Architecture Blog

Worst Year in Home Building – There is Hope

18. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Construction

When 2011 ended, it was the third year in a row of awful single-family home construction. The 2011 year was actually the worst year ever. However, there was a glimmer of hope at the end of the year that signaled a possible recovery.

In December, home builders started building 657,000 homes across the U.S. The Commerce department said that building permits stayed the same and apartment construction, which was already dead, dropped even farther. The number of homes that single-family home builders broke ground on this year is half of what experts say is needed to be considered a healthy economy. the housing market is still many years away from a full recovery.

Single family home builders broke ground on over 428,000 homes in 2011, which is the fewest in the last 50 years. That’s pretty scary. Economists all say that the single family homes make up 70% of the market and are a key indicator of the housing market rebound. One thing that makes it hard is that new purchases are also down and are at a 50 year low. With the crackdown of the government on the lenders and banks, no one wants to give out any money. People that normally would be able to get a loan cannot because they do not have perfect credit. There is fear in the market, and there will be for a while.

Since many homeowners walked away from their homes when things became impossible to afford, there are an overload of empty homes. These are homes are much cheaper for the buyer that building a new home – experts say about 30% cheaper. So many are looking at buying existing homes, since there are so many to choose from, rather than paying too much to build new.

Stonehenge – What Does It All Mean?

14. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Architecture

Stonehenge is a monument located in England. Experts say it was built sometime between 3,000 BC and 2,000 BC. Now that’s old! It’s prehistoric and one of the most famous sites in the world. But its just a bunch of rocks in a circle in the middle of nowhere. What could it possible mean?

Stonehenge is, in fact, a henge which means circular ditch. It has standing stones that are placed in the circle. Radiocarbon dating has been done on these stones and they are very old, and were placed there a long long time ago. Some archaeologists speculate that Stonehenge could have originally been used as burial ground. Remains have been found and have been verified to be some 500 years apart from each other. Stonehenge has had much speculation about what it really was. Some researchers say that because of the number of burial sites that have been found in the area, that it was a burial site and a place to come to meditate or worship.

Many believe that Stonehenge was a sort of dial that was aligned with the solstice. Since the 18th century, the horseshoe of great trilithons on the inside of the Stonehenge Monument and the horseshoe of 19 bluestones on the outer ring had their opening face the direction of the midsummer sunrise. Some came to the conclusion that the monument must have been deliberately placed so that on midsummer’s morning the sun rose directly over the Heel Stone, in the distance, and the first sunlight that shined on the center of the monument between horseshoe. The alignment also made it pretty clear that whoever built Stonehenge had to have astronomical knowledge relating to the sun’s path.

Researchers were also skeptical about the ability of men being able to lift and move such large heavy rocks into position. That hurdle was overcome when techniques were used to imitate how the people may have moved and stacked the enormous rocks.

Housing Crisis calls for Bending Banks

14. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Construction

With the downturn of the economy, specifically the housing market, many have tried to come up with ways to get “back on track”. Unemployment is high, and its hard to find a job. Many people cannot make their mortgage payments because they are overwhelmed with debt or they are out of work. We do want to put people back to work, and we want to get this economy going strong again. But how does this help people who don’t know where the next mortgage payment is coming from? Truth is, for the right here and now, it doesn’t

For years banks have been the facilitator of mortgage loans which make it possible for people to buy houses. Part of the reason we are in a housing slump is because these same banks allowed a whole lot of loans to be processed to people that were not fit for either the amount of the loan, or any loan. Once people cannot pay their mortgage, bad things happen. First, they stop taking care of the house because they are not sure how much longer they will be living in it. This negatively affects the neighborhood just by the bad visual the house now emits. Or worse, they could abandon the house. So now the neighborhood has to deal with a unkept house with no one living in it. Makes it almost impossible to sell.

