Professional Builder (1993) articles from March 2003

Professional Builder (1993) archives from March 2003

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
March 1, 2003... 'We need to diversify our work forces if we expect to keep up with the demands of the home-buying public, our customers.' Craig Griffin A Too White World? While Hedgewood Properties' business plan, built projects and green...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2003... In Scott Sedam's January 2003 column, the Web address for the United Network for Organ Sharing was incorrect. The correct URL is www.unos.org.

Sustaining innovation. (Perspective).
March 1, 2003... A week or so ago I sat in the audience and listened as the CEO of a company with an undisputed No. 1 position in the marketplace explained to senior managers and customers why the organization must focus on innovation if it is to sustain...

Ravings of a neighbor. (Publisher's Letter).(a proposed development to transform farmland near a 13-home community)
March 1, 2003... Remember singing Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" as a kid and feeling the pride of citizenship? We all share our nation's landscape -- unless someone wants to develop the land next to your land. Then sharing can be a problem. ...

Winning the war against mold. (Outfront).
March 1, 2003... A year ago, the hysteria surrounding several high-profile court judgments had many lawyers chortling that mold in homes soon would turn into the mother lode of construction defect litigation--the new asbestos. It hasn't happened, for a number...

Shielding their flames, gas water heaters get makeover. (Re-engineering).(Rheem Ruud and Richmond Water Heaters)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A new standard written to guard against water-heater fires fueled by vapors from spilled or improperly stored gasoline takes effect July 1. Shortly thereafter, builders can expect a new generation of water heaters that look the same on the...

Haves and Have Nots. (Outfront).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Within the past 24 months I have been told of and observed builders of all sizes creating net profits of 9-18%. This is a major upswing from the mid-1990s, when an 8% pretax was above average. With the incredible increase in earnings and ROI...

Amy Rowe: exploring the wild blue yonder. (Off House).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... It might not take a rocket scientist to build great homes, but that doesn't stop Atlanta-area builder Amy Rowe. After earning a degree in aerospace engineering from Auburn University and working for aircraft maker McDonnell Douglas, Rowe in...

A code of honor. (NAHB Opinion).(National Association of Home Builders of the United States)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Housing history was made at the NAH B's recent International Builders' Show when the country's three regional model building code organizations merged into a single entity, the International Code Council, in an official signing ceremony. ...

Home-tech training for builders. (Outfront Build).(Training Dept.)(Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Home technology -- from Cat-5 wiring for offices to audio/video cabling for theater systems -- adds a new layer of complexity to new home construction. And, increasingly, a huge knowledge gap is emerging. Many builders are forced to rely...

Turn toolbox talks into real-time quality improvement. (Construction Hot Spot).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Real-time quality improvement involves quick, simple training of crews and immediate follow-up to make sure instructions were understood and changes carried out. Ed Caldeira, principal in Caldeira Quality, says a job-site standard -- the...

Fair Housing Act help. (Outfront Design).(United States Department of Housing and Urban Development)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A new Department of Housing and Urban Development education initiative is aimed at helping builders, developers, architects and designers learn how to design and build multifamily homes in compliance with the Fair Housing Act. Fair Housing...

Molding specification made easy. (Outfront Design).(Windsor Mill)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A new concept from Windsor Mill streamlines specification of historically inspired moldings. Rather than choose the appropriate profiles from hundreds of stock pieces in a variety of styles, builders and architects can choose profiles from four...

Kitchen furniture conceals appliances. (Scene Solution).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Nothing spoils the look of a vintage kitchen like the gleam of a dishwasher or refrigerator -- or even the monotony of continuous stock cabinets. Capitalizing on a back-to-traditional trend, YesterTec Design Co. has created a line of handbuilt,...

New association seeks role in construction financing. (Outfront Manage).(National Association of Residential Construction Lenders)
March 1, 2003... Builders ought to keep on eye on the new National Association of Residential Construction Lenders because it could lower the cost of residential construction financing. The trade association, based in Greenwood Village, Colo., has a...

Five keys to getting new hires selling fast. (Sales Training).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Houston-based sales management guru Tom Richey provides five keys to getting new hires off to a fast start, a significant training challenge because so many builders recruit salespeople from other industries: 1. Contract knowledge. Prepare...

Down-Payment assistance creates more eligible buyers. (Outfront Sell).(Nehemiah Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Nehemiah Corp. of California is working with builders to bring homeownership opportunities to more people by offering down-payment assistance. With its new home builders partnership, Nehemiah gives qualified home buyers gift funds that are...

Survey highlights keys to facilitating aging in place. (Outfront Sell).(National Association of Home Builders of the United States)(Harvard University)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... With the results of their National Older Adult Housing Survey 2002, the NAHB Research Center and Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies pinpoint the community features, products and design techniques that facilitate aging in...

