Gibson HomeBuilders

Hello everyone welcome to the Master Builder Show. I am your host (Jim Gibson) President of Gibson Home Builders; Inc. A registered builder in the state of Texas, a Graduate Master Builder certified by the National Association of Home Builders. I am a current member of the U.S. Green Building Council and current President of the Parker County Builders Association.

My guest today is David Beninati, president of Beninati Building Company and the incoming President of Parker County Builders Association for 2008.

This show is designed to educate and answer questions of the listeners on residential design, construction and anything dealing with remodeling, repairing or building a home in the State of Texas.

We will get the answers for any questions you may have so call us on the Master Builder Show. The telephone number is 877-341-8950.
I would like to start the show giving you some important guidelines for choosing a builder or contractor and answering any questions you have on construction.

1st). Make sure they are a registered builder in the state of Texas.
Every person that builds or does any kind of remodeling or work in excess of $10,000 requires a registration number issued by the Texas Residential Construction Commission. He or she must be registered and register the job address and name of persons having the work performed. He or she must provide you with their registration number and a contact number for the Texas Residential Construction Commission. If they cannot provide this, do not hire them. The fines for not complying with the rules set by the state of Texas are up to $1000 per day for each violation. HB-1038 concerning residential construction went into effect on September 1st, 2007. Every registered builder needs to know about the new laws and regulations governing residential construction. All builders are to meet all required residential building codes no matter where they build in the state of Texas. This includes house built out side city jurisdictions.

2nd). Get references.
Just because the builder is registered does not mean he or she is a good builder; it just means they have complied with state mandated regulations. It’s always a good idea to get and contact at least 3 references. Ask them if the builder or contractor performed the work, completed the work, paid all bills associated with the work, including his subs, and that they are satisfied with the work. Ask if any liens were filed against the property do to the contractor not fulfilling his or her obligations.

3rd). Go on line to www.texasrcc.org
Here you can find out if the builder or contractor is currently registered and if he or she has any complaints filed against them.

4th). To get a list of registered builders in your area contact your local Building Association.
Parker County Builders Association is a chapter of the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association and they have a list of builders for the following counties.
Parker, Hood, Somerville, Palo Pinto, Johnson, Tarrant and Wise counties
Their Number is 817-457-2864.

The next topic we will be talking about is Green Building and the benefits both economically and environmentally. There are many levels to building Green and each person will have to decide the level to which they can afford. It has been my experience that everyone would like to do his or her part in saving energy and doing the right thing for the environment in building or remodeling a home. It cost more up front to build Green but the long-term benefits will save you money in maintenance and on your utility bills. What does Green Building mean?
USGBC (US Green Building Council) states that.
A Green home uses less energy, water and natural resources; creates less waste; and is healthier for the people living inside.

Lets talk about each of these, starting with using less energy. What can we do as homeowners to save energy, which in turn will save you money?

1). Start by changing out your light bulbs a few at a time from incandescent to compact fluorescent.
2). Replace your thermostat with a programmable one and program it to your comfort level only when you are at home.
3). Plug all air leaks around your home to save money on your heating and cooling bills.
4). Tune up your heating and cooling (HVAC) system and change your filters as needed.
5). Replace appliances as needed with Energy Star approved brands.
6). Plant trees and shrubs around your house to provide shade and wind protection.

Now let’s talk about saving water which will also save you money.

1). Reduce water consumption by adding aerators to your faucets and changing to low flow showerheads.
2). Incorporate native plants and grasses that require less water.
3). Change out old toilets to high efficiency lower gallons per flush or dual flush type toilets.
4). Replace old worn out water heaters with tank-less or solar type water heaters.
5). Install hot water recirculation pumps that will put the water back into the system until desired temperature is obtained.

Next we will talk about using sustainable natural resources when ever possible.

1). When replacing or adding new flooring try to use bamboo, cork or eucalyptus. These products are durable, nice looking and grow at an accelerated rate.
2). Use wood alternatives such as fiber cement composites or wood composites made from recycled wood.
3). When using wood use FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood products. These products are made from trees planted, maintained and harvested by the certified supplier.

Now let’s talk about how we can reduce waist.

1). Building materials are manufactured in precise measurements. Take floor tile for instance, it comes in precise sizes 12”X12”, 18”X18”, and so on. So, why not have the tile size picked out before you design the room it goes in? That way you reduce the amount that is cut and thrown in the dumpster.
2). Room sizes, wall height, wall length and everything else you can think of in the building process has materials that come in precise measurements. So, design the house with the intent of reducing the amount of waist and you will reduce your overall cost.

Ok, let’s talk about a healthy indoor living environment.

1). You want the ability to control your indoor environment. This means a tight house, no air leaks. Make sure there are no leaks in your HVAC ducts. A leak in the ductwork cost money and sucks unwanted contaminants into your house from the attic. Seal the ducts, seal around windows, doors and any penetration of the house envelope. If possible have an outside air ventilation unit installed to change out the air in the house on a controlled basis. A slight positive pressure on the interior of the house is a good thing. A negative pressure is not a good thing.