Lots of people like the idea of building green, or a least a greener. But, although the term green building is often used, many of us are not quite sure exactly what green building is, or where to go to get easy to understand information about green building options.
This week we have an interview that will help explain what green building is and why it’s important. We’ll hear from Sheridan Foster, founder of Elemental Green, a great online educational resource for green and sustainable building products and techniques.
Shownotes at BYHYU.com
Have you ever gotten out of the shower, dried off and just had to get out of the bathroom for a few minutes because it was so hot, humid and uncomfortable? I mean, you can’t get dressed when you’re hot like that.
You know what could help minimize that problem? A powerful, bathroom exhaust fan. Powerful, but quiet, because if the fan is annoyingly loud, you won’t use it regularly.
Choosing the right fan for your bathroom is more important than you might think. Without an appropriately sized exhaust fan, not only can your bathroom be uncomfortably hot and humid, not to mention smelly, but over time, you risk causing moisture damage to your bathroom drywall and cabinetry. Plus you increase your chances of developing mold and mildew on your shower walls, drywall, and even on the wood framing beneath the drywall. Not good!
Show notes at BYHYU.com
One of my least favorite household chores is cleaning grout. But I recently learned about a type of grout that stays beautiful and virtually stain free for years. You heard me right… years.
Take a listen to this quick tip that will help save you time, energy and effort in cleaning your bathrooms and floors.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
This week we’ll talk about the second half of our list of things you can include to increase your home’s curb appeal. Last week we talked about the first part of the list. It included:
1. Combining contrasting, but coordinating colors
2. Adding Dimension
3. Making a Statement with Your Front Door
4. Selecting Unique Address Numbers
5. Adding Lighting
Take a listen to episode 59 to hear more detail about that list.
This week we’ll briefly discuss:
6. Great Garage Doors
7. Softscape Elements
8. Hardscape Elements
9. Driveways
Before moving on to the mini lesson, let’s go over this week’s pro terms
Pro Terms: Landscape, Softscape elements, and Hardscape elements
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Last week, we talked about creating wow factor on the inside of your home. This week we’ll delve into what we can do to our home’s exterior to add curb appeal. Now remember, you shouldn’t include features in, on or around your home to just impress others. Instead, design a home that inspires you and your family and build one that you’re proud of. And just By doing that, you’ll often increase your home’s value. We’ll go over the first part of our list this week and finish the list next week. Before we go any further we need to define this week’s pro terms.
Pro Terms: Portico and Porte Cochere
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Even if you want a simple home, without over-the-top features, adding surprising, or unique elements will make your home more interesting and distinctive. All homes should have some degree of the wow factor. Things that make your house different from your neighbors’. So, in this week’s mini-lesson, we’ll cover a list potential wow factor features that you can include in your house. But, only consider adding those things that resonate with you. Don’t feel any pressure to add something just because it’s on trend, impressive or popular.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Pipes and plumbing fixtures are found everywhere in a new house. Pipes run out of the house, under the house, within walls of the house, and finally arrive at many different fixtures, like sinks, toilets and tubs. Some pipes carry water and others carry gas.
Pipes are made different materials, either metal and plastic, and each material has its pros and cons. We’ll talk about the pros and cons of different pipe materials and I’ll tell you what you can request from your plumber to keep your pipes quiet and to eliminate the noise of an upstairs toilet flush that can be heard by you and your guests while you’re sitting downstairs. I’ll also give you a list of some things to consider to help improve the quality of your plumbing job.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Because your home’s plumbing is used every day, several times a day, you want to make sure that you get quality products and materials and that those materials are installed by a reliable plumber.
This week’s mini-lesson help you give you a basic overview of your home’s plumbing system and it will give you some advice on what type of plumber and plumbing fixtures you should choose for your new home— whether brand name fixtures really are better than off-brand ones and whether it’s ok get your plumbing supplies from a big box store.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
This week, I’ll tell you about the home design trends that I saw a couple of weeks ago at Design and Construction week in Orlando. In preparing for this episode, I reviewed episode 5, called Home Trends 2016. All the design features that I mentioned last year are still relevant in 2017, so talk a listen to episode 5 to hear what those features were. But, 2017 brings with it some additional home design trends that you may want to include in your new home. Plus I’ll tell you about a pro secret that I learned from a seasoned builder.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
This week you’ll hear from HGTV star Chip Wade. He tells us what 3 things he suggests homeowners include in their new homes. We’ll also hear from some exhibitors (Armstrong Flooring, Feeney Inc, Phantom Screens, True Residential, and Rangecraft) who showed off their products at the combined International Builders Show and Kitchen and Bath Industry Show. That show was held couple of weeks ago in Orlando, FL. I was there to get the scoop on both new and tried-and-true products for new homes.
