Professional Builder (1993) articles from November 2003

Professional Builder (1993) archives from November 2003

Connectivity doesn't connect.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... There's more to street connectivity than you discussed [September 2003 Outfront]. Street connectivity might be the darling of New Urbanism, but it's counterintuitive to everything we've learned in the past 50 years about how people want to...

Brand-name benefits.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... I commend Dean Horowitz's insight in "Who Is as Different as You?" in the October 2003 issue. We have the same mentality at Bosch, and we're trying to get our message out to the marketplace. It's the old adage that if you associate yourself...

Creating a stand-apart product.(Perspective)(Editorial)
November 1, 2003... At first blush, designing and building a house and creating a magazine bear little resemblance to one another. The time lines, tools and skill sets required to complete a successful home and produce a useful publication differ. While the when...

Trust your core products, people.(Publisher's Letter)
November 1, 2003... We talk about innovation regularly. Some believe its a magic formula that, when used in business conversations and applied to newly minted mission statements, miraculously motivates the best "out-of-the-box thinkers to push a company ahead of...

Fast-track fire sale: rebuilding a damaged community demands teamwork and speed.(Outfront)
November 1, 2003... As firestorms raged out of control in October, claiming dozens of lives and about 2,400 homes in the San Diego area, local governments already were taking a closer look at building standards and fast-tracking permit approvals to speed...

Sales agents' murder sparks new interest in panic buttons.(Safety)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The recent murder of two Morrison Homes sales agents in a model home gives builders new urgency to give electronic panic buttons, connected to the company security system, to all sales agents. Lori Brown and Cynthia Williams were found dead...

Cracking interview code.(The H.R. Dept.)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The ability to read between the lines and decipher vague statements can be invaluable in the interview process. Here are things we've heard and the subliminal messages that (should) go with them. From Candidates "My boss and I had a...

Upgrading standards in San Diego.(Outfront)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... As the smoke clears and rebuilding begins in the San Diego area, the housing industry is expected to lead the way in these likely upgrades affecting home building: * The city of San Diego is expected to outlaw Class C wood shake roofing...

A great first step.(NAHB Opinion)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... As a result of the NAHB's ongoing effort to promote the development of a secondary market for acquisition, development and construction loans, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has granted Fannie Mae permanent program authority to...

Tips for controlling mold.(Outfront_build)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Flashing windows properly, minimizing roof penetrations and providing adequate mechanical ventilation help prevent moisture intrusion in new homes. But moisture intrusion in wood products such as framing materials before they go into a house...

Scotchgard helps shingles resist algae.(Roofing)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Black streaks often mistaken for dirt, mildew, sap or fungus on roofs might be Gloeocapsa magma, an algae strain that thrives in warm, humid environments. The algae can attack all roof types and take over within a few years of construction. ...

New concrete countertops need no seal.(Outfront_design)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... After rejecting more than 100 sealers for their concrete countertops, Chris Keown and his colleagues at Concrete Canvas created their own formula. The proprietary treatment differs from penetrating and topical sealers in that it alters the...

East meets midwest: Feng Shui.(Outfront_design)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... James Dunne's show home in the Northern Kentucky Home Builders Association Citifest reflects a tradition more than 3,000 years old. He designed and built the 4,050-square-foot, $929,000 Phoenix according to principles of feng shui, an ancient...

Good House Parts and A House on the Water.(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Good House Parts: Creating a Great Home Piece by Piece, from The Taunton Press, delivers 224 pages of photographs and explanations of very specific design ideas, rather than whole-house concepts, that can be combined or used alone to create a...

Pelican coast: military housing's new look.(Outfront_manage)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Tired of same old, same old? You might try privatized military housing because the Defense Department is throwing billions at it under the 1996 National Defense Authorization Act. CEI Development and Shaw Infrastructure got a $150 million...

Indirect construction costs: check staffing level.(Bottom-Line Building)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Indirect construction costs are overhead such as superintendent salaries and bonuses, general labor, trucks, trailers, warranty costs, etc. They're part of the construction process but can't be tied to individual houses. The target for these...

Now boarding: all first-class residents.(Outfront_sell)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Rod Kenner, vice president/sales and marketing for Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Coscan Homes, was talking to a vacation-home buyer from New York last winter about Coscan's The Point of Aventura (Fla.) community. "Too bad it's such a hassle...

