Last week I traveled to Austin TX for their Parade of Homes. I like going to different parts of the country to see what new homes features are popular in different areas. If we incorporate some of our favorite features from different regions, it can make the homes we build more interesting. As you know, too often designers and builders tend to do what they have always done and that can translate into all the houses in an area looking the same, void of character and uniqueness. Sometimes the only way to incorporate fresh ideas is for us homeowners to make fresh suggestions. A great way to get new ideas and inspiration is by looking at houses in areas outside our region.
This year’s parade of homes in Austin Tx had only 5 houses available to tour, and one was a tiny house. But even with such a small number of houses, it was one of my favorite Parades of all time. The homes were examples of casual, timeless elegance at its best. There were light, bright transitional interiors (remember transitional is a balance between traditional and contemporary features). There were lots of clean lines, both inside and out, but the houses weren’t so clean that they felt minimalistic or cold
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Whether you believe in global warming or not, it seems that storms are becoming more and more prevalent and damaging. And even if you don’t live in tornado alley or a coastal region that’s prone to hurricanes, you might want to consider adding some storm-proofing measures to your new house. Storm resistant materials and techniques will not only make our homes stronger and more wind and water resistant but also more airtight and energy efficient, in many instances.
Since high winds and heavy rain can potentially occur in many regions outside of areas classified as “storm-prone,” it’s beneficial to learn about what we can do to protect our homes from even occasional, unexpected stormy weather. Case and point: Hurricane Michael. Not only did it bring hurricane force winds to coastal areas, but it also brought 155-mph winds and associated tornados to inland communities, far from the coast. So take a listen to this week’s list of storm-proofing features to see if any of them makes sense for your new build.
Before we move into our mini-lesson, a shout out goes to Trista, for giving me this great show idea. Thanks, Trista.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
As we are continuing to prepare to start construction, I have been calling around for quotes for the insurance that will need to be in place before we begin work and I’ve run into some challenges. There are two policies that you’ll need to protect yourself if you are acting as an owner-builder, one is builders risk insurance and the other is general liability insurance. You may have trouble finding general liability insurance. In this week’s episode, I’ll tell you how to overcome that trouble.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Building a tight house is the goal for most of us. What that means is that the unintended openings, gaps, and holes in the home’s exterior shell and in the duct system should be sealed, to keep outside air from leaking in, and to keep inside air from leaking out. A tight house will be more comfortable and have increased energy efficiency and lower utility bills. That’s because conditioned air produced by your HVAC system is less likely to escape and unconditioned outside air is less likely to sneak in through unwanted gaps. A tight house is also quieter, cleaner, and has better indoor air quality because outside noise, pests and pollutants have fewer opportunities to enter the home.
But if you’ve listened to past episodes, you know that if we build tight, we should also ventilate right. You’ll hear old school contractors say that building a tight house is not a good idea because they argue that a house should breathe. Modern building science has proven that old school contractors are wrong to avoid a tight building envelope. But, that old adage that a house should breathe is actually right. However, instead of house breathing through the uncontrolled air infiltration of a leaky house, we want a house with a tight building envelope that breathes through controlled ventilation.
Show notes at BYHYU.com