One of the great follies in sales and marketing is that companies and business people will often create  products and services that they think will sell and not necessarily what people want to buy.

This article from builderonline.com is a classic example.  Read the article and the first comment posted.

http://www.builderonline.com/design/luxe-redux.aspx?cid=BLDR110713002

Having worked in kitchen, bath, and closet design and sales, I understand her frustration.  What is most important to people is to be listened to and have home related businesses cater to their wants and needs.

The concept of orienting a home, building, or shelter to take advantage of the warmth of the sun has been in practice for centuries.  Natives all over the world, whether nomadic or pueblo, knew the advantages of orienting their shelters and homes to maximize heat in the winter.

These days many custom and green builders  take solar orientation into account when designing new homes.  The concept of passive solar thermal heating for winter is becoming more well known in the mainstream building and home-ownership communities.

In past decades, however,  many homes have been built without much thought as to where they were located or how they were oriented.  Houses have been built in holes, on hilltops, in dense clusters, and certainly out in the middle of nowhere.

If you are in a home that you would like to be more green, more efficient, or simply naturally warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, it may be perfectly do-able.  Here are a few things to consider:

Determine Your Passive Solar Exposure

The first thing to determine is how much sun exposure your home gets.  If your home is in the middle of a dense forest, down in a deep valley, sandwiched between tall buildings, or on a west-facing slope (in the northern hemisphere) you may have a problem with plans to capture enough sunlight to make passive solar gain a reality.

In most cases, though, this is not a big issue.  In New Mexico, most homes are exposed to plenty of sunlight.  Around here, there is a good chance that up to 50% of your home has direct solar exposure.

Grab some paper and a pencil (or a tape-measure and Google Sketchup if you are a perfectionist like me), and sketch out your home,  floorplan, and even nearby trees, buildings,  hills and so on.  You should only need to sketch out trees and structures within about 150′ foot radius on your home as these will have the most impact on blocking sunlight to your walls and windows.  Chances are, if you have lived in your home through at least four seasons, you will already have a good idea of your homes exposure level, hot spots, cold spots, and so forth.

Once you know your approximate solar exposure you can then determine how to implement a passive solar remodel.

Passive Solar Circulation

Do You Need to Change Your Floor Plan to Maximize Solar Gain?

You may need to consider changing your floor plan for your passive solar design to work.  If the interior of your exposure wall is made up of closets or mechanical rooms you may need to consider changing around some walls and such.  In some cases it takes very little remodeling to implement a passive solar plan.  In many homes this can be as simple as installing large windows on your exposed wall, laying brick or tile floors and walls, and inserting wall vents to create circulation that heats adjoining spaces.

If you want to do more research on the specific strategies and types of materials used for passive solar systems, check out these handy links:

http://www.wbdg.org/resources/psheating.php

http://www.alternative-heating.com/passive-solar-heating.html

If you live in the northern half of New Mexico and would like to schedule a consultation and estimate please give us a call!

Kodama Construction, LLC.  505-699-8862

When it comes to home remodeling, there are several factors to be considered before such project can be started. If you are looking to make the process just a little bit easier and more result oriented, it is necessary to have a clear perspective as to which aspects are to be prioritized and how much resource shall be devoted to each one.

Top Priorities for Home Remodeling

Structure Alterations for Home Remodeling

Before you can even think about what to change on the interiors it has to be determined, first and foremost, if there is a need to change certain things with the main structure of the house. Oftentimes, repairs are needed on the roof, walls, and even the water works especially taking into account the wear and tear factor. If such repairs prove to be necessary, you should expect the expenditures to augment, depending on your original estimation.

Interior Design Options

The next step is brainstorming on options for the interiors which would entail examining even the most minute details of the house in order to produce the best possible outcome. You can start with the floors which may need replacement or refurbishing. Some people prefer to keep their old flooring because of its value and this might very well be the case for you. However, you may also want to change the floors if they prove to be outdated and less structurally sound. Some of the best choices are solid oak floors, maple, and tiles for the kitchen.

You may also need to consider new furniture and fixtures to add a little more personality to the place. There are several approaches to interior design, one of which is modern chic which is usually made of clean lines and refreshing colors. Another very popular approach is minimalistic which is used specifically for homes that lack in space.

