Custom Home articles from July 2002

Custom Home archives from July 2002

Self worth. (Editor's Page).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... If you ever want to find out the true value of your professional services, try building your own house. You'll find out just how hard it is to do when you don't have a committed general contractor riding herd on the project. Yes, I know. Most...

Show time: a show home can put your company in the spotlight. (The Business of Design).(benefits of building custom homes)
July 1, 2002... Every custom builder has heard the stories. A builder signs up to build a show home with a magazine or a charity. He quickly finds that the architect hasn't a clue about market realities, that the magazine requires that all of its advertisers'...

Visual basics: in making key decisions, Gary Black trusts his eyes. (Close Up).(architect)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... In some ways, hiring Gary Black to build a single-family residence is like hiring a Grand Prix racer to drive you to the market. Black designs and builds custom homes (and churches and commercial buildings), but calling him a design/build...

Choosing wisely: contractors nationwide are turning to EXPO Design Centers for one-stop product selection, low prices and a customer-service edge. (Special Advertising Section).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Your custom home or remodeling project is rolling along like a smooth-running train. Smart interpretation of your client's wish list has resulted in a blueprint the customer loves, and that you can build profitably, on schedule. Permits are...

Lessons learned: don't have the same bad experience over and over. (Customer Service).(builders)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... Lessons learned in the daily conduct of business leave their footprints in a builder's operations. An experienced builder can review a professional colleague's practices and paperwork and make an educated guess at past problems. For...

Burn out: douse that smouldering feeling. (Case Study).(avoiding builder burnout)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... SCENARIO: Business had been good for the past year, and Barry Builder had taken on more jobs than ever. without an increase in employees. This led to excellent profits for Barry, but also to long hours and a feeling that he was bouncing from...

Coverage crisis: liability insurance goes through the roof. (Strictly Business).(liability insurance for builders)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... In recent discussions with custom builders, many have complained of big increases in insurance premiums, particularly for liability insurance. When they go to renew their liability policies, they are having difficulty getting their current...

Indoor pools. (Trend Lines/Custom Touches).(designing and building indoor pools: examples)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2002... There's more to creating an indoor pool than surrounding it with four walls and a ceiling. The pool has to be integrated into the style and flow of the home yet mustn't overwhelm nearby spaces with chemical smells or condensing water. According...

Structured for change: selling technology futures. (The Wired House).(use of structured wiring)
July 1, 2002... It's not hard to get new homeowners into the home theater demo room at custom electronics company Parent Communications in Bellevue, Wash. It's getting them to the back wall where OnQ and Leviton structured wiring cans are on display that takes...

Flat out. (Trend Lines/What's New).
July 1, 2002... Homeowners can say goodbye to the crisscrossed heap of wires that collects behind the entertainment center. A departure from traditional wiring systems, FlatWire Ready flat speaker wire from DeCorp is as thin as 8/1,000 inch, less than the...

Clear the air. (Trend Lines/What's New).
July 1, 2002... The GuardianPlus air system from Broan-NuTone packs the benefits of whole-house HEPA filtration and air ventilation into a compact, affordable, and easy-to-install unit. Ideal for retrofit applications, the system, which weighs about 35 pounds,...

Mark your calendar: important upcoming events. (Trend Lines/Events).
July 1, 2002... Sept. 11 to 13, Builder FastTrack Conference, a business and strategic planning seminar. Paris Hotel, Las Vegas. For information call 888.227.6539 or visit www.hanley-wood.com. * Oct. 10 to 12, Restoration & Renovation Conference. Cleveland...

Civic virtue: a Philadelphia rowhouse rises to a new day. (On Site).
July 1, 2002... Reduce, reuse, recycle. It is the mantra of resource conservation, but it could also be the unofficial motto of urban remodeling. It surely serves as an apt shorthand for the history of this much-remodeled Philadelphia rowhouse. First built...

Builder's own. (Portfolio)(Cover Story).
July 1, 2002... After years of building others' dreams, most custom builders hanker for a dream home of their own. Here are the stories of three custom builders who satisfied that desire. While all three brought the knowledge and skills acquired in a career in...

Forge ahead. (Products/Fine Finishes).
July 1, 2002... Richard Frieber of Artist in Iron hand-forges a variety of one-of a-kind wrought iron and bronze work for the home, including lighting, door latches, and gates. The grandson of a blacksmith, Frieber built his business on years of classes,...

Colonial revival. (Products/Fine Finishes).
July 1, 2002... Jim Buckley's passion for Rumford fireplaces began when he installed five of them in his circa-1886 house, where the shallow units were fit perfectly into the home's old Victorian coal fireplaces. Now Buckley has teamed up with Superior Clay to...