Some now, are calling for the banks to bend to help the cause. They are asking the banks to become more lenient by lowering existing mortgage payments to reflect the new real time worth of the home. As we know, most homes are not worth as much as they were when they were purchased; especially homes purchased in the last ten years or so. Now, home owners are paying high mortgages for a home in which they will never regain the original value.

So far, no banks have really stepped up to the plate backing this concept. It does make sense though. If banks could find a way to recalculate a homes real time worth when moving toward foreclosure, they could lower the payment and keep the homeowner in the house. The alternative is to continue to see people leaving their homes abandoned and run down. The banks are then stuck with a house they really do not want and is worth far less to them. The homeowner loses, the bank loses, the neighborhood loses – we all lose.

First Energy Pays Millions in Lighting Rebate Incentives to Cleveland and Akron Area Businesses

10. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: News

January 3, 2012 – Hudson, OH – Companies and business owners across the country are going “green” in a whole new way by executing strategic energy reduction initiatives. These initiatives are benefiting companies’ profit margins as well as the environment. Throughout northeast Ohio, First Energy has issued millions of dollars in lighting rebate incentives to local businesses. And companies that have created sustainable environments are reducing carbon emissions.

Customers of Hudson-based ROI Energy have saved an estimated $1.2 million this year alone with lighting retrofits. Though future energy rates cannot be determined, ROI Energy’s clients can anticipate a savings of $12 million over the next ten years.

ROI Energy’s customers reduced carbon emissions in excess of 7,800 tons annually, which is equal to 1,422 cars taken off the road or 880,000 gallons of gasoline saved.

“The ability to reduce lighting energy costs by 50% in today’s economy while increasing light levels are the biggest benefits. Lucrative rebate incentive dollars paid directly to business and building owners along with the ability to deduct their entire energy reduction project the first year, are icing on the cake,” notes Bob Taussig, President of ROI Energy. “Presenting a turn-key energy savings package with an excellent return on investment to top management makes my job extremely rewarding.”

The “green” movement and taking steps to create sustainability is an important consideration for corporations and their customers. ROI Energy reports their lighting retrofit installations are up over 300% due to Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison lighting rebate incentives. First Energy provided millions of dollars directly to businesses who agreed to have lighting retrofit projects performed in 2011, in their effort to reduce energy use.

“Without exception, our customers with warehouses and manufacturing facilities were thrilled with the increase in light levels realized from their new, high bay T5 and T8 fixtures, at the same time reducing their energy costs by over 50% year after year, helping them to remain competitive,” comments Taussig.

ROI Energy Solutions, Inc. of Hudson specializes in providing turnkey lighting retrofit projects for Ohio area factories, warehouses and distribution centers. Their specialty is retrofitting (converting) industrial, 400 watt metal halide high bay lighting to energy efficient T-5 and T-8 high bay fixtures, typically providing twice the light using half the energy. More importantly, projects are installed without disrupting their customer’s production.

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Moisture on Windows Could Mean Trouble

06. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Glass

The windows in a home are very important. They provide a way to see outside, allow sunlight in and give the home a “lived-in” look. A house without windows would look – well, unnatural. Windows do, however, allow cold air in and heat to escape. One way to know if you may have a problem with your windows is when moisture forms on the inside.

Many years ago, windows were nothing more than holes in the wall. Down the road they were covered with animal hide to protect from the elements. Then came shutters which could be opened or closed. Finally came glass pieced together to allow light in. The Romans were the first to use glass.

Modern windows are known as double glazing or double paned and are made up of two pieces of glass. The glass is slightly separated and the gap is filled with air or gas for insulation. The spacer that separates the two pieces of glass is made of aluminum and foam, sealing the gas in. Over time the double pane window can become compromised allowing cold air and moisture to form on the inside of the window. This could result in a higher gas bill as cold draft will come into the house and heat will be able to absorb outward through the window. The only way to fix this problem once it occurs is to replace the windows.

Glass can now be made with lower-emissivity or low-e qualities through manufacturing which reduce the absorption of heat through the glass. This keeps the heat in a home or building making it more efficient. Low emissivity is actually low thermal emissivity and represents the quality of a surface that emits low levels of thermal energy.

