Tag: construction

More Than A Label

I have been on a health kick lately and have been dieting and reading all sorts of information about what is good for you and what is bad for you.  It is amazing how much conflicting information is out there!

I have a girlfriend who only feeds her family Organic foods.  She has been doing that since her children were born and she spends a lot of time and energy and money to do this.  She tells me that because of budget constraints she has had to make some hard decisions about whether or not Organic and whole foods take priority over other things in her kids’ lives.

So since I have been trying to get healthy, I have looked into what makes Organic foods better.  Well there is a Label, The Label to look for that makes something Certified Organic.  But what does that mean?  It means a lot of different things based on the type of food.  Well since I love fish so much, especially Salmon, I looked into what it means to buy an Organic Salmon.  What I found is very eye opening.  Only farmed Salmon can be labeled Organic because they can control what the Salmon eats.  And then the Salmon is fed Organic Plant matter.  Well, that doesn’t make sense!  Salmon are carnivorous fish!  And wouldn’t wild caught fish (free range if you will) be better than farmed?  So I came to the conclusion that a Label doesn’t necessarily make things better!

And then that dawning realization thing happened and I began to think about us.  Green is the big catchphrase, The Label, in home building right now.  Every program has it’s parameters that may or may not make sense to the big picture of building an efficient home.  Also, the cost to the consumer can increase exponentially as a builder strives to meet The Label’s standard.  You may end up with a home that is out of our buyer’s price range.  Well, don’t we all deserve access to energy efficient homes?

We think “Green” in the sense of using fewer resources over all as well as consumption for the long run.  Meaning that we are not only concerned with the production of the home and it’s component elements being what is Green, but also the impact the home has environmentally.

“Our star has been green for years,” says Ron Formby, Antares president. “Antares has been quietly setting world-class benchmarks for energy efficiency, air quality, and environmental responsibility, then setting them higher. That’s the Antares Beyond Green philosophy.”

We place a lot of emphasis on our Energy Guarantee.  Our energy costs are in writing and are a warranted item.  For example we Guarantee that our the HVAC system for our 2752 square foot four bedroom, two story home will average 807.50 Kilowatts/hour per month.  On an electric plan that is charging $00.084 per Kilowatt Hour, that will cost you $67.83 a month to air-condition your home.  Isn’t that mind boggling?  People living in 900 square foot apartments pay more than that!  I am amazed every time a homeowner comes back to the office after they have moved in to show me their low electric bills.  It is one thing to speak about our guarantee to folks thinking of buying a home from us and quite another thing to see it in practice!   See for yourself, visit one of our sales offices to view actual home owner’s bills and a sample of our Comfort Home Warranty.

Our homes are more efficient than Energy Star Standards.  We have even won an award from Oncor for Outstanding Energy Efficient Construction.  We won the 2007 Excellence in Energy Performance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as well as their 2009 and 2010 Leadership in Housing Award.  We are Beyond Green and beyond any “Green” label.

The biggest impact our company has is on the consumer, the person who buys and lives in our homes.  Getting healthy will save me money on fewer doctor’s bills and medicines, it will lengthen my life and allow me to have a better quality of life.  Buying a home that is focused on a lower energy draw will save the buyer money on electricity bills, maximizing the potential for enjoyment of said home and the life led in it.  Isn’t that better than any label?

 

Third Party Home Inspections, Are They Worth it?

Our Certified Graduate Builders! Above and Beyond Home Inspections!

All my life I was always told when buying a car take it to the mechanic before you buy it or when buying a home always hire a professional home inspector before closing. I have found this advice to be very good and it has saved me many times.   Home inspectors are excellent at finding issues in older homes that sellers sometimes cover with paint or texture, that can be very helpful.  Sometimes the items they point out to you will be very costly to repair and you need to know that before proceeding with the purchase of your home.

