We've all heard how loud opening a garage door can be, but what you may not realize is that opening a garage door doesn’t have to be that noisy. There are garage door features you can choose that can make opening your garage door much quieter, which is particularly important for attached garages and garages with rooms above them.
We’ll also cover when choosing 2 single garage doors is better than choosing one double-wide garage door.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Between having to regularly endure the weight of heavy vehicles and varying outdoor elements such as driving rains, sweltering heat, ice, and snow, driveways get lots of use and abuse. Therefore, it’s important that we choose the best driveway surface for our circumstances.
There are several options to choose from and each has its pros and cons with respect to durability, maintenance, aesthetics, sustainability, and price. Keep in mind, when considering price, you want to be sure to factor in not only the initial cost of your driveway but also the long-term costs associated with maintenance. You’ll also want to think about how the material will perform your area’s climate. Some driveway materials may be better for your region’s weather conditions than others.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
In the last episode, we started discussing how to compromise with our partners when designing and building a house. This week, we’ll complete our list of tips that will help us come through the home building process with a home and relationship that both partners are happy with. Now remember, not every suggestion will work in every single situation, but you should be able to find at least one or two tips on the list that will help you come to a compromise for almost every disagreement.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Building and decorating a house should be and can be, a really happy time in your life. But it can also be a time of stress. One of the major sources of stress can come from having to make a number of decisions that both you and your partner have to agree upon. How do you design and decorate a home when you and your significant other have completely different styles? Even when people have very similar tastes, there will inevitably be some areas where one person’s first choice is different than their partner’s.
In this mini-lesson, we’ll go over tips on how to compromise with your partner during the homebuilding journey. Not every suggestion will work in every single situation, but you should be able to find at least one or two tips on the list that will help you come to a compromise for almost every disagreement.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
When deciding on which contractors to use for your project, you’ll need to compare prices, which means asking each potential contractor how much they will charge. There are several ways a contractor or supplier can outline cost: an estimate, a quote, and a bid.
Although the terms are used interchangeably, there are important distinctions that we should understand. That’s what we’ll talk about in this mini-lesson— the difference between an estimate, a quote, and a bid.
Show notes on BYHYU.com
Do y’all remember that episode of Seinfeld where the girl Jerry was dating looked either really pretty or really unattractive depending on the lighting she was in? That bad lighting is what we want to avoid, especially in our homes. Although I don’t consider myself to be overly concerned with looks, I’d rather avoid the spooky, ghoulish shadows on faces that can show up because of poorly designed lighting.
It used to be that only models, actresses, photographers, and entertainers were aware of what type of lighting is most flattering. But in this new era of selfies, social media posts and youtube channels, lighting our homes in a way that flatters us and our surroundings has become top of mind for even the average Jo(e).
I’ve come up with a list of tips that we can incorporate into our homes to not only make the lighting design functional but also flattering. If we can do relatively simple things in our homes to make us look and feel our best, why not? I mean, we need to include lighting in our houses anyway, so why not use and place fixtures so that they shine the very best light on ourselves and our guests.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
n the last episode we began a mini lesson on range hoods, also called vent hoods and exhaust hoods. We talked about how you should properly size and position your hood and what amount of power you’ll need. And I strongly recommended that, if at all poss
We typically give quite a bit of thought to most of our kitchen appliance choices. But exhaust hoods… they get much less love. Most people don’t give range hoods the attention they deserve. They might think some about the aesthetic design of the range hood, but not a lot of people think through how to size and position a hood, and what features they should look for in a range hood that will give them the perfect balance of suction power and quietness.
If you think about it, the range hood, also called an exhaust hood and a vent hood is one of the more hardworking appliances in the kitchen. Because it removes irritating fumes, smoke, heat, odors, and potentially damaging moisture, the exhaust hood allows for a safer, more comfortable, cleaner, less smelly, and more enjoyable kitchen experience. In this episode, we’ll discuss a few things that will help us make informed decisions about what sort of hood we should choose.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
This week we have the second half of our list of design tips that should help us start thinking through the interior decor for each room of our homes. Last week, we talked about some of the first things we should consider when starting a room design.
