Builder articles from February 2000

Builder archives from February 2000

Space Psychology.(interior design)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Today's best builders are learning to make less equal more. CLEVERLY DESIGNED AND MERCHANDISED OUTDOOR space can make new-home interiors read much larger. We've been collecting evidence of this on model-home reconnaissance tours. Some...

BMAIL.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Going the Extra Mile I JUST FINISHED READING YOUR DECEMber issue featuring the Hearthstone BUILDER Lifetime Public Service Award (page 54). It is excellent! I am confident it will stimulate housing professionals to contribute more of their...

One Nation, But Not Equal.(housing discrimination)
February 1, 2000... Despite sweeping progress, America still fights racism in housing. Should funding back research or solutions? OUR NATION INDIVISIBLE IS NOT A NATION equal. Although fights are being won, the United States is still in a battle over racial...

Future Shock.(forecasts about residential housing)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Y2K ok? Hang on. Young & Rubicam analysts say that by 2029 privacy and home building--as we know it--will be gone. Expect corporate "campuses" where the boss builds your new home, day care, and hospital. De facto polygamy will be the norm--new...

Just Add Water.(cracked home foundations)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Super dry weather brought the heartbreak of cracking foundations to some mid-Missourians. Shrinking soils leave voids. It was so dry that even foundations shriveled. "With no moisture... it's bound to go down, it's just hollow under...

Lost Horizons.(small farms)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Who could have foreseen that national prosperity would one day pose more of a threat to small farms than drought, pests, or bad luck? The latest Natural Resources Inventory, published by the Department of Agriculture, tells a familiar tale:...

Dealmaker.(World Floor Covering Association trade show)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... On December 20, 1999, Hanley-Wood, LLC, agreed to acquire The Surfaces Show from the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) and announced an alliance with the WFCA in which Surfaces will continue to be the official trade show of the WFCA. ...

Net News.(home building conference)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... On June 13-14, 2000, BUILDER and PROSALES magazines, along with HBR net.com, will hold a new conference, ihousing 2000, for home building's top management. The conference, which will be held at The Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in...

Real Estate Espanol?(web site for Hispanic American real estate agents)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Minorities will drive real estate growth in this decade. WITH TUCSON, ARIZ., ONLY ONE OF A NUMBER of American cities reclaiming its 19th century. Hispanic ethnic mix, it's no wonder that www.RealEstateEsponal.com just been launched as the...

PUNCH LIST.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... BUILDER'S editors pick the best, worst, and strangest housing-related news. * OHNO SOHA: Denver has LoDo, Miami has SoBe, Frisco has SoMa. Now Tacoma, Wash., wants to adopt SoDo as an official name for its urban renewal loft/industrial...

Lumber's Soft Side.(sensitivity training for Louisiana-Pacific Corp. employees)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... If it's process improvement you want, try a little tenderness, It paid off for Louisiana-Pacific Corp., which started training its people to be better teammates and to communicate sensitively, even requiring two pieces of praise for each...

Show Us Your Site.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... We've asked you in the past to share your sites with us for editorial purposes. Now, we're sponsoring a head-to-head Web site competition for builders, dealers, and manufacturers. We'll submit all the sites to a panel of judges. The...

Forbidden Fruit.(contamination of topsoil by chemical crop spraying)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... A soil test turns up a dark secret about family farmland IF YOU'RE ONE OF THOSE WHO THINKS OF APPLE orchards, potato fields, and orange groves as prime building parcels, think again. A nightmarish experience in Haywood County, N.C.,...

L.A. Excellent.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Playa Vista redefines urban living. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIANS ARE sick and tired of gridlocked freeways and hours of commuting. So why don't they move closer to town and leave those headaches behind? That's just what developers of the West...

Duct and Cover.(fires caused by bad clothes dryer venting)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... The National Fire Protection Remodeling Association reports 14,000 fires each year caused by bad dryer venting. Here's how to do it right: vent dryers to the outside and use a back-draft damper with a spring-controlled flap. Avoid anything...

Size Matters.(city housing)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Distinguishing small land areas from large ones--rather than categorizing by regions--gives the industry a clearer picture of which cities can absorb new housing. IN THE CHARTS BELOW AND AT RIGHT, CITIES OF similar sizes are categorized...

