John Valdes and Associates provides design and build services for the use of conventional construction materials and methods for residential and commercial construction. Concrete, concrete block or masonry and /or wood frame construction or a combination of the two are the most common building materials used in Northeast Florida for residential and light commercial construction . Both, if used properly, can provide buildings that can give good service with acceptable to high survivability expectations during high wind events.

• When using concrete block wall systems we, as a standard, fill all the cells of the block walls with pump-mix concrete to create a solid concrete wall. It has been our experience that using concrete block alone does not provide the strength we desire. For very little added cost you have now created a far stronger exterior wall with exponentially higher storm survivability characteristics.
• If the building site is in an area that is prone to standing water after heavy rain events we strongly recommend not building the home on a concrete slab. We recommend a suspended floor system thereby preserving the open ground that would otherwise be covered with concrete to allow for water absorption during exceptionally heavy rain events. We would also recommend the use of a pavers in the garage as well as the driveways or walkways that will allow for water absorption. Every square feet of concrete that we can keep off the ground will help in mitigating the impacts of standing water.
• When using wood frame construction all of our exterior walls are 2 x 6 minimum for added strength and insulation factor with only plywood sheathing. We do not use OSB in our construction. If coastal or near coastal all fasteners outside of the vapor barrier will be stainless steel and all flashings will be either lead or aluminum to mitigate the impact of saltwater corrosion and future water penetration.
• During the construction process if the wood components of the structure have been wet resulting in mold and /or mildew we treat the wood components with chlorine as needed to curtail future mold or mildew problems.
• Prior to a structure being drywalled all wooden components from top to bottom will be treated with boric acid to significantly lessen the threat of future termite attack.

John Valdes has the benefit of having been in the construction business for more than 50 years. He has also worked as a building inspector in the private sector doing inspections on buildings for the past 20 years. From this experience, John Valdes is very aware of what works and more importantly what does not in our coastal environment. When contracting John Valdes and Associates, you the client benefits from John Valdes’s extensive knowledge. Above are just a few examples of departures from the norm that John Valdes and Associates has implemented to create exceptionally sound homes and buildings.