Better Built Homes

We offer a complete line of services including home design, selection assistance, faux finishing and of course residential construction.

This section of our web site gives more details of our construction techniques and materials. After all, you spend a lot of money to buy a new home. We want you to be confident in your purchase, so take the time to read about how we build our homes:

Built right means peace of mind for you

Unlike most home builders, we build homes using our own employees. These are experienced craftsmen who know the difference between “good enough” and “done right”.

A Kirkwold home lasts longer

We use high quality materials and techniques. This means that our homes are more durable. Here are some examples,

• All exterior doors have aluminum clad frames.
• We use Tyvek® instead of cheaper wrap used by other builders. This material has superior leak resistance and other protective properties.
• We apply a special flashing system under the windows to protect the wood from leaks.
• Our siding is painted and baked-on with a 25 year no-paint guarantee
• We use high quality Andersen® windows.
• We waterproof the foundation walls with a flexible acrylic polymer.
• We securely attach the stairs to the stud walls along the side. As a result the stairs are less spongy, won’t crack and last longer
• Unlike many other builders, we screw down the sub-floor and we add glue to the floor trusses which reduces squeaks.

Our homes are safer

We live in a part of the country where we can encounter very high winds and other extreme weather conditions. To ensure a strong home we build with techniques that often exceed code. For example,

• Kirkwold homes are anchored to the foundation every 4 ft instead of every 6 ft as required by code. And we use 2x2 steel plates in addition to just a nut and bolt.
• To give better sheer resistance, we don’t use staples on our sheeting. We use nails. We also install sheeting using overlaps which increases strength.
• We use hurricane clips to attach the roof truss to the wall. We also use more lateral bracing for roof trusses.
• Where walls meet, we use top plates that overlap for more strength
• Where there are openings in the exterior walls, like windows or doors, we use stronger wood headers (2x10s) to better handle the load of the structure
• We exceed code by using longer nails than required. And we use more of them.

We also protect our homes against the threat of radon gas by installing a special venting system. And we install the system according to EPA guidelines.

Our homes are more energy efficient

A home should be built to handle the South Dakota climate and Kirkwold Homes goes further than other builders:

• We use R44 insulation in the ceiling. Most builders use R38.
• Our 2x6 framing allows for thicker insulation.
• We employ zone heating to allow different areas of the home to be heated or cooled independently.
• We use 90% efficient furnaces and air conditioning that also exceeds code.

We build-in additional convenience features

Our homes are pre-wired for features like audio and security systems. We use a flexible wiring panel to make it easier to add and manage other services such as computer networking.

It doesn’t stop there

With our custom homes we can accommodate almost any special feature you would like in your new home. Whether it is special finish materials, fixtures or wall coverings, we can do it. Even with our pre-built homes, we can make adjustments according to your needs.

Call us to discuss your requirements on 605-362-9302!