Table of Contents October 2008

REMODELING DESIGN AWARDS

• 2008 Remodeling Design Awards

  Our team of judges pored over 340 entries in the 2008 Remodeling Design awards to select 21 winners that represent the highest standards of design and excellence.

   

Additions

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  Additions: "Brilliant Bridge"

  An addition to a 1950s home connects to the existing structure via a glass-enclosed bridge.

   
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  Additions: "Roots Music"

  This organically inspired addition and renovation of a wedge-shaped, brick-faced 1970s home melds with its environment.

   

Bathroom Remodeling

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  Bathroom Remodeling: "Farmhouse Style"

  A charming bathroom remodel on a budget.

   
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  Bathroom Remodeling: "All in Order"

  With minimal disruption to the main living areas, this careful remodel of a bathroom in an old home creates a serene space.

   

Commercial Remodeling

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  Commercial Remodeling: "Elegant Institution"

  A university building gets some much needed care, restoring it to its former elegance.

   
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  Commercial Remodeling: "Dynamic Warehouse"

  This remodel transforms a generic warehouse into a dynamic headquarters for a residential remodeler/custom home builder.

   

Design-Build

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  Design/Build: "Basement Makeover"

  Creative design elements go a long way toward transforming this low-ceilinged basement into an inviting living space.

   
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  Design/Build: "Lightening Up"

  With new windows and a more open floor plan, a 1960s ranch house lets in the light.

   
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  Design/Build: "Treetop Whimsy"

  A poorly built deck is transformed into a timber-screened treetop room able to accommodate up to 20 guests.

   

Green Remodeling

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  Green Remodeling: "It’s Fundamental"

  A traditional ranch-style home goes green with energy-efficient and sustainable building products.

   
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  Green Remodeling: Eclectic Kitchen

  Green principles guide the remodel of a cramped kitchen.

   

Kitchen Remodeling

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  Kitchen remodeling: "Lakeside Lovely"

  By creating "zones" and using varied finishes to define spaces, the designers dramatically changed the look and flow of this L-shaped kitchen.

   
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  Kitchen Remodeling: "Designed for Living"

  The kitchen in this 1980s-era split-level home became the project's central component, adding bright style and improved functionality.

   
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  Kitchen Remodeling: "Family Function"

  An outdated kitchen gets a stylish makeover, making it functional for entertaining and family life.

   
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  Kitchen Remodeling: "Floating Function"

  Not only does this remodel integrate a light-flooded, modern kitchen into a historically significant home without disrupting the integrity of the exterior elevations, it's also green.

   

Old-House Renovation

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  Old-House Renovation: "Artful Overhaul"

  Attention to historical detail and the seamless incorporation of modern amenities transform this 1892 Queen Anne into an inviting, functional home.

   
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  Old-House Renovation: "Squarely Historic"

  A classic foursquare undergoes a dramatic restoration and expansion that is consistent from room to room throughout the house.

   
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  Old-House Renovation: "New Victorian"

  Central to the gut remodel of a stick-style Carpenter Gothic Victorian home is the overhaul of the kitchen to create a bold-colored space with work zones for multiple cooks.

   

Whole-House Remodeling

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  Old-House Renovation: "Old-New Conversation"

  The renovation of a neglected Queen Anne Victorian listed on the National Register of Historic Places uses materials and massing elements to relate the new house to the old.

   
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  Best of the Year: "Modern Engagement"

  This award-winning project brings residential modern design to otherwise conservative Washington, D.C., throwing in some interesting design elements along the way.

   
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  Whole-House Remodeling: "Triumphant Underdog"

  This charming remodel involved improving the circulation and both rearranging and adding space to extend the home's useful life.

   

SPECIAL SECTION

Green Remodeling

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  The Economics of Deconstruction

  Deconstruction prevents waste from being sent to landfills, and clients receive tax credits that may off-set the cost.

   
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  Energy Audits to Improve Home Performance

  Energy audits educate clients about upgrades they can make during a remodel or just to improve performance and comfort.

   
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  Green Kitchen Design

  This Tucson, Ariz., kitchen design shows that paying attention to basic principles of green design -- reusing, recycling, and repurposing -- can have beautiful results.

   

VIEW POINT

FIRST WORD

• Top Five Most Important People in the Remodeling Industry

  Use the tough economy to help you focus on the fundamentals: Who is really important to your business?

   

News + Notes

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  Energy Retrofits for Existing Homes

  Energy codes are getting tougher, but their focus to-date has been new construction. The real potential is in upgrading existing housing stock.

   

MARKET WATCH

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  Moves Toward Legislating Mandatory Paid Leave Gain a Foothold

  For small businesses, the threat of legislation making paid leave mandatory is gaining ground.

   

• Figure This

  Extra amount buyers are willing to pay for an energy-efficient home.

   

• Architects Give Hints as to State of Market

  For this remodeling company, a primary economic indicator is the backlog and workload of local architects and concrete contractors.