The times when I DON’T use a mechanic to inspect my car is when it is new.  My new car will come with a warranty so if something breaks they will fix it or if a manufacturer’s defect is found it will be repaired by the manufacturer.  So, when I’m buying my new car what I want to do is look for cosmetic issues, things like door dings or scratches because I know that once I drive that car off the lot these items won’t be repaired for free.

It’s the same when you buy a New Home.  You don’t need an additional Inspection, because  the home is inspected over and over during the construction process.  If you remember a recent post, we even go above and beyond on our inspections.  We like to make sure we did it right the first time.  A new Home is also covered by a warranty, as are all of the major components used in the construction and finish, such as the foundation, the roof and the appliances.  

Before you close on your new Antares Home, you will meet the builder at your home and he will perform a “home orientation”.   A home orientation is when the builder walks you through your new home demonstrating how everything works, who to call if it doesn’t and all the little things you need to know to enjoy your new home.  You will also will spend all the time you want looking for those cosmetic issues like texture error, paint issues, any spots on the floor or anything else that needs a touch up.   You will return 7 days later and verify that ALL the corrections have been completed and then you will proceed to closing.  The builder will place an Owner’s Manual in your home and this booklet will give advice on maintaining your new home and several helpful tips to keeping it like new and giving you many years of enjoyment.

Since a Home Inspection can cost you about $500 dollars, it doesn’t seem worth the money on a New Home.  If you want to have one anyway, we can accomodate you.  Just ask your Salesperson!

Custom Cabinets

One of the great standard features our homes have is our cabinets.  The cabinetry in a kitchen can make or break that space.  Many Realtors will tell you that kitchens and bathrooms are the selling points in a home and we agree!  It is so important to us that we have custom made wood cabinets for all of our homes. 

What does custom mean?  Well, that means that we don’t order our cabinets from a catalogue that carries pre-fabricated cabinets in pre-set sizes.  We use a local cabinet company and they custom make each set of cabinets for each home.

Really?

Yes.

I took a little field trip to our cabinet company this week to find out what it means to install custom cabinets in our homes.  Although we are a “production” builder not a “custom” builder, (meaning that our buyers choose from a list of plans that we have designed and provide per neighborhood, instead of drafting their own floor plans with an architect) our cabinets are fabricated for each home after the construction has reached a certain point. 

The cabinet company has measured the floor plan from the blueprints and has designed the cabinets for the space.  They will not know exact measurements until the walls of the home are up.  Mr. Buzz Brown told me that each build of the same plan can vary by ¼ of an inch to 4 inches and that can affect the cabinets.  So once the walls are up, they visit the home and measure the space for the cabinets.  The drafter then makes adjustments and the order is made in the shop.

Phil Darnell
An Antares Cabinet Order

Visiting the shop was cool!  It is a very organized, but dusty place.  Buzz showed me where the rough cut lumber is delivered at one end of the shop and all the way through to the loading dock where the finished cabinets are waiting to be taken to their new homes!  The rough cut has bark on it still and they have to mill it into lengths and sizes they need for making cabinets.

Rough Cut Milled

One thing I never knew about our cabinets is that the doors are not one piece of wood.  They look like they are but they aren’t and it’s on purpose.  Because wood is a natural product that is porous, it can be affected by humidity.  We all know that Texas is HUMID!  If the door panel was made of one solid piece it would warp and bow.  So it is constructed of three or four panels that are arranged according to the grain of the wood.  They place them in next to each other with the grain running in opposing directions to create a “crown” in the panel to counteract the bowing and warping effect of humidity.

Opposing Grain
Rough Panels

These panels are then topped with the arch pieces and the straight side and bottom pieces and they are glued and nailed in only a few spots to create a “floating frame” that also allows for the changes in the wood due to humidity. 

Arch Tops
Panel Assembly
Alignment and Nailing

The doors are placed onto the cabinet frames that are made in another section of the shop and then they are delivered and installed in one of our homes!