Free concerts spread early word.(Outfront_sell)(Colorado Springs' Palmer Village downtown community)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Colorado Springs (Colo.) Urban Renewal Authority selected Classic Homes in March 2002 as one of two local firms to develop Palmer Village, and the home builder/developer wasted no time promoting the downtown revitalization project. ...

Birdhouse offer touts development's trees.(Promotions)(Sienna Plantation)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... To stimulate traffic after a slight summer downturn in the Houston market, Sienna Plantation, a 10,000-acre, master-planned community in Missouri City, Texas, with 17 builders, created a promotion emphasizing the development's abundant trees (a...

Strategy cuts carrying costs.(Outfront_land)(Ryland Homes' land acquisition strategy)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Land acquisition and development play prominently in the strategy of Ryland Homes' Orlando, Fla., division, whose sales have doubled or nearly doubled for three years running. The division closed 1,053 homes during the first nine months of 2003...

Court temporarily halts builder-friendly land policy.(Outfront_land)(federal Habitat Conservation Planning program)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Until recently, landowners could sell wildlife lands to the federal government for a market value so fair it rivaled the profits from developing that land, say experts, including Ed Balsdon, an environmental economist and professor at San Diego...

Web site lets builders trade cut, fill dirt.(Online Resources)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... DirtToGo.com is a Web site to remember if you run into problems with too much cut or too little fill. The site allows builders to match cut and fill sites by geographic proximity and trade excess dirt to where it's most useful. Once you...

Who cares about J.D. Power?(Lessons Learned)(Column)
November 1, 2003... My past two columns examined J.D. Powers national survey on customer satisfaction, which this year reached 21 cities. The columns covered the remarkable growth of the survey's impact on builders and our attempt to create a "national ranking"...

Don't overlook tax act benefits.(Money Matters)
November 1, 2003... The jobs and growth tax relief reconciliation Act of 2003 provides something for almost everyone: business owners, investors and taxpayers. Before this year ends, take advantage of whatever you can. Waiting can cost you money. Business...

Low impact, high rewards.(Building Technology)(low-impact development strategies)(rainwater runoff management)
November 1, 2003... Ever wonder where all of the rainfall goes after it hits the ground? Most developments use a conveyance system to transport water off site through a series of pipes and into a local waterway. Increasingly, however, public officials and...

Franchising: fortune or folly? Seventeen years after Art Rutenberg pioneered the concept, home building franchises might explode into popularity.(Manage)
November 1, 2003... Why now? What has changed to make Art Rutenberg's curious eccentricity--franchising local home building businesses like fast-food restaurants--attract sudden interest across the country? Rutenberg began selling franchises on Florida's west...

Celebrating ceilings: ceilings, the forgotten for the dimension of home design, add value in many ways.(Design)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... New home design begins in one dimension. Floor plans drive the design process. These plans come to life and take on three-dimensional form when the walls are lifted. Buyers, builders and architects describes the features of this new living...

Capture space.(Design)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Found space from roof trusses or unusable attic space can add value. Use it to create excitement inside. Truss fabricators can help accommodate your desired ceiling configuration. The bottom chord of a truss often can be reconfigured to create...

Enhance the architecture.(Design)(ceilings)
November 1, 2003... Think it costs a lot or increases build time to add ceiling details. Think again. Simple, cost-effective, easy-to-implements techniques--layering drywall, details and color--can achieve dramatic results. Ceiling create an opportunity to...

Create an impact.(Design)(ceiling design)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ceilings that create impact lend a sense of significance to a space. Exposed structural elements strengthen the architecture and add drama and authenticity to the volume. These ceilings draw the eye upward and expose the home's...

Accentuate the space.(Design)(ceiling treatments)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ceiling treatments add texture, geometry and architectural character to a space. Modulation, indirect lighting and design details create interest by introducing a fifth dimension to the design vocabulary in new homes. Today, 8-foot...

Polishing the industry's image.(Manage)
November 1, 2003... Attend almost any local home builders association meeting, and there's a good chance you can step into a conversation about builders' bad public image. The next time that happens, don't just join the chorus pointing fingers at NIMBYs and...

Top 10 green products of 2003: list highlights innovation in materials, resource conservation, emission control and durability.(Buildinggreen's)
November 1, 2003... To highlight innovative building products and the breadth of green building product offerings, Building Green Inc., publisher of Environmental Building News and the GreenSpec directory of green building products, named its top 10 green products...

