HOMES OF THE TREASURE COAST
44
HURRICANE PROOFING
Newman, owner of JWN Builders and contractor for 150
homes for the past 20 years in Nettles Island. “Usually, I
tear down the trailer, haul it away and then we build the
house on the small lot.”
The houses have a square footage that ranges from 1,800
to 3,000, are typically two stories and have a starting price
of about $350,000, he says. Since lots are often oddlyshaped,
Newman uses custom-made, heavy duty hangers
for beams designed to fit the unusual angles.
George Madden, a retired Florida Power & Light
mechanical engineer, knew he wanted a poured concrete
second floor to allow higher ceilings and give his
2,300-square-foot, three-bedroom Nettles Island home
additional strength. He insisted Newman build without
wood floor joists, which allowed for 9-foot tray ceilings on
the second floor, which is used for living space — a rarity
in Nettles Island.
“With a concrete block wall running through the first
floor, we ended up with a closet that could be used as a
safe room,” Madden says. “I wanted the extra height and
the added structural strength.”
He saw some ceiling foam at a home show and found
out Newman had the product in his contract. The foam is
designed for insulation, but also adds strength to the roof,
he says.
A 3,001-square-foot home Newman built in Nettles
Island has three bedrooms, four full baths and a two-car
garage that will hold two minivans. The two-story structure
has a second floor balcony and roof deck with amazing
westerly views of the Indian River. It is the only house
since 2004 he has built with a barrel tile roof.
Another JWN Home on Nettles Island has nine-foot tray ceilings and pan-
>> oramic views of the Indian River from the roof deck.
/dansfancity.com
