Gulf Coast Home

Silverback recently wrapped an ambitious residential project in Palm Harbor, just north of Tampa, Florida. Situated on the Gulf Coast, this 4,000 square foot home is sure to weather any storm.

We built and poured 85 cubic yards of grade beams and 34 cast-in-place columns, each of which is sixteen inches square and twelve feet tall. You’ve seen similar columns in high rises and commercial buildings, but rarely do you see them in home construction. While costly and challenging, this method ensures that any structure is prepared for hurricane-force winds.

Silverback also created cast-in-place tie beams which link all of the columns together. In other words, we put down the foundations, built upwards and hung multiple lefts and rights. Each column and tie beam had to be precisely plumb and uniform in height. “All told, Silverback prepped and poured close to 200 cubic yards of concrete,” says Dave Lusk, owner of KL Custom Homes. “There was a lot riding on it; the concrete work cost as much or even a bit more than the cost to wood-frame the entire house. Laying out concrete from the ground and then going vertical – that’s tough work, but Silverback’s foreman proved equal to the challenge. He displayed superb control while working up in the air, keeping everything plumb and true.