Affixing the panel to the frame
Cabinets waiting to go Home
Cabinets Set
Cabinets stained and topped
Cabinets Completed!!!

To sum my field trip up, I’ll quote Linda who told me “We are just regular people around here.  We work hard and play hard and enjoy ourselves while doing it.”  It was obvious by all the smiling faces that they are happy folk who take pride in their product.  No wonder we work so well together!

Hi Linda! Thanks for your help.

 Thanks to everyone who opened up their shop and spent their time talking with me and allowing me to get in their way!

Why Do We Have So Many Inspections?

When someone walks into my sales office, one of the things I am dying to tell people is that we conduct extra inspections on our homes during the construction process.  Most people just look at me blankly when I do my twirl and jazz hands at the end of delivering this precious message. 

Although the meaning of this is pretty insignificant to people who are not self-proclaimed construction nerds, I still feel this message needs a little bedazzling.  So I asked J Mason our COO who also happens to be another Graduate Master Builder (cue the jazz hands and twirling) working at Antares Homes to explain this better than I can.

“Each Antares home undergoes numerous and rigorous inspections conducted by four separate groups. The most familiar of these is of course the municipal building code compliance set of inspections. The International Building Code (together with local modifications) is enforced via multiple inspections at differing construction stages, to assure compliance with the hundreds (if not thousands) of requirements. In addition to these municipal inspections, each home also receives a ‘pre-pour’ foundation inspection, conducted by a Structural Foundation Engineer to insure that the slab is properly prepared prior to the placement of concrete.”

So, in addition to the city-mandated inspections we have a Structural Engineer give us the thumbs up before we pour!  Ta-Daa!

J also said, “Antares has also engaged a third-party firm as part of our Comfort Home program. These folks conduct inspections pre-drywall and prior to closing to verify the thermal integrity of the building envelope, the insulation installation and the performance of the air distribution system. These inspections are among the most exacting in the industry. Most builders would say ‘That’s enough!’ (or ‘That’s TOO much’). Antares, however has a third initiative, which is the driver behind an additional third-party inspection. We are committed to continuous improvement of our business, and of course construction practices are a primary focus. Simply put, we want to get it right the first time. We warrant our homes, and understand the risks associated with that, and know the best solution is correct construction.”

Well that can’t be said any better!  Continuous improvement is a cornerstone of the Antares philosophy. J goes on to say:

“A key requirement of any improvement initiative is an effective measurement system. For the past several years we have engaged Burgess Construction Consultants to conduct a thorough pre-drywall inspection on every home we build.  This inspection covers approximately 175 code and best-practice related items, and is primarily a data-based measurement system for each of our Trade Partners (you know, the guys who pour the slab, swing the hammers, install the mechanical systems, etc.). The results of each inspection are provided to the Construction Manager and the related Trade Partners, and corrective actions are taken as needed. The data is also compiled on a historical basis allowing us to measure performance on a per-Trade Partner basis. This recurring procedure has yielded significant results, with items needing correction declining to a level that outperforms the average of all DFW builders that are in the Burgess database. This additional inspection procedure is part of our ongoing commitment to provide the durable, high quality homes for which Antares is known.

And that my friends is why I get all dance-y when I start talking about EXTRA INSPECTIONS!

Ribbet Ribbet

Our Green Program is Different.

Our Green Philosophy

We start by acknowledging that building a home changes the face of the Earth for generations to come. This leads us to:

Designing the most effective and high value floor plans, and building homes which fit our customers’ budgets. We sweat the small stuff to make sure we don’t build in mistakes. We also won’t include unproven features with fancy names just to score points on someone’s ‘green rating scale’.

Using high-value, durable materials such as rebar foundations and fiber cement siding and exterior trim. This builds lasting value in homes that stand the test of time.

Minimizing wasted resources at every possible opportunity. This extends to our well-managed, ‘no-dry-runs’ construction process which means that our Trade Partners and Suppliers don’t make needless trips to any of our jobsites.

