists.
Roof truss systems allow for almost any custom roof design and shape imaginable, allowing features such as cross gables and cathedral ceilings without being prohibitively expensive.
Roof trusses can span much longer distances without the need for load bearing interior walls.
Richard and Rice are leaders in truss construction and installation for residential and light commercial building sites in the Fort Lauderdale Florida market.
Call the Richard and Rice Truss Carpentry Framing team today at 954-418-9831.
Fort Lauderdale Custom Home Construction Carpentry
Fort Lauderdale architects and home designers are a creative breed. Delivering modern and innovative home carpentry designs can be a major competitive advantage in a hyper competitive South Florida home construction market. Grand archways, vaulted foyers, and spiral staircases are just a few examples of home features that can make an architect or builder in high demand. However, implementing these complex designs requires very experienced master carpenters. For over 40 years, Richard and Rice has supplied expert carpentry craftsmen to meet the rigorous demands of today’s top home designers. Our carpentry teams deliver the craftsmanship required to these top architects on budget, and on time.
Richard and Rice – Fort Lauderdale Construction Management Services
Construction project management requires a broad variety of skills, along with the ability to interface with a diverse range of agencies and people in order to lead the project from concept to build. It’s important that construction project managers follow the principles of project management during every phase of the project.
The experienced shell construction management team of Richard and Rice has over 40 years of delivering high efficiency and cost saving to leading Fort Lauderdale home builders and developers. We understand the demands of today’s competitive Fort Lauderdale marketplace and know how to meet you project goals on budget and on time.
Call Richard and Rice – Fort Lauderdale Shell Contracting Experts today at 954-418-9831.
Richard and Rice has earned the trust and confidence of many of Fort Lauderdale’s most prominent builders, including: David Weekley, Toll Brothers, Standard Homes, Taylor Morrison, Kolter Homes, Mattamy Homes, WCI Communities Lennar Homes, Beazer Homes, K. Hovnanian, Pulte Home Group, D.R. Horton, , and many other regional custom builders and General Contractors throughout the state of Florida.
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