Professional Builder (1993) articles from December 2007

Professional Builder (1993) archives from December 2007

Survey Says!
December 1, 2007... By Nick Bajzek Find out who tops the list in our annual Best in Class product survey. Professional Builder's 2007 Best in Class product survey turned up some surprising results. The competition among manufacturers is tight. After all,...

Team Building.(Company overview)
December 1, 2007... By Ann Matesi, Senior Contributing Editor Quality-driven green builder's game plan calls for a team effort that pays off with satisfied customers. To David Simon, president of operations and co-founder of Veridian Homes, the secret to...

10 Survival Tips.
December 1, 2007... By Paul Cardis, Avid Ratings Co. Are you following these tips to stay afloat? Think 2007 was a difficult year? For some exhausted and fatigued builders, it's hard to imagine things getting much worse, but we don't know what's around...

Recognizing Improvement.(Veridian Homes won the builder of the year award)(Editorial)
December 1, 2007... By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director, 630.288.8190, paul.deffenbaugh@reedbusiness.com Selecting a home building company to honor with the Professional Builder Builder of the Year can be alternately rewarding and harrowing. We love...

ProBuilder Product Report: Fireplaces.(Southwest Kiva's fireplaces)(Dimplex North America's electric fireplaces)(Tulikivi Corp's fireplaces )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... By Nick Bajzek Southwest Kiva Nick Bajzek Featuring the latest in prefabricated modular masonry fireplace technology, the Sonoran Series from Southwest Kiva is lightweight and easy to install. The system comes lined with actual...

It's in the E.Q.(emotional intelligence)(Viewpoint essay)
December 1, 2007... By Rodney Hall, The Talon Group Why you should consider emotional intelligence when you hire Emotional intelligence (also known as Emotional Quotient Index) is one of the hot topics among business leaders and HR professionals lately....

Affordability Improves; Starts Still Sinking.(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... By James Haughey, Reed Construction Data Surplus home inventory, expectations of further price declines and unavailability of low monthly payment mortgages keep prospective home buyers away from model home sales offices.

ProBuilder Product Report: Lighting.(Progress Lighting Inc's light bulbs)(Maine Ornamental's lighting)(Lutron Electronics Company Inc's lighting)
December 1, 2007... By Nick Bajzek Progress Lighting Nick Bajzek We've seen a lot of attention paid on the consumer side to compact fluorescent light bulbs but not a whole lot on the options available to builders who want to put them in their homes....

ProBuilder Product Report: New Products.(Jeld-Wen Inc's wood windows)(Coastal Industries' shower enclosures)(Elkay Manufacturing Co's sinks )(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... By Nick Bajzek Jeld-Wen Nick Bajzek According to Jeld-Wen, installers using their new Premium Wood Double-Hung Pocket Windows made with the company's AuraLast wood and Low-E glass can save homeowners 60 percent on material, time...

Concept Home Brings Builders Flexibility.
December 1, 2007... By Scott T. Shepherd, PATH Partners Advanced technologies and design allow the home to grow with its owners. If you could offer your home buyers a product that allows them to change their home, but not their address, would you? ...

A Peaceful Oasis.(joint venture of Sumitomo Forestry Company Ltd. and Bennett Homes)
December 1, 2007... By Susan Bady, Senior Editor, Design A Japanese home builder joins a Washington state firm to create a quiet yet convenient haven. If anyone can craft designs to make the most of a small space, it's the Japanese. And if any builder in...

AFCIs to the Rescue.(arc-fault circuit interrupters)
December 1, 2007... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor Electrical fires can cause misery and damage. The technology of arc-fault circuit interrupters combined with proper wiring and maintenance techniques may help prevent residential fires. There are few...

Close Every Customer.
December 1, 2007... By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge If your sales team focuses only on the presentation, it's already lost. If you want to fill a room to capacity at a home building conference, post a sign at the entry that reads: Learn the Secrets to...

Lean is Green.
December 1, 2007... By Scott Sedam, TrueNorth Development The economic case for building green I recently observed the following scenario: a home builder's hand-picked "lean team" watched the president of their big lumber supplier write 100,000 on a flip...

Your Female Buyer.
December 1, 2007... By Ann Matesi, Senior Contributing Editor She's in control of the purchasing decision whether she's single or married, has kids or doesn't, or is young or old. So why are you ignoring her? A man and a woman walk into your model;...

CEO Spotlight: David Weekley: Betting on Density.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(housing developements and David Weekley's works in the development)
December 1, 2007... By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business Houston-based builder David Weekley believes attached housing - especially in A+ infill locations - will be the hot product when housing markets across the country emerge from the current downturn. ...

Fun Times Ahead.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
December 1, 2007... Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business It's exhilarating to watch housing executives play with new technology. A breakthrough hand-held can make a builder's eyes light up like a kid's on Christmas morning. Of course, when you watch your kids...

Overcast.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(housing industry and mortgage crisis in United States)
December 1, 2007... Sheree R. Curry, Contributing Editor Experts say - and data show - builders will need the help of mortgage lenders, the federal government, materials manufacturers and others to make the most of a gloomy 2008. There are just more than...

Declining lot values add pain.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(property forecasts and trends)
December 1, 2007... By Jody Kahn, MPKA Lower property values brings owners worry. One of our biggest concerns is our clients' land and lot holdings and the lack of land price adjustments in general. We sense land owners are holding their breath, hoping...