A Win for Builders.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... California court favors community associations. IN A LANDMARK CASE FOR COMMUNITY associations, the California Supreme Court has ruled that the decisions of these associations will be given greater weight in legal disputes with homeowners....

Out of Sight.(new casement design)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... CASEMENT WINDOW HAS A HANDLE THAT FOLDS AWAY INTO THE FRAME. UNLIKE casement hardware cranks that stick out, this design does not interfere with the raising or lowering of blinds. The integrated crank is made from stainless steel and is...

Extra Protection.(home locksets)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... BARRIERS AGAINST BREAK-INS ARE TAKEN TO THE NEXT level with this sturdy lockset. Its interlocking chassis and I-inch metal bolt with steel roller pin prevent the lock from being cut and the door from being kicked in. The latch design of the...

From the Top.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
February 1, 2000... MAKING INSTALLATION EASIER FOR CONTRACtors, this above-the-counter installation system features pre-assembled parts, which reduces the number of loose pieces and required tools. The faucet's ceramic disk valve is guaranteed against leaks and...

Quick Switch.(customized tool belt)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... TOOL BELT CAN BE CUSTOMIZED to meet the demands of each job by shedding unneeded weight and bulk with interchangeable pouches. Heavy-duty metal fasteners make it easy to add or remove pouches without taking off the belt. Designed with comfort...

Roll Away.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... DESIGNED FOR EASY TRANSPORT, THIS portable table saw stand rolls right to where it's needed. Its cart-like design folds for moving and sets up as a table with a 36-inch working height. The sturdy stand has a steel tube frame and 10-inch tires.

Fast Finder.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... POCKET-SIZE TOOL QUICKLY and accurately detects wood and metal studs behind drywall, plywood, paneling, and flooring surfaces up to 3/4-inch thick. The 5 1/2-inch Stud Seeker is the smallest electronic stud detection device on the market. The...

Wireless Wonder.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... STAY IN TOUCH ON THE jobsite with these lightweight two-way radios. With a range of two miles, the U-ceiver is equipped with 14 channels and 38 privacy codes per channel, providing up to 532 independent communication links. Only 4 inches tall...

Take the Inside Track.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Upscale infill specs are easy, if you don't count the time, money, diplomacy, and patience they require. FACED WITH A DWINDLING SUPPLY OF RAW LAND, Paramount Building Corp. decided to become an expert at infill, particularly tear-downs, in...

Don't Get Caught Short.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... When materials are scarce, an abundance of initiative pays off--at least it did in Houston. AS THE LACK OF AVAILABLE DRYWALL BEGAN TO slow production last year, Houston-based MHI just said no way. Acting on a cold call from a commodities...

Draw a Picture.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... There's nothing like a visual aid to help employees and customers see their responsibilities clearly. WHAT PREVENTS AN ORGANIZATION FROM continuously improving? According to Weston, Fla.-based Arvida, the answer is easy to see: Improvement...

Assembly Required.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... A former submarine designer says be can produce low-cost, hurricane- and earth quake-resistant housing by using assembly-line techniques. MEET WALLY RANDA, AMERICAN tintype. Pullover sweater, freshly ironed slacks (that's right, slacks),...

Holy War.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... No one is backing down in San Francisco's battle over live/work lofts. SOMEHOW JOE O'DONOGHUE'S HANDS ended up clenched around the throat of Ben Hanes. Neither the San Francisco Residential Builders Association (RBA) nor the activists who...

Two Days in January.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Telecommuters and their employers breathe a sigh of relief The nation's 20 million or so telecommuters got a big scare from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in early January. The federal agency, in response to a...

Fuel Feud.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Electric and gas interests square off. Like "smart growth" and "green building," "energy efficiency" is a feel-goad phrase. It's a goal that seems universally acceptable--something everybody can get behind. Unfortunately, unity and...

Show and Sell.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Call it marketing Call it merchandising. Just don't call it decorating A fully merchandised model can turn around lagging sales and pump up volume. GREAT PLANS AND A BOOM MARKET mean there's no need to use models, right? Wrong. Even the...

Fair Share.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... It's time for builders to realize that creating houses for the less fortunate is in everybody's best interest. CONTAINING SPRAWL IS A BIG ISSUE on everybody's agenda these days. What often isn't included in the discussion, though, is the...