So if you have windows with moisture on the inside, it might be time to replace those and look into the low-e glass that will not only keep the heat in, but will also save you money.

Glass Is All Around Us

06. January 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Glass

We use glass for a lot of things. It’s in our homes, our cars and in buildings. If you stop and think about it, we probably would not be able to live without glass. It lets light in, but keeps the cold out. It protects us from wind, and still allows us to see the world around us. Glass is everywhere in our world.

Glass is everywhere in our house. Many of the cups we drink from are made of glass. We have decorations in our house made from glass and light bulbs that are glass. Some houses even use glass for table tops or shelving. The windows in our house are glass. They keep us away from the cold and the heat. We also have glass in our shower doors. Some shower door glass is simple and thin, and some is fancy and thick. Sometimes the entire shower is made from glass, and sometimes just the door. The glass in showers is laminated so when it breaks the glass does not come apart. There is a thin layer of plastic that runs between two pieces of thin glass to make the finished glass piece. This prevents injury if the glass were to break.

Automobiles also have glass. They have windows and windshields made from glass. the glass in a car keep us safe from rain and debris. It also keeps us dry and away from the elements. Car windshields are also laminated and tempered. Tempered means that the glass has been strengthened through a heating process. When a windshield is hit with flying debris, it will not shatter. The glass will actually spiderweb and remain in tact.

Buildings also have glass. Architectural glass is specially tempered for strength and the glass is also designed to keep heat from passing though it. This allows a glass building to keep the heat of the sun out in the winter and keep the heat in during the winter. The way the glass is manufactured can really make an impact on the efficiency of the building.

Building a House for $1,000

30. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Construction

Houses aren’t cheap. And the ones that are, have a location usually on the bad side of town. What if a house could be built for a lot less – like a whole lot less. What if a house could be built for $1,000? Sound impossible? Well, MIT has created an 800 square foot house in China for less than $6,000 US money. That house has served as the prototype for a house that they want to design for $1,000.

The prototype house in called “Pinwheel House”. It can withstand an 8.0 hurricane. There are many skeptics of the $1,000 house concept. They say that house will not be equipped with the necessary items to give someone a healthy lifestyle. Apparently the house has no capacity for hot water. many believe that it is a good idea to build lower cost houses, but that this is going a little too far.

The Pinwheel House is constructed from hollow brick walls, reinforced with steel bars and bamboo. The whole idea of the house is to provide a very low cost house. A $1,000 house seems a little bit of a stretch, but the idea of pushing the limits to create this house initiates brainstorming and creation of new ways of looking at doing the same old tasks. The $6,000 prototype house was located in a remote location which added to the cost of building.

The MIT students involved in the project believe that this type of low cost housing can help a great number of people. The low-cost homes would be a great help to heavily populated poor areas and displaced families from catastrophic events. The $1,000 house project is currently looking for sponsors for continue.

Battling Foreclosure Process with Paper Confusion

29. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: News

Foreclosures are rampant throughout the United States. As people have lost jobs, gotten laid off, or been downsized, foreclosures keep rising. Most people fight to the end with the bank to try and get a reduced payment approved in order to stay in the home. That tactic usually fails, eventually. What is staggering, is the average time that it takes a foreclosure to actually go through from first missed payment to final foreclosure is much longer than you think.

The national average is at 674 days! Wow, that’s a long time. That’s almost two years. In other places it is as high as 1,053 days. According to one study, 40% of those who are delinquent on their mortgage have not paid a dime in over two years. The new game is basically paper confusion. People are now challenging the paperwork during the “robo-signing” scandal of 2010. Banks are being delayed on foreclosures for months and months over this because it takes time to review and investigate.

Another tactic being used by folks in foreclosure is to request the paperwork showing that the bank they are battling is the legal holder of the mortgage. This is not as easy as it seems for the bank. Most mortgagees are transferred electronically, and the paperwork can be very difficult to find. This has actually caused foreclosures to cease because the bank indeed could not find the paperwork. The home dwellers now have another chunk of time until the bank decides to try again.

