This is the place to rant, rave, brag, belly-ache, crack a joke, procrastinate, and delve into the metaphysical aspects of the DIY mindset. We’re off the map, on a tangent, and frequently off topic. This is the stuff we don’t show on TV.
As the old saw goes, the proper tools make the job; this applies to painting as well. Purchase quality tools and materials. DIYers save on labor costs and can easily justify paying the price of quality tools. Tool quality and price vary widely, but you can find good quality at a medium price. The right tools will help you to achieve your goals of increased quality and decreased work time.
Ninety-nine percent of construction work is completed within the allotted time. Getting a project closed out -- the other one percent -- seems to take just as much time. Why does this process take so long? A seemingly endless series of punch list and paperwork items must be completed before the project can be considered complete.
For more than ten years now the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has been transforming the way we build through its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system. This transformation has been driven by local, state, and federal government, as well as institutions. However, the past two years have seen an increasing number of private LEED projects; this trend has sparked interest in the return on investment (ROI) of LEED certification.
Late payment to the contractor is one of the main causes of relationships souring during construction projects. The contractor is unhappy. Subcontractors are unhappy. Suppliers are unhappy. The engineer has to field all of these complaints -- and often the blame. Incomplete payments, due to disputed work or progress, lead to damaged relationships as well. Late payments do more than effect relationships, however: They can severely cripple a contractor’s ability to continue and complete the work.
New York City's lively Union Square is known for its green market, but it is briefly playing host to another set of organic structures -- an ephemeral village of sukkahs. Sukkot, the seven-day-long Jewish holiday, is celebrated by building these temporary forms, reminiscent of those that the Israelites inhabited in the wilderness after their exodus from Egypt.
Previously in our series on painting, we looked at set-up and interior painting tips, as well as exterior paint failure due to moisture. Although most homeowners will want to leave exterior painting to the professionals, we will discuss exterior painting work that DIYers can perform. At the least, gaining an understanding of exterior painting will benefit homeowners when they're making decisions about home maintenance and improvement.
Third-party verification, the basic concept at the heart of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, is both its greatest strength and its greatest burden. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has long struggled to establish a practical system in which a series of independent verifiers work seamlessly together to achieve building certification.
The New Museum is not exactly new anymore. Upon its completion in 2007, the blocky, mesh-clad structure generated some controversy: a rainbow-hued "Hell Yes!" affixed to its facade rebelliously declared its arrival on the Bowery, the main street of the eponymous neighborhood in lower Manhattan. SANAA's eye-catching design for the the 33-year old New Museum oscillates between the Bowery's infamous past and its inevitably gentrified future.
Construction is about building, and not only in the sense of infrastructure: building professional and cordial relationships between the three principals on a project results in a better facility constructed on time and within budget. The relationships between the owner (or developer), the contractor, and the engineer (or other design professional) are defined by the General Conditions of the Construction Contract, published by the Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC).
Paint failure occurs for many reasons, but moisture is a common cause. It is important for a homeowner to not only notice moisture problems, but to hire a competent painting contractor who can identify their causes and make the necessary corrections. Moisture as a source of paint failure falls into three general categories: systemic moisture, structurally caused moisture, and moisture caused by human error.
The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC's) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program is the nation’s leading standards-based green building program. In 2009 the USGBC released its most recent version of the rating system and embarked upon its latest stage of development.
When Denver’s commercial real estate industry outlines criteria for developing a successful project, it typically starts with whether the site provides any views of Colorado’s Rocky Mountain Front Range to the west of the city. It follows, of course, that these units hold a value premium, as owners will pay more for this look at the mountains, a source of comfort and inspiration and an iconic representation of Colorado’s strong sense of identity.