I suggest you take a listen to last week’s episode if you haven’t already because we discussed some foundational design guidelines that will help you know where to start decorating a room or house. Knowing where to begin is sometimes the hardest part of choosing your decor. If we can figure out our starting point, the rest of the design will often fall into place.
This week’s tips will help you pull all your different room designs together to give your house some cohesion and flow. We’ll also cover scale, color and contrast, and how to decide what you like if your Pinterest boards seem to be all over the place.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
When building a home, there are so many design decisions to make that it can be overwhelming. And even for those of us who love designing, it’s hard to know where to start, especially when you have an entire new house to decorate. So in the next two episodes, we’ll go over a few tips that should give you some general design direction, including where to start.
Now, if you don’t enjoy decorating, or you have no interest in choosing furniture and accessories for your home, you probably want to consider hiring an interior designer.
To help you decide whether working with a designer is the way to go, take a listen to episode 132 called “Should I Hire An Interior Designer?”
Even if you decide you want to work with a designer, this episode will still be helpful to you because you’ll still have to answer the designer’s questions about what you like and dislike. And although the designer could make all your final decisions for your home’s interior, You’ll still need to articulate how you want your house to look and live, to guide the designer's selections.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
In the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, now more than ever, we’re aware of actions we can take to help prevent the spread and growth of viruses, bacteria, and other illness-causing microorganisms. And that got me to thinking, are there ways we can design our houses that will also help fight and prevent germs? Obviously, we can’t completely eliminate microorganisms, and we shouldn’t want to because some of them are beneficial. But what can we include in our new builds that will decrease the chances of unhealthy bacteria and viruses living and thriving in our homes?
Show notes at BYHYU.com
The novel coronavirus, COVID 19 is on everyone’s minds. And for those of us in the middle of construction, or simply planning a new build, it’s natural to wonder how the pandemic might affect our homebuilding plans. I stress the word “might” because no one can be sure how long this pandemic will last, or how long-lasting its effects may be.
In an effort to better understand what could possibly happen in residential construction in the near future, I talked with a local builder and scoured the internet for articles on the subject.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
According to residential construction expert Mike Holmes from the show Holmes on Homes, “If your garage is attached to your house, the most important thing is to make sure it’s sealed. You must keep fumes, exhaust, and carbon monoxide out of the house”. You don’t want off-gassing in your garage from your vehicle’s exhaust to seep through the garage drywall into the main house. You also want to insulate certain walls of the garages. Learn which ones in this episode.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
This episode was inspired by a question that I got about garages from Joe, from my home state of Virginia. Hey Joe! This week we’ll talk about the pros and cons of an attached vs a detached garage. Now, many of you might think, why would I build a new house with a detached garage? Doesn’t everyone want the convenience of an attached garage?
It’s important to realize that there are advantages and disadvantages to both detached and attached garage structures. And that’s what we’ll briefly discuss. There are many factors to consider when making your decision, including your budget, your lot size and shape, your desired level of personal and home security and your sensitivity to chemicals and fumes.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
A quick episode this week giving you some suggestions that will help you save money on your cabinetry. The things I’ll mention won’t give you the most durable, beautiful or practical cabinetry, but if you’re willing to sacrifice some beauty and convenience, you can save quite a bit of money. Keep in mind, you don’t have to use all the suggestions to save. Incorporating even one or two of these design features can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars.
Show notes on BYHYU.com
The kitchen is the heart of the home and one of the hardest rooms in the house to keep clean. You’ve got crumbs, smoke, grease, dirt, dust, stains, spills and splatters to deal with. But there are practical ways to design our kitchens that will make maintaining and cleaning them easier. I have a list of 20 tips. Andy many of these tips can also work for bathrooms too.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Those of us who want to build a well-constructed, energy-efficient home should aim for a tight building envelope that minimizes air leakage (meaning it’s airtight), controls moisture, and has a generous amount of insulation.
