Everyone loves a great deal. From finding a highly sought after item on sale to receiving better service without paying more, American consumers appreciate the value in getting more for less. Anyone buying a new home right now is getting a great value. Most material costs have risen dramatically over the last twelve months, yet the cost of a new home has either fallen or remained steady in most markets.
Commodity prices, shipping costs, energy costs, insurance premiums, and other cost drivers have risen in double digit fashion. In order to survive in the current market, efficiency has become the path to survival. New technologies must be embraced and properly executed. In many cases, this will improve the overall quality of the projects.
Specifications and building timelines have tightened dramatically as expectations for what is produced has climbed. The buildings being constructed today are more energy efficient, safer, and require less maintenance than any time in our country’s history. Yet, the cost of a newly constructed home is at its lowest level in half a decade.
Due to the prolonged new home market correction, a cleansing has occurred in the market place. The better builders, subcontractors, and tradespeople have survived. Therefore, now more than ever you have the best chance of having the best craftspeople working on your new home project. The project should go more smoothly at this time and should be constructed well above industry standards if a reputable builder is chosen for the job.
If the time works for you financially and logistically, there really isn’t a downside to building now. Waiting to build; now that’s where I see the risk. There are quite a few people out there planning to build once their homes sell. As the market turns, these homes will inevitably sell, and the demand for building new is going to rise at a rapid rate. As the demand grows, the pricing should finally grow to account for the increased costs that have been building over the last couple years.
The level of quality will also not be where it is now. As I mentioned, the best of the best in the trades are working right now. As demand grows, the less experienced and lower quality tradespeople will be added back into the mix.
In terms of value, it really is a great time to build a home!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
What I Learned on my Spring Vacation...
I am just trying to decompress from my trip home from Austin, Texas. I was away on Easter break with my three sons and wife. Like most passionate construction professionals, I am always intrigued to see how our building practices in Southeastern Wisconsin compare to other areas of the country.
We were fortunate to stay in a nice development built by a leading national builder. It is about two to three years old in what is known as Texas Hill Country, just on the shores of Lake Travis. The mixed use community consisted of multi-unit condos, cottages, and million dollar estates. Overall, my first impression was positive as we drove through the luxurious complex. It was obvious that the designs were put together by excellent planners and architects. Everything from flow patterns and colors to the natural landscaping all worked together to create a true Texas feel.
The developers obviously had great expectations with planned kayak marinas, a camping area, numerous walking and hiking trails, and other amenities. Most were started, but it appears that as sales slowed, so did the capital expenditures needed to complete these projects. Most will not suffer from neglect, but it brought into question when they will ever get completed per the original lofty plans. I also caught glimpses of this in the construction of the condo type units.
I viewed a number of buildings in various forms of construction. It was not that the structural integrity of the buildings was compromised, but more the fit and finish. For instance, the decks were built of high-end composite decking. However, the floor joists were not level and a hump lifted the deck by 3/8 of an inch or more. This difference was just short of creating a tripping hazard. The pre-manufactured box cabinets in our master bath had poorly done miters which left gaps at the base. The poorly executed caulking left infiltration points for ants and other insects in many areas. So while my breath was taken away by the woodwork, granite, and furnishings, the longer I stayed, the more it felt like something was lacking.
As the current downturn in the housing economy persists, I hope the consumer educates themselves and learns about the difference between just doing the job to the minimum versus really following through on the details. Even with licensed contractor requirements or required inspections, it will still always be the general contractor’s responsibility to insist on perfection.
I truly believe that the contractors with a dedication to building a flawless product will be the ones that endure through the current dip in our economy.
I have heard that many contractors in our area have been choosing to switch subcontractors in an effort to save money. We all know you most always get what you pay for and this has had an effect on the overall quality of the homes being built. In order to build a home that will yield homeowner satisfaction for years to come, contractors cannot compromise quality through the building process. Following these principles will also help to ensure that the value of the homes appreciate over time.
We were fortunate to stay in a nice development built by a leading national builder. It is about two to three years old in what is known as Texas Hill Country, just on the shores of Lake Travis. The mixed use community consisted of multi-unit condos, cottages, and million dollar estates. Overall, my first impression was positive as we drove through the luxurious complex. It was obvious that the designs were put together by excellent planners and architects. Everything from flow patterns and colors to the natural landscaping all worked together to create a true Texas feel.
The developers obviously had great expectations with planned kayak marinas, a camping area, numerous walking and hiking trails, and other amenities. Most were started, but it appears that as sales slowed, so did the capital expenditures needed to complete these projects. Most will not suffer from neglect, but it brought into question when they will ever get completed per the original lofty plans. I also caught glimpses of this in the construction of the condo type units.
I viewed a number of buildings in various forms of construction. It was not that the structural integrity of the buildings was compromised, but more the fit and finish. For instance, the decks were built of high-end composite decking. However, the floor joists were not level and a hump lifted the deck by 3/8 of an inch or more. This difference was just short of creating a tripping hazard. The pre-manufactured box cabinets in our master bath had poorly done miters which left gaps at the base. The poorly executed caulking left infiltration points for ants and other insects in many areas. So while my breath was taken away by the woodwork, granite, and furnishings, the longer I stayed, the more it felt like something was lacking.
As the current downturn in the housing economy persists, I hope the consumer educates themselves and learns about the difference between just doing the job to the minimum versus really following through on the details. Even with licensed contractor requirements or required inspections, it will still always be the general contractor’s responsibility to insist on perfection.
I truly believe that the contractors with a dedication to building a flawless product will be the ones that endure through the current dip in our economy.
