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Where Do We Go From Here?

Ken Swanson — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:23:11 GMT

These are indeed interesting times. Changes abound in technologies, practices, and the economy. Where will it end? Got news! It never ends! It goes on and on. Up or down. That's why they call it 'life'. The main concern should be, 'planning'. Where are you going to be in the Spring of 2010? What strategy are you implementing for the building industry and it's needs for the next boom? How will you exercise your rights as property owners? As professional contractors? As American working citizens? Gearing up for the future seems a daunting task at the end of the year 2009, when so much is going wrong. But considering negatives should be an avenue for gaining insights for positives. Otherwise, the game is over, we loose. The building industry has so many avenues of advancement, it is inconceivable to imagine doom and gloom. If this were not true, the construction talk radio business would have no future. But the field is alive and continuous, sustainable, adding facets in the rough, with polish, will become as bright as the clearest diamond. But polishing takes work, just as any home on the street takes building.We have some serious irons in the fire. Some local, some national. It is truly exciting to think of the tremendous influence the building industry has on American life. As the future becomes ' today ', we hope to have planned in such a way, as to meet the needs of some very technical questions of our time. It's exciting to expect these issues manifest for the benefit of our trades. So stay tuned in here, because the issues now kept in secret for a time, will be revealed in their maturity. " Building the Building Industry," Ken Swanson

REU Energy Faire '09

Ken Swanson — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:57:58 GMT

Energy Conservation & the Changing Construction Environment

Ken Swanson — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:35:36 GMT

The way a home is built, has gone unchanged for generations. Manufacturing of trees into homes is still the most feasible and green way to build. But the building industry is an evolving world of change. Green building is the use of natural resources, but with a management twist. The other products of residential construction have changed drastically. Touring the IBS (International Builders Show) or the PCBC (Pacific Coast Builders Convention) will convince you of the fact that our older homes are in need of some level of upgrade. Window technologies cut the cost through thermally broken frames. Doors are efficient through the use of fiberglass and insulation to the tune of 'R' values as good as exterior walls. Insulation in a BIB, or Spider systems save enormous amounts of energy. Foil technology on roof OSB or roll out foil over the insulation or between the rafters refracts radiant energy back to the atmosphere. PV (Photovoltaic) or wind driven electric production in conjunction with an electric water heater and/or Step Warm Floor, can completely eliminate the need for fossil fuel to heat water or conditioned air space. These are but a few of the examples of responsible home ownership in times challenge. And the builders and suppliers have everything to offer the home owner for energy savings, equity, and comfort. Invest now for savings later!

Where will the future of energy efficiency go? Net zero homes like the New American Home in Las Vegas? A 9000 square foot home that operates on technologies that keep the annual operating costs below five hundred dollars? CSD's (Community Service Districts) who serve not only water, but power to all homes in a subdivision? Who knows. But one thing is certain. We all need to become more aware of the issue, of Energy Conservation, and the Changing Construction Environment.

Disaster Education and The Building Industry

Ken Swanson — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 21:34:33 GMT

If I were to ask you, "When you think of disaster preparation/mitigation, what sort of people do you think about?" Before you answer, consider 'preparedness': the state of being prepared. Or 'mitigation': to make or become less severe, less painful. Now, back to the question. Was your answer "the police or fire department?" Or the Red Cross or Salvation Army? The local newspaper or TV station? The thought should be, "What, are we preparing and mitigating for?" Ans. The possible destruction to our primary investment! Our homes and property. Since the topic is Preparation/Mitigation, injury is not in the equation. Since there has not been a catastrophe, the news plays no part. So the final answer to the opening question is, The Building Industry. Was it not the builder who initially constructed the dwelling? Surely the builder will be the entity who re-builds the structure after a natural disaster.

With the times seeming more and more disaster prone, and the populous in sprawl, it would seem a good time to consider a plan for surety and piece of mind. Sure, disaster preparation is a boring subject. Because after all, "it will never happen to me". The internet is a wash with failed attempts at disaster awareness/preparation/mitigation. Why? Because of the lack of a comprehensive knowledge base. I believe there needs to be a comprehensive knowledge base in an ongoing format for the dissemination of information. That platform is Construction Talk Radio. With the evolution of home improvement, there are many things that an homeowner can do to protect his or her investment from eminent uncertainty. But the primary objective is to consider the people who make a living of building houses, and ask them what you can do to prepare and mitigate.