Community: Project management

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2 Answers

Exterior foundation deterioration

I bought my home 10 years ago. The dining room was added to the original home, off of the kitchen. The outside concrete foundation on the dining room portion, outside exterior is starting to dust/crumble off, exposing the chicken wire mesh that was used under the concrete. It looks as though a poor grade of concrete was used, the rest of the house is in excellent shape.

Asked By Deborah Stueve | Jul 29 11

2 Answers

The KISS rule

This is really more of a rant than a question. Sorry. And this is not for homes only, but for commercial building, primarliy, which is what I work on as an architect.

Asked By Joe McNally | Mar 7 11

4 Answers

Looking for integrated design help in RI

I am acting as contractor on the renovation of my home in Rhode Island.
Major interior renovation, all new exterior, all new doors and windows, new roof.
I have become dis-satisfied with my architect's knowledge about such issues as insulation technology, passive cooling, etc.
I am looking for someone to take over the design of exterior wall details, door & window details and roof details as well as a whole-house heating and cooling plan.
Is there a national registry of design professionals in this field?
Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance for your help.

David

Asked By David Bettridge | Feb 19 11

7 Answers

How to tell if a contractor knows how to build air tight?

I've been reading a lot of the content in the blogs here and the recurring theme seems to be that the tighter you build the home the better the energy efficiency. However I've also seen indications of nightmares caused by homes having been improperly built thereby trapping in moisture and causing rot.

So my $10,000 question (hopefully not literally) is how do you determine if a contractor you're considering hiring really knows how to properly build an air tight home?

What questions should you ask?

Asked By Jay Hersh | Feb 10 11

13 Answers

For green building, start with a builder or an architect?

I'm considering building a green home, particularly with regards to energy efficiency. I anticipate having a lot of detailed drawings, because unfortunately many "green" techniques for framing, insulation, and moisture management seem to be new to people, and I don't want to leave things open to interpretation. My basic question is, should I try to find an experienced green builder first, or should I start with an architect? I've read that a prerequisite for a good design and well-built structure is a charrette with everyone involved, but who will likely be the leader?

Asked By Andrew | Dec 19 09

10 Answers

Divided by an Ocean

I will leave this parting thought behind, as my week long sojourn fades away. Back to the day job on Monday - but its been fun mingling amongst the folks at Green Building Advisor.

Asked By Brian O' Hanlon | Jul 24 10

4 Answers

Technology Maturity

Has anyone else experiences to share of technologies that started really basic and have improved over time? I recall Howard Liddell telling a story that in the 1970s, they sawed steel tar barrels in half to make solar collectors. It really was rough and ready back then.

Asked By Brian O' Hanlon | Jul 11 10

3 Answers

Architect & Builder for Passive Solar home in Charlotte, NC?

I recently purchased a vacant lot in Charlotte, NC that has good southern exposure. I am researching architects and builders that have experience with passive solar homes. I'm not finding many local people with a portfolio of existing jobs. My wife and I want to look at the professional's previous work to help us determine competence in passive solar techniques and to help determine whether our aesthetic visions are compatible. Ideally, I think it would be best for logistics and communications to find a local expert. Can anyone recommend some Charlotte-based people?

Asked By Brett Moyer | Dec 23 09

1 Answer

What kind of preparation is needed to install a tub surround in my basement?

My basement walls are foam concrete block that have seams every 16" for nailing into and we are putting a bathtub with a tub surround in. Plumbing was prepared for when we laid the basement floor, but we are not sure how to properly put the tub surround up against the wall. Right now we just have a layer of drywall against it-our plan originally didn't include the tub. The longest part of the tub will be back up against the basement wall as well as the short wall that doesn't have the plumbing.

Asked By Laurie Voss | May 19 10

2 Answers

How have other builders located the "green customer"?

I am curious to know how other builders are finding the committed "green" customer. We are a small construction company that has obviously been under all kinds of business/financial stress through these economic times. Several if not all projects right now focus on remodels/additions and have been mostly on a referral basis. It seems as if the market is calling for smaller, tightly built, energy efficient, local homes instead of energy efficient mountain monstrosities that we see all over our area.

Asked By ryan evanczyk | Oct 14 09

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