I have heard that many contractors in our area have been choosing to switch subcontractors in an effort to save money. We all know you most always get what you pay for and this has had an effect on the overall quality of the homes being built. In order to build a home that will yield homeowner satisfaction for years to come, contractors cannot compromise quality through the building process. Following these principles will also help to ensure that the value of the homes appreciate over time.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Concrete Garage Floor Maintenance in Cold Climates
Wednesday’s record snowfall here in southeastern Wisconsin is just adding to the weather challenges we have faced this winter. The January Tornado, sub zero temperature runs, and the copious amounts of snow and ice have been trying for everyone in this region. Like most people we just want to survive the winter and make it to spring. When we get to spring it has become ritual to inspect the yard, trees, home exterior, garage and driveway to see what effects Mother Nature’s fury has dealt. One area most people are disappointed in is the state in which their concrete work is in.
Our municipalities have been very successful in maintaining safe roadways. The way they did this was to attack the snow and ice with different chemical de-icing products. The most aggressive products are used when the temperature gets below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. These products are very corrosive to concrete and have already started to cause damage to area bridges and over passes. Residential concrete flatwork is susceptible to this same corrosive chemical damage.
When you pull your vehicle into your garage and the snow melt drops off of your car it can do extreme damage to your concrete garage floor. The tiny pores in the concrete act as a tunnel to allow the water-chemical mix to infiltrate the surface. The use of liquid magnesium and calcium chloride to de-ice the streets when the temperatures dove below twenty degrees increases the number of freeze thaw cycles the surface must contend. This, combined with the corrosive properties of the chemicals, create a damaging combination for concrete surfaces.
All of this is now complicated by the fact that due to a de-icing shortage the municipalities have gone to mixing sand with the solid forms of calcium chloride to help extend their supply. The combination will only cause even greater damage to concrete due to the abrasiveness of the sand. It is important for homeowners to be proactive and clean their garage floors and driveways whenever weather permits. This will help to decrease the delaminating effects of these chemicals. The maintenance with their concrete is no different than having to rake their roofs to alleviate ice damming issues. Most people can comprehend the importance of painting or staining wood to protect it from the elements. They even realize they should paint steel so it does not corrode. However, it seems hard for home owners to understand that concrete, as a building material, also needs to be protected. It needs to be sealed to stop the infiltration of chemicals such as deicing salts. If the floor is sealed per manufacturer’s recommendation and cleaned periodically it will keep its luster for years to come.
Our municipalities have been very successful in maintaining safe roadways. The way they did this was to attack the snow and ice with different chemical de-icing products. The most aggressive products are used when the temperature gets below 20 degrees Fahrenheit. These products are very corrosive to concrete and have already started to cause damage to area bridges and over passes. Residential concrete flatwork is susceptible to this same corrosive chemical damage.
When you pull your vehicle into your garage and the snow melt drops off of your car it can do extreme damage to your concrete garage floor. The tiny pores in the concrete act as a tunnel to allow the water-chemical mix to infiltrate the surface. The use of liquid magnesium and calcium chloride to de-ice the streets when the temperatures dove below twenty degrees increases the number of freeze thaw cycles the surface must contend. This, combined with the corrosive properties of the chemicals, create a damaging combination for concrete surfaces.
All of this is now complicated by the fact that due to a de-icing shortage the municipalities have gone to mixing sand with the solid forms of calcium chloride to help extend their supply. The combination will only cause even greater damage to concrete due to the abrasiveness of the sand. It is important for homeowners to be proactive and clean their garage floors and driveways whenever weather permits. This will help to decrease the delaminating effects of these chemicals. The maintenance with their concrete is no different than having to rake their roofs to alleviate ice damming issues. Most people can comprehend the importance of painting or staining wood to protect it from the elements. They even realize they should paint steel so it does not corrode. However, it seems hard for home owners to understand that concrete, as a building material, also needs to be protected. It needs to be sealed to stop the infiltration of chemicals such as deicing salts. If the floor is sealed per manufacturer’s recommendation and cleaned periodically it will keep its luster for years to come.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
The Green Movement
2007 will be the year when people of every nation finally had a moment of enlightenment. The world figured out that the resources of this earth are finite and before we use them up as a society we have to change our ways. Each country is coming to grips with how they will cope with this realization. In the United States, part of what we plan on doing is to move to products and processes in our daily lives that are sustainable. Home construction and remodeling will play a significant role in this.
Even though we know this has to happen the economics of it will not bring about this giant idealistic change as quickly as most hope. In fact it will be done very slowly and take more time than anyone hoped or could foresee. Most of the new construction today already uses very sustainable practices and products. For instance our concrete construction company has been using fly ash, which is a recycled by product from coal fired power plants for decades as a replacement for cement in our concrete mix designs. The fly ash adds to the workability and strength of our concrete and is less costly. The economics for us work out.
On the other hand, we have used insulated concrete forms to construct above grade building envelopes in lieu of wood framing.
The green advantages include the following:
- Energy Savings
- Very Sound Proof
- Low Air Infiltration
- Materials Used Are Comprised Heavily Of Recycled Content
These all help to reduce our carbon footprint on the earth.
However, the product cost, use of lumber to hold the forms in place when pouring , and the additional labor involved to do the project right economically offsets those advantages. Until products such as these evolve to make economic sense and the comfort level of suppliers and professionals are raised, we will not take the strides necessary to meet our objectives as a world community.
It is going to be a long and difficult journey to change the direction we have been headed but there is no alternative. If we want to leave this planet exactly as it was when we where brought into this life we have to be leaders and not look the other way. The more people adapt and embrace new products such as the fly ash or ICF technologies, the more realistic a goal of the earth providing a sustainable environment for generations to come. I know our company is on board.
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