[Laker14]

I've been scouring the real estate listings (man, there are a lot of them to scour) and I thought I'd ask you veterans a couple of things.

1. Frame vs. Concrete-Stucco...is this mainly a style preference, or are there structural advantages to concrete? Specifically, I'm wondering about termites and/or insurance premiums.

2. If one were to buy a wood frame house of, say, 15-20 years in age, I assume there is a service that one could hire to evaluate the condition of the house with respect to termites, and then, assuming a passing grade, continue with termite control. Am I right?

3. What the heck is a "solar tube", and what do they do, and what do they cost?

Thanks, and stay tuned for more questions. Hey, it's like minus 10 outside my door...

Dan L

[Pookirgirl]

Dan... about 2 years ago, we were visiting TV in March, a few weeks just after a tornado had ripped through Mulberry and a few other sections in Sumter. I have never experienced viewing the destruction of such a storm before. I can tell you... MANY homes were damaged severely, destroyed and just plain disappeared except for the slabs they were built on. Both stick built and CBS homes were affected, however, it seemed to us that the vast majority of homes that really took the brunt were the stick builts.
I for one, would prefer a CBS built home.
Also, mold and mildew form very quickly on vinyl siding thus keeping you busy with cleaning quite often.
As for the termite question... I don't know .
Solar tubes are wonderful! They are actually a tube that gets installed from the top of your roof into your ceiling. The light you get from them is incredible! We rented a home there that had a few of them and we were always trying to turn the lights out! It was quite funny. I think they are a good investment to save on energy. My only question is: Do they leak? Anyone know?

[Donna]

I have an answer about the solar tubes..I have had them almost 5 years and never a leak, thank God!!

[another Linda]

We bought one of the older stucco courtyard villas (built 1993) 2 years ago. It is in great shape. It had a contract for termite control when we bought it and we have kept that up. We have solar tubes in both baths, and yes, we are always trying to turn out the lights. They don't leak at all.

For us the issue was the looks of the courtyard wall. Sounds silly, but the new models have vinyl fences between villas with stucco only at the back. The older models like ours have stucco all the way around which we felt looked much nicer. Also, we liked the location -- close to both SS and LSL. At least so far we are pretty much equidistant from north, south, and historic areas so all golf courses are easily reachable by cart.

So all that is really a long winded way to say that it boils down to personal preference.

[Sidney Lanier]

We have a vinyl home and have yet to see mold and mildew forming on it. We have no idea when it was last cleaned but suspect it was quite some time ago, given the situation of the sellers. (We bought a little over a year ago.) However, we understand that CBS homes need to be cleaned as often as vinyl, generally speaking. I would agree that CBS homes would likely fare better in a tornado than vinyl, though obviously it hasn't stopped countless people from buying vinyl. And yes, there are various services that handle termite control and do annual inspections. We have three solar tubes, their light is marvelous, and we've never had a leak. We swear by The Solar Guys who also installed a solar attic fan for us. Hope this helps.

[Laker14]

does a solar tube provide light through several different areas in the house, or is it one tube for each room?

What do they cost to install?

is there maintenance on them?

thanks again,

Dan L

[English Ivy]

Check out www.solatube.com which should answer all your questions.

There are other makers of "solar tubes", but I believe "Solatube" was the original. We had three installed in the home we built up north in 1998. At the time they were a new concept and my builder thought I was crazy. By the time the house was done he didn't think I was so crazy

The Solar Guys, whom Sidney referred to, install the Solatube brand. We had them install one in our previous Duval home and may get one for our new Bonita home.

If you want some natural light in your home Solatubes are the way to go.

[Carla B]

Total charge for one 14" and one 10" installed in November was $998.

[batman911]

Does anyone know if the Solartubes bring heat into the house as well as light?

[texasfal]

we bought vinyl because you have to paint stucco about every 6 years as it fades in the Florida sun. My husband said he's retired and he's never painting again.

[graciegirl]

Somewhere on here someone posted the price of power washing your home and I believe it is under one hundred dollars. Is that right? Our vinyl is showing a bit of dirt after six months. It is really dirty in the community until your village is built out. A LOT of construction dust. I have done this before up north. It will be easier to keep your house clean after the first year. First the other houses are being built and then the homes are upgrading landscaping.

[Bryan]

Pluses and Minuses on each type of house so it really boils down to your preferences and (since I presume you are considering pre-owned homes) availability.

Solor Tubes are marvelous devices. Enough already said in here about them but they do not get heat into your house - only light.

When you buy, I presume you will have a qualified inspector make a thorough inspection of your house. His report should alleviate your concerns about existing termite infestation or damages. Most reputable pest control companies in the area will provide (for $$$$) an annual termite contract - terms and conditions dependent on the company. In all cases, they will do their own inspection and if your home is termite-free and termite-damage-free, provide the service. The initial inspection and treatment can be a little pricey but the annual renewals are fairly reasonable, as long as you stay with the same company.

We have a solar tube in our house. My husband installed it about 7 years ago and it hasn't leaked one bit. Many people do pay to have them installed, however if you are at all handy you should be able to install one yourself. They can be purchased either online or at most home improvement stores.

Good luck.

[Laker14]

Thanks,

You people are great.

BTW, MINUS 17 outside my door this morning.

I think that is a personal record for me. Supposed to get all the way up to PLUS 17, so I can walk my dog today. Hooray.

DanL

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by laker14

i've been scouring the real estate listings (man, there are a lot of them to scour) and i thought i'd ask you veterans a couple of things.

1. Frame vs. Concrete-stucco...is this mainly a style preference, or are there structural advantages to concrete? Specifically, i'm wondering about termites and/or insurance premiums.

yes .. Stucco is a bit cheaper to insure. And is more termite resistant, although there are still wood components to every house.

2. If one were to buy a wood frame house of, say, 15-20 years in age, i assume there is a service that one could hire to evaluate the condition of the house with respect to termites, and then, assuming a passing grade, continue with termite control. Am i right?

yes, you would get a termite inspection as well as a building inspection. And a termite contract with a pest company.

3. What the heck is a "solar tube", and what do they do, and what do they cost?

we have "sun tunnels" in our kitchen and bathroom, they are wonderful and light the rooms up brightly. They do not leak.


thanks, and stay tuned for more questions. Hey, it's like minus 10 outside my door... Dan l

I hope this helps. There is also a search button at the top of the page (on the blue line). I've found it really helpful in researching topics and pulling up information.

Bare