CAT | Owner-Builder
Last week I attended a class on green building and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) here on Maui. Part of the class focused on preparing for the LEED test to be able to tell people I’m an expert. Well not exactly an expert…let’s just say more knowledgeable than the average joe. You may […]
Your Dream Home: How to Make it a Reality
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder
This guest post is by Miguel Salcido. Building your dream home takes time, money and courage. Not everyone is prepared for the amount of work, planning and time it takes to make your dream into a reality. That said, it is entirely possible, and it starts from the ground up. House plans are the life […]
Your Home Foundation: Frost Protection
3 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder, Quality Check
The recent photo above shows a newly excavated hole for a new home foundation being built in a cold weather climate. The vinyl materials on the ground are insulating blankets used for frost protection when building in freezing temperatures. These blankets are placed in the spread footing locations immediately after digging the hole to help […]
Tips for a Dry Basement
1 Comment | Posted by armchairbuilder in Basement Finish, Owner-Builder, Quality Check
As a builder, people are always asking me…what’s the best way to guarantee a dry basement? Sure, you can start with a very good waterproofing on the exterior of the basement wall. But what about the foundation drainage system? How can I be sure that it will work during those heavy rain storms? What can […]
Radon Gas…The Silent Killer
1 Comment | Posted by armchairbuilder in Basement Finish, Fix it!, Owner-Builder, Save Money
January is National Radon Gas Action Month so it would be appropriate for us to talk about how it can affect you and your family. You can’t feel, see, or smell it. Silent but deadly, radon gas is known to be the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. It comes from […]
Tips for Removing a Wall to Open Up Your Home, Part II
1 Comment | Posted by armchairbuilder in Cool Design, Owner-Builder
Is your New Year’s resolution to entertain more? If so, you may decide that removing a wall is a good way to make your space more inviting. In our last post, we talked about how you can really open up a space by just removing a wall. We presented the general steps to remove a wall […]
Tips for Removing a Wall to Open up Your Home
1 Comment | Posted by armchairbuilder in Cool Design, Owner-Builder
One of our readers asked us to put together an article covering tips for removing a wall to open up a room. So let’s say you’ve decided to open up the living space in your home. You have determined that by removing a wall between the kitchen and the great room, you will be able […]
Insurance During and After Construction
4 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder
As an owner-builder, you want to make sure you have insurance coverage for your new project both during and after construction. This insurance should protect you in case of fire and weather damage, theft and accidental injury. There are several different types of insurance available to protect you…let’s take a look at each. General liability […]
The Ultimate Man Cave…Maui Style
3 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Cool Design, Owner-Builder
What do you do if you can’t agree on a price with your general contractor to build your man cave? You build it yourself…duh. That’s exactly what Eric Newman did for his new project on Maui. Rather than pay the sometimes exorbitant prices for building on Maui, Mr. Newman decided he would take the project […]
What is Stormwater Management?
1 Comment | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder
What is stormwater management? You’ve decided to take on the role of the general contractor/armchair builder for your new building project. You have accepted the fact that you will be responsible for the overall project including hiring subcontractors, scheduling the work, and managing the budget. But what about complying with EPA regulations? Who will be responsible […]
