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Build Your House Yourself University

Wish you knew more about the biggest investment you will most likely ever make? Build Your House Yourself University (byhyu) will teach you to save money and make smart decisions about the construction of the place you and your family will call HOME. We will help you understand residential construction— simplify and demystify the design build process. You’ll come away with successful strategies for building your own house, with or without a general contractor. Become an educated consumer, even if you prefer to buy, rather than build a new house. Complex construction jargon and best practices will be explained in easy to understand terms. It’s not the typical DIY (do it yourself) show. You will learn how to MANAGE the labor, not DO the labor for your new house. Join me, Michelle Nelson, host and fellow informal residential construction student. I’ll share the research I find on home design and building as I prepare to build my home. Together, our community of future home builders, will learn the tips, tricks and trends of experienced contractors and industry experts. I’ll interview owner-builders and construction professionals. During our mini lessons, I’ll inform you about framing, flooring, windows, insulation, kitchen cabinets and countertops…almost anything having to do with new construction homes. You’ll hear about energy efficiency and green building too. There will be product reviews in which you will be introduced to cutting edge, as well as, tried and true products and services. And in keeping with the university theme, episodes will end with short, fun quizzes. If we do our due diligence BEFORE we start construction, we will actually start construction with the most difficult part of the project behind us. Let’s put in the time, effort, preparation and research BEFORE we break ground and building our homes will be much easier and more enjoyable.
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Now displaying: August, 2016
Aug 31, 2016

Choosing your kitchen countertop is one the more fun and exciting choices that you’ll make for your new home.  Choices should be made based on the material’s appearance, durability, maintenance and price.  This week we’ll cover the most common types of materials used for kitchen and bathroom countertops, including laminate, ceramic and porcelain tiles, solid surface options, like Corian, butcher block, stainless steel, concrete, soapstone, marble, granite, quartzite and quartz (Silestone and Caesarstone).  There’s a difference between quartzite and quartz, you know?  We’ll talk about all of those options in this week’s mini lesson.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

Aug 24, 2016

Did you know that most water heaters use more energy than all other household appliances combined? According to the US Dept of Energy, water heaters account for almost 17% of a home’s energy use.  Other sources say it’s up to 30% of the a home’s energy.  This week’s mini lesson will help you decide if a conventional, storage tank water heater or a tankless water heater is  the better choice for your new home.  And the choice is probably not as cut and dry as you think.

Conventional, storage tank water heaters are still the most common type of water heaters found in new homes. But tankless water heaters are steadily gaining popularity.  We’ll go over the basic information about how conventional water heaters and tankless water heater work, plus the pros and cons of each system.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

Aug 17, 2016

Today is the last installment of a series of mini lessons that I’ve done on insulation.  In this week’s episode, we’ll talk structural insulated panels, or SIPs, and insulated concrete forms, or ICFs.  These options are especially unique because they not only provide extremely effective thermal insulation, but they also provide structural framing components for the house, including walls, floors and roofs.

 

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

Aug 10, 2016

According to Green Building Advisor. com, “spray polyurethane foam is better than any other type of insulation at reducing air leakage.”  And that’s one of the biggest reasons that spray foam insulation is becoming one of the most popular insulation options in North America.  This week's mini lesson will discuss the two types of spray foam insulation, open cell spray foam and closed cell spray foam.  We'll also cover rigid foam in insulation.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

Aug 3, 2016

Blown in insulation, also called loose fill insulation, is made of fluffy fibers of cellulose, fiberglass or mineral wool.  It’s blown into walls, attics and floors with special equipment. One the main advantages of blown in insulation is that it fills in odd shaped cavities, crevices and gaps and eliminates cold spots.   Learn more about blown in insulation in this week’s mini lesson.

Show notes at www.BYHYU.com

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