We measure time in many ways… the sun overhead, the clock, the rumble in your stomach.

There are events that mark longer periods of time too, of course, and emphasize progress or accomplishment or endurance. The foundation morphs into a roof line. The 5-gallon shrub grows to block the window. Schneider Development sweatshirts appear around town in a new color…

WHAT?

Have you spotted the dark green ones yet? That’s the newest color to hit the streets. It’s the somewhat-annual changing of the guard… green replaces royal blue. Blue replaced burnt orange. Orange replaced heathered grey. Grey replaced the oldest and most prestigious* color… RED.  (and then there are the t-shirts… but that’s a summer story.)

Have you seen one? Let us know!

* the meaning of “prestigious” may be open to interpretation by this author

Tags: Spotted!

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Here’s a snap of one of our current projects… notice anything different?  It’s BLUE!

In our wet and humid environment on the Chesapeake Bay, mold is a concern of many homeowners.  It is everpresent and will bloom on walls if the humidity and temperature are right. Dehumidifiers and ventilation are a common defense, but for the more insidious situations this funny blue wood is a great new product.  It’s becoming quite common in areas of the far south with more extreme weather conditions such as Galvaston, TX but you’ll begin to see it more often in this region too.

BLUWOOD has a proprietary factory applied, two-part coating technology. First, what they call an “Infusion-Film” is applied to form a “water-repellent semi vapor permeable film interlocking with the wood fibers to provide controlled topical and subsurface moisture absorption.”  This will also discourage mold growth on the surface.  Second, the wood is coated with a fungicide and insecticide that protects it from rot fungi and wood ingesting insects, including termites.

From the BLUWOOD site:  “Today’s standard building code requirements only specify a very small amount of lumber used in the home to be treated against rot fungi and wood ingesting insects. BLUWOOD provides the proactive homebuilder and homebuyer (when constructing a home) the ability to have all of the above ground wood framing components protected against the damaging effects of rot fungi and wood ingesting insects; mold fungus growth; as well as limiting uncontrolled moisture absorption.”

So in this case, “the Blues” make us Happy!

Read more about BLUWOOD on their FAQ page.

Tags: Bluwood, Products

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Last week we held our annual Sub Breakfast. That’s a time when we lure all of our subcontractors and suppliers into the same room with the promise of food. OK, yes, we do eat together, but afterwards we have a great discussion on the lessons of the last year, the promise of the next, and how we can all work as a team more efficiently.

There is invariably a moment when someone makes a suggestion and the response is “Duh! Why haven’t we done that before?”  These are the gems of the morning and make taking time out to get together worth it.  

Annual Sub and Supplier Breakfast

There was a moment this year that I looked out across the room while Jim was talking through his vision for the year and thought, “Wow, there’s a whole house here. There’s the bathroom mirror. There’s the plumbing and there’s the roof.  There’s the carpet and the geothermal. And they’re great at their jobs!”  It was a cool moment. We don’t often see the ‘whole’ represented at once since they aren’t ever active on site all together, but each person is a critical part of the finished product.

Every year, Jim acknowledges a subcontractor and a supplier who have consistently delivered high-quality work, go beyond the average requirements, and communicate very well by presenting them with the “Diamond Pride” award. The 2009 winners were:

Diamond Pride Subcontractor of the Year 2009 — Air Masters (Roy and Terry Hadley) AND Tidewater Insulators (Jeff Beals)  We had a tie this year. Both of these subs consistently deliver the goods. We appreciate your work and your attitude!

Diamond Pride Supplier of the Year 2009 – Superior Marble & Stone (Mary Thompson) Great product, great expertise and so easy to work with!

Thanks to everyone who participated this year. It was a great discussion and we’re looking forward to trying out some of our new ideas!

Tags: Diamond Pride

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Schneider Development staff are heading out to Las Vegas for the International Builders Show.  The IBS is the largest annual building industry tradeshow in the country.  It’s THE place to see and discuss the newest products on the market and network with colleagues from across the country.  On top of that, IBS offers more than 175 lectures and presentations taught by industry experts.  

At last year’s show, Schneider Development came away with innovative ideas for business, marketing, as well as new products and materials.  One of the tools we’ve implemented is BuilderTrend.  This web-based communication tool allows our projects to run more smoothly since everyone, sub-contractors, staff, and clients, are kept on the same page throughout each construction phase.  It has been especially effective with our out of town clients who are able to see progress updates and photos. 

Many topics and products for this year’s show are focused on “Green Building.” James Canton, one of the key note speakers, has said that trends toward “green and clean” are already transforming not only the home building industry but many other industries.

IBS features a show home every year as a way to showcase products and design ideas. This year, Nationwide Homes has a line of ECO-cottages on display that exhibit high-performace, energy efficient, green techniques at reasonable, even affordable, prices. We’re excited to see these in person!

Stay tuned for the results of this year’s trip!

Tags: ECO-cottage, Vegas

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In past newsletters, we’ve talked about Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) as an alternative for a  conventional wooden framed home. As green building technologies continue to gain momentum, ICF is becoming a popular choice for building a new home.

Looking into an ICF formed wall

The Energy Efficiency Benefit – The most frequently discussed advantage to ICF is the increased level of energy efficiency.  ICF greatly improves the thermal envelope of a home with increased R-value and larger thermal mass.  In other words, an ICF home, which doesn’t have joints between walls and floors or wood in the walls, is extremely air-tight. Controlled fresh air is circulated in the home. As they say in the ICF industry, “Build it Tight, Vent it Right.”  This works to prevent conditioned air from escaping and unconditioned air from entering.  The ICF acts as a consistent and continuous insulator. Also, ICF homes create large thermal mass which allows them to ‘flatten out’ or slow down the daily temperature fluctuations. They absorb heat when the surroundings are hotter, and give heat back when the surroundings are cooler.  Over time, these energy efficiencies translate to lower utility costs for a homeowner. The additional up-front costs of ICF provide a financial payback over the life of the home. 