The greening of main street: production builders are making energy and resource efficiency, durability and healthy indoor air business as usual.(Special report)
November 1, 2003... Green building, loosely defined as building with reduced environmental impact, continues to grow in importance in the home building industry. Once the practice of boutique builders willing and nimble enough to take risks and embrace new ideas,...

It all adds up to zero: a small but significant movement is afoot to build homes that produce as much energy as they use.(Special report)
November 1, 2003... In March 2001, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a research facility of the U.S. Department of Energy, designated four home building teams to develop homes that produce as much energy as they use. The four teams, led by Steven Winter...

The state of green building.(Special Advertising Section)
November 1, 2003... In the fall of 1973, OPEC taught Americans a lesson: Don't take cheap, abundant energy for granted. President Carter launched a national initiative to develop alternative energy sources, but President Reagan rolled it back, and for years the...

Your metrics road map.(Metrics)(Column)
November 1, 2003... For the past five months, we've discussed metrics and their place in your business. We began with an overview of this tool's value. We broke it down by department, and we showed how to share and use this tool in a practical manner. This month,...

Building technology: systems & interior finishes: Part V.(Learn)
November 1, 2003... Customers complain more about interior finishes than any other area of a construction project. The paint, tile, trim, drywall, millwork and other areas that home buyers can see on a completed project often define the home's quality for them....

Georgia-Pacific show house.(Special Advertising Section)
November 1, 2003... Georgia-Pacific Show House to Highlight Innovation The Georgia-Pacific Show House, one of the must-see displays at the 2004 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, offers the construction trades a look at both new and time-tested...

Trus joist.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Applications for TimberStrand LSL edge forms include nonelevated sidewalks, driveways and other ground-level slabs, as well as tilt-up construction. The boards are deep enough to eliminate stacking, the company says, and provide the advantages...

Progress lighting.(Products)
November 1, 2003... The Glendale Collection of sconces, pendants and chandeliers features white alabaster glass and a brushed nickel finish. Also new are Bradford, which reflects American country styling, and Essex, whose Britishinfluenced design combines a...

Timberlake cabinet.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Accessories for the Portfolio Select, Portfolio and ValueBuilt cabinet collections include 6-inch-wide reversible fillers (fluted on one side, beaded on the other), crown and ogee pilaster moldings, and plinth blocks, pyramid blocks, acanthus...

Moen.(Products)(kitchen sinks)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... This curved-back, satinfinish model for the kitchen is the latest addition to the Lancelot line of undermount, stainless steel sinks. The line also includes oval, round and trapezoidal prep and bar sinks, plus single-, double- and triple-bowl...

Easy-arch.(Products)(Circle 129 on inquiry card)
November 1, 2003... The Easy-Arch now comes in an adjustable version for openings that exceed traditional depths and dimensions. Made of pre-formed, 20-gauge galvanized steel, the Adjustable Easy-Arch fits openings from 2 1/2 to 12 1/2 inches deep and can be used...

Marvin.(Products)(Circle 130 on inquiry card)
November 1, 2003... With the addition of StormPlus IZ3 (Impact Zone 3), the company says it now offers windows and doors that meet code in all four ASTM construction zones. The IZ3 level has more than 30 products, including wood and clad Casemaster windows,...

Rev-a-shelf.(Products)(Circle 131 on inquiry card)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Pullout dinnerware organizers for base 24 and 36 cabinets are made of chrome wire coated with a transparent epoxy for better protection of stored items. The smaller model accommodates 12 large dishes, 12 small dishes or saucers, four regular...

Stanley-bostitch.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... This two-in-one framing nailer performs both standard framing and metalconnecting tasks. A pushbutton trip mechanism lets the user switch applications in seconds, the company says. Other features include 1,000 inch-pounds of driving force; an...

Weather shield.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The company partnered with SherwinWilliams to develop Accentials, a palette of seven standard and 48 designer colors for its wood exterior and extrudedaluminum exterior windows and doors. Custom color matching also is available. Benefits of the...

Porter-cable.(Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Six new contractor-grade air compressors with 150-pound-per-square-inch motor/pump combinations support brad nailers, staplers, and finish, roofing and framing nailers on the job site. The four Job Boss models feature a two-port removable...

