Understanding The Remodeling Market For 2008

Here’s one that’s a bit challenging. Everybody wants to know what’s going on with remodeling, and in particular what to expect in terms of remodeling business. Well, it isn’t that nobody really knows the answer, it’s that everyone does.
I’ll start with my assessment since…well, it’s my blog. As the new housing market started to [...]

New Glass Bricks Promise to be Colorful and Eco-friendly

Just think of the massive amounts of television screens that are destined for the landfill as we continue to draw toward the close of the analog age. It would be nice if we could use them for building stuff. Well, we are actually on the verge of doing just that!
The technology company Geofusion is [...]

Is A Forest Certified Green By Anyone, Still A Green Forest?

In a recent post I wrote about how the downturn in home building could drive up electricity costs and that trees that would have been made into lumber are instead being chipped up to use as fuel for electrical generation facilities. This is one small part of an on-going debate about the proper way to [...]

Wright’s Gas Station Will Finally Be Built

Back in 1927 Frank Lloyd Wright did some preliminary plans for a filling station to be located in Buffalo, NY at the corner of Michigan Ave. and Cherry Street. For reasons I haven’t been able to uncover the project never went forward. Wright designed it for a Buffalo oil company named Tydol. You can see [...]

Software Review Opportunities Continue

In case you missed it there are opportunities for you to give your opinion on construction software and make some bucks while doing so. Construction Software Review is offering rewards for people who have used construction software and are willing to fill out a questionnaire about their experiences, likes and dislikes. Contact Brian Eastwood directly [...]

System and Data Integration Offers New Efficiencies

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In this podcast I talk with Jim Upton, a specialist in AEC and facilities management software, about the role of integrating [...]

Builder Strategies Range From High-End Home Building to Speculation

Builder Nick DiCosola in Chicago predicts his profits will grow by 500 percent in 2008 based upon new home orders. This is in the face of an almost 25 percent decline last year over 2006 in home and apartment construction, as reported by the Commerce Department. DiCosola says he stays on top by "being extremely [...]

Change Your Door, Get Tough Wainscoting, And Learn About Paint

I’ve heard it expressed that the entry to a home is the tone setter. Well, now you can set the tone in a variety of ways.
A company by the name of Foundationdoor now makes it easily possible to change the appearance of your entry. There are six changeable panels that you can swap out when [...]

There Is No Time Left To Put Off That Strategic Plan

There’s nothing more frustrating than trying to plan in a hurry. Worse yet trying to plan when you are already behind is even more frustrating. In order to put short term plans into action you need to have long-term plans in place. That’s the strategic plan.
So now is the time to tackle some of [...]

The Wonderful World of Concrete Continues to Amaze

I have to confess I’m bullish about concrete. The material is like moldable stone and I like stone. Besides that, when concrete is reinforced it is very strong, it won’t blow away in high winds easily, it’s a great temperature change retardant, it doesn’t burn easily and with continuing innovations it is more and more [...]