Show notes at www.BYHYU.com
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If you decide you want move to another house, one of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to buy an existing house or build a new one. Each option has advantages and disadvantages. Today’s mini lesson will explore the pros and cons of buying a house versus building a house. We’ll also talk about building allowances.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
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If you’re anything like me, you like to actually see what you’re getting before you pay for it. But, what do you do when you’re building a house? I know you’ll have blue prints, but for some of us blue prints are difficult to read and visualize. For some reason, my brain has trouble translating blue prints into a good mental image.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see a 3D, photograph-like image of what your house will look like before you build it? To have a color picture and maybe even an animated aerial video of the outside or inside of your house? Then you could show it to contractors and suppliers to ensure that they know exactly what you want to build?
Today, you’ll hear from Rob Clasby, CEO and Founder of Viz Source, the Rendering Company. Since 2006, Viz Source has been in the business of providing photorealistic 3D images and animations for all types of projects, including new homes.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
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Many DIYers have successfully painted their new homes inside and out. But it’s hard work and it takes some skill. Before you decide to do the painting in your brand new home, consider the painting projects that you’ve done in the past? How did they turn out? Was the trim smooth, without excess caulk? Were the walls uniform and free of debris and drip marks? If your past results haven’t met the standards that you have set for your new home, you may want to hire a professional painter with good references. For some advice on what to look for and expect when hiring a painter, take a listen to last week’s episode, episode 50.
Whether you choose to do your own painting or not, you’ll have to decide what paint finishes are best for your house. This week’s episode will cover what paint finishes that work well for the different areas of the house. We’ll also cover some quick painting tips for those of you who want to do the painting yourself. Not a full tutorial, but some helpful tips. If you have little or no experience painting, first and foremost, I suggest hiring a professional painter. But if you’re determined to save those labors costs, in addition to listening to the quick tips in this episode, go over to YouTube and take a look at some painting tutorials.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
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Painting is one of the tasks that many DIY’ers tend to take on when building or remodeling a house. Doing it yourself can save you thousands of dollars in labor costs, but it will also take you quite a bit a time. And unless you have significant painting experience, your results will probably be less attractive than the results that you would get from a professional painter.
Because paint affects the looks of just about every room of the house, I say, if you have it in your budget, leave the painting to the professionals. So, our mini lesson this week will give an overview of what to look for, ask for and expect when hiring professional painters. If you’re absolutely determined to do at least some of your painting, join me next week for an episode filled with painting tips and tricks.
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This week we're airing an interview that I did with Ben-Adam Smith for his podcast, House Planning Help. We talked about the BYHYU podcast and about building in the United States versus building in the United Kingdom.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
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This week we have a list of features that many homeowners are requesting in new homes that they’re buying or building. This is according to an article in Professional Builder magazine where builders, architects, designers and other industry experts were asked about must-have features that today’s homeowners want. Take a listen and see how many things on the list might be included your new home. You may not want to include all these elements, but consider the ones that are best for you and your family.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Hey BYHYU. Welcome to Build House Yourself University. I’m Michelle Nelson, your host and fellow student, and together we’ll learn the basics of home design and construction and demystify the building process, so we can build our dream homes, with or without a general contractor.
Most people don’t have the means to pay cash for the construction of their new homes, so most folks will need to take out a construction loan. We’ll talk about the different options for financing new construction in this week’s mini-lesson.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Together we’ll learn the basics of home design and construction and demystify the building process, so we can get the biggest bang for our buck and build our dream homes, with or without a general contractor.
“Build tight and ventilate right.” That’s a mantra that I’ve heard since I started educating myself about home design and construction. A tight house is a house with minimal air leakage. Building a tight house is important so you can save on energy costs and make your home more comfortable. A tight house also protects the structure of your home. Here’s how: If a house is built tightly, it prevents warm, moist air from entering or exiting the home. The unwanted flow of warm, moist air can lead to moisture within your home’s walls and roof, causing structural damage. Building tight can alleviate that potential problem. You’ll also need to ventilate right. We’ll discuss ventilation systems in a future episode. Today, we’ll concentrate one of the first steps needed to build a tight house, which is adding a continuous air barrier to your house to reduce air leakage.
