On the Wire - Building the Future
You probably don’t know this, but the way builders piece together homes has stayed basically the same for the last 150 years. Fine Homebuilding magazine’s editor, Kevin Ireton has heard it said that the way houses are built today is the equivalent of having all the parts of a car dumped in your driveway and then assembling your new car there.
Ireton says, while other building techniques and materials have been updated, house framing continues to be an antiquated procedure that desperately needs to change. The main reason is for increased energy efficiency. If you think about it, a home is a hollow structure that is riddled with “holes” from windows to doors to siding. It made sense over a century ago, before insulation, indoor plumbing and electrical wiring. Ireton says it no longer makes sense to build a structure and cram 150 years worth of progress into an ancient wall framing system.
Another issue is waste of resources. When a house is framed on site, weather is a big factor. If you take part of the process into pre-fabrication, you don’t need to worry about weather, so you don’t waste time, money or man-power. There is a notion that modular or pre-fab homes are not quality homes. Ireton says the opposite is true. In a factory setting, quality control can be closely monitored.
Ireton also suggests home builders look to the way office buildings are constructed today. The structure of the house and the insulation has been removed from all the mechanical systems and the interior walls, like plumbing, wiring, duct work. All of those components are usually housed in a drop ceiling. This makes it easy to access so that you can change it later.
Another idea that’s been around but just really starting to take hold, is insulated concrete form construction. This consists of foam blocks that are built up to create the outside wall of the house and then, inside the hollow foam block is poured concrete. The wall becomes the load-bearing part of the entire structure. The interior walls don’t hold up the house and they can be moved. Change your home from kid-friendly to empty nest in a matter of days.
To learn more about the future of home building, visit www.FineHomebuilding.com.
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Ask Tom & Leslie - Gasping for Air
This week's question comes to us from Richard. He says, "My toilet makes a bubbling sound! We have lived in our townhouse since it was built in 2000. For the past 6 months we have heard a bubbling noise from the first floor toilet. It occurs occasionally throughout the day. We have one other toilet in the house on the second floor but it does not make that same noise, in fact no other plumbing fixture makes this noise. I had a plumber come out to look at it and after charging us $90 for the visit and $20 for a new flapper, he said he felt it had to do with the venting. I have also noticed that whenever we do laundry the bubbling occurs."
Richard, that plumber owes you your money back as far as we're concerned! Everything you are describing is caused by a venting problem. There is not enough air in your plumbing system. The repair will involve installing an additional vent at a strategic point in waste pipe system. This vent will let enough air so that your plumbing system won't be gasping for air through your toilet. One additional word of advice, hire a different plumber this time!
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- The toll-free studio hot line is 1-888-MONEY PIT. Find out when we broadcast in your area by checking out our website at www.moneypit.com. Each week we take dozens of calls, give great advice and offer callers a chance to win a terrific prize awarded to one random caller to every show.
- Call when it's convenient for you, 24 hours a day, same number: 1-888-MONEY PIT. A live person takes your call 24/7! So -- WHENEVER you have a home improvement question -- phone it in. Simply tell our phone screener your first name, and where you're calling from...and ask your question. We’ll get back to you with the answer – or even call you back during the show!
- Click here to email your question to us. We may read your email on the air and we also respond personally to many of the email questions we get.
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On the Air - iPod, uPod, We Can All Pod!
iPod? uPod? We can all Pod together! Important Announcement for Podcast listeners: As you may know, The Money Pit is available for download to your iPod or other mp3 player. If you are already a Podcast subscriber, you will need to re-subscribe to the feed to receive current shows. To do so, simply click here and follow the instructions.
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Dot Common Sense - Keep it Cool
Visit www.Lowes.com for great tips to keep your home cool, while saving energy. As we head into the hottest part of the summer, one of the easiest and most cost effective things you can do is install an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat. When used properly, an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat can cut heating and cooling bills by $100 annually. A programmable thermostat can be set to keep your house at certain temperatures throughout the day. For example, cooler when you’re home, a little less cool while you’re at work. If you’re turning your AC completely off while you’re out, you’re actually wasting energy. All of your furniture, carpeting, drapes, etc absorbs heat. When you turn the AC on again, they all have to be cooled down again along with the air in your home. A programmable thermostat keeps your home at comfortable levels without having to continually adjust it manually. Go to www.Lowes.com for more tips!
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Fun Fact - The Main Problem
Avoid a major flood while you’re trying to figure out how to shut of your water main. The main water valve controls all flow of water into your house. It’s usually located on the lowest level of your home near the street. Know where it us. Then clearly label it and make sure everyone in the house knows how to turn it off. In case of any plumbing emergency, like a burst pipe, you’ll want to shut off the water main quickly to avoid wasting water and damaging your home.
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Short Cuts - Gather Ye Rosebuds
Here are a few quick tips for pruning rose bushes to keep them flowering all summer long:
- Remove stems damaged by insects, diseases or storms.
- Remove one of any two stems touching one another.
- Remove stems spindly or smaller in diameter a pencil.
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Copyright 2006 Squeaky Door Productions, Inc.
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