Other benefits of ICF include noise reduction, increased indoor air quality, durability in severe weather, and fire resistance. Most residents of ICF buildings describe them as very comfortable to live in.

The construction of an ICF home is fascinating to watch. One of our current projects reached the “pour” stage today. The ICF forms had been assembled on site as what looked like large styrofoam legos. The penetrations for electric and plumbing services were all precisely placed. The window and door openings were finished to the correct opening sizes. Today, the concrete was poured and vibrated into place.  Here are some photos:

View of a future porch entrance

View from inside the future rooms

The concrete pour

A very long boom delivers the concrete

Tags: Green, ICF

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Schneider Development congratulates William H. “Bill” Halprin as the 2010 president of Tidewater Builders Association, a not-for-profit home builders association with about 800-plus member firms in South Hampton Roads, during its annual installation of officers at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront on Friday, Dec. 4. Halprin also will serve as a Home Builders Association of Virginia (HBAV) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) director in 2010.

Halprin is a partner and senior vice president with S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co., as well as senior vice president and director of operations for all multifamily property management activities.

Great speech Bill – looking forward to a prosperous 2010!

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Great News!  The Federal Government has extended the $8000 tax credit for First Time Buyers and has authorized a $6500 tax credit to qualified Repeat Home Buyers.  Go to www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/ to get the latest updated information as well as review the FAQ related to all home tax credits.

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Community involvement is an important goal of ours. Giving back, with both money and time, makes our community a better place to live and work in. The staff at Schneider Development have diverse interests. Chris Schwab, our Business Development Director, is one of four women who have opened the Southside chapter of Beyond Boobs!, Inc. She’s also on the Board of Directors. (She’s become quite patient with the “boob jokes” from her construction-industry co-workers.)

Beyond Boobs! Inc. is a non-profit organization focused on breast health that began in Williamsburg. Co-founders, Mary Beth Gibson and Rene Bowditch, are breast cancer survivors who initially came together to support and encourage one another. Their vision is to take Beyond Boobs! nationwide, so women everywhere will know the life-saving importance of early detection, and so other young survivors can experience the benefits the group gained by traveling this “journey” together.

Beyond Boobs at the Neptune Festival

So far this year, we’ve participated in the Neptune Festival Parade and the Pink Heels Tour at Mt. Trashmore.  Our next invitation is for a fantastic event this Saturday 11/7:  Divas in Disguise. The annual Fashion Show and Silent Auction is presented by The Hague Center for Cosmetic & Plastic Surgery and will benefit Beyond Boobs! Contact Chris for tickets 757.339.9706 or here.

Friends! Follow along on FaceBook!

Tags: Boobs, Community

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As you enjoy the crispness of the autumn air, the sounds of your favorite football team, and the smell of pumpkin pie baking in the oven, remember to take the time for some fall maintenance items – these will help to maintain the safety and value of your home and property.

Indoor

• Have heating systems cleaned and inspected. Change air filters.
• Check fire extinguishers for expired units.
• Check batteries in smoke and carbon dioxide detectors.
• For wood burning fireplaces, have them cleaned to eliminate cresol. Open dampers prior to first fire.
• For gas fireplaces, check flow of gas and have serviced for any blockage.
• Check windows for cracks and leaks. Caulk any warped spots or loose spots to prevent heat loss.
• Electric outlets and light switches on exterior walls can let drafts rob you of your warm heated inside air. Special thin Styrofoam insulation template pieces, found at most hardware and home improvement stores, are made just for these drafts.

Outdoor

• Shut down outdoor plumbing and drain the water in pipes by opening the hose bibs to avoid pipes bursting in cold temperatures.
• Seed your lawn to replenish grass in bare spots as well as to fertilize the grass. Nutrients will seep into the soil over winter.
• Clean gutters of leaves and debris.  Inspect gutters for leaks.
• Trim shrubbery around HVAC equipment to allow ample air flow.
• Plant your bulbs for spring blooms.

Tags: Tips

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Several years ago, the electrical code was updated to include requirements for what’s called an arc fault circuit breaker.  Here’s how that may affect you…

Traditional circuit breakers are designed to trip if there is a rush of electric current passing through a circuit or a massive amount of current that causes the breaker to heat up. Generally, traditional breakers are designed to protect the wiring from the receptacle to the electric panel.

The arc fault circuit breaker is designed to also protect small appliance wires and extension cords plugged into the receptacle. Similar to your ground fault circuit breaker (GFI) which senses moisture and is required in locations like bathrooms, kitchens and exterior receptacles, the arc fault circuit breaker uses a small filter and a logic device to sense an electrical arc and intense heat. They’re currently required in all bedrooms since this is the most common area of the home where a fire may start as result of arcing.

Unfortunately, a vacuum cleaner is one of those appliances that tend to trip the arc fault… and of course you do need to vacuum the bedroom!  You’ll generally find that the older the appliance, the more likely it is to trip the breaker. Newer appliances are being designed to avoid this situation.

The frustrating part is that some arc fault circuit breakers seem to be slightly more sensitive than others so you may find one bedroom trips but another doesn’t. That doesn’t mean anything is wrong, just that there is a slight inconsistency in manufacturing. We’ve run into this before and have determined that it’s not that the arc fault circuit breakers that don’t trip aren’t doing their job, but instead it’s the ones that do trip that are doing their job a little better.

It may be annoying to be limited in your vacuum cleaner outlets, but it’s not a deficiency… just a system designed to protect you.

Tags: Electricity, Tips

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