Custom Home articles from January 2006

Custom Home archives from January 2006

Be prepared.(Editor's Page)
January 1, 2006... You must have seen the headlines: "Toll Brothers Cuts Profit Forecast" (Reuters) and "Big Builder Sees Uncertainty" (New York Post) were typical ones. Although Toll Brothers, the nation's biggest luxury production home builder, reaped record...

Drawn to scale: how do you right-size your company?(On Your Mind)
January 1, 2006... How big is your company? What volume of work does it generate annually? How many people does it employ to get that work done? These are some of the most important and persistent questions custom builders face. Important, because the...

Dangerous experiment: don't gamble your business on unproven materials.(From the Trenches)
January 1, 2006... On a typically busy Monday filled wall-to-wall with last-minute appointments, I had concluded my site checkup with the crew and framing foreman on a custom home, and as I was driving out of the subdivision a fellow custom builder flagged me...

Finding strength in numbers: custom builders combine purchasing power.(Trend Lines/Business)
January 1, 2006... As individual companies, custom builders generally don't have a lot of clout with local vendors. Unlike production builders, who benefit from high-volume purchasing, custom builders buy materials and products one house at a time. But combine...

Full disclosure: point out repairs before customers do.(Customer Service)
January 1, 2006... The orientation had progressed as far as the kitchen. The bottom panel of the stainless dishwasher had a severe dent. The builder's rep made no mention of it. About halfway through the demonstration of the kitchen items, the home buyer noticed...

When partners disagree: breaking up can be hard to do.(Case Study)
January 1, 2006... Scenario: John Anderson slammed down the phone and sat there fuming. A year ago, he had entered into a partnership with Pete Brice to build a new community on the west side of town. John was responsible for the conceptual and management part of...

Tech support: manage your computer systems wisely.(Strictly Business)
January 1, 2006... If you're not happy with your computerized accounting system, it may not be the software you re using. You can select the best software that money can buy, but if it is not used properly, you are wasting a valuable investment. Proper...

Get over it: learn how to handle rejection.(The Top Line)
January 1, 2006... Even the most seasoned custom home pro eventually will hear the word no from a prospective client. Instead of taking it as a rejection, the smartest builders will learn from the experience of getting turned down. Losing a sale should not...

Grand obsessions.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
January 1, 2006... Nothing says "custom home" more than a space designed specifically for the owner's personal passion. Producing such a personal space requires persistence on the part of the designer, says architect Wayne Good. "It's a matter of understanding...

Potting up.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
January 1, 2006... Plants need sunlight, and this garden work room provides it. "We wanted the garden room to have a south-facing exposure and to be within steps of a cutting garden" says architect Wayne Good. Its sunny, romantic image, though, belies a...

Light work.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
January 1, 2006... The owner/artist of this West Tisbury, Mass., studio dyes paper and "wanted all types of light and a lot of it" for her work space, says architect Genit Frase, who with Mark Hutker redesigned the former animal barn. A band of clerestory windows...

Home grown.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
January 1, 2006... The owners of a 1739 farmhouse wanted space to dry their own flowers and can the bounty of their garden. So when they added a new kitchen they also requested a separate preserving room. Architect Jane Langmuir laid out a 10-foot-by-22-foot...

Heavenly view.(Trend Lines/Custom Touches)
January 1, 2006... The site plan of this rural Maryland custom home revolved around priority No. 1: locating the observatory for optimal views of southern skies and horizon and away from the light and heat pollution of the house. Additionally, "vibrations from...

Corner compulsion.(K+B Studio)
January 1, 2006... This open kitchen in Palm Desert, Calif., sits at the crux of an L-shaped floor plan and enjoys open access to both wings. A surrounding dining/living area extends out to the pool courtyard through receding glass walls, which means dinner...

Bath mats.(K+B Studio)
January 1, 2006... Materials in this Houston master bath are not unusual: marble for wet areas, slate floors for slip resistance, and warm walnut cabinetry protected by marine-grade polyurethane. The galley layout is straightforward as well. It's the finish...

Slate sensation.(K+B Studio/Products)
January 1, 2006... Executed in unglazed pressed porcelain stoneware Indian Slate tiles emulate the look of natural slate but provide the durability and shock-, stain-, frost-, scratch-, and chemical-resistance of technical porcelain. Indian features subtle color...