In episodes 27-31, we looked at several different ways to insulate a house, but this week, we’ll consider how much insulation is enough and whether over insulating a house is a thing?
Show notes at BYHYU.com
IBS, The International Builders Show is the largest yearly residential and light commercial construction trade show in the world. Typically more than 1400 construction manufacturers and suppliers showcase the latest and most in-demand products and services in the industry.
Although I love seeing homebuilding products on the showroom floor of IBS, my very favorite part of the show is touring the 2 official idea houses they build every year — The New American Home® (TNAH), and The New American Remodel™ (TNAR). You know I love a show home, especially one that’s been built with energy efficiency and quality construction in mind. We can get ideas for pretty decor almost anywhere, but it’s so much more valuable for us to look at examples of houses that are not only pretty but well-built. High-performance concept homes, like the New American Home, can give us ideas about materials and methods that we can either use or adapt, for our own projects.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Whether you have small children living with you full-time or you’re an empty nester who will have grandchildren or nieces and nephews visiting on a fairly regular basis, you should consider incorporating kid-friendly design into your new house. This includes features and decor that are safer and more practical for little ones. This week we’ll talk about 12 kid-friendly design features.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
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Back on track after unavoidable pre-construction setbacks, my homebuilding journey has had its share of challenges, even before the foundation was placed. But delays have been used as opportunities for design improvements that will make the house even more resilient than originally planned. This episode is kind of a construction update. I’ll tell you about our delays and what we did to make lemonade out of lemons.
Shownotes at BYHYU.com
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Today I’ll review things you should consider when choosing your home site. After deciding to build instead of buying a new home, many people are so focused on the house design that they give little thought to the LAND on which they will place their future home. But what lot you choose is a major factor in determining how much it will cost you to build and maintain your home and how much you will ultimately enjoy it.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
What’s the best place for your washer and dryer? I’m a fan of putting them near bedrooms and bathrooms where there is easy access to where dirty clothes are taken off and clean clothes are stored. But there are also some benefits to locating the laundry room in other parts of the house, such as the near the kitchen, in a mudroom, in a hallway closet or even a basement. This week we’ll talk about the pros and cons of locating your laundry room in different areas of the house.
Show notes at BYHYU 191
As I was going over the lighting plan for my new house, I wondered if there were different rules for lighting rooms with tall ceilings as opposed to standard 8 foot ceilings. Is ok to use the same type and average number of recessed lights throughout your house, no matter a room’s function or ceiling height? Does a 2 story foyer or rooms with vaulted ceilings need special lighting considerations?
Worse than not installing enough canned lights and lighting fixtures is wasting money by having an appropriate number of fixtures, but fixtures that don’t put out adequate light in specific situations, like rooms with tall ceilings. So I did some research about how to light rooms with tall ceilings, which many of us will have in our new builds. The information was much harder to find than I anticipated. But, after days for searching lighting design, electrician, lighting manufacturer, and retail lighting websites, I came up with a few tips for some basic guidelines for lighting rooms with ceiling greater than the standard 8 feet.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
This week I have a rebroadcast of one of my most popular episodes. It’s a mini lesson packed full of information. It covers lighting design basics and lighting terminology. This is a good review for next week when I’ll have a brand new episode that will discuss lighting specifically for rooms with tall ceilings, that is ceilings that are 9 feet or higher. Basic lighting design principles need to be tweaked a bit for rooms with high ceilings, and we’ll talk about that next week. But have a listen to Lighting 101 now, so you’ll be ready for next week. And quiz yourself, if you’ve listened before.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
This week we’ll review a previously built, energy-efficient home so we can consider some of the materials and methods for our own homes. The case study house is an affordable greenhouse that cost $114 per square foot and is located in Seattle, Washington, where the average house is $200 per square foot.
Show notes at BYHYU.com