Building EnvelopeDrywall

S.D. Jessup Construction Focuses on High Performance Homes

For contractor Shawn Jessup, there's nothing more important than building a home with exceptional performance, energy efficiency and comfort. The North Carolina builder relies on Superior Walls Xi wall panels to start his custom homes from the foundation up, and then includes an aggressive insulation package, making sure his homes exceed his customer's expectations.

"I start with the Xi precast concrete wall panels and then add an insulated basement slab to give my homes a head start on their high performance energy efficiency package," says Jessup, owner of S.D. Jessup Construction, Inc. in Pilot Mountain, N.C. "I'm building homes that are more than twice as efficient as a standard home built to 'code.'

"The Superior Walls products are crafted to help give a basement an excellent water, thermal and air barrier. I haven't found any other system that works as fast and easy, plus offers so much to the overall home in so many important areas backed by a strong warranty."

Building for Energy Efficiency

According to Jessup, who has been in business since 1998, building up with an enhanced insulation package is a key element for constructing a quality home.

"We get aggressive with our air sealing package, exterior walls and ceiling assemblies to create a tight home," says Jessup. "Because windows and doors are the weak link in a high R-value wall assembly, I always recommend homeowners select higher performing products that have an Energy Star rating.

"Air tight construction has the potential to create very bad indoor air quality, so we take great care to use low and zero VOC products. The goal is to provide homeowners with a very comfortable and healthy living experience."

The quality construction practices employed by Jessup have paid off for the builder. His current workload is almost double the best year he's ever had and he'll construct five homes in 2016.

"I'm a firm believer that Superior Walls products have made me a better builder with a better finished product," says Jessup. "Using this foundation system means educating my customers and subcontractors about the benefits of precast concrete walls. This is a better way of constructing homes.

"My past customers appreciate the effort we place in focusing on high performance and they're sharing that message with my newer customers. It's an education process and I'm happy to be the teacher!"

The Superior Walls Xi wall panels used by Jessup feature steel reinforced concrete and 2-1/2-inches of DOW Styrofoam insulation to create a barrier against sidewall water penetration and heat loss. The panels are custom designed and constructed in a factory-controlled setting at Superior Walls of North Carolina in Salisbury, N.C. Unique features of the Xi wall panels include:

5,000+ PSI concrete
Steel-reinforced top bond beams, concrete studs and footer beams
Horizontal steel rebar inside top and bottom beams
Vertical steel rebar inside each stud
Insulated access holes for ease in wiring and plumbing
Galvanized steel stud facing ready for drywall finishing
Insulated corners, studs and bond beams

Superior Walls, innovator of the precast concrete foundation system, celebrates 35 years of operation in 2016. The company manufactures the only foundation to have earned the NGBS Green Certified Product designation and has precast concrete system licensee manufacturing operations throughout the United States and Canada.

For more information on S.D. Jessup Construction, Inc., visit sdjessup.com. And, for details on Xi panels and other Superior Walls products, visit www. superiorwalls.com.