Kerton Construction 

With many considerations given to the finished features of your home, Kerton Construction evaluates the many systems of your home and their effects upon each other and their uses. Your home's value is not just in the costs; it's also in its comfort and convenience.

  

iLevel by Weyerhaeuser

Recognized for its progressive “Green” home building, Kerton Construction was honored to have been selected by Weyerhaeuser to construct their first real-world project – a complete home using the iLevel PET system.  Not just a simple mountain home; six levels, multi-pitched complex roof, and exposed timbers, the entire project, through a proprietary framing program, is constructed showing every framing member size, length, and location.  It is not fair to call it Rough Framing when everything is dimensional stable, straight, and cut to near cabinet specifications – it should be called Precision Framing.

More on iLevel

 

Arxx Wallsystem

The Arxx Wallsystem was one of the first Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF). Basicaly, ICFs are giant stay-in-place polystyrene blocks which are reinforced with rebar and then filled with concrete.

Arxx polystyrene emits no CFCs to harm the environment. In fact, Arxx Building Products won the Green Product of the Year at the 2001 Green Building Conference. 

A standard wood framed home would have to use an R-50 fiberglass batt to attempt to match insulation quality of an Arxx home. Arxx walls are continuous from foundation to roof, no interruption in insulation. Infiltration is virtually nonexistent - a feature with which wood framing cannot compete. 

Arxx Wallsystem Photo Gallery



Insulation

BioBase Insulation
BioBase is a soy-bean based spray-in-place polyurethane foam insulation. It is the most environmentally friendly foam insulation, while still highly cost-effective. BioBase is an innovative, ultra-lightweight, two-part soybean oil based polyurethane, open-cell, semi-rigid foam insulation. It provides a sealed, thermal envelope that simplifies and streamlines construction practices.

BioBase, a soybean based polyurethane, penetrates every cavity and even the tiniest crevasses, expanding 100 times its original liquid size for a perfect air-sealed fit. When expanded it creates millions of tiny air pockets that result in an effective R-values. More importantly, BioBase creates an insulated, seamless, wind-proof barrier that eliminates air infiltration, the number one cause of energy loss in a home.

Cocoon Insulation
Cocoon insulation is made from 100% recycled paper yet still reduces the spread of fire within the walls. The bonuses of using cocoon insulation is it prevents energy from escaping several different ways. A higher level of protection is created with the higher R-value per inch than blown fiberglass. As Cocoon is blown  into walls and attics, it fills the tiny crevasses and cavities, as well as surrounding obstructions (like pipes and wires) hence sealing the gaps where energy can escape; thus reducing drafts. Since Cocoon covers gaps and voids, it is denser than fiberglass which also makes it a superior sound control material. 

 

On-Site Milling

When you decide to build a home in the Truckee-Tahoe area, you may find your beautiful lot covered in trees; trees that have been growing for decades. It is not practical to try to build your home around the trees, but there are ways to incorporate some of those trees into your new home. It is very rewarding to mill the trees from your property into features of which you'll be proud to own and share with your new neighbors.

The trees may be milled into a large timbers as well as trim pieces, or even materials for furniture. The trees can also be milled in such a way to reveal the bark,  which can be used to decorate rafters, cabinets, walls, the only limit is your, and your designer's, imagination.

 See the Milling Process

 

Warmboard

Warmboard combines a structural subfloor and a thermodynamically sophisticated radiant panel into one simple component of your radiant heating system. Warmboard begins with a stiff, strong, 1-1/8" thick, 4' X 8' sheet of tongue and groove, weather-resistant plywood. A modular pattern of channels is cut into the top surface. A thick sheet of aluminum is stamped to match the channel pattern and is permanently bonded to each panel.

As a structural subfloor, Warmboard is stiff, strong and especially tough. It can be cut with a saw and nailed or screwed directly to your floor joists just like any conventional subfloor. The same labor that would ordinarily install just a subfloor, installs a high performance radiant panel system, saving you time and labor from the very beginning. Other radiant heat systems are more labor intensive because they're added either above or below the subfloor while Warmboard is the subfloor.

 

Whole-House Ventilation
Kerton Construction uses Fantech Whole-House Ventilation Systems. A whole-house ventilation system provides improved air quality through better ventilation. Types of ventilation include: mechanical crawl space ventilation, dryer boosters, heat recovery and energy recovery systems.

Heat and energy recovery systems in a tight home can help keep your heating and cooling bills at a minimal. Since there are no drafts, a tight home requires a system to introduce fresh air. The system's core transfers the warm or cool air from the outgoing, stale, household air to the incoming, fresh air. The air streams have completely separate paths in order to prevent contamination.