LEED and Energy Star - Green Homes for Better Living

Do you want to make your home more energy efficient and green? You can definitely take some basic steps to save money on energy costs, and you can fix up an existing home to make it a green home. Or, you might consider purchasing a new LEED property. A LEED certified home is one that has been certified as meeting certain measurable "green" characteristics. Even taking a few simple steps can make a home more energy efficient: unplugging unused appliances, turning off lights in vacant rooms, and replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents are just a few examples. Of course, the greenest homes have been designed to be energy efficient right from the first moment they were conceived and constructed.

LEED. A "LEED" home is a green home. One of the latest programs in green home construction is the LEED for Homes certification. LEED promotes the design and construction of green homes. A LEED-certified home can be anywhere from 30-60% more energy efficient than a standard home (U.S. Green Building Council).

Average Predicted Energy Savings of LEED Homes
Based on their average Home Energy Rating System (HERS) scores, homes certified under LEED for Homes since the program launched in January 2008 are predicted, on average, to have the potential for reduced energy usage compared with International Energy Conservation Code standards.

Who is LEED?
LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environment Design. LEED is a third party certification and ratings system that encourages green construction and sustainable living. As described by the U.S. Green Building Council, "the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System encourages and accelerates global adoption of sustainable green building and development practices through the creation and implementation of universally understood and accepted tools and performance criteria" (greenhomeguide[dot]org).




Why LEED?
Green consumers are learning to seek out LEED certified homes because they can be confident that these homes and properties have been inspected, tested, and certified by an independent party. This certifies that the property is truly differentiated as a green home. Builders and developers can submit their new green construction projects to LEED for certification. The property must fulfill the necessary requirements to be certified with a LEED designation.

Other Green Home Certifications
In addition to LEED, there is the popular Energy Star for Homes certification, as well as several other localized "green" certification programs popping up all across the country, such as BuildItGreen and Earth Advantage.

Even without an official green certification, the average consumer can still take many steps towards renovating their older property and making their home more eco-friendly and green. There are many levels of "greening" for a property, from a complete top-to-bottom green home, to basic improvements such as the replacement of outdated heating, cooling, and appliances with newer Energy Star rated systems.

If you want to make your existing home green, do a Google search for "energy efficiency" and you're bound to find a wealth of ideas. The Energy Star website (energystar[dot]gov) has a ton of helpful information on what you can do to make your home more energy efficient. There are even free downloadable guides, and energy calculators. And of course, if you are looking for a new green property, talk to your realtor about finding a LEED or Energy Star home.

Steel Buildings: Why Are They So Popular?

If you've been searching for a solution to your agricultural, garage, or industrial building needs, you've no doubt noticed that steel buildings have become increasingly popular. You many be wondering why so many people are choosing steel buildings over other types of construction materials and if a steel building will work for your application.

In this article, we'll take a look at some of the applications for and benefits of these metal buildings.

What are people using steel buildings for?

A steel building can be as simple as a carport or as complex as a multi-story, ornately architected office building. These type of buildings are very popular for farming or housing combustible materials such as hay bails. Lots of people place attractive steel building on their properties for use as a workshop or garage.

NASA uses steel buildings for functional reasons to store and protect its high tech vehicles and equipment. Multiple General Motors (Hummer) dealerships also use SteelMaster's roofing system for the construction of a sophisticated and attractive clear span showroom.

Though similar buildings of the past were, well, not that pretty; the steel buildings of today are as and even more architecturally stylish than most wood constructed buildings. You might be surprised at how many buildings are actually constructed of steel. The reason is that there are important benefits to using steel rather than wood in building construction.

Why are others choosing these buildings?

There are quite a few reasons why steel buildings are so popular today:

Cost: Steel buildings are much less expensive to construct than wood buildings. Not only do the materials cost less, but the time required to erect this type of building is much less also. The steel can be precut and pre-punched before the materials ever arrive at your location.



Safety: Unlike a wood structure, steel is not flammable. This makes steel buildings ideal for hay sheds, barns, and storage sheds. When used as barns, steel buildings provide a safe and temperate environment for the animals inside when ventilated properly.

Bug Resistant: While wood structures are vulnerable to termites, steel buildings are impermeable to these damaging insects. Anyone that has had a run-in with these tiny yet destructive critters understands how that it is much easier to prevent termites than to get rid of them.