The Zip system by Huber Engineered Woods is a continuous air barrier that many contractors are using to build tight houses. Most of them agree that the Zip System outperforms traditional building methods using house wrap. Today, I’ll review Huber’s Zip System. I’m not affiliated with the product or company, and have no personal experience with it, but I’ve noticed that over the past several years quality builders in my region consistently choose the Zip system over traditional methods, like house wrap. Plus I’ve read many contractors’ forums and home building websites for a consensus on the Zip System.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
We’ve made it to episode 45 of Build House Yourself University (BYHYU). I’m Michelle Nelson, your host and fellow student, and together we’ll learn the basics of home design and construction and demystify the building process, so you can build your dream home, with or without a general contractor.
So, what exactly is a Zero Energy Home? To quote the folks at zero energy project. org, “Zero energy homes are just like any home—except better.” They are air-tight, well-insulated, and extremely energy efficient homes that produce as much energy as they use, over the course of a year. That means that for heating and cooling, electricity, and water heating, your net payment to the power company would be zero, zilch, nothing! You’d have no net utility bills with a zero energy house.
Zero energy houses also have very little negative impact on the environment. If all that sounds good to you, but you’re weary of looking into a zero energy house because you think that it has to be a super modern, minimalist white box of a house, think again.
These houses can be built in a variety of sizes and styles and for any climate. If you want a zero energy house that looks very unique and unconventional, that’s fine. But, you can also build a zero energy house that looks like any other home—like a traditional colonial or craftsman, or a Mediterranean or bungalow. You could build a large estate house or a tiny house, or something in between, and you could make any one of those a zero energy house.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
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Deciding whether to choose a heat pump or a standard heating system and air conditioner for your new home will significantly affect your family’s comfort and your utility bills. That’s why it’s so important to be an informed consumer. Today’s mini lesson will give you a good foundation for understanding heat pumps, including the commonly used air-source heat pumps, geothermal systems and mini split systems. It’s a complex subject and you can get much more detailed information online or in books. But my goal today is to give you enough knowledge so you partner with your HVAC (heating ventilation and air conditioning) consultant to determine whether a heat pump is the right choice for you.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
The mudroom is one of the most utilized rooms the entire house. It gets used daily by most family members, but it’s often designed only as an after thought. The mudroom is the family foyer. It’s an area where you prepare to face the day and where you’re welcomed back home. Plus, it’s a place that will serve as the entrance for more than a few guests as they follow you from the garage into your house. So today’s episode will discuss some design features that you may not have thought about, but that you should definitely consider, when planning your mudroom. Yes, we’ll talk about cubbies, lockers and benches, but we’ll focus on some practical and unexpected things that you can include that will make your mudroom more functional and more attractive.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
This week we have our second mini lesson on windows. Last week we went over the different window styles. If you don’t know the difference between a single hung and a double hung window or what a casement window is, take a listen to last week’s show, episode 41.
Today we’ll learn about the energy efficiency of windows. A window's energy efficiency is dependent upon all of its components—the window frame, the glazing and the coatings. We’ll talk specifically about each of those components, including the different materials used for the frames, double and triple glazed windows and low E windows.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Windows are one the few features that affect the appearance of both the inside and outside of your home. They also majorly affect your home’s overall comfort and energy efficiency. Windows provide natural light, ventilation, and views of your surroundings. Choosing the right windows for your new home is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. This week’s mini lesson will be the first of a short series we’ll do on windows. Today we’ll cover the different window styles and some quick tips to help you with your home’s window design.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
Because we go over so much information from week to week, it’s important to review that information to increase our chances of retaining it. So, this week we have a semester exam. I’ll ask questions based on the mini lessons and interviews from episodes 21 to 39. The questions and answers will serve as a review of some important points that you should have learned from each episode.
Show notes at BYHYU.com
A couple of weeks ago, I was interviewed by someone who was writing an article for realtor.com. She wanted me to talk about what I call practical luxury. What I mean by practical luxury is something that’s an indulgence, not a necessity, but that you and your family will actually use on a pretty regular basis. Gone are the days when the typical homeowners are adding luxurious features to their homes simply for bragging rights, or to keep up with the Jones.
This week we’ll talk about 2 practical indulgences for your master bathroom that, for most people, are totally worth the splurge. We’ll cover radiant heated floors and bidet toilet seats. These features will not only make your bathroom more luxurious, but they can add value to your home and make it stand out among other homes on the market, if you ever decide to sell. Practical luxury is a current trend that I believe will continue to be important in new homes for many years to come.
Show notes at BYHYU.com