The Woodlands Fall Home & Garden Show

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Next month, The Woodlands, TX—one of the fastest-growing homebuilding markets in the Houston metro area—will be hosting its 12th Annual Fall Home & Garden Show. By all accounts, it will be a showstopper for both homeowners and residential construction industry professionals.

One of the hottest design trends in residential construction is the inclusion of a fully articulated outdoor kitchen. As Cunningham Gas Products President Jeff Cunningham explains, “The technology for outdoor kitchens has advanced substantially in recent years…Anything you can do in a traditional kitchen can now be done in an outdoor kitchen – keeping excess heat and odors out of the house.” Cunningham Gas Products offers a robust line of outdoor kitchen equipment which will be featured at the show. Their design and installation team will be on hand to offer their expertise to show-goers, who will receive substantial discounts on the outdoor cooking products featured at the show.  Throughout both days of the show, lifestyle entrepreneur Cheryl Najafi and award-winning Executive Chef Austin Simmons will be giving cooking demonstrations on the outdoor kitchen equipment.

In addition to the more traditional home renovation and interior design offerings, home automation technology will be prominently featured at this year’s show.  Homeowners are increasingly embracing the ease of app-driven home automation for security systems and climate control. This year’s show highlights programmable automated window treatments that control shade, air flow, and privacy at the touch of a screen. Hunter Douglas, America’s foremost window treatment company, will be previewing its flagship home automation products at this year’s show.

Interior decor expert Mary Scalli, home organization expert Ellen Dunlap, green architect LaVerne Williams, and color expert Cal Morton are just four of the stellar presenters on this year’s slate of featured speakers. Last year’s popular craft beer tent, sponsored by Cyclers Brewing, has been expanded this year to include wines from Llano Estacado Winery. The show, which takes place August 23-24 at The Woodlands Waterway Mariott Hotel & Convention Center, boasts more than 200 exhibitors from the residential architecture, engineering, design, construction, and fixture industries. Admission is $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, and free for children under 12, with free parking behind the Convention Center.

Avoid Health Hazards for a Safer Remodel, Part 2: Organic Hazards

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Home remodeling is a fairly complicated process, and it’s easy to forget that it can also be a hazardous one as well. In order to ensure the safety of yourself, your crew, and the homeowners who you’re working for, keep an eye out for health hazards during the remodeling process. Today in part 2 of our 3-part series, we will be talking about organic hazards.

Part 2: Organic Hazards

1. Mold & Mildew

Mold & mildew are both types of fungi that are likely to be uncovered during a home remodel. Mildew is black or green, may be powdery or downy in texture, and will be found growing flat across surfaces. Mold usually occurs in the form of green, yellow, brown, gray, black or white fuzzy clumps, and can show up anywhere.

The highly toxic stachybotrys chartarum, otherwise known as “black mold,” is one of the most serious biohazards that can be found in the home, and can cause severe respiratory and mental impairment. Mold and mildew typically grow in kitchens and bathrooms, or in areas prone to water leakage. Homeowners living in humid climates often find it when they remove old drywall or cabinets.

If there is a lot of mold or mildew, remediation will be required to get rid of it before any remodeling can take place.

2. Volatile organic compounds

Volatile Organic Compounds, or VOC’s, are substances that are found in building materials and emitted into the air as fumes over a period of time.

Formaldehyde is one of the most common VOC’s, but most wood finishes such as shellac, stain, oil, and varnish contain VOC’s, as do glues and adhesives, paint stripper, furniture stripper, turpentine, paint, and paint thinners. They are also found in carpeting and upholstery. If inhaled, VOC’s irritate the mucus membranes, eyes, and respiratory tract, cause dizziness or headache, and can induce vomiting.

When shopping for materials, chose low- or zero-VOC products to avoid some of the health dangers associated with VOC’s.

3. Dust & Allergen Build-up

Some might be surprised to learn that the immense dust pockets that build up between walls, under floorboards, and above ceiling panels can be a serious health hazard. The hair and dander from homeowners’ pets that ends up in the cracks and corners make the dust situation worse. The allergen factor increases dramatically with the inclusion of dust mites and other tiny parasites that are also found in these dust drifts.

Remodeling activity stirs all this microscopic debris up into the air to be inhaled by the hapless renovator. Rather than working around the dust, keep a vacuum cleaner nearby to sweep up and contain the dust drifts whenever they are encountered.

