How to Prevent Mold During Construction

Preventing Mold During Construction
One of many things to take into account when building a house or any other facility is the growth of mold during the construction. Mold is everywhere, so it stands as huge and possible threat that can slow the construction and increase costs of replacing affected materials as well as costs of remediation. Depending on climate and location, some construction sites are more susceptible to moisture that later result in moldy buildings. The least expensive way to deal with the mold is the prevention and certain measures undertaken before and during the construction can go a long way.


Exceeding the WUI Code: Home Design in Wildfire-Prone Areas

Recent fire events in California have caused many homeowners to embark upon better understanding ways to defend their homes and property against the risks of wildfire. California’s building codes (CBC) currently prescribe certain requirements for homes built within the Wildland Urban Interface, or W.U.I. Yet in many instances homes, even new homes built to current CBC standards were destroyed, leading many constructing within the WUI to ask themselves if they should build in excess of current codes.

Your Home Remodel: Working With Contractors

A room addition just might be the solution to your space needs.  Less than moving away, more than refurbishing existing space, room additions suit the needs of many homeowners, both in terms of space and costs. Here is some sound advice on building a room addition.  

Things to Know About Exterior Cement Plaster

Description
Exterior cement plaster (stucco) is an exterior finish consisting of portland cement, sand, mixed with water to form a workable plaster. Admixtures may be added to for various purposes including workability. It’s advantages include utility, relatively low first cost, and minimum need for maintenance. Plaster can be a desirable facing material: hard, strong, fire-resistant.


Solar Incentives in California

Solar Rebates and Tax Credits
California is far and away the most mature residential solar market in the country, which can be both a blessing and a curse in some ways. Overall, it is definitely a net positive for homeowners who live here because they are usually more informed about the intricacies of solar and the state’s solar lobby is powerful enough to fight for important savings tool such as net metering.

But the downside of the mature market is that, unlike other states like Massachusetts and South Carolina, where rebates and energy credits are used to incentivize homeowners to consider solar, California has discontinued almost all of its state-specific solar incentives because the industry is strong enough to sustain itself.

The Spanish Revival Style

Prindle House, George Washington Smith, architect

The Spanish Revival style (1915-1940) includes Spanish Colonial Revival and Spanish Eclectic. The Colonial style is based on Spanish architecture in the New World. The Eclectic style is based on Spanish architecture in Europe.

The Spanish Colonial Revival style immediately followed the Mission Revival style and shared many of the same architectural elements.

Richard Neutra’s Connell House

The Connell House, located in Pebble Beach, CA is an intact and representative example of the Modernist architectural movement commonly called the “International Style” designed by internationally renowned Modernist architect Richard Neutra.

The house is characterized by strong horizontal lines juxtaposed against both projecting and receding planes and volumes.