It’s almost like a game of cat and mouse. Paperwork and requests for legal papers have allowed many people to remain in their homes for years. Whether you agree with the tactics or not, a couple things are true. The bank owns the house and wants its money. People will find ways to avert the system in order to provide for themselves and their families.

$8,000 vs $80,000 in the Housing Market – No Brainer

28. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: News

Unless you have been living under a rock you know that the economy isn’t very good. More specifically, the housing market is a mess and has taken a real beating for the last several years. Places like Vegas and Phoenix have become literal dens of abandonment. Large portions of entire allotments have empty houses. Houses that were once homes to families living very different lives. People have left their homes, and simply walked away. They cannot afford to live there anymore.

So now we have all of these empty homes that are not being paid for, have been neglected, and home owners who simply cannot afford to pay anymore. As unemployment rose, many people were losing their jobs because of closures, shutdowns and down sizing. Most people want to own a home and they want to be able to pay for it. Once you are jobless, it makes it pretty tough to continue.

There are ways that things can be turned around. The market has been showing signs of life. One example is the sheer numbers that people have to work with.

A few years ago, the government had a tax break that basically paid all first time home buyers $8,000 back. It was a real nice deal, and many people took advantage of this benefit. Come full circle – from that time until now, the interest rates have come down far enough that anyone can get a house and save. It has been reported that the savings on a $200,000 home from the difference in interest rate from the days of the $8,000 benefit to now reach about $80,000. So, when you compare $8,000 to $80,000 – there is no comparison. People ought to be lining up around block for this deal. They did for $8,000.

The problem is, people are uninformed. Everyone knows that interest rates are down. They just have not done the math to extract out what that means for them. Once people realize this, they cannot believe the numbers. Some real estate agents are latching on to this information and are running with it. Those who are, have reported some success. The $8k story was hyped by the media, so a lot of people heard, and many people acted. The $80k story of savings is not being talked about at all, for sure not in the media. It’s still exists, and it needs to be shared.

Through the Eyes of a Subcontractor

22. December 2011 · Write a comment · Categories: Construction

In the world of building every one is important. From the General Contractor all the way down to the smallest sub, everyone is vital to pulling off a project. So, how important can a bath accessory subcontractor be? Well, actually – pretty darn important. If a subcontractor wins the bid for their part of the work, they are awarded the job and are expected to show up during the project meetings and stay on track with their work.

The bath accessory sub provides quite a bit to the bathroom in a home or public restroom at a hotel or apartment complex. The small items they provide are the paper holder, towel bars or rings, shower rod and robe hooks. These items are relatively easy to install and take a minimal amount of time. The bigger items include the mirror, the medicine cabinet and the shower enclosure. In an apartment setting or public area, industrial paper towel dispensers, soap dispensers, seat cover dispensers, toilet paper holders, grab bars and bathroom partitions are also installed by the bath accessory sub.

A bath accessory company usually does not start work on a project until the very end. The only people who come in after them are the carpet subs, finish painters and cleanup crew. They do have to attend weekly meetings along with all the other subs. They also have to come in early to make sure the prep work and work around their area is done correctly so they can proceed when it is their time. Drywall subs, framers and counter subs quality of work is crucial to the bath accessory sub. Drywall cutouts need to be made for recessed medicine cabinets. If these are not done at the right time or location, delays interfere with the project timeline. Also, back splashes on counters need to be installed at the correct height as not to interfere with the mirror specifications.

A bath accessory sub can also make more money on a project by cutting their own glass for the mirrors and showers. Showers used laminated glass or “lam” for short. The lam comes in as big sheets that is then cut down to spec sizes by the sub. These pieces are then used to complete jobs depending on the size of the pieces needed for the shower. Other tempered glass which is reinforced and strengthened, is used to make the mirrors.