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Attic Wrap -- Another Energy Saving Technique
2007-03-29 18:49:00
With Dupont's recent release of their Dupont (TM) Tyvek (R) Attic Wrap (TM), today's builder is armed with one more energy-saving tool to differentiate themselves from other builders.Without going into too much detail about the mechanics, methods and materials of Dupont's Attic Wrap, suffice it to say, it is similar in use and function to other Tyvek weatherization products . . . but specifically designed for roofing systems as a semi-permeable barrier to keep attics warmer in winter and cooler in summer.Attic Wrap, installed across the top of roof rafters (beneath roof decking), has a metalized surface that reflects heat, while also serving as a breathable membrane to allow moisture release. By creating a sealed space with less air movement, it reduces air flow through the insulation and the attic -- thereby cutting down on loss of conditioned air from the house, and the infiltration of attic air back into living space. Moisture reduction, channelling of water in the event of ...
More About: Energy , Technique , Another , Ique , Saving

LEED For Neighborhood Development Pilot
2007-03-04 21:13:00
As the LEED for Homes pilot program reaches an end (scheduled to end spring '07, with the rating system made public summer '07), which follows on the heels of the successes of the commercial LEED for New Construction program launched in 1998, it is great to see the concept continued into communities as a whole, with the introduction of the LEED for Neighborhood Development project.Although, it will be interesting to see how successful this latest phase will be.The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System (TM) rates appropriate building projects on various environmentally friendly elements of design, construction and operation. Offered by the U.S. Green Building Council (SGBC), the LEED system is considered a benchmark in rating construction practices affecting key areas of human and environmental health. To date some 550 commercial buildings have been LEED certified, along with 26 homes under the residential construction pilot program.The N...
More About: Programs , Energy Efficiency , Hood , Pilot

Construction Sector Fortune 500 Rankings and Investment
2006-10-21 21:53:00
The oil, banking, drug and insurance industries -- consistently having top performing companies among their numbers -- usually garner consider public attention for their strong ranking on the annual Fortune 500 list. This year is no exception. However, the media hype of the past few years about the hot real estate markets around the country would suggest similar success for any company involved in the construction industry as well. Homebuilders seem sure winners, likely to rank high on the list.Not true.The top ranked company in the Homebuilders category -- Pulte Homes -- doesn't show up until number 147 on the overall list. Of the Fortune 1000, only 15 are homebuilders (Pulte Homes, Lennar, D.R. Horton, Centex, KB Home, Toll Brothers, Hovnanian Enterprises, NVR, Beazer Homes USA, MDC Holdings, Ryland Group, Standard Pcific, Meritage Homes, WCI Communities, and William Lyon Homes).At first glance a poor showing overall for residential construction and home builders, particularly wi...
More About: Investment , Market trends , Construction , Fortune 500

Cutting Energy Costs With Paint -- The Case for Ceramic Insulating Paint
2006-10-11 03:29:00
Small ceramic beads. That's the trick. But there's more . . . each tiny microsphere, only slightly thicker than a human hair, is hollow.While not as widely used as might be expected, insulating paint is worth a second look. A NASA spinoff technology, ceramic paint and ceramic paint additive offer a number of advantages over regular paint at reasonable cost.Either as a ready made heat reducing paint product or as an insulating paint additive that can be added to any regular paint, the concept is the same. Insulating ceramic microspheres, with vacuum hollows in each, form a tight layer upon drying, creating a strong "vacuum layer" on anything painted . . . thereby reducing conductive heat. Products which do not have true ceramic "vacuum beads" in their mix operate differently and do not have the same properties as ceramic insulating coverings. Reflective paints / thermal barriers, such as E-Barrier serve a similar purpose, but work in a different manner.Among the benefits claimed by...
More About: Energy , Building Materials , Energy Efficiency , Case , Paint

Construction Costs Up: Turner Building Costs Index
2006-10-06 20:56:00
According to the recently published Turner Build ing Cost Index, construction costs for 3rd quarter 2006 are forecast to increase 1.78% over 2nd quarter costs, reflecting a 10.33% cost increase over 3rd quarter 2005.Whether this trend will continue remains in question. Reduced demand for building materials is impacting pricing on some products, such as a recent sharp reduction in lumber pricing, which might stabilize the cost index in the near future.The Turner Building Cost Index is compiled by Turner Construction Company, a leading national builder (and subsidiary of HOCHTIEF). The quarterly Index differs slightly from other construction indices in that it considers a collection of national data to include material costs, market competition, labor costs and productivity levels, in tracking building costs and price trends -- factors not always accounted for in other similar indices.Overall, not great news for many markets already faced with higher interest rates, reduced and cancele...
More About: Market trends

Hypocausts to Homes . . . Radiant Floor Heating is Here to Stay
2006-10-03 22:41:00
From the Hypocausts of Rome that heated the floors of public baths, to palaces and homes in Korea and China, the use of radiant floor heating has been around for centuries . . . if to a somewhat limited extent. With advances in the efficiency and ease of installation however, radiant floor heating becomes an increasingly appealing alternative to more standard heating practices. But is it really "better"?Arguments in favor of radiant heating claim that the heat produced is more comfortable, cost-effective and physically beneficial than other forms. With the heat source in the floor, it is "warm feet and cool head", versus the "cold feet and hot head" syndrome of convection heating (in which stratified warm air hovers near the ceiling, away from the ground). Temperature is more uniform, is channeled directly where needed, and causes less drying of the air and skin. Radiant heat is also quieter, essentially maintenance free, and more aesthetically appealing. With lower thermostatic set...
More About: Building Materials , Energy Efficiency , Heat , Homes , Here

