6 Types of Home Additions and How to Choose One

A home addition is an improvement project that adds finished living space to an existing home. Sooner or later, an addition is a universal desire of most homeowners. Even homeowners who claim that their house is big enough may, from time to time, want a bigger kitchen, an extra bedroom, or a larger bathroom. That’s where house additions enter the picture.

Updated ADU Laws: SB 897 and HCD’s ADU Handbook

Accessory Dwelling Units are more popular than ever, and cities across California are recognizing the importance of ADUs in the fight to end the state’s housing crisis. Just recently, Freddie Mac updated their ADU financing options and CalHFA extended their ADU Grant Program to help even more homeowners build backyard homes. Now, there are two more news items to add to the list of developments. In August, 2022 the California Senate voted to pass SB 897 (a brand-new law that clarifies previous ADU legislation), and the California Department of Housing and Community Development updated their ADU Handbook.

Home Heating 101: An Overview of Available Options

Home heating systems are designed to increase the temperature inside a house by tapping thermal energy from a fuel source, then transferring it to living spaces. There are several types of systems used to provide heat in residential homes, and each broad type has more specific variations. Some HVAC systems share components with the home’s cooling equipment, some work independently, and some provide both heating and cooling.

6 Best Remodel Projects to Improve Your Home’s Value

When it comes to home remodels, the money you put in cannot always be recouped when it comes time to sell: some remodel projects add to resale value while others don’t. For those prioritizing how to get best value for their dollar there are some important things to keep in mind. Before you decide on a remodel, consider the cost vs. value, and then decide if the remodel is a worthy investment. Ultimately, you want to improve your lifestyle and, when it comes time to sell, command the highest price.

Ascent Tower the World’s Tallest Timber Building

CTBUH certifies Ascent as World’s Tallest Mass Timber Building
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has officially declared the recently-opened Ascent tower by Korb + Associates Architects the world’s tallest timber-concrete hybrid building. The 25-story, 86.6-meter (284-foot) structure in Milwaukee takes the distinguished title in two of the mass timber categories: It is both the tallest timber building overall and the tallest concrete-timber hybrid building.

The previous world’s tallest timber building was Mjøstårnet in Brumunddal, Norway, certified by CTBUH in 2019, which stands at roughly 280 feet. Previously holding the record of tallest concrete-timber hybrid building was the approximately 276-foot HoHo building in Vienna, Austria.

The building features 259 luxury apartments, retail space, an elevated pool with operable window walls, and a sky-deck.

In May of 2019, Ascent was named a recipient of a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant awarded through the Forest Service’s Wood Innovations Grant program. The federal grant assisted with the testing needed to prove mass timber’s ability to perform as well as traditional building materials like concrete and steel to meet U.S. building codes.

Plans for the project were unveiled in 2018.While the initial design included 21 floors,updates and subsequent approvals brought the total to 25 floors in March of 2020.

The project had been presented at the 2018 international CTBUH conference in Dubai, the 2019 international CTBUH conference in Chicago, and the 2019 International Mass Timber conference in Portland.

The Ascent development was constructed using a digital twin model, allowing for materials, such as beams, columns, and panels, to arrive on site ready to use with holes pre-drilled to within 1/16-inch accuracy. According to CTBUH, it is estimated that using mass timber for the project decreased construction time by approximately 25 percent compared to a conventional, similarly-sized concrete building.

Vaulted Ceilings: Pros, Cons, and Considerations

In new construction – and occasionally in major remodeling jobs – homeowners are faced with the choice of a standard ceiling height or opening the ceiling to the sloped roofline. This style of architecture is known as a vaulted ceiling or cathedral ceiling. Many people once considered a vaulted ceiling to be luxurious, providing an open, airy, and grand feel in a space. But now opinions are strongly divided, with some homeowners, builders, designers, and others finding the style dated and not energy efficient. So is a vaulted ceiling right for you?

Skyscrapers Made of Wood

Construction is a major carbon dioxide emitter, with eight percent of global emissions traceable to the cement industry and another eight percent coming from steel production. Engineers and entrepreneurs are testing out new ways of building things—in terms of both methodology and materials—to make construction more eco-friendly, not to mention cut its costs and provide better spaces for people to work and live in. 3D printed houses are one trend that’s been on the rise for a couple years. Now it seems an equally innovative trend is developing: high-rise buildings made of wood.

Building Location, Fire-Rated Construction, and You

Everyone wants to make the most out of their property. Maximizing your open space is the most common approach, and locating your buildings (including accessory structures) as close as possible to your property line is one way to increase the open space between – and thus maximize the usable square footage of – those buildings. However this can come at one fairly big price: fire resistant requirements. This post will explain what has to be fireproofed, what that means, and what that means to you.

Vinyl vs. Wood vs. Fiberglass vs. Aluminum Windows

Getting your house some windows but not sure which one to get? Let us help you decide among vinyl, wood, fiberglass and aluminum windows with our gallery of their differences and advantages and see the best fit according to your needs. Picking windows can be a real challenge. If you find yourself in this situation, read on to learn everything you need to know about vinyl, wood, fiberglass, and aluminum windows.

What is a Modular Kitchen?

A modular kitchen has huge benefits for many homeowners these days. If you’re thinking of investing in one, but want to understand the pros and cons, look no further! We’ll look at the fascinating history of modular, and all of the benefits and downsides of this type of construction.