   

COMMENTARY

LINDA CASE

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  The Truth Behind Three Remodeling Myths

  Linda Case on the truth about loving your work, marking up costs, and hiring right.

   

MARK RICHARDSON

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  Sales Strategies That Help Customers Commit in a Tough Economy

  When the economy is shaky, customers are more reluctant to commit to remodeling projects. Mark Richardson discusses sales strategies to overcome this reluctance.

   

SHAWN MCCADDEN

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  Tips for Better Estimating

  Replace the “we’ll see what happens” philosophy with a more aggressive and planned approach to estimating. Don’t let your pride, or haste, get in the way of your profit goals.

   

YOUR BUSINESS

Sales and Marketing

• Thoughts for Structuring Remodeling Sales Commissions

  In a less-than-robust market, remodelers could benefit from different sales-compensation plans.

   
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  Referral Programs

  More remodelers are developing referral programs for the first time, including successful rewards programs that are affordable to operate.

   

BOTTOM LINE

• Back to Basics in a Tough Economy

  Getting back to basics — doing many of the things in your business that you did when you were just starting out — could help you survive in today’s tough market.

   
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  Materials Supplier Relationships

  One California remodeler forges relationships with materials vendors to deliver materials to the jobsite when needed, reducing employee downtime and trips to the lumberyard.

   

BY DESIGN

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  Adding Natural Light to Enhance Your Design

  Natural light can enhance a home and lift the spirits of its inhabitants. Architect Michael Klement discusses some factors to consider when designing with natural light.

   

FIELD NOTES

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  Connecticut Design/Build Firm Embraces Off-Site Education

  Weekly jobsite meetings minimize surprises and snafus for this Pennsylvania remodeling firm.

   

• Weekly Jobsite Meetings Clear the Air

  Staff field trips provide a way to stimulate employees' creativity and appreciation of the remodeling and design process.

   
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  Tips for Balancing Labor Pool and Customer Demand

  In a slow economy, it can be challenging to balance your available workforce with homeowners' demands for your services.

   

GOOD FORM

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  Employee Reviews

  Remodeler Bob Fleming uses this employee review form to establish an honest dialogue between employees and management.

   

Tech at Work

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  Marketing With E-Newsletters

  Spread the word about your company with e-newsletters, which provide a reliable, affordable way to reach potential clients.

   

Ways + Means

• Remodelers and Lien Laws

  Understand lien laws and be proactive about protecting your rights to get paid.

   
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  Getting Serious About Green Remodeling

  Seattle's Jackson Remodeling changes its business to follow green practices only.

   
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  Q&A With Laura Harris

  Laura Harris, author of "Surrender to Win," talks about winning in the current economy.

   
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  6 Steps to Effective Delegation

  It isn't always easy, but to grow your business, you need to delegate responsibility. Follow these six steps to delegate effectively.

   

BIG50

SOLUTIONS

• Checking Client Finances

  We ask the Remodeling Big50: Do you run background checks on your clients?

   

KITCHEN AND BATH

SPEC BOOK

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  New Bath, Kitchen, and Drinking Water Faucets

  Clean up with these new faucets for the bathroom, kitchen, and special models for purified drinking water systems.

   

Management

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  Web Site Tips from a K+B Editor

  Use your Web site to attract new customers and provide a resource for existing clients.

   
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  Tracking Products

  Having a system in place to track all products for a kitchen project helps avoid wasted time.

   

REPLACEMENT

ROOFING

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  Cool Roofs Help Reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect

  Roofing materials with high solar reflectance help to mitigate the urban heat island effect.

   

PRODUCTS

FIRST LOOK

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  New products for the remodeling market

  The newest products for the remodeling market.

   

IN FOCUS

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  New Products in the Engineered Lumber Market

  New engineered lumber products from Georgia Pacific, Roseburg Forest Products, LP and Weyerhaeuser.

   
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  New Tile Products for the Remodeling Industry

  Add texture, pattern, and depth to tile installations with these new designs.

   
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  New Paints, Primers, and Plasters for the Remodeling Market

  Freshen up any interior or exterior space with these paint products.

   

TRENDS

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  Towel Warmers — a Functional Bathroom Accessory

  Towel warmers are more versatile than you might imagine.

   

• New Framing Nailers for the Remodeling Market

  Find out what to look for when surveying new framing nailers on the market.

   

LAST WORD

Bench Mark

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  Budgeting for Profit

  Don’t wait for profit to happen — start planning for it now.

   

OTHER ARTICLES

• Hiring and Firing Best Practices

  What you need to know before making the decisions that change the face of your company.

   

• REMODELING Names the Year's Top Remodeling Projects

  From a modern kitchen that appears to have been surgically inserted into a Carpenter Gothic Victorian home in San Diego to a whimsical and sophisticated enclosed porch veranda on a home in North Carolina, 21 residential and light commercial remodeling projects have been honored as winners of the...