Facts You Should Know
That Compromise
The Houses You Design and Build

Because of different building materials and methods, designing and building a home is more complex today.

Issues Are Surfacing That Put
Homeowners, Architects and Builders at Risk:

• Moisture and mold – Even though everyone is doing their best, moisture is still finding its way on roof decks, outside walls and insulated basement walls.
• Ice Dams – No matter how much venting we put in attics and roofs, this dangerous and damaging problem persists
• Indoor Air Quality – There are many new air filtration and air purification systems installed in homes while homeowners still suffer from poor indoor air quality.
• Energy Efficiency – Homeowners are now demanding more energy efficient homes. We’re putting in more insulation than ever and heating and cooling bills are still higher than they should be.

What’s worse than an unhappy client?

What’s more, homeowners were upset with their contractor for not informing them of products and ways that make them comfortable.

Here’s a story of an experience I had with a homeowner:

Years ago at the end of a custom home project, I was going over the HVAC system with the client.

He asked me “is this the best system there is?”

I had to be honest with him and told him there are better systems available. He responded by saying, “why isn’t it in my new home?”

I told him this is what the builder told me he wanted.

The homeowner disgustingly said “no one asked me what I wanted!”

I’ll never forget that lesson.

I’ve found that if I take the time to educate my clients, they have no trouble seeing the value of doing things in an intelligent way and investing more up front for long-term results rather than the short-sighted, “nickel-holding-up-a dollar approach.”

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