The Incredible Shrinking House.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Q: How can I reduce the size of this 3900-square-foot floor plan yet keep the same bedroom and bathroom count as well as basic sizes of the closets, living, dining, and family rooms? A: I MANAGED TO CREATE A HOUSE THAT HAS VIRTUALLY ALL THE...

Confidence Soars.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Consumers' high comfort levels bode well for builders. THE KEY DETERMINANT OF WHETHER people buy homes is the level of confidence they feel about economic conditions, in particular their jobs and incomes. So, builders should be encouraged...

Earth-Inspired.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... With natural colors and wood-like textures--but without the hassle and expense of the real thing--vinyl-covered homes attempt to echo nature. COMBINING THE LOOK OF NATURE and the strength of man-made materials, vinyl siding is giving homes...

Composite Sketch.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Standing up to gale-force winds and the wear and tear of daily lift, composite windows are showing their strength against their look-alike counterpart: wood. "COMPOSITE WINDOWS ARE STARTING to be a buzzword in the industry," says Chris...

Critter Crisis.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Those small, spry salamanders seem to be stirring up more controversy than political debates. Recently, the Austin-based Texas Capitol Area Builders Association filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In June 1999, the...

A Call to Builders.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... To improve the housing industry 's image, Robert Mitchell urges builders to tell the public about their community service activities. HOME BUILDERS AND INDUSTRY professionals care about their communities and their neighbors. It's...

Housing's Investment Appeal.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Seiders says now is the time for builders to use housing's investment power as a selling tool with prospective buyers. THE STRONG DEMAND FOR SINGLE-family homes has pulled house prices up at an accelerating rate, creating billions of...

Buying Power.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... In 1999's third quarter, Springfield, Ill., landed at the No.1 spot on the NAHB's Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), a listing of the nation's most affordable housing markets. Families earning the area's median income of $56,000 could afford to...

HOI's Top 10 Most Affordable Markets.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... 1. Springfield, Ill. 2. Muncie, Ind. 3. Rockford, Ill. 4. Davenport/Moline/Rock Island, Iowa 5. Utica/Rome, N.Y. 6. Wilmington/Newark, Del. 7. Mansfield, Ohio 8. Tallahassee, Fla. 9. Duluth, Minn./Superior,...

HOI's Top 10 Least Affordable Markets.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... 1. San Francisco 2. Santa Cruz/Watsonville, Calif. 3. Eugene/Springfield, Ore. 4. Santa Rosa, Calif. 5. San Jose, Calif. 6. Salinas, Calif. 7. San Luis Obispo/Atascadero/Paso Rabies, Calif. 8. Lowell, Mass. ...

February Showcase Project.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Drueding Center transitions homeless women back into society. FOUNDED IN 1987 BY BERNARD DRUEDING III and Bernard Drueding Jr., the Drueding Center for Homeless Women/Project Rainbow provides homeless women and their dependent children with...

Houston Oasis.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... The combination of Texas bill country charm and California flair tucked inside a lucrative location has made Mandolin Village a hot property A DOZEN BUILDERS COMPETED WITH RYLAND HOMES for this 90-acre site. With sales in Mandolin Village...

Customizing Works.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Semi custom plans at affordable prices have young families snapping up five homes a month at Clements Mill. WITH 10 FLOOR PLANS, UNLIMITED CUSTOM options at affordable prices, and a close-to-downtown location, Clements Mill in Grand Rapids,...

Seaworthy Sales.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Flanked by an intracoastal waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, Harbour Village attracts buyers who want a home for their boat, too. SINCE HARBOUR VILLAGE IN Ponce Inlet, Fla., opened its model in late November, the builder has averaged one...

Just RIGHT.
February 1, 2000... Custom homes don't have to be massive to be masterpieces. We've compiled a collection of one-of-a-kind houses that are not too big and not too small. SARAH SUSANKA'S NOT So BIG HOUSE PHILOSOPHY definitely struck a chord with consumers. The...

HIT THE MARK.
February 1, 2000... We're in a brave new era of marketing that puts the buyers first. Prepare to raise you standards: The winners of the National Sales & Marketing Awards have changed the rules for excellence. Forget the gimmicks. The new century starts with...