What to look for in a steel building

With the rising popularity of steel buildings, many manufactures have arrived on the scene to meet consumer demand. However, be cautious before you choose a vendor. Some of the things you'll want to research before making a choice are:

-Grade of steel: 80 grade or higher is ideal
-Quality of the steel coating: Coating protects the steel material from rust and decay
-Energy Star Rated steel materials: Using Energy Star rated materials can yield a 15% to 20% cooler environment.
-Laser guided pre-punched holes: Laser precision means less room for error in construction
-Whether or not the company has a customer service department
-Warranty: length and conditions
-Number of years in business
-Dedicated customer service department -After all sales people sell and do not do customer service very well.

There are countless reasons why people choose steel buildings over other kinds of construction today. One idea is to talk to others who use steel buildings for the same applications that you are considering and ask them why they made the choice of steel over other construction materials. If you keep your eye open, you're likely to begin noticing that there are more steel buildings around than you may have realized!

Tips for Selecting a Great Real Estate Contractor

When you decide to build a home rather than to buy a home or when you make the decision to remodel the home that you already have, you most likely intend to get the job done with the help of contractor. Unfortunately, contractors have earned a somewhat bad reputation as some have failed to live up to their contracts or provide the quality of work homeowners expect when they buy their services. In order to keep yourself from being disappointed by your contractor, it is important that you follow these simple tips.

Tip #1: Ask Your Friends and Family

The single best way to select a contractor is to ask around. If your friends or family members have worked with a contractor that did a good job for them, you should put that contractor high on your list. The more recently the friend or family member hired a contract to work on their real estate the better. After all, if a contractor just did a great job a few months ago, he or she is likely to still be able to provide the same level of service.

Tip #2: Check References

Of course, you may not know anyone that has recently purchased real estate or that did any remodeling to their homes. If this is the case, you won't have much of a starting point when choosing a contractor. Therefore, it is essential that you check the references provided by the contractor. Ideally, you should check into references for jobs that are completed as well as for jobs that are in progress. This way, you can check out the real estate in varying levels of completion in order to determine the quality of the work.

Before you buy the services of a contractor, you should also talk with some of the references. Ask the references important questions, such as:

- How well did the contractor stay on schedule?
- How happy were you with your real estate when the job was completed?
- Did you feel as if the contractor listened to you when you ran into a problem?
- Were your concerns easily resolved?

Talking with past clients is an excellent way to get an idea of the type of work the contractor does as well as his level of commitment to customer satisfaction.


Tip #3: Check the Contractor's License

If you are going to buy the services of a contractor, you certainly want someone that is properly educated in the craft. Before you sign a contract and buy the materials for the job, check with your Contractors State License Board in your state. By checking with the board, you can confirm that the contractor is licensed and you can also find out the areas of specialty in which the contractor is licensed.

When checking on licensing, ask the contractor for his or her pocket license as well as another form of identification. Then, check the license against the other form of identification in order to make sure the names match up. Since it is illegal for a contractor to use another contractor's license, a reputable contractor will have matching identification.

Tip #4: Make Sure the Contractor is Insured

As the buyer, you shouldn't be expected to buy insurance to cover the job. Rather, the contractor should have insurance in place. Check to make sure the contractor is insured against property damage, worker's compensation, and personal liability. Ask for a copy of the certificate of insurance to verify coverage as this will protect you if something goes wrong while on the job.

Deciding to buy real estate in order to build your own home or to remodel your current home is an exciting time in your life. Make sure you do your homework before selecting a contractor in order to prevent your dream from turning into a nightmare.

Tips for Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor

are often a challenge, and hiring a home improvement contractor often becomes necessary. Hiring a contractor for such projects might sound easy, but the contractor has to be hired with discretion and good judgment to achieve the best results.

A good home improvement contractor would be able to follow up a project from start to finish, and deliver the required results within a given time frame. But the challenge is to find such a contractor, and ensure a smooth deal, from hiring the contractor to handover. Some of these easy tips on hiring a contractor should help you with the process:



First and foremost, remember that hiring the first contractor you come across is not the best idea. You need a to shortlist a few likely contractor candidates before hiring the best out of them. Try to consider only those home improvement contractors who have been recommended by friends, colleagues or acquaintances.

In case such recommended contractors are fewer than you would like to choose from, ask other contractors for references from previous clients. Hiring a contractor who has been recommended online is also a great option. Check out and interact with all such references before hiring. A good tip is hiring a contractor who has done similar jobs before.

Before hiring the final contractor for the job, ask all the contractors in your shortlist to give you a formal bid for your project. Do not automatically choose the lowest bidder. Do your home work by asking about charges from people who have local experience in hiring such contractors and ask them for tips. Determine the cost of materials, fixtures and finishes that your contractor will use by visiting a home improvement store yourself.

