The doctor is still in
With the exception of me, not many people in the building industry still quote quality expert Dr. W. Edwards Deming. But then I have long been accused of being out of step with the accepted wisdom of home building — a label that I treasure. I had the extreme good fortune of getting to know Dr. Deming during my days as the one and only home building member of the Detroit Deming Study Group.
Larson Manufacturing
SecureElegance provides you the safety of the traditional "iron bar" storm door while exposing the beauty of the entry door. The "KeepSafe" laminated glass features a tough layer of polyvinyl butyral fused between two panes of tempered glass. If the outer glass is broken, the laminated interlayer remains intact.
Moisture Management
Building Science: Understanding Moisture Flow
In part three of the Building Science series, we examine moisture and moisture flow in buildings: where moisture comes from, sources of moisture, as well as problems and solutions associated with moisture and moisture flow
Build It Remotely
MB-3D remote project management's software program gives construction managers full control of construction projects without having to always be present on the site. This web-based, virtual desktop can manage CAD files, access online hard drive storage files, manage schedules and e-mail, provide remote viewing and inspections and facilitate video conferencing.
Building a Sense of Place
In Lancaster County, Pa., an hour's drive west of Philadelphia and bristling with suburban expansion, builders, regulators and the general public are recognizing that growth is inevitable and sensible planning is needed to address it. For decades the county sought to foster a local version of smart growth.
Financial Management - Part 4
Financial Management - Parts 1, 2, and 3 discussed the importance of setting up a solid accounting system to accurately measure what has happened in the past so better decisions can be made in the future. Previous articles in this series have also stressed the importance of long-term financial planning as well as setting business and personal goals.
The Payback on Panels
A way to build better and faster — what's not to like? Builders are finding there's a lot to like when building with advanced panel systems. Panelized wall systems are prefabricated building panels that form a structural "envelope" for the home, eliminating the need for conventional wood framing.
Light of Luxury
Generations ago, the Breyer family built a large estate outside of Philadelphia on the profits from countless gallons of ice cream. Area kids who "screamed for ice cream" years ago now clamor to own a luxury town house on the estate's last remaining acreage. Since the late 1980s, the site had been developed with mid-market town houses and mid-rise apartment projects.
Home on the Range
One of Destination Homes' models in the master-planned community of Daybreak — in South Jordan, Utah — hits buyers' hot buttons in a way that deserves scrutiny. Daybreak spans 4,126 acres within the western part of the Salt Lake Valley and is surrounded by the Oquirrh Mountains. What's unique about this community is that it is not a collection of miniature neighborhoods built by different builders.
Creative Coastal
If you own a small production building company and want to learn how to make a big splash in your market — against the competition of much larger firms — take a look at what Sabal Homes did with the Tradewind model at MiraBay, a master-planned community on the eastern shore of Tampa Bay, Fla.