FTTH: Builder's Technology Profit Center?
2006-09-27 03:13:00
FTTH / FTTP (Fiber to the Home / Fiber to the Premises) is here to stay. It is more readily available, and in growing demand from homebuyers. Any developer serious about competing in today's market should give consideration to FTTH design and planning from the earliest stages of development.With FTTH technology, builders can offer consumers "Extreme Broadband" fiber optic multimedia capability, with performance speeds exceeding 100 Mbps . . . directly to the home.Pulte Homes' promotion of their "Connected Communities" is one such example of developers catering to the current and future telecom needs of buyers, while staying ahead of the competition. The 3 components of Pulte's Connected Communities are:Broadband (high-speed internet)A community-wide website or portal Structured wiring in homesBy offering an FTTH network, Wi-Fi Hotspots and community portals, Pulte brings to the consumer all the technology they want, need . . . and are willing to pay for. And with 82% of buyers be...
More About: Utilities , Technology , Profit , Building Materials , Prof

Grancrete(R) Spray on Ceramic: Miracle Building Product?
2006-09-23 03:05:00
It sounds almost too good to be true . . . A spray-on ceramic product, out of which buildings can be constructed, that is stronger than concrete, fireproof, vermin proof, termite proof, waterproof, non-toxic, biodegradable, and can be applied in a day, at a cost somewhere around $20.50 per fifteen square foot area!What is this new miracle material?The product is called Grancrete(R) , produced by Grancrete (R), LLC. It is a spray-on ceramic / concrete alternative, composed of sand/sandy soil, ash, Magnesium Oxide and Potassium Phosphate. The ceramic has received some press on the web and in several publications, including Popular Science, R&D Magazine (where it was named one of the top 100 innovations for 2004) and others, yet, if it is legitimate, has not received anywhere near the level of interest one would expect of such a groundbreaking material.There are skeptics who compare Grancrete(R) to similar products that have tanked after the initial buzz has worn off, or as a scam ...
More About: Building , Miracle , Product , Building Materials , Energy Efficiency

Home Theaters: New Construction Trend, Fad or Future?
2006-09-20 19:01:00
Trends, by their often short-lived nature, present a dilemma for homebuilders as much as any business. With each new "must-have", the smart businessperson must ask: Is jumping on board worth the risk and expense, or is this something that will soon pass? One such trend is the growing home buyer interest in (and demand for) home theaters.Some trends are the result of cyclical change in public tastes -- brick over stone; hardwood over carpet; traditional over contemporary. Some are mere fads -- bright primary colors over subtle pastels; brushed nickel fixtures over polished brass. Others are true long term shifts created by emerging technologies and products, or new found affordability in exisiting technologies and materials -- solid surface countertops over laminate; central air over traditional stand alone systems. It is up to the builder or developer to determine which of today's "needs" will linger beyond the first cleaning.In terms of finishes, much of "the product" is cosmetic ...
More About: Future , Market trends , Home , Construction , Heat

Construction Lumber and Plywood Prices Drop to New Lows
2006-09-19 21:12:00
Following on the heels of a series of downgrades of the housing sector on softening markets and lowered housing start numbers (more on that later), data released by industry data firm Random Lengths on Friday revealed a related drop in the framing-lumber composite index. The index stood at $301 per thousand board feet for the week, versus $403 at the same time last year.Plywood and Oriented Strand Board (OSB), at one time in short supply and fetching premium prices, have dropped significantly on the structural-panel composite index, from $499 per thousand square feet a year ago to $274 per thousand.With housing starts down, and likely to fall further, there is concern as to how long this setback to lumber prices will continue. For investors and forest products companies, this is likely an unpleasant reality, but for others it might prove a welcome opportunity in an otherwise inflationary environment.Random Lengths - Wood products industry information source.
More About: Market trends , Construction , Building Materials , Price

Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) -- Fad or Emerging Technology?
2006-09-18 19:51:00
With much media attention devoted to natural catastrophes around the globe, from hurricanes, tsunamis, and tornadoes to forest fires and earthquakes, Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) are likely to draw greater attention in the future.In brief, ICF are forms for poured concrete walls that remain in place, rather than being removed as is usually the case with traditional forms. Made of foam insulation of various types -- Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), Extruded Polystyrene (XPS), Polyurethane, or Cement Foam Composite -- the forms are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, mechanisms, and parts, each with its own features, benefits and best uses.While further blogs will address in greater detail the variations in form type and use, a short overview of the possible benefits over wood-framed construction will be covered here.Advantages of Insulating Concrete Forms*: Forms serve as structural wall, insulation, nailing surface, and vapor barrier, all in one unitEnergy efficient alternative t...
More About: Technology , Building Materials , Energy Efficiency , Foundations

Pulte #1 in Customer Satisfaction
2006-09-16 21:32:00
According to the J.D. Power and Associates(R) 2006 New-Home Builder Custom er Sati sfaction Study(SM), residential home builder, Pulte Homes (NYSE: PHM), took top honors in customer satisfaction, ranking highest in 14 out of 34 U.S. markets surveyed. For the seventh year in a row, Pulte Homes also garnered more top three awards in the J. D. Power and Associates (R) 2006 New Home Builder Customer Satisfaction Study (SM) than any other.Also featuring strongly in the survey, Centex Homes (NYSE: CTX) earned top customer satisfaction rankings in 13 of the markets surveyed.Pulte HomesCentex HomesJ.D. Power and Associates