Rigorously follow EPA storm water control and jobsite management guidelines and requirements.

Most importantly, we build using the most proven energy efficiency materials and techniques which fit the budgets of our customers. Our Comfort Home™ guaranteed energy program is our commitment to what is widely agreed to be the most important of all Green features: Energy Efficiency.

We are constantly studying and analyzing developing techniques and new products to determine which are proven to perform, and proven to make economic sense to our customers. Here are some of our building practices and home features which are standard in every home, and which are recognized by the National Association of Homebuilders as required parts of any green building program:

Energy efficiency features verified by Certified, independent inspectors:

  • Thermal Bypass Inspection on every home
  • Duct-blaster HVAC test on every home
  • Blower Door Envelope Test on every home
  • Allows for the ComfortHome guaranteed heating and cooling program

Proper HVAC design and installation:

  • Use ANSI/ACCA Manual D design process
  • Use ANSI/ACCA Manual S equipment selection
  • Installation done and performance verified only by Certified HVAC contractor (NATE / BPI / RPA)
  • Ducts sealed during construction process
  • System performance @ 14 SEER
  • Ducts properly sealed and tested on every home

Water-efficient shower heads

Automatic Programmable Rain and Temperature Sensitive sprinkler systems (optional in some communities)

Energy efficient recessed lighting (per plan)

Energy Star rated dishwashers and other appliances (some appliances optional)

Avoid environmentally sensitive building sites

Timer-controlled, outside-ducted rated exhaust fans in all bath areas

Use advanced framing techniques where allowed

Provide covered entries (most plans)

Provide proper eave overhang

Provide metal drip edge at roof eave

Provide proper site drainage (min 1.20), all four sides of home

Install continuous termite and vapor barrier under foundation

Provide water resistant barrier on exterior walls

Use of recycled materials where applicable (cellulose, clay brick, OSB)

Design efficient floor plans

Thorough air-infiltration control on garage / living area common walls

Rigorously manage storm water runoff

Provide thorough home maintenance and care manual and thorough Homeowner Orientation

-J Mason

COO Antares Homes

For more information visit:

NAHB

Energy Star

Antares Homes

What is Cellulose Insulation?

If you have ever visited one of our sales offices, chances are you had a very excited sales person tell you all about our amazing Cellulose Insulation.  We have our noise and heat demonstrations and our Kilowatt/hour guarantee, but still you ask yourself: What in the world is this cellulose insulation?  Great question!  Cellulose insulation is a recycled fiber made mostly out of newspaper.  It is mixed with glue powder and various fire-retardant and insect repellant chemicals and is installed by being sprayed or blown into the wall cavity.  We choose to use this insulation because of its superior performance. 

What proof do we have of its superior performance?  Well we do a blower door test on all of our homes before they close and as a result of this test each home is certified Energy Star Qualified.  We are even listed on the Energy Star website as a company that builds 100% Energy Star QUALIFIED homes!

We also provide each home owner with a warranty through Comfort Home guaranteeing the Kilowatt per Hour usage of the HVAC.  It is primarily because of our insulation that we are able to provide this feature for our Home Owners.

There seems to be a lot of great information on Cellulose insulation on the web.    Here is a list of FAQ about Cellulose Insulation geared towards Builders.  This particular piece answers questions we often hear in our sales offices about settling, whether it is a fire hazard and if it harbors insects.  There is also a neat video on This Page called “The Big Burn” about cellulose’s performance under fire conditions.  They proved that homes insulated with Cellulose instead of fiberglass are 57% more fire resistant.

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst published an article online touting the superiority of cellulose insulation. 

My favorite part of the article?

“Sprayed cellulose is an eco-friendly material that is installed at a high density. Coverage is complete. There are no voids in the walls. All wire and plumbing penetrations are automatically and completely sealed. A professionally installed application is airtight, comfortable, energy efficient, and safe. There are fewer thermal short circuits and virtually no convective currents within the wall cavities. On the whole, customers report a less drafty, more comfortable living experience. As a bonus, many people think the superior air-tightness and absorptive qualities of sprayed cellulose provides a quieter indoor environment.”