Spacesaver. (Outfront Sell).(Better LifeStyle Products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Caption: The new LifeStyle Ironing Center allows builders to sell convenience, offering customers practical and inexpensive solutions to their needs. The center features a 44x14-inch ironing board that folds onto itself, opens parallel to the...

Audacious habitat plan brings builders, activists to table. (Outfront Land).(Riverside County, California)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... So breathtaking in scope is a draft growth plan for the western half of Riverside County, Calif., that some environmental activists previously opposed to any growth are working with builders and local officials to hammer out a deal. Under...

Beautify infill job sites. (Outfront Land).(Double Visions)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Caption: Community relations have never been more important for builders and developers, particularly on infill locations where neighbors are close to the job site. Double Visions of Murrieta, Calif., is offering sturdy, reusable mesh...

Broker creates wholesale market in tear-down land. (Land Value).(real estate broker, Brian Hickey)(Exchange Properties)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Eighteen months ago, former stock trader turned real estate broker Brian Hickey opened an Internet-based service from which builders can get targeted listings of old homes that sellers are willing to unload as teardowns in affluent, infill...

Home building's mystery spot. (Lessons Learned).
March 1, 2003... When I was a kid, my family made the 500-mile trek from our home in southern Indiana to northern Michigan most every summer. This was a significant undertaking, with six of us in a too-small car under a borrowed wooden car-top carrier. This was...

Tax tips for proprietors, partnerships. (Money Matters).
March 1, 2003... In January I pointed out inconsistencies in builders' knowledge about their own companies. Specifically, I noted that business owners should know their corporate structure before they can understand pay and benefit options. To enable everyone...

How to be a winning sales pro. (Selling Strategies).
March 1, 2003... Being expertly familiar with the competitive new home products in your market enables you to position your offering more accurately within its niche while also strengthening your presentation skills; establishing you as an authority with your...

Master designs for living 2002.(Charter Homes Group)
March 1, 2003... Grand Prize Winner Luxury Homes Winner Charter Homes Group Model Home Name: The Avery, Hummelstown, Pennsylvania Home Size: 5,987 sq. ft. Designer/Architect: John Farrell, Charter Homes Group Builder: Ed Stone, Charter...

Design tricks: that sell more houses. (Cover Story).
March 1, 2003... Everyone knows that good design sells. But is having a solid floor plan with strong elevations in a well-planned community enough if five other builders in your market have those things going for them, too? To set yourself apart -- and...

Integrity windows dramatically cut home energy costs. (Special Advertising Supplement: Marvin).
March 1, 2003... High-performance windows are a major element in all green building programs. They're also essential to any new home plans or remodeling projects designed to increase energy efficiency and reduce home utility costs -- high-priority goals with...

An energy makeover: changes in material, installation and quality assurance efforts add up to a high-performance home. (Build).
March 1, 2003... Energy efficiency is a by-product of deliberate planning and then building to that plan. Constructing homes that reach high levels of energy efficiency -- Energy Star or above -- changes most builders' practices, but these changes can increase...

A planning checklist for your next community: Centennial, L.A. county's city of tomorrow, incorporates 33 'strategies and guidelines' for creating better communities. (Land).(Los Angeles County, California)
March 1, 2003... With 23,000 homes on 11,000 acres, Centennial in northeast Los Angeles County will be far bigger than any community where most builders will ever buy lots, let alone plan. But today, with more builders than ever developing small communities to...

Construction contracts & law-part II. (Learn).
March 1, 2003... Understanding the documents and provisions that make up a contract is the first step toward ensuring that your agreements are legally sound and that you are protected if a dispute arises. You always should check with your attorney about the...

Hardship to hope: becoming a habitat homeowner. (Special Advertising Supplement).
March 1, 2003... Rosa Bonilla, born in El Salvador, has lived in Henderson, Nev., for more than six years. She is a 31-year-old single mother with a 10-year-old son, Edgar. Rosa was introduced to Habitat for Humanity by a friend and has been in the program for...

Nichiha USA, Inc. (Special Advertising Supplement: Production & Materials).
March 1, 2003... Searching for a classic, distinctive look to set your homes apart from others while adding charm and curb appeal? Look no further than Sierra Premium [TM] Shake from Nichiha. Featuring a deep grain for an authentic look, Sierra Premium Shake is...

Grace construction products. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Florprufe is an integrally bonded vapor barrier designed to prevent water vapor transmission through slabs on grade, making homes more comfortable and helping to prevent mold growth and structural decay. Once unrolled on compacted soil, the...

