Green Building for Building Professionals

A few months ago I mentioned that I attended a green home seminar at the Home & Garden Show. Last week I was able to further my green building education by attending the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) University "Green Building for Building Professionals".

The course was offered here in Columbia through our local Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia and was attended by both local and out-of-state professionals in the home building industry.

The instructor for the course was Tom Stephani of Custom Construction Concepts Inc. of Crystal Lake, IL.



The main topics of the course included building science principles, site development and design, building envelope and durability, resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor air quality, remodeling considerations, effective operation and homeowner education, & marketing and selling green. Each of these topics was discussed in detail. Here are a few highlights I noted:

• The "whole house" approach means every system must be considered in relation to every other system in a house to build an efficient, more comfortable, safer, and more sustainable home.


• Energy efficiency is one of the biggest components of green homes under the NAHB Green Home Building Guidelines. A third-party review plan is required during construction to verify design and compliance of the energy efficiency guidelines.


• The typical household spends over $1,500 per year on energy bills. ENERGY STAR appliances can help homeowners save up to 30%.

And speaking of ENERGY STAR, a few stats:

1. ENERGY STAR clothes washers use 50% less energy
2. ENERGY STAR does not label clothes dryers because most dryers use similar amounts of energy.
3. ENERGY STAR refrigerators use at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards and 40% less energy than conventional models sold in 2001.
4. ENERGY STAR freezers use at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards.
5. ENERGY STAR dishwashers use 25% less energy

Hosted by the Green Building Council of the Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia, the Green Building course provided me with another level of compentence within this growing field of the building industry.

You can contact me at 803-260-7546 or by email to find out more about green building in the Columbia & Lexington areas of South Carolina.

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In Home Intercoms

In home intercom systems have come along way. There are many varieties on the market with varied bells & whistles. No longer does the main station in the kitchen or master bedroom have to be over powering on the wall. Along with the improvements in technology, the price of in home intercom systems has also lowered over the years.

As is usually the case, a great time to wire for components such as an intercom is during new construction while all the walls are open and accessible. We have had the Greyfox (now OnQ/Legrand) intercom system installed in several of our houses. This system, like many today, uses Cat5 wiring from a structured wiring panel to each room that will have an intercom station. The room stations themselves are only the size of a two-switch panel. The main station is the size of a three-switch panel. These small sizes and the traditional looking face plates allow the intercom to blend well on the wall along with your other electrical switches.

One of the best features of this intercom system is the monitor which allows any room station to be monitored from the rest of the house. This is great for a baby's room, when someone is sick in bed, or even for an elderly person that is not easily mobile.

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House Plan Design & Drawing

While things were slow for us earlier in the year, I took the opportunity to learn something new, something I've had an interest in for years - drawing house plans.

My goal was to become proficient enough to be able to design efficient house plans similiar to those provided by other local draftsmen. I have no intention of becoming an architect so if you need one I'd likely point you to our friend Pete at von ahn design. Thus far I've succeeded in my goal as I have drawn several plans, one of which I teamed with an engineer on and we are currently building. Another custom house plan which I drew for a client is on the schedule to begin construction in a matter of weeks.

Learning how to draw working house plans came pretty quickly for me for two reasons. First, I am drawing with a Computer Aided Design (CAD) software called SoftPlan. I was formerly a computer programmer and applications developer so I have a fair amount of computer-related experience working for me. Second, as a licensed builder, I get to see houses constructed in real life on our job sites. This gives me the insight to know of certain things that work well and others that don't at all. Not everything that is drawn on paper will work in the real world.

All this being said, everytime I work on a house plan I am learning new things. The learning never stops in the business of home design and construction. I think that's one thing that makes it fun... If you need your own house plan drawn, let me know and I'll be glad to assist you.

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Picture It

This may be the best (and quickest) way to show what we've been up to lately...

If any of these look like things you're interested in, let us know. Give me a call at 803-260-7546 or send me an email.

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Where we build

We often get asked where all we build. The short answer is the "Greater Columbia" area.

Our current projects are in Blythewood, Northeast Columbia, Lexington, and Lake Murray (Lexington side). In the past we've also worked in other areas of Columbia, Lake Murray (Chapin side), and even Saluda.

When we are building in neighborhoods, we try to be mindful of the current residents. One way this is done is with silt fencing. Silt fences are used to prevent erosion and runoff from a property. They help our lot and any adjoining lots. Silt fences also help create a visual barrier for our trade contractors and suppliers to keep them on our lot.

When allowed, we post Master Plan Homes Inc. signage on the property along with the building permit so our suppliers, trade contractors, and inspectors can easily identify the lot.



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Lighting Allowances

What is a good lighting allowance?


The answer varies... The size of the house obviously makes a difference. Probably what makes the most difference is the finish and personal taste. Finishes include brass, chrome, oil-rubbed bronze, satin, black, white, etc.

Depending on the size of the home, fixture finish, and your personal tastes, typical lighting allowances can range between $1000 and $6000 or more.

The best way to see if the lighting allowance you've budgeted for is suitable, is to go somewhere like The Lite House. Take your house plans or a list of the rooms in your house and pick out your light fixtures to see what the total cost comes to. This could be done before you even break ground on the house. By doing it early in the process, you'll increase your comfort level with your lighting allowance or be prepared to adjust it.

Ceiling fans are one area of the lighting allowance that can add up quickly. Besides the different styles, there are different size motors, varying blade lengths, and a variety of light kits to choose from.


Outdoor lighting can create curb appeal and improve security.

Also, don't forget to account for bulbs, smoke detectors, door bell buttons & chimes, and recessed can bulbs & trims. There is even a selection of choices in these areas as well.

One way to save money on your lighting is to visit one of the "tent sales" at The Lite House. I called them this week to find out the dates of the next tent sale. It will be May 15-17 at the Bush River Road location.

If we can help you design and build a house to put all these lights in, let us know!

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Getting Busy

This is my first post for the month of April. The main reason for that is things are starting to get busy again. Over the last two weeks we've had some good new activity:

• Signed two contracts for investor speculation homes
• Started the design/drawing process for a home we'll build on Lake Murray this year
• Bid on a client's home addition and garage
• Bid on another client's garage and room over
• Met an associate at their lot to discuss building their custom home

In addition to these new activities, the custom home we're building in Lexington right now is going very smoothly. In just 8 weeks we've completed the footings, crawlspace foundation, exterior veneer, framing, roofing, doors & windows, electric rough-in, plumbing rough-in, HVAC rough-in, and the drywall. All that and we had 4+ rain days that slowed us down! At this pace, the house will be done in a total of 4 months. We told the client it would take 5 to 6 months. That feels good!

You hear people talking about lower interest rates being an incentive for people to build or add-on... You also hear that many construction material prices are down... And with a supposedly "slow" housing market, you hear there are trade contractors competing with their prices... We aren't just hearing these things, we are seeing it as a reality with the recent flurry of activity in our business at Master Plan Homes Inc.

If you're on the fence about building a new home, give us a call or email and we'll talk about the possibilities.

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