Oh yeah, did I mention its shhhh, quiet? 

CIMA has a wonderful website with lots of great information on Cellulose also.  It answers questions like, What is R-Value?  Why is cellulose insulation considered a Green Product?  Also a lot of detractors state that cellulose insulation is prone to mold and is not very fire resistant.  CIMA answers those questions Here.

If you have more questions about our insulation call one of our experts: 1-800-ANTARES.  We are definitely VERY EXCITED when we get talking about our insulation so please excuse our excessive exuberance! 😉

Top 10 Reasons Antares Homes Salespeople Are the Best!

Contender for Salesperson of the Year: Monique Tinsley!

1)     We are present at our sales offices during operating hours:

We have heard from our customers that Builder A is never open, or Builder B never has a salesperson at the office even though it is open.  We are in the business of selling homes and that can’t be done without a salesperson to meet with you!

2)   We are excited to see you when you walk in our door:

All of our salespeople will give you a hearty welcome when you come to our offices.  We know that there are many other builders to choose from and we are glad to have the opportunity to serve you!

3)    We want to know what your needs are:

Don’t be taken off guard when you are in one of our sales offices and our salespeople are asking you endless amounts of questions!  It is important for us to make sure we match you to the right home or floor plan.  We are focused on building neighborhoods that are occupied by happy Home Owners just like you!

4)   We know a lot about financing:

In the current financial landscape, lending regulations change very often.  We do our best to prepare for upcoming changes and understand what all the options are.  Each Home Owner has a unique set of circumstances and we need to be able to problem solve on the fly. 

5)    We can help you with your credit:

As lending regulations change, so do credit requirements.  We have experienced several increases to the bottom line credit score requirements and have figured out several ways we can help our customers to increase their scores without enrolling in pricey credit repair programs.

6)   We are knowledgeable about construction:

We have the luxury of working with Certified Graduate Builders who teach us about why we build homes the way we do.  If we don’t know an answer off the top of our heads, an expert is a phone call away!

7)    We are dedicated to customer service:

We want to make sure you have the best home buying experience possible and that starts with good follow up.  We make sure to keep in touch with you even before you buy a home with us.

8)   We are honest:

We offer the best value at the best price.  No bait and switch here!

9)   We are constantly striving to improve:

Our sales people attend weekly training.  We rely on each other for feedback and help.  We have a spirit of service to each other as co-workers that benefits our customers.

10)                       We have fun!

If you only knew…

Shall remain nameless...

Could there be a better time to buy?

1100 Junegrass

In my 37 years of selling and building new homes, the answer to the question is absolutely now is the best time to buy. 

Why?  Let’s look at the reasons:

            1.  Lowest interest rates in history.  Never have interest rates for homes ever been this low.  They may never be this low again in our life time.

            2.  Lot prices are the lowest in 5 years.  After an 18 year increase in lot and home prices, now the prices for lots have come down below the cost to produce the lot.  When the market returns to normal, the price of lots will be twice the current cost.  Also, there are no new developments for lots due to lender not loaning money for development.  When the lots we have now are gone, it will increase the price of home dramatically if there are any lots to purchase. 

            3.  Profit margins on new homes are the lowest in 20 years.  Due to lower demand for housing since the tax credit expired, builders are offering homes at the lowest profit margins in 20 years.  It is a buyers market so take advantage of it.

            4.  Energy features in new homes are the highest ever.  This makes the total payments to own your new home the lowest ever.  Adding green energy features to our homes have made it easy to guarantee heating and cooling cost.

I have never seen the new home market this great for the buyer.  My advice would be to take advantage of this time and purchase a new home.

-Ron Formby

Form Boards and Plumbing Rough

How 'bout them pipes?

