Ellijay, Georgia, located in the northern part of the state approaching the Tennessee border, is especially popular in the fall, when the area’s many apple houses and pumpkin farms draw large crowds.
What makes this area special: it gives the full middle-of-nowhere feel with all the resources needed — and it’s only 90 minutes from Atlanta. Homes in Ellijay are surrounded by thousands of acres of national forest, and it’s considered one of the largest wilderness areas east of the Mississippi River.
Crossing through Ellijay, the Pinhoti National Recreation Trail is a 335-mile-long trail spanning the Southern Appalachian Mountains in Alabama and Georgia. When searching for land for a new home, Emmy-winning builder/developer Chip Wade chose an area on the tip top of an Ellijay mountain, backing up to the Pinhoti Trail.
“We were looking for a natural setting, a convenient escape from the city, with that nuance between getting lost and knowing where you are, and we found it in Ellijay with a small piece of land on top of a mountain,” says Wade.
The Contractor
Everything Chip Wade does, from designing to specifying to building to quality control, is laced with an engineering flair of analytical thought.
Straight out of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a dual degree in mechanical and electrical engineering, Wade became a structural engineer and home builder, certified for home construction. As if that wasn’t enough, he also became a licensed home inspector, and shortly after that started his own architectural firm.
Then TV came calling, and Wade appeared on multiple HGTV shows over the years, including “Designed to Sell,” “Curb Appeal: The Block,” “Ellen’s Design Challenge,” “Elbow Room,” “Wise Buys,” “Super Great Rooms,” and “Deal Estate,” plus “Restaurant Impossible” on the Food Network.
Constructing a modern mountain home nestled on the peak of a mountain in North Georgia (NoGa, if you’re cool) came with the goal of creating inspiration through the showcasing of the latest in building materials, installation methods, and decor. After finding the perfect spot, Wade settled on a name for the home: Pinhoti Peak, honoring the trail that divides his property. His vision: that the home would be a landmark on the trail, an iconic destination spot complete with water, snacks, and more to accommodate hikers conquering the trail.
With its remote location, the Pinhoti Peak site posed multiple challenges, not the least of which was weather. While Georgia overall has a mild climate, Ellijay ups the ante a bit with its higher elevation. The average winter temp in Ellijay is the low 30s; drop that a few more if you’re on top of a mountain. During the building process for Pinhoti Peak, which included the winter of 2022-2023, Wade learned firsthand about the formidable wind, sleet, snow, and ice present on the top of a mountain in winter. Because of this, choosing the right building products was paramount.
The Roof System
As the designer/architect/builder/general contractor for Pinhoti Peak, all product decision-making stopped with Wade. When choosing the weather barrier to protect the low-sloped metal roof of Pinhoti Peak, he needed a product that would withstand the cold, rain, ice, and whatever else Mother Nature chose to throw at the mountaintop. He also needed reliability, and a product that was easy to install. Wade chose the ForceFieldWeather Barrier System from Georgia-Pacific to protect the Pinhoti Peak roof.
“Having one building material that can handle many different jobs simplifies the installation and makes my job that much easier,” Wade notes. “The ForceField System will withstand — did withstand — the brutal weather conditions on top of the mountain and gave me full confidence that it was air- and water-tight. It remained stable once installed — and we had snow and ice six times in early 2023.”
The ForceField Weather Barrier System helps reduce weather-related challenges and delays while simplifying construction for both residential and multifamily construction projects. The system includes an integrated WRB/AB sheathing panel, high-performance, self-adhered flashing tape to treat joins and seams on walls and roof, and additional accessories, including liquid flashing and corner seals. Topping the roof system is a standing seam metal roof with panels supplied by McElroy Metal.
Delivering the materials to Pinhoti Peak was its own unique challenge. The site is located on the top of a mountain and accessed by a dirt road and steep gravel drive. Thanks to a strong delivery partner, the products made it to the top in excellent shape.
Challenging Installation
Wade shares that both he and his team were pleased that the product installed just as easily as expected with dimensional stability and uniformity and remained strong and nice-looking once installed. The proper density and proper fastener receiving of the integrated sheathing offered good structural rigidity, and the team loved the one-and-done ease of using the seam tape. The Premium Tape can be installed in temperatures as low as 20 degrees, which the work crew experienced multiple times throughout the winter.
“Where my build team and I noticed a real difference was in the time savings,” Wade says. “We were able to dry in the house faster with the ForceField System, which was super important when weather is bearing down on us — but also the power of the complete system offered by the product. Once the panels were installed and joint seams taped, that was it for air movement — it was significantly reduced immediately, which equals a higher level of energy efficiency for the house overall.”
Why did Wade choose Georgia-Pacific products for his Pinhoti Peak custom build? “The complexity of current building practices means that the more consolidated you can have your product selection, with products working together and interaction with only one company, this makes the job much more efficient and effective,” said Wade. “Georgia-Pacific offers a most extensive full line of products — many of which were included in Pinhoti Peak. Coupled with their historic reputation as an originator in the modern building materials category, I knew that their products would — and will — withstand the kind of rigor this home will demand.”
As they do with each and every customer, the Georgia-Pacific team offered full technical and sales support to Wade’s team along the way. “Having the competency and knowledge of products and situations is irreplaceable,” concludes Wade. “We found the GP team to be timely and informative while working with us, which was so important to ensuring the success of the Pinhoti Peak build.”
For more information about Pinhoti Peak, visit pinhotipeak.com and pinhotipeak.lodgify.com
TEAM
Architect/Builder: Chip Wade, Atlanta, Georgia, chipwade.com
MATERIALS
Weather Barrier: ForceField Weather Barrier System, Georgia-Pacific, buildgp.com
Metal Panels: McElroy Metal, mcelroymetal.com
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