Consider the alternative: with an EPA ban on CCA-treated lumber, what's your alternative? (Products/State of the Art).
July 1, 2002... For as long as most of us can remember, CCA-treated wood has been the staple for building decks and other structures exposed to the elements. But on Feb. 12 the EPA announced its decision to ban the use of CCA in most residential applications...

Iron on. (Products/Entry Doors).
July 1, 2002... Wrought iron entry doors are hand forged and custom faux finished to prevent oxidation. Door designs are available in single and double units and with an arch top. Interior glass panels open independently from the doors. Cantera Doors....

State of the art. (Products/Entry Doors).
July 1, 2002... Reminiscent of the Arts & Crafts movement, the Craftsman Series of wood doors features extra-wide 6-inch stiles and flat panels held in place with squared molding. The doors come in maple, cherry, oak, and alder in four designs. Hand-robbed...

Perfect pair. (Products/Entry Doors).
July 1, 2002... Handcrafted doors come in a range of shapes and styles in a variety of wood, including cherry, maple, red oak, mahogany, and recycled fir. This pair of red-stained white oak entry doors features curly redwood insets. Extraordinary Doors....

Rustic appeal. (Products/Entry Doors).
July 1, 2002... Available in a range of rustic styles for interior and exterior applications, this door collection comes in a variety of wood species, including fir, cherry, and knotty alder. The Dutch door shown here features a shelf and a four-light upper...

Custom touches. (Products/Entry Doors).
July 1, 2002... Custom doors meet strict tolerances and quality standards for precision joinery and accurate alignment of sight lines. The doors are available in Douglas fir with insulated glass, true divided lights, and a range of options. Quantum Windows &...

Marble marvels. (Products/Period Products).
July 1, 2002... Mantels are hand-carved with natural marble in Western and European styles or in custom designs. Each unit ships in five pieces for easy installation. Unique Mantel. 888.458.3716. www.uniquemantel. com. Circle 160 [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

On a mission. (Products/Period Products).
July 1, 2002... The Cascade Mission-style four-arm chandelier is modeled after Craftsman-era gas-and-electric fixtures. The light features eight shades and measures 25 inches in diameter. A mottled brass finish is shown here. Rejuvenation. 888.401.1900....

Fair shake. (Products/Period Products).
July 1, 2002... Shaker-style interior doors feature flat panels and square sticking. Crafted in pine, oak, or maple, the Shaker series comes in one- to six-panel passage doors and two- and three-panel bi-fold doors. Several widths and custom heights are...

Forge ahead. (Products/Period Products).
July 1, 2002... The WaterBridge line of copper kitchen and bath fixtures includes vessel faucets, three showers, a towel bar, and other accessories. The fixtures are available in rustic copper and rustic nickel finishes. Sonoma Forge. 800.330.5553....

Country cabinets. (Products/Period Products).
July 1, 2002... Designed to match the company's French country-style professional ranges, the Chateau kitchen cabinet line is handcrafted with steel plates, porcelain enamels, chrome, stainless steel, brass, and wood. The cabinetry is available in several...

Counter offer. (Products/Surfacing).
July 1, 2002... Crafted with quartz, Cambria surfacing offers the look of granite and is scratch-, heat-, and stain-resistant. The surfacing comes in 2-, 3-, and 4-centimeter thicknesses in 30 colors. An array of edge profiles is available. Cambria....

Easy edges. (Products/Surfacing).
July 1, 2002... Impregnated with real metal, MetalTones solid-surface edges offer true color throughout and combine the fabrication properties of solid surfacing with the performance of metal. The edges come in 12 profiles in brass, bronze, stainless steel,...

When in Rome. (Products/Surfacing).
July 1, 2002... Caesarstone surfacing is made with 93 percent quartz, offering a non-porous, durable surface with a rich, consistent look. The surfacing is available in 32 colors; six are available with honed finishes. Caesarstone. 800.666.8201. www.caesar...

Lava rocks. (Products/Surfacing).
July 1, 2002... Kathryn console lavatories feature Pyrolave lavastone tabletops in retro citron green or subdued gray flannel hues. The countertops measure 42 inches wide by 22 inches deep. Fireclay table legs are offered in white, black, tea green, and...

Private entry. (Products/Surfacing).
July 1, 2002... The Private collection of surfacing was inspired by wabi-sabi, the traditional Japanese concept of beauty. The Palladio series includes soft aesthetics with wispy, tone-on-tone veining in four colors. The Artisan series offers four bolder...

Concrete evidence. (Last Detail).
July 1, 2002... "This wall came from a desire to intrigue people at many different levels," says architect Joy Cuming. "It's visually stimulating as well as tactile." She and partner Alan Dodge of Architects Studio Limited in Wellfleet, Mass., needed a strong...