When you drive by a home site in a neighborhood that has on-going construction you may notice that some of them just have a rough outline of a slab made out of what looks like 2×4’s.  That may stay there for several weeks before anything else happens.  Placing the form boards on the home site often happens before the builder has been issued building permits and that is why it stays there for so long.  The home site is surveyed and the lot dimensions are checked for accuracy.  The home site is “benched” meaning the vegetation is cleaned off the pad site where the forms will be placed.  The form boards are set according to the footprint of the home with 2×12’s.  The form is then surveyed to make sure they are on the property and out of any easements and within the building lines.  The next step is to obtain a permit.  A City Permit is an approval from the city to go ahead with construction.  By obtaining a permit the city has agreed to inspect the home at different stages of the building process.  No builder or remodeler can legally commence work with out a permit.  The next step is a drop of plumbing sand on the building site.  The sand is for bedding the pipes to give them cushion and fall.  The plumber begins digging where all of the plumbing lines will be placed inside and outside of the forms.  The plumbing lines installed in one day.  We install Zurn PEX water supply lines.  They are better than copper lines because they require fewer fittings and are more resistant to mineral lime and scale buildup.  PEX is more energy efficient because it does not dissipate heat as readily and it is better able to withstand freeze and thaw cycles because it can expand with a freeze and work just as well after it has thawed.  Once the lines are run, they are filled with water and we leave them filled to check for leaks.  The City Inspector will come to the site and conduct a Plumbing Rough inspection of all of the plumbing lines that will be concealed in the slab.  The Inspector will also look at the fittings to make sure they are installed correctly and make sure that they align correctly with the fall of the lines that will carry waste to the City Sewer lines.  And that my friend is the process from dirt to the plumbing rough.  Thanks Certified Graduate Builder Brooks Rowe for the consult on this Blog post!

Ron’s First Reflection

Ron Formby

Well, this reflection may be more of a rant.  With over 37 years in the building business, the one thing that really bugs me is the cities disregard for value/affordable housing.  It almost seems that the cities have forgotten that when we can house our people, business will show up and want to be in the city.  Residential rooftops bring in businesses which create jobs, and raise the tax base and increase the city’s revenue.  Over the last several years, cities have forgotten this and have imposed impact fees on new homes only to make the new developments and homes pay a very unfair tax.  Well here we go again.  The City of Fort Worth in its best wisdom is considering upping the Transportation Impact Fee again.  They just increased the fee to $2,000 for all NEW homes permitted, and now want to increase it again making the fee $3,000.00.  With all the other fees, building permit, Water Impact Fee, Sewer Impact Fee, etc. the fees for a New 2,000 square foot home permitted in Fort Worth before any construction is started, we have to write check to the City of Fort Worth for a total of $4,200.00 and now they want to raise that cost to $5,200.00!  What you need to know is you have to pay this fee in the cost of the new home you are buying.  This has gotten to be ridiculous.  There is no increase in new home starts and the city is losing money due to lack of new home starts.  Fees like these makes the consumer look to a more affordable price in a city that does not charge these high fees.  The same exact floor plan in another city other than Fort Worth (in a comparable community with the same lot costs) will be the same $4,200.00 or $5,200.00 cheaper.  And the City of Fort Worth which had a $70,000,000.00 budget deficit (just balanced by laying off hundreds of jobs and cutting services to city pools and libraries) can not see that these fees do nothing but drive the budget further in debt.  The City of Midlothian in 2010 waived over $5,400.00 in fees and has seen an increase in building starts which has brought in revenue and tax base dollars.  Cities in California have waived fees as well, trying to jump start a down housing industry.  Cities believe this tax, and it is a tax on New Homes only, works because they are taxing someone that does or may not live in the City currently, so they don’t make voters unhappy.  New homes pay their own way and contribute to the tax base and revenue stream.  Let’s start building New Homes encouraging people to live in our city instead of trying to run them out of it.