These three health hazards can be avoided with a little planning and some common sense. Wearing goggles, gloves, and respirator masks will help keep health dangers to a minimum. Good ventilation and air flow when are also a must, so turn on the fans and open the vents and windows.

Residential Building Boom Continues in Rogers County

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In Rogers County, Oklahoma, residential construction is booming. The Rogers County planning and permit officials have issued over $68.6 million dollars in residential construction building permits over the last year. The Rogers County home building industry has grown 30 million over the past 3 years, with growth doubling over the last tow years alone. The growth has been so strong that last week, the County’s Planning and Zoning Commission approved a budget increase of $1.6 million for the Commission.

In comparison to other planning and zoning districts in northeastern Oklahoma, the county ranks fourth in terms of residential construction industry growth. The majority of residential building permits are being issued for the areas of rural Owasso located inside Rogers County. 120 permits were issued in 2013, a significant jump over the 87 issued in 2012. Owasso alone accounts for $90 million of the residential construction revenues for Rogers County over the last three years, with areas outside Owasso accounting for 59.1 million. The Claremore area ranks second in revenue during the same time period, generating $33.2 million since 2011.

Rogers County Planning and Zoning Commission director Larry Curtis credits the county’s improved regulatory infrastructure for some of the growth. “As a planning commission we are doing well with the subdivision regulations, which helps with the new growth process,” Curtis explains, adding that proper regulations are helping Rogers County grow “the right way.”

HBW is proud to be expanding permit reporting operations into Rogers County, Oklahoma. HBW serves building industry professionals seeking construction job leads in Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Georgia. In addition to our Weekly Building Permit Reports, Swimming Pool Permit Reports, Residential Builder Summary Reports, Historical Information Summaries, and Residential New Construction Market Trends Reports, HBW can create a number of custom reports for any need you might have. We also offer exclusive White Paper Reports to help you market your business. To show you how we can help your business succeed, HBW is glad to provide you with complementary building data report or one of our specialized White Paper Reports. Contact us today and start making your business more profitable!

Boosting Your Subcontracting Business: Part 1

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This multi-part series is dedicated to helping our subscribers better understand the hiring process so they can get onto the GC’s list of preferred subcontractors and start building up their business.

HBW is proud of the work we do for our subscribers and it is our genuine pleasure to help subcontractors locate valuable commercial construction job leads and residential building job leads. In our ongoing effort to better serve our clients, we have researched business plans and blogs, investigated resources, and talked with general contractors to get an idea of the subcontractor hiring process.

The first thing to know is that excepting government projects, the lowest bid doesn’t necessarily win the contract. Think about it: If you were a GC with a $450,000 contract on the line, would you be willing to risk your success on a complete stranger whose work you’ve never seen just because they are the cheapest, or are you going to go with the most reasonable bid from a subcontractor with a proven track record of completing good work, within the budget, and on time? A few thousand dollars difference between bids is small potatoes compared to the peace of mind that comes from hiring dependable people.

When approaching a GC for the first time, or you if haven’t worked with a particular GC in a while, write a one-page introduction email. Tell them a little about your company and your track record. Keep it to one short and sweet page, or it may not get read.

First, talk specifics about what you do and all the services you offer. Don’t assume the GC knows everything that you are capable of offering his project. Next, give a description of two or three of the projects you have worked on and what your work specifically was. If you are new to subcontracting, mention other subcontractors that you worked for. End the letter by stating that you are interested in having your company included on his initial list. Don’t forget to include your contact details!

A few days after you send the email, follow-up with a phone call. When you get them on the line, tell them that you’re calling to see if they got your letter. If they didn’t get it, take the opportunity to fill them in on the work you do and your availability. If they did get it, ask if there is any additional information they might need to put in their subcontractor database.

If you’ve been accommodating, informative, and personable, it’s very likely that you are on the GC’s all-important initial list. The next steps, which we will be discussing in the next article, is to market your firm’s specific strengths and demonstrate your knowledge of the local construction market.

HBW serves builders in Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma. In addition to our Building Trend Activity for Residential Construction Reports, HBW can create a number of custom reports for any need you might have. We also offer exclusive White Paper Reports to help you target your marketing efforts. To show you how we can help your business succeed, HBW is glad to provide you with complementary building data report or one of our specialized White Paper Reports. Contact us today and start making your business more profitable!

