An Inside Job.

Most people think of the kitchen as the heart of the home. But if you ask Ken, he’ll tell, it’s the mechanical room. While that may be a surprising answer, his logic is sound. Behind its door is everything that allows a home to run optimally — HVAC, plumbing, electric and home integration, as well as complex new technologies, such as electronic air cleaning and energy recovery units. And it’s why Ken insists that every mechanical room we build be given the same kind of thoughtful design, craftsmanship and strict attention to detail we give to the rest of a home.

Sustaining and maintaining the scale of the custom homes we build, requires us to meticulously plan and scrupulously organize our mechanical rooms, to make each system easy to access, service and if necessary, replace. Components are clearly labeled, and wiring that can cause chaos, is controlled. We even install removable baseboards to make future upgrades simple and efficient. Floors are pitched with a central drain, and grid ceilings replace traditional drop ceilings, allowing unwanted water to escape safely, without causing damage.

One of our colleagues says we’ve taken mechanical rooms to another level, and set a new standard in the industry. Since architects don’t build these important rooms into their plans, we realized it was something we needed to address. Because if it’s confusing or difficult to access this room, a small issue can rapidly escalate into a large one, causing homeowners disruptions that can become time consuming and costly.

Ken will often joke that every house he builds has two dining rooms—the formal one and the mechanical room, referring to the fact that our mechanical rooms are so pristine, one could eat dinner on the floor. But what’s not a joke is that Ken doesn’t just want to be known for building custom homes that look beautiful, he also wants to build custom homes that run beautifully. This is just one more illustration of the unparalleled attention Kenneth Vona and Son Construction pays to every room of the homes they create, from top to bottom.