March 15th, 2021 | by Matt Hoots
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#Building Toys, #LEGO
My youngest son helped me around the house this weekend to earn some money. Of course, the money burned a hole in his pocket (he is 9), so he spent it at Target immediately. He was choosing between legos and some other toys. My rule is that I’ll pay half for certain items such as […] Read More »
March 9th, 2021 | by Matt Hoots
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#1920s Makeover, #Whole House Renovation
Old houses have lots of charm and patina; however, they also have issues due to decades of neglect. In this “1920’s Makeover,” we are working with some of our strategic partners at LG Squared. Together we will develop a design that preserves the charm while correcting building science mistakes. Design + Build team SawHorse owner […] Read More »
February 24th, 2021 | by Matt Hoots
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#eco-friendly lumber, #Lumber, #reusing lumber
The current pandemic along with increased demand for housing and lumber tariffs have created the perfect storm for contractors. Lumber costs have up significantly over the last year. While you cannot completely avoid the increase in costs, there is still a little hope. Here are some common-sense strategies that we use in our designs and […] Read More »
February 10th, 2021 | by Matt Hoots
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#Builders Show
I attended the International Builders Show last year in Las Vegas. They hosted over 1700 exhibitors to include ones from the Kitchen and Bath Show (KBIS). This year due to COVID-19, the show is online with just over 300 exhibitors. I remember hearing whispers about COVID-19 when I was at the show in Vegas last […] Read More »
February 7th, 2021 | by Matt Hoots
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#Electric Cooktop, #Induction Cooktop, #Infrared Cooktop
I created a video demonstrating how an induction cooktop works and shared it on LinkedIn, and the feedback was great. However, most of the comments had indicated that they had never heard of induction cooktops before. When I mention induction cooktops, most of my clients assume that I am talking about electric cooktops. While both […] Read More »
January 24th, 2021 | by Matt Hoots
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#Aluminum Cladding, #Fiberglass Windows, #Marvin Windows and Doors
Last year we recently posted a blog explaining the difference between different types of Marvin windows and doors. However, we did leave some questions unanswered. After watching a video that we posted on another site, one of our subscribers still had a few questions. Most of their questions were about the main differences between aluminum […] Read More »
May 18th, 2020 | by Matt Hoots
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#Earthcraft
Indoor Air Quality, aka “IAQ,” has received lots of attention recently. The world has just started exploring the quality of air and how to make it better. Green building programs have been aware of this for decades and have some good building science principles already in place. We don’t have to “reinvent the wheel.” Thought […] Read More »
November 15th, 2019 | by Matt Hoots
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#Geothermal HVAC, #Marvin Doors, #Marvin Windows, #Superior Walls
Most argue that green homes cost more without looking at the performance and value benefits. Studies have shown that green homes not only use less energy and water, they also sell for more. This home has high-performance systems and renewable energy, which helps the operating costs stay very low throughout the year. If you are […] Read More »