Looking to add energy-efficiency features to your cabin? Make sure you know the facts. This is courtesy of our friends at Country’s Best Cabins www.countrysbestcabins.com by Whitney Richardson Myth: Solar hot-water heaters can only produce so much hot water per day; it won’t fulfill my needs. Capturing enough solar energy to meet your hot-water demands is less an issue with the concept as it is with the design — namely what calculations were taken into account to determine the solar … [Read more...]
2012 IRC Code Change Update for Log Homes and More
Below is information from an engineer that we work with on many of our log home projects. This was posted in his newsletter recently and I thought it would be appropriate to share with our blog audience. Brian Sielaff is the owner of Tamarack Grove Engineering. As we begin to wind down the year and begin a new one so do we with building codes also. The new 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) and the 2012 International Building Code (IBC) are now finished and will begin adoption January … [Read more...]
Homebuilding Myths: The Three-Bid Rule
Below is an excerpt from a regular newsletter that Zac Koenig delivers to clients and industry contacts. He brings up very valid points about the tendency to select a provider based solely on the bottom of the estimate, the price, and not the compatibility, talents, and experience of the providers. With the complexities of a home, and in design, the huge array of talent, experience, level of detail in drawings, and interaction in the design phase you have to look at more, much more than the … [Read more...]
This month’s Sustainable Energy Sustainable Homes Seminar is:
From our friends at Renewable Energy Solutions and Green Remodeling in Boise: This month’s Sustainable Energy Sustainable Homes Seminar is: Introduction to Photovoltaics Thursday, March 8th, 7pm to 9pm U of I’s Integrated Design Lab 306 S. 6th – (6th & Broad) $10 at the door or $50 for the series Seminar topics: what is residential photovoltaics? PV characteristics and houses simple residential design rules-of-thumb residential PV systems and … [Read more...]
Ecologically Friendly Timber Frame Homes
Below is a guest post with some information about the sustainability benefits of a timber frame home. There are some valid green arguments that can be made, and with most products, a lot of shades of green. Enjoy. Photos by Gravitas. Timber frame homes combine beauty and function into one very green package. Although their appearance resembles that of their medieval European cousins, modern timber frame homes have little else in common with those venerable buildings. These are some of … [Read more...]
Troutner Homes in Boise
We are excited to hear that The Boise Architecture Project is taking up the cause of documenting and compiling information about the known Art Trounter homes in Boise. We posted a couple of articles a few years back about some of the Troutner homes we had the opportunity to visit. If you have any information about Troutner homes or projects that Art Trounter was involved with in Boise or the Treasure Valley please give us a shout or contact Doug StanWiens at the Boise Architecture Project. If … [Read more...]