The Bill Egan Group recently volunteered with Habitat for Humanity at a relatively new build site in St. Augustine, Florida. Canopy Oaks is a planned neighborhood consisting of ten single family as well as four townhomes that, upon completion, will accommodate 18 homeowners/families. Two of the single family homes are in the final stages of construction while our group worked on a third home that was framed, sheathed, and ready for weatherization. This included installation of the water resistive barrier, window flashings as well as windows.
With the exception of a few trades, Habitat for Humanity homes are constructed primarily by community volunteers and future homeowners which significantly reduces the overall construction costs. During our build, we viewed one of the nearly completed homes and were advised some products (appliances in this case) had been donated by a manufacturer. While labor is significant in the overall cost, manufacturers of building materials & other home products willing to donate goods can help make Habitat homes more affordable. Manufacturers can further assist by seeking volunteer opportunities for their employees at local build sites. This would give employees the chance to volunteer in their local communities as well as provide exposure to installation of the manufacturers products under job-site conditions.
Our group enjoyed the volunteer experience and look forward similar opportunities in the future with Habitat along with other organizations.
The first two photos below show the nearly complete homes. The third shows the weatherization process underway on the third home.
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