Swimming Pool Filtration- Choosing the Best

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It’s summer, which means the number of swimming pool permits has skyrocketed. In previous years, pools were simple, rounded-or rectangular-shaped concrete lagoons that graded from shallow to deep.  Nowadays, pool installers are building Sea World in people’s backyards. But with all the focus on fantastic design and innovative materials, it’s easy to overlook one critical decision that pool builders have always wrestled with: filtration. Choosing the right filtration system is essential to keeping your pool healthy and clean.

The most common pool filter is the sand filter. It is easy to maintain, inexpensive to replace, and it lasts seven years before it has to be changed out. On the other hand, it requires weekly or bi-weekly backwashing to keep the filter clean, and backwash valves are probably the most inefficient pieces of equipment in a swimming pool system and often have leaks. Another problem with weekly backwashing is that it can throw your pool’s pH off-balance. Although it is more cost-effective in the long-term, sand is the least effective filtration method because it only catches particles that are 20 microns or larger. Sand filters are best for larger pools that receive moderately frequent use by a family of five or smaller.

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a fine powder made from the exoskeletons of fossilized diatoms, which were hard-shelled algae that lived during the Pleistocene era. DE filters are composed of grids coated with DE powder which the pool water is washed through. The DE coating catches all the debris and particulate matter. DE filters are cleaned on a weekly basis and a bit more DE powder is added with each cleaning to “recharge” cleansing system. For best results, the DE filter should be totally disassembled, hosed off, and recharged with fresh powder each season. The DE filtration system is more expensive and time-consuming than sand and cartridge filtration, but it filters particles of 2-3 microns in size and results in superior water clarity. DE systems are best for larger groups, families the swim frequently, and night swimming. The superior water clarity is easier to appreciate when the pool lights are on.

Cartridge filters are the second most common pool filters. The cartridge filter works an awful lot like the water filters that people attach to their kitchen sinks. The average cartridge filter is between 100 and 300 square feet, so they have a huge filtration surface area. As a result, cartridge filters don’t get clogged as often as sand filters and require less water pressure to work. Some cartridge filters are made of inexpensive materials and meant to last only two or three seasons, but the higher-end filters can last up to five seasons.  Cleanup is a cinch because instead of backwashing, the filter is just taken out and hosed off once or twice per season. Cartridge filters clear out debris of 5-10 microns in size. Cartridge filters can handle a larger volume of frequent swimmers than sand filters and are good for those who entertain often. The larger the pool is, the more cartridges are needed to keep it clean. In places where sand and DE are outlawed, cartridge filters are the only option.

Knowing how frequently the pool will be used, how effective the filtration needs to be, what the filter’s maintenance needs are, how much real estate homeowners want taken up on the pool’s equipment pad are the key considerations for choosing a pool filter. As soon as that’s decided, pool builders can get back to the bigger concern: creating a backyard paradise for their clients’ enjoyment.

Rise of the SIPs

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Use of alternative building methods and materials is on the rise, especially in the residential construction industry. While stick-frame construction is still the norm in much of the U.S., many builders are embracing the use of Structural Insulated Panels, or SIP’s in construction. As concerns over environmental pollution, energy conservation, and affordable utilities attain a critical mass, builders more and more often find themselves working with SIPs.

The typical SIP is a piece of insulating foam core sandwiched between two pieces of OSB, The foam core may be composed of extruded polystyrene or rigid polyurethane insulation, and the boards could use plywood, precast concrete, sheet metal, or magnesium board for the structural facings.

Because SIPS create a continuous thermal barrier, they lack the thermal bridging problem created when using metal or wood studs. The air infiltration and heat resistance problems of fiberglass insulation don’t exist with SIPs. SIP construction tends to be 40% more airtight than stick frame construction, and a 4” SIP outperforms a standard stick-framed, insulated structure with comparative R-value.

SIPs are manufactured in a more eco-friendly way than stick-frame building materials are. The OSB in each SIP  is manufactured from younger, faster-growing, under-utilized wood, which conserves trees that would be otherwise be cut down to make dimensional lumber. The foam core in SIP’s is only 2% plastic, much of which is recycled. Because SIPs arrive at the jobsite cut-to-measure and ready to install, there is significantly less waste. Because building with SIPs is easier and faster than with conventional building, the construction time is quicker and the labor costs are lower.

With the increasing interest in environmentally sound home building, it’s a good idea to become familiar with the procedures and techniques of building with SIPs. Whereas you won’t need a worker to cut holes into studs for wiring because the wire chases are pre-cast in the foam, you will need to be extra aware of the plumbing and ventilation fittings. The air-tightness of a SIP structure will keep standing water from roof, window, or pipe leaks locked into the structure, which can cause accelerated rotting and structural collapse.

