What is Drain Tile?
3 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Fix it!, Great Products, Owner-Builder, Quality Check
Drain tile is one of those terms we hear a lot when talking about foundations. But what the heck is it? Is there really any tile in drain tile? If you have a wet basement that needs to be repaired or plan to start a new building project soon, you should familiarize yourself with the […]
The Cost for Kitchen Updates
0 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Great Products, Kitchen Remodel, Save Money
What is the typical cost for kitchen updates? If it’s time to remodel your kitchen and you want to know what the costs would be, you have come to the right place. In this article we will discuss the cost range for each option for your remodel. For the purpose of comparison and to make […]
Build Your Own Home…Is it Possible?
2 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder, Save Money
…… Can you really build your own home or addition? But don’t you need a license? These are two of the more frequent questions I get from friends as a professional builder. The quick answer is yes and no. But if you are serious about wanting to build your own home or addition, we should […]
Owner Building: Risks vs. Rewards
3 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder
Owner building isn’t for everyone. As with anything worth doing in life, there are risks and rewards associated with it. Having built hundreds of homes for other people, while also being an advocate for owner building, I’m a reasonably good candidate to give you the major good and bad points to think about when deciding […]
One of our readers asked the other day where the biggest air leaks typically occur in a home. From my experience, one of the most overlooked places in a home for air leaks is the exterior door. Most homes have at least two exterior swing doors so it’s imperative that we keep them adjusted properly. […]
Owner Builder: What Does it Really Mean?
6 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder, Save Money
Owner Builder Defined You may have heard the term owner builder tossed around but you’re not really sure what it means. Since Armchair Builder is about helping people save money by becoming owner builders, let us give you our best definition. An owner builder is anyone who decides to take control of their building and […]
Every now and then someone asks me…why build green? This is one of those questions where you have to decide whether to give the long or the short answer. There are so many positive things that come out of green building that pay both the homeowner and the environment back with huge dividends. But one […]
Home Building Process: Project Planning
3 Comments | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder
The home building process can be complicated. It involves a great deal of planning and design prior to digging the hole for the foundation. By getting the key players involved early on, your project will be built exactly how you want it and will provide years of trouble free enjoyment. Here are some tips for […]
Green Building: Changing Attitudes
1 Comment | Posted by armchairbuilder in Build Your Own Home, Owner-Builder
I was in a green building seminar this past week and one of the people attending mentioned that changing the building industry is like trying to turn a cruise ship. It’s an overused cliche…but VERY true. The one thing you’ll find if you are building a new cutting edge project is that certain subcontractors don’t […]
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 […]