Illumination and Accents

Ambiance is a huge part of home remodeling as it would make the space more welcoming. For the most part, light fixtures would allow setting a mood indoors which will come in handy when you are looking to enjoy a quiet day inside or a romantic dinner with your special someone. Popular choices for lighting accessories are pendant lights (for the patio), wall sconces, hanging lanterns, and many others. It would also help produce better home remodeling results if there are accent pieces around the house such as paintings and other forms of artwork.

Home remodeling is a dream and desire for many people. At times people feel that they should give a new look to their homes by contacting with the home builder companies. By making use of home remodeling people show their taste and choice. The details of renovation can be given to the home builder team so that they may completely change your home according to your own wish. This renovation process can refresh and rejoice the people living in the home.

When home remodeling, put it in writing

It is recommended that while home remodeling all the necessary major and minor details should be given in the written form to the home builder team. Otherwise in many cases it can be observed that few minor changes are sometimes forgotten to be made by the constructors. Your entire idea or theme of the renovated home might get disturbed even by a simple and small mistake. Every minor detail holds much importance in giving the complete look to your home.

Discuss your home remodeling design plans with your contractor

When you are going for home remodeling it is always recommended that you should discuss your idea with the home builder experts. There may be some flaw in your interior design that may be corrected by the experts. There can be many things that you cannot even think about and such minor points can be raised by the interior designers. The consultation will also provide you with new ideas that may help to enhance the beauty of your home.

Home remodeling can be an expensive and lengthy project but it will allow you to fulfill your dreams. You should always go for the reliable and trustworthy home builder company who can provide you with your dream house. Any haste or ignorance may end up in a result that does not meet your requirements or wishes. Home remodeling is a onetime expense but the joy will be forever. It would always be pleasant to live in a home of your imaginings.

A number of home building teams are working today for this purpose. These companies provide the customers with a number of services. You can select the company that best fits your needs and requirements. The information regarding these companies can be found online as well. You can get the complete details of the teams and then contact them for consulting with them. Before finalizing any company for your home renovation, it is better that you should check their previous projects.

Kodama Construction is here to help you with all your home remodeling projects.

Home Remodeling

If you have made the decision that it is time to begin a home remodeling project and you plan on hiring someone to do it rather than doing it yourself there are a few things that you should be aware of. You’ve probably heard the horror stories from other individuals who have had home remodeling projects that have gone downhill quick. There are hundreds of stories about work that is left incomplete, contractors asking for more money and services that are just not being performed.

Is Your Home Remodeling Contractor Licensed?

One important step that you should take before hiring someone to do your home remodeling project is to ensure that individual or company is licensed. When a company or individual is licensed, it shows that they are trustworthy and that the business is legitimate. When you hire someone to provide you with a service it is important to know that you are protected against poor workmanship, theft and illegal practices.

What Is Your Home Remodeling Contractor’s Background?

When looking for Santa Fe home remodeling, know that most companies or individuals who do home remodeling projects have a background as a home builder. When you hire someone who is experienced as a home builder more than likely they will be familiar with whichever type of project that you want to take place in your home. Depending on what your project is you want to ensure that the person is well-qualified in that particular area to perform the work that you need. For example you do not want to hire someone with experience in carpentry work to rewire your garage. While they may be skillful in building walls and other woodworking projects they really have no business performing work that includes wiring or other electrical tasks. It is not recommended to enter into verbal contracts as these are not always binding in a court of law, all contracts should be in writing and should express the specifics of what work is going to be performed.

Before hiring someone to take on your Santa Fe home remodeling project you should be sure to sit down with the individual or company and thoroughly discuss the terms of the contract. Be sure to include everything that should be done for the project no matter how small it may seem. The more thorough you are about the terms and conditions of the contract the better protected you will be if things do not go as planned.

When speaking with home remodeling contractors, do not always take a contractors word for everything they say, there are times when you may have to investigate and take a look at things yourself to ensure that the work is being performed as discussed. By following these guidelines you not only help to protect yourself in the long run but you also make that contractor aware that you are expecting them to do the job according to the contract that has been drawn up and that you will accept nothing less.

Kodama Construction is here to help you with your home remodeling project.

Common sense says that keeping your home well maintained will help it to hold its value until the economy strengthens. Exterior improvements such as paint, stucco, new front doors, new windows, and well-maintained landscaping all contribute to the appeal of a home.

Also, with today’s increasing energy rates it is becoming more and more expensive and unsustainable to have a home that is hard to heat and cool. New efficiency windows, added sealing and insulation, and low-e appliances provide long-term lower energy costs that add to the sustainability and market value of homes.

Read  article here…

Wishing you all the best!

Howard T. Bell