SIPs are an excellent, eco-friendly alternative to stick-frame construction, but they aren’t perfect. Residential building professionals who are familiar with the specific demands of SIP construction will produce high-quality and eco-friendly results. Which will make them much more marketable than those who aren’t.

Avoid Health Hazards for a Safer Remodel, Part 1: Elementary Hazards

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Home remodeling is a fairly complicated process, and it’s easy to forget that it can also be a hazardous one as well. In order to ensure the safety of yourself, your crew, and the homeowners who you’re working for, keep an eye out for health hazards during the remodeling process. In part on of our 4-part series on how to avoid home remodeling health hazards, we’re discussing asbestos, lead, mercury, and radon.

Asbestos

It’s commonly known that asbestos was typically used as insulation between walls and in the attic. But many people don’t realize that asbestos was a component of flooring, caulking, window glaze, drywall, joint compounds and plasters. Any project that involves cutting into walls in homes built prior to 1980 may expose workers and homeowners alike to asbestos hazards.

Lead

The EPA suggests that it’s safe to assume that paint in homes built prior to 1978 contains lead. Make sure that whoever is hired to remove the lead paint has met the Federal training and certification requirements for the abatement of lead-based paint. In some cases, it may be best to replace an item such as a window or door frame altogether rather than stripping or sanding it. Stripping and sanding and the major means of lead exposure, but lead might also be found in soil and water pipe soldering.

 Mercury

Most older homes have heating systems and thermostats that contain mercury. Mercury is also found in fluorescent bulbs and thermometers. The problem is that when older bulbs, thermostats, thermometers, and heating systems are removed, the mercury can leak out, causing a major hazard. When ti leaks, mercury evaporates into an odorless toxic vapor that can cause birth defects, developmental disabilities, and organ damage.

Radon

Radon gas is odorless, invisible, radioactive, and deadly. An estimated 21,000 lung-cancer deaths per year have been attributed to radon gas exposure. Radon usually seeps into a home from the rock beneath the home’s foundation. Installing a ventilation pipe in the basement or ground-level can help direct the Radon gas outside, where its concentrations will diminish significantly.

 If the house being remodeled was built before 1980, consider hiring an environmental consultant who can diagnose issues that even an experienced contractor might miss. While the majority of remodeling health dangers are due to air-quality hazards, it’s also important to keep current with the industry’s best practices for handling and disposal of hazardous and toxic materials.

Dave’s County Spotlight: Coweta and DeKalb Counties.

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Hello All! Dave Taylor here, checking in with you today about the construction boom that’s been happening in the state of Georgia’s Coweta and DeKalb Counties for the first and second quarters of 2014.  HBW subscribers know that our Building Permit Information reports are a solid source of residential construction job leads. But they may not realize that HBW offers unparalleled market analytics and construction activity trend reports on a county-by-county basis to help construction trades professionals fine-tune their marketing and promotion efforts.

Located just south of Atlanta’s Fulton County, Coweta has always been a popular county for commuters. Its picturesque landscapes, storied history, and charming small towns are very appealing for folks who like a more livable pace of life. As of July 1, 2014, 250 new homes have been built in the county, with construction revenues totaling over $84.6 million. 67% of new homes fell into the $200-399k range, with 47% of new home prices set at $400k+. The county’s 43 residential remodeling projects brought in a total of $2.7 million. 35 Coweta County residents decided to beat the heat by installing new swimming pools this summer, which generated more than $1.2 million in construction revenues. Commercial construction activity was solid throughout the first two quarters, with 26 new commercial developments valued at $27.4 million being built, and 13 commercial properties generating $13.2 million in remodeling and renovation activity.

Boasting the highest population density of any Atlanta metro area counties, DeKalb County is home to many Atlanta business commuters. But the presence of the Centers for Disease Control, the American Cancer Society,  Emory University and Healthcare, Cox Communications, AT&T Mobility and the Kroger Corporate Office give DeKalb a degree of economic self-sufficiency and independence that other commuter counties lack. DeKalb is also noteworthy for its focus on green building, mixed-use developments, and environmental sustainability. The first half of 2014 has seen 316 new homes built in DeKalb county, which has generated more than $102.5 million. 31% of new homes had median prices of $200-299k, and 28% of new homes fell into the $300-399k range. DeKalb’s 370 residential remodels and alterations brought in nearly $33 million.  The swimming pool industry in DeKalb has been slower than expected, with only 18 new installations totaling just about $292k for the year. On the other hand, DeKalb’s commercial construction industry is performingextremely well, with 19 new developments totaling $82.4 million and 215 commercial alterations/remodels generating just over $100 million to date.

