Home Remodeling
Why Green Your Home Remodel?
Brock Builders HealthyBuilt Home
While remodeling your existing home as opposed to buying a new one may save you money and produce exactly what you want, incorporating green features and practices into the process may generate an even higher ROI.
A great place to start is to consult a custom home builder who also has experience in building green and HealthyBuilt Homes. At Brock Builders we are often able to incorporate green features with little change to the budget, but that also save the homeowner money over time.
Popularity Means Better Pricing
Many home remodeling fads cycle out rather quickly, but “greening” a remodel is a trend that’s here to stay. Popularity is so widespread in fact, that incorporating green features into your home will cost you less today than ever. Plus added incentives like government tax credits, longer product life-spans and long-term reductions in energy use are converting more homeowners every day.
Greater Availability and Design Options
With increased availability also comes a wider range of design options. In the past, green home features may have been thought of as “thrifty” or aesthetically unappealing, but today green home features can be luxurious, stylish, even cutting edge. And in the Asheville area, all levels of green remodels are taking place.
Community Benefit
If you are still unsure of whether or not your home remodel should be a little greener, consider the community impact. Using greener practices doesn’t just benefit your family, but also the builders, painters and all contractors who are hired to help make your dream home a reality.
Brock Builders has green home building and remodeling experience, plus the Certification to remodel older homes that may contain lead paint that became required by law earlier this year. Please contact us if you would like to discuss the options for “greening” your home.
Tips for a Successful Remodel
Raised Ceiling Remodel With Spray Foam Insulation
Working with an experienced and well-respected builder can help ensure that things go as smoothly as possible. But before the work begins on your home remodel there are still a few points to clarify with your custom home builder to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Weekly Check-Ins
Establishing the expectation of holding weekly meetings will keep you up-to-date. Your home builder has eyes on every aspect of your home remodel. Spending just a few minutes together each week will keep you in the loop on all progress.
Nominate a Decision Maker
In cases where a critical decision must be made without notice, your builder needs to know which of you to approach, and how to reach you. Typically, one member of the family has final say in matters of design or even price. Knowing who that is, will save valuable time and help things to get done right the first time.
Photograph Everything Beforehand
Taking pictures of your entire home’s existing condition before a remodel can ensure that everyone is on the same page after completion. While going back over things after the fact could uncover a crack or flaw that may or may not have been there previously, the pictures will give everyone a reference point.
Map Things Out
Messes are made when things have no place to go. The same goes for a construction site. Designate where delivery trucks should park, where tools can be stored and which areas are off-limits to workers.
Set Standards for Cleanliness
Reputable home builders like Brock will take careful measure to protect areas of the property you may not have considered, like the landscaping. They will also have end-of-day clean-up procedures and take care in practicing dust-containment procedures.
Keep Children and Pets Safe
A construction site is not where you want to find your child or pet. Make arrangements to keep entrances to construction zones off-limits for your little loved ones.
Top Five Reasons for a Bathroom Remodel
Natural Stone Shower
If you’re considering renovating your home, you may want to include that master bath remodel you’ve been dreaming of for years. Bathroom remodels don’t just deliver the calming, relaxing space you always wanted; they are also surefire ways to add equity to your home.
Smart Investment
Though the housing market is continuing to the mend, bathroom remodels still prove smart investments. Many homeowners are even choosing to add or remodel bathrooms to their existing home in favor of selling. After all, the average bathroom remodel can produce a 71% ROI.
Smaller is Better
Smaller homes with smarter use of space are becoming all the rage in home design, making the incorporation of extra bathrooms in your current home an easier feat, as there will be fewer square feet acquired by the new bathrooms. Even renovating your master bath can be much less stressful if you are less concerned about square footage and more concerned about the use of natural materials and addition of smart storage.
Smaller is Sustainable
Smaller bathrooms require simpler sinks, tubs and fixtures so as not to overwhelm the space. In terms of tubs, simpler tends to also mean smaller, which will save money and water. There is also more emphasis on the use of eco-friendly toilets, showerheads and faucets.
Sharing is Caring
Another popular bathroom trend is isolating the toilet in a separate water closet. This makes the bath and vanity space useful even when the toilet is occupied.