FAMILY ANTHEM.
February 1, 2000... Marketed to mainstream buyers, Del Webb's newest resort community could be the beginning of the next master plan trend. ONCE A HAVEN FOR THE RETIRED set, the desert Southwest has blossomed into a growing housing market for people of all...

ALL IN THE FAMILY.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... DECARATOR TOUCHES ABOUND AS THE CATCH-ALL ROOM GROWS UP. FAMILY ROOMS ARE NOT WHAT THEY used to be, largely due to the fact that families are not what they used to be. The term used to conjure up images of wood paneling and bumper pool. But...

SOUND FOOTINGS.
February 1, 2000... By addressing noise, indoor air quality, and fixed incomes, this rural Maryland builder has won the approval of older buyers-and local politicians. YOU DIDN'T TELL ME TO WEAR boots." Thomas Arledge, our photographer, scrapes a big glob of...

HERE TO STAY.
February 1, 2000... Sustainable communities address consumers' concerns about managed growth via partnerships with local governments and environmental agencies. Here's a glance at several exciting new developments. Sustainable community (noun). 1. new-home...

Illuminate Profits.
February 1, 2000... Lighting that offers much more than illumination is now here at the flick of a switch. TODAYS LIGHTING IS GREATER THAN the sum of the amps wires on lets and switches available. By making wise choices among bulbs fixtures (lamps and...

Inspectors' Gadgets.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Wireless technology makes life easier for Greensboro, N.C., inspectors and the builders they serve. THESE DAYS, A lot of builders have gone mobile; they've got pagers and wireless phones hitched to their waistbands and veritable offices in...

Master Wiring Communicators.
February 1, 2000... A wall-mounted product from Lutron Electronics Co. uses "infrared blasting" in the wallbox to enable dimmers and master controls to communicate. The Spacer System is a modular preset lighting control system with unique infrared universal remote...

Wireless Wisdom.
February 1, 2000... Searching for the right portable phone and service plan is tricky. It's easy to be frustrated by seemingly great deals that disintegrate after you read the fine print. Point.com is like a beacon of truth in a swarm of hype and sales babble....

Housing 2000 Show Us Your Site.
February 1, 2000... We've asked you in the past to share your sites with us for write-ups in our magazine. Now, we're sponsoring a head-to-head Web site competition for builders, dealers, and manufacturers. We'll submit all the sites to a panel of judges. The...

Home Wrecker.
February 1, 2000... Web site provides alternatives to demolition. IF YOU HAVE A JOB THAT INCLUDES REMOVING an existing home, a computer program under development at the University of Florida's Center for Construction and the Environment promises to be a Means...

When Worlds Collide.
February 1, 2000... Panja brings together home automation and the Internet. ANJA'S VIEWPOINT (WWW.PANJA.COM), a handheld remote control with an iMac-style translucent case and touch-sensitive screen, is sexy enough to get anyone interested in home automation....

Bad News--And Good-From L-P.
February 1, 2000... A recent explosion at a Louisiana-Pacific wood products manufacturing plant near Olathe, Colo., killed one man and injured another. Initial reports suggest that the explosion happened in the pressroom, where heated steel plates compress...

Lender Supports Minority/ Immigrant Housing.
February 1, 2000... Already a leader in providing financing for affordable housing, Fannie Mae has committed more than $1 billion in new loans intended to boost minority ownership in the greater Chicago area. At the same time a "new immigrants" program will allow...

Court Decision Disappoints Toolmakers.
February 1, 2000... A recent decision by the Oregon Supreme Court delivered a blow to reforms that put limits on noneconomic damage awards. The ruling overturned a $500,000 cap on those types of awards, and restored $1.9 million to the family of a man who suffered...

Semi-custom cabinets.
February 1, 2000... Catalog features new cabinetry items -- including moldings, door styles, and wood selections -- and semi-custom options.

Wood cabinets.
February 1, 2000... Brochure provides an overview of the company's four divisions: designers/remodelers, home repair team, commercial remodeling, and Neil Kelly cabinets. An insert on the Naturals Collection provides photographs of and background information on...

Epoxy.
February 1, 2000... Brochure describes how the heavy-duty liquid epoxy can be used with putty to replace rotted areas in wood. Typical home applications are listed.