HBW serves building trades professionals in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. This brief overview is just one small example of the sort of depth and detail that HBW customers get from our construction activity reports and white paper reports. Building professionals who are proactive and informed can count on HBW’s newsletter to deliver the latest in building trends, construction technology innovation, and regulatory activity. To show you how we can help your business succeed, HBW is glad to provide you with complementary building data report or one of our specialized White Paper Reports. Contact us today and start making your business more profitable!

Design-Build Remodeling Strategy Gains Momentum

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The process for residential remodeling has evolved significantly over the last decade. One major effect of this change has been the rise of the more cost-conscious design-build firms that are as involved in the actual construction as they are in the designing and planning of the remodels.  Residential construction professionals looking to branch out into the remodeling business should keep in mind that these days, they are as likely to be hired by an architect or design firm as by a general contractor.

Design-Bid-Build

Prior to the housing bubble crash of 2007-2009, residential remodeling was an involved yet leisurely process of drawing up the plans, submitting them for bids to three or four contractors, and then doing the build. This model allowed homeowners to dream big and worry about negotiating more reasonable prices later. But it also often led to seriously over-budget bids,which were usually handled one of two ways: phone the bank to arrange a higher credit line—which is what most people did, or have the designer scale back the plan and draw up another expensive set of documents—which rarely happened. The design-bid-build process worked well until the days of easy credit were ended by the housing crash. At this point, homeowners started looking for a more cost-effective process.

Design-Build

Today, homeowners are likely to begin with a firm budget and a few ideas. Their next step is to contact a company that offers both the design and the contracting services in-house. Homeowners then collaborate with the designer to craft a remodel that fits their needs, fulfills, their hopes, and stays under budget. Because there is no bidding and re-planning phase, construction can begin as soon as the plans are drawn up. Design-build projects tend to move more quickly and project completion takes much less time.

When money’s no object, homeowners gladly opt for the design-bid-build process. But for the majority of budget-conscious clients, the design-build process is their preferred option. Residential construction subcontractors seeking jobs in the lucrative remodeling market need to network with the designers and architects who have spearheaded the design-build revolution.

Brasfield and Gorrie: 50 Years Strong

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It’s no overstatement to say that contemporary Birmingham was built by Brasfield & Gorrie. One can’t visit the city without noticing the incredible impression the firm has left during its 50-year history as the city’s most prestigious builder. Regions Harbert Tower, McWayne Science Center, the Hugo Black Courthouse, Kirklin Clinic, and Birmingham Green are but a handful of the iconic buildings that define the city’s atmosphere, and all of them are Brasfield & Gorrie projects. These immense successes belie the company’s humble and diligent beginnings.

Company founder Miller Gorrie became interested in construction and engineering while helping his father, an IBM salesman, build a cabin on farmland the family owned. Beginning in his late teens, Gorrie invested into two things: IBM stock and his engineering education. Three years with the US Navy’s Civil Engineer Corps, a degree in civil engineering, and career experience with Brice Building, Daniel Construction, and Rust Engineering readied Gorrie to realize his ambition of running the most successful construction firm in Alabama.

Gorrie needed two things to get his business started: a successful brand and startup capital. The first he got by striking a deal with veteran builder Thomas Brasfield, who’d already established a powerful reputation in the local construction industry but was looking to retire. Gorrie cashed in his IBM stock, purchased the “Thomas C. Brasfield Co.” trade name with $45,000 of his IBM sale profits, and took Brasfield on as his vice-president. Their first job was a $475 renovation for First National Bank.

Two major factors contributed to Brasfield & Gorrie’s success. The experience Gorrie got in building with reinforced concrete while working for Daniel Construction led him to bid more confidently on large-scale commercial and civil construction projects than his competitors could. His decision to branch out into the Georgia commercial market and the Florida condominium business during the boom years of the 1980’s and early 90’s led the company to greener pastures.

Fifty years on, the company is still going strong. Brasfield & Gorrie has annual revenues of $2.3 billion and over 2,600 employees and offices in Georgia, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida. But true to their roots, their headquarters remain in Birmingham. Their most recent contract is for a $672-million baseball stadium and commercial development for the Atlanta Braves.

The secret to the company’s success, according to Gorrie, is “integrity,” always making sure to “do what you say and you meet your commitments.”