Earth Tones Add Warmth
With the incorporation of more eco-friendly materials throughout the home, earth toned stone flooring is becoming an increasingly popular choice in bathrooms. Small, sterile bathrooms can feel cold and uninviting, but the use of warm hues and natural stone can make the space feel warm and spa-like, no matter the size.
Certified Renovators of Homes with Lead Paint
Blueprints for a Home Remodel
If you’ve been thinking of renovating an older home to better suit your family’s needs, you will want to verify that your home renovator is certified to work in a space that may contain lead paint. In 2008 the EPA mandated that builders would have two years to complete extensive safety and procedural training to handle environments with lead paint.
Safety First
The reason for these new laws revolves around the safety of the home owners, workers and anyone who may have cause to be in the house. You see, when renovating a home, common practices such as sanding, cutting and demolition can create dangerous dust and chips which are harmful to anyone exposed to them.
EPA’s Requirement
This new law states that as of April of this year, any contactors hired to work in a manner that would disturb old lead-based paint in a home, child care facility or school built before 1978 must have undergone required certification training.
Protective Procedures
Certified builders must maintain the following procedures:
- Contain work area
- Minimize dust
- Clean up thoroughly
Brock Builders has completed the proper training and is a Certified Renovator of Homes with Lead Paint. For more information about protective measures while working in homes that may contain lead paint, please visit the EPA website.
10 Must-Have Features for Your Home
Attractive Stone Flooring, A Design Favorite
The global economy has greatly influenced home design, giving life to some unexpected trends. Consumers are building and buying homes that are smaller, smarter and greener; quite a contrast to the bigger-is-better, lavish-excess of recent years.
Whether you are planning to build a new home, buy or remodel, you should familiarize yourself with these emerging trends, which appear to be here to stay:
Energy Efficiency is Key, Smarter is Better
- ENERGY STAR Appliances—Stylish, up-to-date kitchen appliances can make a great impact on your home’s visual appeal. But even more importantly these days—they can also save you money. With energy tax credits and the money you’ll save over time on utility bills, adding energy efficient appliances to your new home has never been so important.
- Water Catchment Systems—Incorporating native, drought-resistant plants into your landscaping is great-looking and good for the planet. But did you know that you can make your yard even greener by installing a rainwater catchment system. Gutters deliver rainwater into insect and bacteria resistant barrels, which can later be used for watering gardens and several other non-drinking purposes.
- Energy Saving Building Includes—With utility costs on the rise, homeowners are looking for houses that are well insulated and sealed from the beginning. Drafty, leaky houses are costing too much to maintain, and using up too much energy to heat and cool.
- Tankless and Solar Water Heaters—Another way to quickly run up your monthly bills is by paying to much for those winter-defrosting hot baths. Solar heating systems make great, natural use of existing sunshine to heat your hot water, leaving you paying for just those not-so-sunny days.
- Natural Flooring—Bamboo, cork, wood and stone have long been favorite flooring choices of interior designers, but did you know that they also help create a healthier, chemical-free environment in your home.
- Outdoor Rooms—With rarely used, formal living rooms becoming a thing of the past, outdoor living and dining spaces are quickly taking over. Some popular features include large, space-heating stone ovens, built-in seating made of natural materials and huge, welcoming dining tables.
- Smaller, Smarter Spaces—Bigger-is-better is a mindset of the past. Huge homes with extra rooms mean higher monthly bills, and lower spacial efficiency. Homeowners are instead choosing open and accommodating floorplans.
- Smarter Storage—Built-in kitchen islands, perfectly organized garages and tons of closets can help make better use of your square footage. Too little storage means clutter and large furniture pieces to accommodate closet overflow. But adding extra storage into your build means seamlessly making room for all of your belongings.
- Smart Home Systems—If you knew how much energy it was actually using, you may be more likely to turn that light off when you leave the room. Smart Home Systems not only allow you to heat and cool based on the times of day that someone is home, but they can also tell you just how much power is being used at a given time.
- Front and Side Porches—Outdoor spaces add square footage and traditional attractiveness to your home. Whether you’re enjoying a summer evening out front under a ceiling fan or rocking in a chair watching the sunrise, front and side porches enhance your home’s welcoming curbside appeal.
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