Housing prices, as measured by the Case Shiller Index, have increased every month for twelve months in a row. In January, they were 8% higher year-over-year, which is the biggest year-on-year increase in housing prices since 2006. Not only that, the increase in home value is spread across all twenty cities that the Case Shiller […]
How to Install Flex Duct Properly
Allison A. Bailes III has spent a lot of time writing about duct problems, specifically the problems with flex duct and has even gone so far as to question whether or not flex duct should be banned. This criticism has brought threats from at least one large duct company, but the Air Diffusion Council’s executive […]
Vented Crawl Spaces and the Psychrometric Chart Are Not Friends
In 2002, Advanced Energy published a research project that proved that closed crawl spaces outperform vented crawl spaces. This should have killed any argument over what type of crawl space should be preferred and the psychrometric chart shows that there should never have been a choice between the two. Essentially, for those unfamiliar with psychrometrics, […]
Scent in Architecture
One juror of Custom Home’s 2013 Residential Architect Design Awards commented that one of the houses submitted looked like it smelled like leather. This resonated with the article’s author as she realized that, yes indeed, the house did look as if it smelled of leather. In a good way. This recalled the subtle importance of […]
Time to Deal with Crabgrass!
An unfortunate side effect of crabgrass is its tendency to efficiently perpetuate itself in the form of thousands of dormant crabgrass seeds lying in your lawn and waiting to make an appearance in the summer. This makes spring a crucial time in the war on crabgrass, in that it is the best time to prevent […]
Low-Maintenance Landscaping Ideas
If, like this article’s author, you are really interested in having a nice looking yard and garden and love to putz around in the dirt, but don’t have enough time to dedicate to the average yard to keep it in pristine shape, these tips may be useful. These are six ideas for a great lawn […]
Single-Family Built-for-Rent Market
While the market has been fluctuating recently, the number of single-family homes that are built strictly for rental purposes has ultimately remained higher than the historical norms. That isn’t to say they are becoming common, it is still a niche market, but rental demand is increasing. The Census Bureau’s Quarterly Starts and Completions by Purpose […]
Home Remodeling: Splurge or Save?
A big question for homeowners when considering a remodel, generally of their kitchen or bathroom, is on which features should they spend money and what areas can they be thriftier. An important part of a home renovation is determining how you view the house. Is the house a place to spend the rest of your […]
Hardwood Flooring Gains in Home Remodeling Design Trends
Catalina Research, which does studies for the Floor Cover Institute as well as the National Wood Flooring Association, has reported that hardwood flooring has increased among the floor coverings category of home remodeling in the last year. Bruce Sprenger, who owns the home building firm Destiny Homes, has reported that premium residential clients have been […]
Create Enviable Interiors with Green Design Schemes
According to Leatrice Eiseman, the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, green is the most abundant hue found in nature and so the eye sees more green than any other color in the spectrum. Color expert Angela Wright claims that green’s position in the middle of the spectrum makes it a restful color because […]