Off-site construction: superior value, superior opportunity.(Special Advertising Section)(Genesis Homes)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Not so long ago, any home built off site in a factory quickly was dismissed as an inferior Product. Not anymore. For the past four years, Genesis Homes has been persuading an ever-growing number of builders about the powerful advantages of...

Genesis factory seminars smooth the move to modular.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
November 1, 2003... The transition from site-built to systems building (also Known as modular) is far from a slam-dunk for most builder prospects. This is especially true if the builder has never been educated on the benefits of off-site construction. The best way...

Pyramids not just in Egypt anymore.(the details)(residential pyramid)
November 1, 2003... 'It takes a special-type person to live in a pyramid," says Kelly Beal, president of Kelly Beal Custom Homes in Fort Worth, Texas. One also might say it takes a special builder to build a pyramid in the first place. Because of his...

Based on the stone or mud structures that Aztecs used to purify the mind, the Temazkal by BainUltra creates a soothing retreat by combining luminotherapy, thermotherapy and aromatherapy in one therapeutic space.(the details)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Based on the stone or mud structures that Aztecs used to purify the mind, the Temazkal by BainUltra creates a soothing retreat by combining luminotherapy, thermotherapy and aromatherapy in one therapeutic space. Luminotherapy sessions...

Who buys luxury homes?(the details)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Coldwell Banker Real Estate recently released a profile of million-dollar-plus home buyers culled from a survey of its top luxury home sales associates. The chart at right shows some of the results. Of those who take a mortgage, 17% use a...

The Waterfall Sink from Contemporary Bath Design uses contoured glass to create the illusion of falling water.
November 1, 2003... The Waterfall Sink from Contemporary Bath Design uses contoured glass to create the illusion of falling water. The sink is 24 inches deep by 60 inches long. Other pieces in Contemporary Bath Design's collection include frameless shower...

The art of negotiation.(The Business)
November 1, 2003... When Stephen Shaw, president of Shaw Built Homes, a small tract builder in Boonton N.J., received a four-page checklist from a customer detailing how the customer perceived their relationship would unfold during construction, he knew he had a...

Naturally inspired.(the Tour)(design of luxury home in Alpharetta, Georgia)
November 1, 2003... MOTIVATED BY THE ROCKY TOPOGRAPHY AND NATURAL BEAUTY OF a challenging hillside site in Alpharetta, Ga., builder Randy Schwartz indulged his passion for art on a spec project that he says was as much about creating an environmentally...

Serene sanctuary.(the Tour)(design of residence in Port Ludlow, Washington)
November 1, 2003... EAST MEETS WEST IN THIS ASIAN-INSPIRED NORTHWEST Craftsman residence in Port Ludlow, Wash. It features a three-story atrium at its heart, anchored on the lowest level by an indoor reflecting pool. While the 7,700-square-foot home's interior...

Crafted comfort.(the Tour)(design of rustic home in Truckee, California)
November 1, 2003... EVERY ELEMENT OF THIS RUSTIC CALIFORNIA RETREAT IN THE Sierra Nevada appears to have been touched by the hand of a master craftsman. The result is a striking, highly customized residence as unique as it is inviting for the owners, who spend...

Dream team.(the Tour)
November 1, 2003... IN BUILDER GEORGE PONTIKES JR.'S OPINION, A GOOD ARCHItect is worth his weight in gold. So Pontikes says he went straight to the best when it came time to design his family's dream home in an exclusive Houston neighborhood. Pontikes is...

Light fantastic.(the Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... DEREK MARSHALL LIGHTING stretches white opal glass between iridescent black fused glass stripes to create the Granada wall sconce. The lozenge-shaped piece in the center also is fused glass. The sconce, which can be custom-ordered in various...

Wright stuff.(the Products)
November 1, 2003... Inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School, Ashurst is one of three new complementary glass designs for THERMA-TRU'S Classic-Craft mahogany entry doors. It's available in doorlights, sidelights and transoms. The Longford design...

Triple crown.(the Products)(audio equipment)
November 1, 2003... ANTEX ELECTRONICS designed the SRX-3 Triple Play satellite radio receiver for audio systems typically found in luxury homes and boats. The three zone SIRIUS receiver combines multiple tuners into one component with a consolidated control scheme...