Woodgrain millwork. (Products).
March 1, 2003... The company now offers American red oak doors. The panel doors, which are laminated onto a pine core, come in standard, 7-foot and 8-foot heights in all popular widths. In addition to interior passage doors, French and bifold designs are...

Tyco adhesives. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Ten-day masking tape is designed to stop paint bleed-through, sloppy edges and tape residue as well as tape breakage and lifted paint. An all-acrylic adhesive prevents it from drying out, won't stain or lift paint from surfaces when removed and...

The Stanley works. (Products).
March 1, 2003... The FatMax over-strike framing hammer combines a steel over-strike protection plate with a hickory handle. The steel forged head is designed with a larger striking surface and better overall balance, the company says, and is heat-treated for...

Endura products. (Products).
March 1, 2003... The Z-Plus entry door sill is the next generation of the company's Z-Series line. It features all-composite materials that will not rot or warp, the company says, and a high dam adjustable cap design. The sill also incorporates an...

Windsor windows & doors. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Black and cinnamon are new clad color offerings on the Pinnacle Series of windows and patio doors, which combines a wood interior with an extruded aluminum cladding on the exterior. They join white, tan, bronze, hunter green, ivory and a custom...

James Hardie. (Products).
March 1, 2003... Three new colors -- redwood (shown), slate blue and colonial gray -- have been added to the ColorPlus Collection of pre-finished fiber-cement siding, bringing the total to 11. All finishes are offered on lap and shingle panel siding as well as...

Custom milled flooring. (Flooring & Coverings Connection).
March 1, 2003... Any width, any length, and specie. Choose red or white oak, cherry, teak, mahogany, walnut, wenge, cocobolo, goncalo alves or dozens of others...milled to your specifications for floors, feature strips, transitions,, paneling, stair parts,...

The functional marketing tool. (Flooring & Coverings Connection).
March 1, 2003... Rutland Corp's Pro-Vent[TM] helps eliminate a common customer complaint-trash in ductwork. Install re-useable filter over rough-in ductwork and remove on finish. FREE Custom Printing. Rutland Corp Circle 203

BHK Moderna Flooring & Ceilings. (Flooring & Coverings Connection).
March 1, 2003... Easy to install & clean, BHK Moderna Glueless Flooring & Ceiling Systems offer beautiful good looks, quality & innovation. Popular BHK Glueless Flooring includes laminate, engineered wood & cork. Elegant styling & rich colors of BHK Laminate...

MateFlex. (Flooring & Coverings Connection).
March 1, 2003... Manufacturer and industry leader of modular flooring systems, introduces their latest flooring innovations: CarpetFlex[R], TileFlex[R] and SoftFlex[R]. Installation is a snap with these new modular flooring lines thanks to the convenient...

www.heartpine.com. (Flooring & Coverings Connection).
March 1, 2003... Goodwin produces fine floors for the luxury market. While still competitively priced, the river-recovered antique wood creates an unparalleled stable fine-grained product, favored by architects, designers and quality builders. Call...

Country flair tile. (Flooring & Coverings Connection).
March 1, 2003... Importers and distributors, of antique limestone and reclaimed terracotta and France. Antique troughs and carved lime-stone fountains available. Wholesale/Retail Container pricing. For more information call 860-927-3178 Country Flair Tile...

It's easy being green. (The Details).(London Bay Homes)
March 1, 2003... Luxury and green are seen and often treated as divergent concepts in the industry -- one heralded by extravagance and individuality, the other by responsibility and, often, simple design. But London Bay Homes of Naples, Fla., knows that the two...

Home plans made simple. (The Details).(Drummond Designs)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Drummond Designs is using new computer technology to simplify custom home plans. With its custom interactive rendering and design service, builders can customize any of Drummond's 1,000-plus stock plans and make changes via markups or a meeting...

Hand-washing delicate clothes is achieved easily with Whirlpool's jetted sink and drying cabinet. (The Details).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Hand-washing delicate clothes is achieved easily with Whirlpool's jetted sink and drying cabinet. The deep-basin SinkSpa has three three-speed microjets that simulate a swirling motion to assist in cleaning. The sink can be installed on a...

Merillat's new Portrait cabinetry exudes understated elegance. (The Details).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Merillat's new Portrait cabinetry exudes understated elegance. The contemporary, recessed-panel cabinetry has solid wood cabinet frames, doorframes and drawer fronts, and the door panel is veneered hardboard. Drawers, end panels and back panels...

Safe at home. (The Details).(Liberty Safe and Security Products)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Liberty Safe and Security Products designed its 12-gauge carbon steel safes to be built into cabinets or enclosed in closets for easy concealment. They're accessible through an electronic touch pad that takes a six-number code. The...