Concrete.
February 1, 2000... Catalog offers products developed to help engineers, contractors, architects, and others design and construct cast-in-place reinforced structures. The 20-page catalog describes more than 40 publications, design aids, and software programs.

Stone.
February 1, 2000... Full-color, 24-page step-by-step guide shows a variety of interior and exterior projects and provides instructions for installing metamorphic quartzite stone over any structurally sound surface.

Lighting.
February 1, 2000... New search features on lighting Web site make it easier to find products from hundreds of manufacturers. In addition to searching by product type, site users can now search by application in more than 40 different categories.

Safety equipment.
February 1, 2000... Eight-page, four-color catalog focuses on the features and benefits of protective eyewear products and accessories.

Gas.
February 1, 2000... New Web site has resources for specifying and purchasing fireplace products. Information is divided into six categories: products, local distributors, factory tour, distributor services, about us, and site map. Users can search for a particular...

Glass tile.
February 1, 2000... Catalog shows bathroom installations of glass mosaic tiles, highlighting ways to use the tile. Product information and specifications are included in the 128-page catalog.

Light Up Your Home.
February 1, 2000... Distinctive Lighting Systems are a Bright Idea for Any Home Building Project Lighting design is much more than simply brightening a home well enough to see. It defines space, creates atmosphere, and sets the mood by which we live. Clever...

Product Advances Generate Individuality For Year 2000.
February 1, 2000... STAIRS * MOLDING * MILLWORK As we enter the new millennium, manufacturers of stairs, molding, a millwork are making tremendous product advancements. Technical innovations and new product developments are pening up opportunities for...

Seaside, Fla.
February 1, 2000... I CON OF IMAGINATION. ROBERT DAVIS' BELOVED BEQUEST, 8o acres birthed resort town. New town of artifice--cinematic parody in "The Truman Show" Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk declared it original and 'vigorously defend. 'All the great...

HOME FASHION.(board and batten style siding)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Board and batten construction has been replicated in this new siding line. The solid vinyl 5 1/2-inch-wide boards are offset by 1 1/2-inch-wide battens with a raise of 5/8-inch. Panels are 10 feet long and 7 inches wide. Backed by a lifetime...

CEDAR STYLE.(cedar texture on vinyl siding)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Embossed with a cedar-grain texture, Sovereign Select vinyl siding features a full-roll nailing hem, patented lock system, and 3/4-inch butt height. This siding resists hurricane-velocity winds of up to 217 mph.

UNSEEN SEAMS.(vinyl siding)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Cedar Split panel is the latest addition to company's vinyl siding line Combining the low maintenance of vinyl with the natural look of cedar, the panel has a one-piece matching corner bead and a top-to-bottom interlock for tight, invisible...

LOCKED UP.(vinyl siding locking system)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Grand Sierra's beefier locking system is designed to make installation easier. The siding's .046-inch thickness, 3/4-inch profile height, and oversized lock make it 200 percent more rigid than standard vinyl siding. Also, this product has a...

COLONIAL COLORS.(vinyl siding)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Brushedwood vinyl siding comes in two new colors: colonial yellow and village green. The siding resembles natural wood, but has the durability of vinyl. Three profiles are available: a triple 3-inch clapboard look, a double 4-inch clapboard,...

MULTI GRAIN.(New Haven vinyl windows have wood grain look)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... New Haven windows combine the benefits of vinyl window engineering with the traditional look of wood. With its composite wood-fiber and vinyl makeup, the interior is harder and tougher than wood, so it resists denting and scratching.

COLOR COMBO.(aluminum and vinyl windows)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... With aluminum on the outside for strength and vinyl on the inside for insulation, Power Two windows offer a durable, energy-efficient mix of materials. They're available in six exterior colors and two interior colors, offering 12 possible color...

TAKES THE HEAT.(windows with fiberglass frame)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... Strong and energy efficient, pultruded fiberglass-framed windows withstand extreme temperatures without warping, peeling, cracking, or shrinking. The Ultra series is guaranteed for as long as the original homeowner owns the home.

TWO TONES.(composite window)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2000... This composite window has a solid vinyl composite-sash and an aluminum-clad frame. It combines the warm look of wood with the low maintenance of vinyl. The windows have driftwood on one side, white on the other, and the option of two-tone...