New Home Building Articles | Home Construction Tips

Concrete blocks have been popular materials for building houses, since long ago. As new materials are introduced in house construction, it is important to know whether or not it is fit for your house, as well as for your location to choose concrete. Here are some pros and cons in using concrete blocks in building houses:

Pro1: A concrete house is resistant to insect attacks. Unlike wood, it is not prone to termites and other insects that may damage your house.

Con1: Concrete blocks can be damaged by water more easily than other types of materials. This is especially true for areas that have high water table. If you want to use concrete, you would have to invest in high quality paint that is water proof. You also have to make sure that the drainage for your house is working excellently, to keep your house as far from water damage as possible.

Pro2: A house made of concrete is stronger than other houses. You would stand better against natural disasters such as strong winds and earthquakes when you use concrete blocks. Just make sure that you use other strong materials and that you employ an excellent way of constructing your house.

Con2: Concrete blocks are difficult to design. You may end up with a house that is not as attractive as you want it to be. They are not as flexible as other materials, and you might end up with a house that looks like a commercial building.

Pro3: Concrete blocks are fire-resistant. They not only resist fire, but they are also able to stand strong after being exposed to fire. Other materials react fast to heat and fire, and thus are not able to protect your house well.

Con3: Concrete blocks are more expensive than other construction materials. Although the cost of concrete blocks can differ from area to area, you can expect the cost to be up to triple the other materials used in building houses such as drywalls and 2x4s.

So as much as there are advantages to using concrete blocks, there are also concerns that you have to prepare for. Depending on your goals in building your house, you can use concrete blocks for your new house.

When the mortgage industry collapsed, home builders were among those who suffered the worst of it. Those who had the foresight to prepare for the collapse of the housing market were able to survive while most of those who ignored the warning signs were left with no other option but to declare bankruptcy.

In the past months, however, nationwide home sales have displayed a steady gain which encouraged those in the home building industry to slowly inch back in Maryland’s new single-family home market. In addition, inventory of newly-constructed properties is starting to dwindle as consumers take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit that the federal government gave as an incentive to first time home buyers.

Although the market conditions are not as favorable compared to that of the boom years, home builders are starting to reposition themselves in the market, fearful that they will be left behind once the industry fully recovers.

For instance, KB Home, a Los Angeles-based construction company, resumed its plans of building energy-efficient houses to meet the growing demand for green homes in Maryland. In addition, these residential properties come with floor plans that can meet any preferences and budget, allowing them to somehow compete with re-sales as well as foreclosures.

Caruso Homes, a local builder which suffered through a bankruptcy during the worst of the mortgage crisis, is already preparing to enter the market especially after it has fully satisfied its obligations to their creditors.

Now, the scaled-down company has already sold several homes in the past couple of weeks and will begin their construction in the next two months.

Of course, there are still a lot of challenges that these builders face. Among them is the lack of credit availability to purchase land for development. The enduring mortgage problems as well as rising unemployment are also important factors that need to be considered.

In summary, home builders find the current market conditions quite challenging. The building of these planned communities will still depend on the availability of financing and the pace of the recovery of the entire housing market.

But with the right products and careful planning, recovery for the industry is no longer an elusive dream.

Home builders in FL are alarmed after finding out that Chinese drywall used by some home builders have been found to be toxic and hazardous to health. In an effort to intensify their efforts against hazardous chemicals and compounds, the

Chinese Drywall Complaint Center has been increasing its programs to educate home and property owners in the area.

The Center expressed that homeowners should not trust home builders when they are told that no Chinese drywall was or would be employed in building their homes. It is important to take precautionary measures in making sure that no toxic chemical would be used in building their houses. Also, do not accept statements from builders saying that there is nothing that can be done about it or that they can re-drywall your house instead.

Home builders in FL account for more drywall in any other state in the country. This is alarming for all the residents, so it is important that every one cooperates in the move against Chinese drywall and its use in home building. Problems have started to manifest when air conditioning units and their drywalls that were installed in 2004 started to fail. A normal drywall would last for ten years. According to the Center, there is no way that the home builders did not have any idea about the flaws of imported drywalls.

Of course, the main reason why a lot of home builders use this kind of drywall is because it is cheap. However, it poses a greater risk and has now become a threat to the reputation of home building companies. The great thing about this is that the Center accepts complaints from homeowners who have already confirmed that their house has Chinese drywall.

Those who are suspecting can also ask for further information, so that they can verify their situation.

Obviously, there is a lack of attention to this problem. It seems that only the Center is taking action on it. However, it is important to know that this is no simple matter. There are a lot of issues that would need to be addressed along with the problem of Chinese drywall. Home builders in FL should pay attention to the call of residents and of the Center as soon as they can.

The pace of house construction stepped up in August, based on data from the U.S. Commerce Department. Construction of new houses and apartments increased by 1.5 percent to an adjusted yearly pace of 598,000 units in August, with multifamily buildings contributing substantially to the growth. The adjusted annual increase was slightly below the 600,000-unit rate […]

Build construction projects are expected to increase and stabilize in the coming months. This was according to the chief of Lennar Corp. Stuart Miller, as he launched his review of the company’s performance during the third quarter of this year. Miller expressed that the house building industry is already on its way to recovery, as […]

Although home builders have decided to construct fewer homes because of the economic recession, the quality of the new property construction is getting better as indicated by the increasing customer satisfaction. A report released by JD Power and Associates, it was revealed that overall satisfaction rose by 32 points for the second year, bringing it […]

New York City is finding ways into turning itself into a location of energy-efficient house office building projects. Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City, unveiled an energy efficient office building that is worth $25 million. Located at Perry Avenue, the building uses solar panels, toilets that use rainwater and has six windmills on its […]

The home building market sees significant improvements as the country’s economy continues to experience difficulties. This is due to the government’s efforts to help first-time buyers to purchase a house. For instance, tax credit is given to home buyers, encouraging them to buy a house. Although the housing market has continually experienced low performance, the […]

Building a home would take a lot of time, effort and money. There are a lot of costs related to having a new house, and it is of high importance to know everything you would have to pay for before even starting to build your house. To help you estimate your budget, you can use […]

In New Orleans, green home building is getting more popular. After hurricane Katrina, new home constructions projects are employing sustainable and environment-friendly materials and methods. With contractors getting more and more aware of more eco-friendly practices, a lot of people believe that New Orleans is well on its way to have more sustainable houses in […]