Homes of all colors. (The Details).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Homes of Color, a new magazine about African-American living and style, is looking to highlight and showcase diversity within the shelter industry. The bimonthly magazine, which chiefly features upscale and move-up homes, debuted in...

Kuppersbusch's new induction wok is designed to catapult the great properties of wok Cooking into a new age of technology. (The Details).
March 1, 2003... Kuppersbusch's new induction wok is designed to catapult the great properties of wok Cooking into a new age of technology. The company says induction cooking is faster and more energy efficient than cooking with gas or electricity. The concave...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2003... The floor plans that ran with the feature "High-Tech Beauty" in the December 2002 issue were incorrect. These are the correct floor plans.

Marketing for the long haul. (The Business).
March 1, 2003... Marketing pros call it branding -- when the public knows your company by name, knows what it stands for, knows what it does and knows that it does it well. At that point, all the hard work pays off, for there is no need to sell yourself and...

Custom fit. (The Tour).($5 million custom residence in Scottsdale, Ariz)
March 1, 2003... NESTLED INTO THE APEX OF A ROCKY OUTCROPPING punctuated by large boulders, this $5 million custom residence in Scottsdale, Ariz., is so skillfully integrated into its high-desert location that it seems to be an extension of the terrain. ...

Subtle elegance. (The Tour).
March 1, 2003... INSPIRED BY THE WHIMSICAL CHARM OF 19TH-CENTURY Nantucket shingle-style architecture, this new custom residence in Potomac, Md., seems at first glance to be a decades-old family home. Designed by architect Bruce Rich, the house appears...

Tuscan treasure. (The Tour).
March 1, 2003... WHEN THEY RELOCATED TO CALIFORNIA FROM DENVER, THE owners of this Tuscan-style country villa had to adjust -- not only to a different climate, but to a different style of architecture, says Robert Senn, who designed this 5,000-square-foot...

Hue and sky. (The Products).
March 1, 2003... Brick red is one of 10 architectural colors available on all skylights made by WASCO PRODUCTS. The baked enamel frames are designed to provide a seamless transition between roofing and framing materials. The other colors are bone white,...

Spanish main. (The Products).
March 1, 2003... Made in Spain by Royo and distributed by ATLANTIC BATH DISTRIBUTORS, Epoca -- Spanish for epoch -- is furniture for the bath that comes with a console-shaped cabinet, a granite top, a drop-in basin, a mirror and two light sconces. The cabinet...

Ice show. (The Products).
March 1, 2003... Made of curved Starphire glass, the Glacier pedestal lavatory from PORCHER produces a frosted-glass effect. The translucent white color can bring sophisticated simplicity to the bath. Circle 127 on inquiry card.

Captain video. (The Products).
March 1, 2003... LEVITON has added a 4x16 module to its top RF (radio frequency) product line. Offering video media distribution, the module manages and distributes up to four audio/ video signals to up to eight locations throughout a home. Available in 1 GHz...

See the light. (The Products).
March 1, 2003... The 650G (36 inches wide, pictured) and 611G (30 inches) refrigerator/ freezer units are the latest models in SUB-ZERO'S line of refrigerators with glass doors that let homeowners see inside. The interior light can be set to glow softly with...

Outdoor Oasis. (The Products).
March 1, 2003... Part of the Dave Lennox Signature Collection, the Oasis outdoor fireplace from LENNOX HEARTH PRODUCTS features all-stainless steel construction. The brickaded interior can be specified in a standard or herringbone pattern. Bifold glass doors in...

Fieldstone of dreams. (The Products).
March 1, 2003... Old Country Fieldstone is a new stone veneer texture from CULTURED STONE that's designed to be reminiscent of southern European building stone. It comes in five earth-inspired colors: Chardonnay, Piedmont, Riviera, Romana (shown) and Tudor. It...

Heartwarming. (The Products).
March 1, 2003... The Heart, a 58-gallon corner unit for two, is one of the models in the new Clearwater Collection of free-standing bathtubs from AQUAWARE AMERICA. Choose from tub supports in six styles and several finishes. All tubs are made with a...

Home Plans. (Special Advertising Section).(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... Waupaca Elevator Company PLAN 6802 Cascade Ridge BUYER PROFILE This rustic retreat is a great home for empty nesters, a vacation home or a move-up home for a family. UNIQUE SELLING FEATURES Taking groceries from the car to the...

Low-cost, effective fire resistance and sound attenuation: gypsum board area separation walls fill the bill. (Advertisement).
March 1, 2003... Effective fire resistance and sound attenuation have long been important considerations in the construction of multifamily dwellings, such as townhouses, condominiums, and apartments. Gypsum board systems represent an effective and inexpensive...