Slabby chic.(K+B Studio/Products)
January 1, 2006... Melding modern and contemporary forms with traditional design elements, the Terra kitchen centers around cabinetry with large slab door and drawer faces. Instead of hardware, Terra cabinetry features a recessed channel with a lit bottom,...

Makes Icynene a brand leader: air-sealing capability.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Icynene[R] insulation provides consistent level of quality, benefit and reliability. The 2006 International Builders' Show features three demonstration homes--The New American Home[R] (TNAH), The NextGen[TM]'s "Peace of Mind" Home and Show...

Connectivity: HomePlug offers a new networking solution.(The Digital Home)
January 1, 2006... The question isn't whether a networked system will be an amenity in the home of the future. The question is which form the networking will take. Household penetration of broadband access to the Internet--the driver of the home network...

Alan Banks: gear that helps 21st-century custom builders get ahead.(Trend Lines/Gearhead)
January 1, 2006... Alan Banks Evans Coghill Homes, Charlotte, N.C. Until recently, whenever custom builder Alan Banks needed to point out a feature in building plans or share comments and notes with a client or architect he had to print out or copy the plans,...

Closing the envelope.(Trend Lines/What's News)
January 1, 2006... DuPont, the manufacturer of well-known Tyvek HomeWrap, has developed another Tyvek material that installs over roofing rafters and under roof decking materials to prevent air leakage into a home's attic space. Laminated AtticWrap features a...

Power generation.(Trend Lines/What's News)
January 1, 2006... Designed to serve as both battery back-up power and full-time energy management, GridPoint Protect integrates microprocessor-controlled power electronics and high-capacity batteries into one stainless-steel cabinet that installs easily with...

Mark your calendar: important upcoming events.(Trend Lines/Events)(Calendar)
January 1, 2006... Jan. 16-20, World of Concrete, Las Vegas. For more information call 972.536.6370 or visit www.worldofconcrete.com. * Jan. 31-Feb. 1, Surfaces Show, Las Vegas. For more information call 972.536.6323 or visit www.surfacesshow.com. * Feb. 14-16,...

Island fling: a custom home on a secluded site brings its own challenges--and rewards.(On Site)
January 1, 2006... To get to Guemes Island in Washington State's remote and rocky San Juan Islands, you need to have a little patience. From Seattle it's an 80-mile trip north to Anacortes, Wash., where the Guemes Island Ferry docks. You drive your car or track...

Wise choice: Choice Wood Company builds from the top down.(Custom Builder of the Year)(Cover Story)
January 1, 2006... It's Tuesday morning, and Nick Smaby's house is ready for its close-up. The Sheetrock is finished, the narrow-strip, quartersawn oak flooring has been laid and urethaned, the cabinet boxes set. The tile man is working in the master bath. The...

Up and away: new technologies give home elevator installation a lift.(Products/State of the Art)
January 1, 2006... The residential elevator market has spiked between 15 percent and 20 percent in the past five years, with most sales growth coming from new construction. What's driving this surge of interest in residential elevators? Many affluent baby boomers...

Pneumatic Vacuum Elevators LLC.(Products/State of the Art)
January 1, 2006... Designed to operate using air and gravity, the Pneumatic Vacuum Elevator features a clear polycarbonate tube supported by an aluminum structure, a clear polycarbonate passenger car, and a suction assembly. Vacuum pumps or turbines use air to...

Concord elevators & lifts.(Products/State of the Art)
January 1, 2006... The Infinity elevator operates on a hydraulic drive system with a whisper-quiet submersible pump and motor. The manufacturer says its optimized electronic systems are easier to install, and maintenance is easier as well because the remote power...

Waupaca elevator.(Products/State of the Art)
January 1, 2006... The Paca-Glide elevator system utilizes a winding drum drive system to eliminate the need for a separate machine room. The electric motor that drives the rope-winding mechanism is mounted above the rail in the hoistway. A wide-rail stance...

ThyssenKrupp access.(Products/State of the Art)
January 1, 2006... Requiring only a 6-inch pit depth and no separate machine room for mechanicals, the LEV Signet elevator is available with fully customizable cabs, including a variety of finishing options such as wood and veneers, marble, and tile. The LEV...

