The Eastbrook Building Difference

At Eastbrook Homes, we’ve used our decades of experience building homes to create a building process that goes above and beyond what’s expected. Our homes are intentionally designed to not only lessen the most common issues we’ve seen with new construction, but also last and grow with our homebuyers as life evolves. So when you move in, the only thing you need to worry about is where to put the couch.

We build every home to meet Eastbrook Homes’ construction standards for quality, durability, and long-term performance. Read on to learn more about the additional steps we take to ensure our customers get top quality every time.

1) Water Management and Foundation Protection

Water damage is notoriously one of the most costly home issues you can have. And in Michigan, this can be common. That’s why at Eastbrook Homes, we’ve implemented a comprehensive Water Management system that directs water away from your home using proper flashing, foundation drainage, and full gutter and downspout coverage. 

To ensure proper foundation drainage, we install a buried drain tile system around your home’s foundation to redirect groundwater. This is critical to preventing water from collecting and leading to moisture in your basement. Our complete water management approach helps mitigate damage from increased rainfall, protect your home’s foundation, and reduce erosion around the home. This is especially important to protect our framed and insulated exterior basement walls. 

With Eastbrook Homes, you can trust your home is built with Michigan’s weather forecast in mind and prepared to last for years to come.

2) Energy Efficiency for Lower Utility Bills & Optimal Comfort

As experienced builders, we know the key to maximum comfort and low energy bills is a well-insulated home. That’s why we utilize multiple measures to ensure your home is built to prevent air leaks, drafts, uneven temperatures, or groaning every time you open an energy bill. Plus, with proper insulation, you can enjoy a quieter home and breathe cleaner, healthier air. 

With Eastbrook Homes, you can expect:

Energy Seal Package™

Our energy seal package maximizes efficiency in every home. We use open-cell spray foam insulation in key areas to provide superior energy efficiency. This approach not only reduces sound transfer but also minimizes wood waste, while delivering an excellent air seal.

Wood-to-wood joints are tightly sealed to further minimize air leaks. Ductwork is sealed and taped to ensure optimal airflow and prevent energy loss. With these measures, we consistently deliver quality in every home.

Blower Door Testing 

Upon completion of construction, we utilize a third-party provider to perform blower door testing. This diagnostic test involves using a powerful fan in an exterior doorway to measure your home’s airtightness. With this, we’re able to verify building performance by ensuring the home is sealed properly.

HERS Scores
Once construction is complete, each homeowner receives a personalized Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score. This score helps us understand how well your home rates in energy efficiency.

L-Corner Framing
L-corner framing, also known as insulated corners, is a method of framing corners using only two or three studs instead of three or four. Reducing the number of studs used allows for more space for insulation and increases your home’s energy efficiency. 

No Crawl Spaces
Our team does not include crawl spaces in your home, as crawl spaces are not necessary for Michigan homes and often create more issues than benefits. With Michigan’s cold winters and humid summers, crawl spaces can create pathways for air leaks and moisture to enter your home. They can also lead to cold floors and a more humid indoor environment, causing your HVAC system to work harder to maintain your comfort level. An HVAC system that is overworked can mean costly repairs, early replacement, and higher energy bills for you.

3) Comfortable, Dry Basements for Additional Livable Space

One of the cornerstones of our mission at Eastbrook is to build homes that fit into your life and grow with you as life changes. One of the ways we do this is by preparing your basement for anything. Whether you choose to make an additional investment to a finished basement during your build or use it as additional storage space, we make sure that space is usable and ready to be finished in the future if you choose to do so. Why? Because the exterior concrete walls of our basements are always framed and insulated. 

By framing and insulating the exterior concrete walls allows for your basement to be climate controlled and energy-efficient. Framing and insulating also protects pipes from freezing outdoor temperatures and reduces noise. Plus, if you decide to sell in the future, a framed and insulated basement increases your home’s overall value.

4) Quiet, Solid Construction for Quality You Can Feel

If you’ve ever been in a home with squeaky floors, swollen subfloors, or have noticed porches that have drifted from their builds, you know how annoying it can be. And if you lived in a home like this, you know how costly it is to fix some of these issues. At Eastbrook Homes, we pride ourselves on building with quiet, solid construction. We don’t take shortcuts, and the result is a strong house and quality you can feel, even after years have passed. 

Here are some of the ways we build homes that last a lifetime:

Glued & Screwed Installation

All of our subfloors and framed walls are glued and screwed, a process that involves adding glue to the wood pieces joining together, and then screwing them as well. This combination of wood glue and screws creates a stronger installation that results in long-lasting drywall and flooring.

LP Top Notch 350 Subfloor

LP Top Notch 350 Subfloor is a premier, high-performance engineered wood panel made from compressed, cross-oriented layers of wood strands mixed with waterproof, heat-cured adhesives. Also known as an oriented strand board (OSB), this product is engineered with their proprietary RainChannel® technology. This elite tech is superior in resisting moisture and preventing edges from swelling during construction. In short, it’s a stronger wood to create a solid foundation and results in long-lasting flooring. Also OSB flooring is glued and nailed with a special nail called a Scrail which helps limit floor noise.

Solid Porch Construction

We build our porches using state-of-the-art materials and methods that ensure longevity and durability, year after year. We include additional foundation under our porches which reduces cracking, settling, and movement. 

5) Thoughtful Structural Engineering for Long-Term Strength

At Eastbrook Homes, we do it right the first time. Our homes are built right using advanced structural engineering techniques and practices, like our custom-designed trusses and other methods. This helps prevent issues like sagging and provides a better load performance. It’s all to build a stronger and more efficient home, while reducing lumber waste and improving the overall quality. Our structures are built to support your dreams, so feel free to get creative with your home plan layout! 

6) Proper HVAC Sizing for Maximum Comfort

When it comes to your air conditioning system, few things are more annoying than uneven temperatures throughout the home. But a system that’s not properly sized and balanced for your space can create even more issues – issues that are more expensive to fix. 

An HVAC system that’s oversized, or too powerful for your home, will cool the air too quickly without allowing proper time for dehumidification. This can lead to humid conditions which can damage your home. 

On the other hand, a system that’s undersized or not powerful enough for your home, will run all day long to keep up with your comfort needs. This means higher energy bills and a system that will expire before it should. 

To find out what size HVAC system you need for your home, a Manual J Load Calculation must be performed. Eastbrook ensures that prior to construction, a full Manual J Load Calculation is completed using blueprints, site orientation, and insulation specifications to properly size your HVAC equipment. So you can enjoy cool summers and warm winters without worry. 

Build with Confidence

At Eastbrook Homes, we believe bringing your dream home to life is more than just putting the walls together and finding your favorite paint color. Your home is one of the biggest financial and emotional investments you will make in your lifetime, and it should last your lifetime, too. 

When you choose a builder, choose a company that does it the right way from the start. By prioritizing quality over shortcuts, you save yourself headaches down the road. Your dream home is waiting for you! Are you ready to choose a builder who can deliver on your vision without sacrificing quality? Connect with us today to get started.