Washington, D.C., Poised for Recovery.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(housing scenario and economic aspects)
December 1, 2007... By John Burns, John Burns Real Estate Consulting The politics of housing take a back seat to market conditions. For more than a year, executives and analysts have said the Washington, D.C., market has turned around. That is not the...

Moves.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(Neumann Homes shut down )(Robert Freed appointed ad president in SummerHill Homes )(Mark Ayers has been promoted as a vice president in Masco's Builder Cabinet Group )
December 1, 2007... Staff Warrenville, Ill.-based Neumann Homes shut down in late October and announced it would file for bankruptcy protection. CEO Ken Neumann issued a statement saying the "significant downturn in the Detroit, Chicago and Denver housing...

Green isn't a fad, so go for it.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)(green building construction and methods of housing developement)
December 1, 2007... Michael Dickens, CEO of BuildIQ More reasons to build better and how to do it There's an incredible amount of airtime being given to green, and I hear many questions being asked about whether it's a load of hype or whether it has legs...

Are You Listening to Your Clients?(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
December 1, 2007... By Rick Heaston, R.A. Heaston and Co. Customers who buy high-ticket products require a different sales strategy than others. Are you listening to their needs? Ever wonder what shopping's really like for your customers? I happened to be...

Stocks End Higher in October.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
December 1, 2007... Margot Crabtree, Trade Trends Stocks rallied after an expected quarter point rate cut by the Federal Reserve Board, but not after serious see-sawing, as the earnings season started in earnest. As of Oct. 31, a report showed the economy...

Supply chain innovators.(SUPPLEMENT: GIANTS)
December 1, 2007... Bill Lurz, Senior Editor, Business These revolutionaries are taking advantage of slow markets when buying products and managing building site operations. A silver lining edges the black cloud over the housing industry. The slowdown in...

Booth Visits 101.
December 15, 2007... By Nick Bajzek, Products Editor Those in-the-know with the Builders' Show have tips to help you work the show floor effectively. Do you know your booth schtick? We can tell you that if anyone knows how to work the Builders' Show, it's...

Exterior.
December 15, 2007... Staff Weyerhaeuser Staff Weyerhaeuser ChoiceDek composite decking added two new colors, driftwood and spice, to its product line. The colors are designed to give outdoor living spaces the look of tropical hardwoods with the...

Insulation, Pipes and Plumbing.
December 15, 2007... Staff TracPipe by OmegaFlex Staff Lightning strikes are always a threat to residences. TracPipe's CounterStrike gas piping system by OmegaFlex resists the damaging effects of indirect lightning strikes 50 to 400 times more...

Interior.
December 15, 2007... Staff Boral Staff Made with the look and feel of a large, handmade brick, the Thin Bricks from Boral is manufactured with molds crafted from handmade bricks. The bricks are made in flat pieces with matching corner pieces to...

Kitchen and Bath.
December 15, 2007... Staff Danze Staff The architectural design of the Como Collection from Danze combines a modern, geometric base with a unique, curved round spout. The Como kitchen faucets are introduced with a single-control, high-rise kitchen...

Lighting.
December 15, 2007... Staff Dekor Staff Dekor's Millennium Recessed LED Light Kits are lighting the way for the next generation of deck illumination. The recessed lights are available in both as a down light or stair light. Kits include the...

Road Trip.
December 15, 2007... By Mark Jarasek, Senior Editor, E-Media Take time out to tour of some of the new homes in the Orlando market. Oasis Cove - Ryland Homes 14200 Oasis Cove Blvd., Windermere Gated Luxury Townhome Condominium Neighborhood ...

Mechanical and Electrical.
December 15, 2007... Staff Travis Industries Staff In this case, "TV" stands for Top Venting, a new option on the 1080TV fireplace from Travis Industries. The rectangular gas fireplace has no face plates or louvers, and the slim outside trim allows...

100 Things Orlando Has to Offer.
December 15, 2007... By the Orlando/Orange County Convention Visitor's Bureau After a day at the International Builders' Show, you want to explore Orlando a little bit, but you don't know where to begin. Start here. No worries; whether you're a first-time...

Paints, Caulks and Sealants.
December 15, 2007... Staff Sherwin-Williams Staff Formulated with Sherwin-Williams' MoistureGuard, the Resilience line provides great moisture resistance while curing in about half the time of most conventional exterior paints. Use the Resilience on...

Show Village Through the Years.
December 15, 2007... By Sara Zailskas, Assistant Managing Editor Our resident Show Village expert, Judy Brociek, knows Professional Builder Show Village through and through. She's organized the event for the past three years and has been involved since Show...

Software.
December 15, 2007... Staff SoftPlan Systems Staff A new set of selection capabilities and easy pasting from Microsoft Word and Excel are just a few of the new bells and whistles on SoftPlan Systems' Version 14. On the design side, 3D capabilities now...

Structural and Tools.
December 15, 2007... Staff Amvic Staff Insulated concrete forms represent one of the many exciting next-generation technologies. Amvic's ICF features the company's fully reversible FormLock interlock for a stronger connection without gluing or...

Trade Show MacGyver.
December 15, 2007... By Erin Erickson, Group Managing Editor Attending countless Builders' Shows has taught the editors at Professional Builder a thing or two about surviving. We've pulled together some of the most often used (and often forgotten) supplies...

Windows and Doors.
December 15, 2007... Staff Amarr/Dynasty Iron Doors Staff In addition to new construction and modern homes, wrought iron garage doors also work well with the architecture of a wide range of historic homes. With this in mind comes the Milan C, from a...