Cold comfort: thermal energy storage is shifting toward residential use.(Green Products)
January 1, 2006... Commercial thermal energy storage (TES) systems have proved to be one of the most efficient means of cooling large buildings by taking advantage of lower-cost electricity. The technology saves money and energy by drawing power during off-peak...

John Urban.(Products/Great Finds)
January 1, 2006... Urban Design N Construction, Wilmington, N.C. Building traditionally styled homes along the southern coast of North Carolina comes with a variety of coastal code requirements, particularly for windows. To negate the need for storm shutters,...

Alex Hannigan.(Products/Great Finds)
January 1, 2006... Hannigan Homes, Orlando, Fla. Custom builder Alex Hannigan has been installing concrete roof tiles made by Monier Lifetile for nearly 15 years and recently he's begun to install the company's Madera tile, which is designed to replicate the...

Mad for mantels.(Products/Fine Finishes)
January 1, 2006... While fireplace mantel maker Chesney's keeps a stock of more than 300 restored antique stone and marble fireplaces and retains an archive of roughly 500 more antique designs, many clients seek out the firm for its contemporary mantel designs....

Carved details.(Products/Fine Finishes)
January 1, 2006... From design and fabrication of stone and wood architectural elements to complete building services, Oxford, England-based Symm Group is versatile enough to provide the level of service and involvement required by the client. The firm's...

Smoke effects.(Product/Flooring)
January 1, 2006... Artesian Color-Wash wood flooring is finished with an initial black stain that is sanded and followed with a seconds stain coat in a different color for a distinct delineation from board to board. The flooring comes in maple, cherry, birch, and...

Palm planks.(Product/Flooring)
January 1, 2006... Constructed of multiple layers of coconut palm lumber harvested from non-producing trees, Durapalm flooring features a distinctive fibrous grain, has a hardness equal to that of hard maple, and is more stable than oak and maple, according to...

Floating floor.(Product/Flooring)
January 1, 2006... Available in 30 colors, the maker's floating cork flooring panels snap together for glueless installation. The panels are made from sustainably harvested cork bark and come in more than 20 shapes and sizes. Globus Cork. 718.742.7264....

Walnut harvest.(Product/Flooring)
January 1, 2006... Orchard flooring is milled of walnut harvested from non-producing trees, The 9/16-inch-thick flooring shows the ,_,raft marks from the joining of English walnut limbs to native root stock on its solid top layer. The plantation pine backer is...

Luxe leather.(Product/Flooring)
January 1, 2006... Each hand-dyed and hand-stamped leather floor tile exhibits color and textural differences, the firm says. The tiles are made from Herman Oak Leather which is slightly thinner than saddle leather and come in three patterns, seven colors. and a...

Custom character.(Product/Interior Doors)
January 1, 2006... Featuring dowel-jointed stiles and rails constructed with warp-resistant lumber cores, the maker's line of stock and custom door styles are available in 10 wood species and a variety of finishes including distressing. Grain-matched floating...

Private time.(Product/Interior Doors)
January 1, 2006... The Signamark Privacy door features a center light of tempered glass and ceramic flit screened glass, allowing only light to pass through. The insulated Trinity Glass light enhances the door's sound-proofing abilities. Constructed with...

French lessons.(Product/Interior Doors)
January 1, 2006... Interior Decorative French doors, constructed of Douglas fir and Western hemlock with engineered components, are available with 12 new full-light decorative glass designs. The doors feature square sticking that mimics Shaker styles; caming...

Team spirit.(Product/Interior Doors)
January 1, 2006... Available in four wood species, Team Expressions solid wood doors feature licensed reproductions of collegiate sports team logos carved into their center rails. Doctors are constructed with four raised panels and come primed or stained....

Charming architecture.(Product/Interior Doors)
January 1, 2006... Constructed from engineered and solid hardwoods, the maker's stile-and-rail Architectural interior doors feature eight stock grille patterns that combine with a variety of specialty inter-panels, such as encapsulated or vinyl-backed papers,...

Fireplaces.(SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION)(Advertisement)
January 1, 2006... Even though we've come a long way from the days when fireplaces were a home's primary source of heat, fireplaces are still almost a requirement of today's homeowners. A glowing fire gives off a special kind of warmth that a home's heating...

Music column.(Last Detail)
January 1, 2006... This New York City residence was gutted then renovated with music in mind. In addition to working out what forms and materials would best bounce sound around the open living areas, architect David Bergman also created ways to discreetly store...