While hiring a contractor, also ensure that he or she fulfils any licensing requirements of your state. The home improvement contractor should have established his credentials beyond any doubt, and have a good reputation. The contractor should also preferably carry insurance against issues like worker's compensation, damage to property, and any personal liabilities.

Have a very clear, fixed idea of what sort of home improvement you need done before you start off with the contractor. The clearer you are in your mind, the better the contractor would understand you. It will also save you from unplanned costs incurred due to changes during the process of home improvement.

Once you have decided on your contractor, the hiring process should include the signing of a very clear contract with your home improvement contractor which would clearly state the materials to be used, the terms of demolition, required cleanup, and elimination of trash. The time frame for completion, payment terms, and release from any lien for any sub-contractors used should also be arranged to your mutual satisfaction.

Payment plans should be well thought out. Keep in mind that payment is the only leverage you can use to get the job done by the contractor according to your expectations. A good tip is to make final payments to the home improvement contractor only once you are happy with the finished job.

Hire a contractor you can get along with very well, because the contractor would be in your house for quite a duration. Hiring someone who would have the right amount of time to devote to your project is also crucial, because sometimes hiring an extra-busy contractor can turn out to be a mistake.

Hiring a contractor is often the best way to carry out major improvements in your home. With the help of these tips you should be able to hire a great contractor, and carry out your home improvements without a hitch.

Safety Training for your Construction Team

Does your construction team require safety training? Construction safety training is sometimes left up to the safety manager, who either takes over the job of training the construction team or designates other personnel such as a site safety coordinator or supervisor to do the training if the manager is too busy with construction projects and other important matters of business.

While it certainly is feasible to have one of your own to be in charge of construction safety training, sometimes the lack of personnel, the lack of experience in safety training, and the lack of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform such a task makes everything a little more complicated. For example, whoever is in charge of training will have to spend considerable time planning and preparing for the actual safety training, particularly if they’ve never done it before. If the safety manager has the required knowledge and experience, but lacks the time to do it, then he or she will need to spend time anyway training the designated trainer.

If this is the case for your construction team, why don’t you consider hiring a certified safety trainer to come in and do the training for you? Even if you have someone on staff available to train your construction team, hiring out is a worthwhile option to consider. Certified safety trainers, as the name would suggest, are trained in and knowledgeable of all matters related to safety (in general) and construction safety (in particular), so you would know that your construction workers would be receiving accurate, thorough, and top-notch information.

In addition, construction safety trainers are trained and experienced in effective safety training methods and also possess an understanding of how adult learners learn, which essentially means if you choose a good trainer, that is that you can be assured your construction team members will not only receive the information, but actually remember it and become involved in the safety-training process.



Yes, hiring a certified safety trainer will cost you money up front, but it could also save you a lot of money in the long run. Because of the high-quality safety training your construction team will receive, you are helping to prevent future accidents that could put out some of your workers as well as damage equipment that would have to be replaced. In addition, you’ll be saving a lot of time, seeing as you won’t have to prepare to teach safety training yourself, or spend time training a potential trainer who has never done this before. Finally, it’s simply so much more convenient to hire out than to attempt to undertake the task of training your construction team yourself.

Perhaps you don’t personally know of any local construction safety trainers who might be available to come and train your team. So where do you find one? One idea is to ask around and see if anyone you know, or other construction companies, have hired out certified safety trainers, and whom they might recommend. You can also check your local business listings, but you might have more luck searching online. Some construction safety trainers travel to different locations throughout the U.S. to train different construction companies in proper safety procedures.

When considering a number of seemingly qualified certified construction safety trainers, make sure they have the required education, certifications, and other necessary training; that they are experienced in their job; and that they have references to back them up. Compare their rates, but don’t necessarily go with the lowest (assuming it’s the best deal) or the highest (assuming you’re getting the best quality). Check out each candidate carefully.

Hottest Jobs in the Construction Industry

All thanks to the ever-increasing population, people are demanding more of everything, food, water, clothing and perhaps the most important of them all, shelter. It is the constant demand for houses, office buildings and other structures that is creating a demand for jobs in the construction industry. However, when we talk about construction, the only image that comes to our mind is the one of laborers working away with heavy equipment. Although this is true, there is definitely more to the jobs being offered in this industry. Actually, the construction industry comprises of many assignments, which come together to form a construction project.

The overall designing aspect in the construction industry is becoming very popular among the job seekers. In this respect, the design team would include the following job profiles:

Architects: The architect usually advises the construction contractor by preparing drawings and instructions with respect to the planned structure. The average income of the architect may range anywhere from $65000 to $75000. Architectural firms are always on the lookout for new talent and architects can also progress into high paying fields like real estate, project management, etc.

Surveyors: Civil engineering is incomplete without the aspect of surveying involved. Surveying is nothing but using scientific methods in order to determine the area and the feasibility of the construction project. This simply means that the surveyors form the brain by determining the points, angles and distance of the construction site. The average salary of the surveyor ranges from $55000 to $65000.

Construction Engineers: This job profile involves a lot of planning, including structural planning and its development, etc. However, due to the safety concerns in the construction industry, the construction engineers usually tend to focus more upon the paper work like viewing and studying the contracts, keeping a check on the available construction materials, etc. The average salary of the construction engineer ranges from $50000 to $55000.



Safety Manager: This is one of the most responsible jobs out there in the construction industry. Safety is main concern on construction sites due to the accident-prone nature of the work involved. The construction safety manager is responsible for maintaining and keeping the safety of the workers in mind, especially during the construction work. He has to make sure that he maintains the safety standards according to the rules and the regulations that have been prescribed by the State or the District Safety departments.

The construction safety manager is also supposed to monitor the safety and the health issues of the workers, which are covered under the company's health policy. Another duty of the construction safety manager is to investigate any construction related accident, especially those arising out of working with heavy equipment and machinery like bulldozers, cranes, etc. The average salary of a construction safety manager ranges from $75000 to $85000.

There are many more fields that you can set your eyes on, namely construction accounting, construction estimating, construction management, etc. The jobs in the construction business are most sought after, all thanks to the construction industry aiming at the construction of government offices/buildings, residential complexes and last not but the least, construction of highways and other roads. Thanks to all of these factors, the job market in the construction industry is witnessing a double-digit growth, which makes the construction industry one of the most sought after job markets in the 21st century.

Home Improvements

Our home is a heaven for us. When we have a new or even not a new one but any home, we are proud of ownership and occupancy..in short, of our home-sweet-home. We do our best to keep our home clean and safe, and day by day we think of making it more comfortable. In fact, the more we start using our home as well as start visiting homes of others, we will come to know some of the drawbacks of the current furnishing ...plus, of course, our friends and relative will give us some suggestions for home improvements.

Home improvement is actually a never ending process. With all the new modern accessories constantly being updated out in the marketplace to decorate our home, we want to change the interiors after a few days (but need to refrain -- or have a great budget for this).

Of course, home improvements will make our home more useful, something to consider. Plus they are mean the home would be even more loved by the members of family and thus used more (keeping teens and young adults at hom,e more hopfeully....and out of trouble). In short, home improvements give everyone new motivation to work.
Home improvement also has a wider scope and can be done within a short period of time; for example, with just a few changes like changing the arrangement in a living room or adding some nice pictures to bedroom. Just few changes may give lot of revised life to the way the home looks.

Although usually the term 'Home Improvement' refers to some building changes or projects carried out by professionals, this is not necessarily the case. You can improve your home on your own, as nowadays there are many options available for a 'Do It Yourself' method.
Normally Home Improvement is done with some of these aims: Beautifying the current home, adding comforts, saving energy, adding more space, maintenance and repairs, safety. Home improvement also takes into account the gardens or garage improvements, swimming pools and spas, home gymnasium, and fencing.



You can carry on your Home Improvement projects on your own if you want to use Do it yourself materials. Special books are available which are of great help for simple and small changes. Otherwise you can hire the technicians to do the work of plumbing, electric fittings, civil engineer for doing any brickwork. If the home improvement involves more than one type of work then it is better to give contract to the expert who will look after all the projects.
While preparing your plan of home improvement, you have to consider the priority of work done and the cost of the work. According to your budget and the time you should plan your home improvement schedule. If you are hiring a contractor then it is very essential to learn more about their terms and conditions. You should do the survey about the technician’s charges and then fix their appointments.

Home improvement projects should not cause you much disturbance in your everyday life. It is better to do it in your vacation so that you can give proper attention to the every work done. If you have small kids then it is better to start with smaller project and takes break in between.
Be sure that your home improvement project budget may go up as per the changing situation. You have to be flexible to change your previous ideas if needed. Communication with the family members and the contractor is very essential and it should be continued throughout the project. If you are doing home improvement on your own then cooperation of every member will help you to complete the project with satisfaction. You should have patience to bear the inconvenience caused.

Home Sweet Home will give us the comfort and security we crave. So ultimately we should be satisfied with the end result...or keep improving!