Stateson Homes Builder Twenty Meeting

Stateson Homes Builder Twenty Meeting

I had the good fortune to be invited to a Builder Twenty meeting last month in Bend, Oregon.  Builder Twenty groups consist of approximately 20 builders of similar sizes, matched to share ideas and best practices with one another.  This particular group was formed in 1996 and although some have come and gone, many of the original members are still participating, including my partners at Atlantic Builders.  The group’s mission is to share best practices, provide feedback to one another, and to host expert speakers and vendors in the industry.

First off, Bend, Oregon is a great small city.  With a population about the same as the New River Valley (Blacksburg MSA), the town appears to have doubled in size since 2000.   Spas, coffee shops, and upscale restaurants are alive with customers.  The Deschutes River, a beautiful clear water river abuts one side of town and the Cascade mountain range can be seen in the background providing beautiful scenery.  Located in the high desert, cold water streams abound but the soil is dry and the plant life is what one would expect in the desert.  If you ever get a chance to visit Bend, I would strongly recommend that you do so.

Second, I would like to thank our host, Hayden Homes for providing a great forum to learn and see their operation first hand.  The wine tasting dinner they arranged allowed us to try Oregon's finest Pinot Noirs and Cabernets.   

Many builders across the country went out of business between 2008 and 2011.  Although there were many battle scars among this group, each member in this group survived and is in good position to thrive going forward.  There were many lessons to be learned from this group of business leaders, strategies that one would like to follow and ones to avoid.  There was an overall sense of pride among the members because sales have picked up in their respective markets and they realize they have weathered the storm.  Low interest rates and low inventories are returning markets to normal across the country.

As I got to know the principals of these various builders two things stood out to me.  This group of strong business leaders had a strong commitment to customer service and they all understood the importance of training, developing, and maintaining a professional team of employees.

One reason that these companies survived is the strong value they placed on customer service.   Although each of these members had pressures coming from many directions such as bank loans being recalled on land positions, downsizing their staffs, and appraisals falling through, they never forgot about the customer. They recognized that doing the "right thing" for their customers, trade partners, and other stakeholders was the number one priority despite the other issues going on.    I attribute their ability to survive in large part to the high standards these individuals had cultivated in their organization.  They stand by their homes. Great Customer Service EQUALS More Sales and this group understood that equation.

The other common theme I saw from the meeting was an understanding that the organization is only as good as the team they had assembled.  It is essential to provide the resources and time to train and develop a team of employees to enhance the customer experience as well as the bottom line.  Developing a culture that attracts talented people and provides the training for them to grow and expand their skills is important in any industry.  The builders that had this culture before the downturn were much more likely to survive.  Those that have it today will continue to gain market share and become the leaders in the industry of the future. 

When and if you look to build a new home, make sure you builder understands the importance of these two points.  Choose a builder that has been tested in the industry and can manage the process.  It is one thing to know how a home goes together, but it is a different skill set to manage the multiple challenges during the process that protect you, the home buyer.  Choose a builder that places an emphasis on doing the right thing.  There are over 300,000 different parts in a new home and occasionally, even the best companies have things go wrong.  Make sure you are confident that your builder has the financial means and a track record of doing the right thing by their customers.  And finally, choose a builder that hires, trains, and develops a staff of high potential managers.  It is your investment in a new home that they will be managing and you should expect a qualified team to serve you along the way.

Stateson Homes understands these values.  Our team has been directly responsible for building over 2000 new homes.  We have assembled a team of top notch individuals to assist you before, during, and after the construction of your new home.  Visit us at www.StatesonHomes.com to learn more.

Todd Robertson

www.StatesonHomes.com

Your Home's Skin - The Thermal Building Envelope - and Stateson Homes' Care

At Stateson Homes we place great focus and effort on the thermal building envelope of your home during designing, planning and constructing your home.  As defined by the Building Science Institute, the building or thermal envelope of a home consists of the following: “…the components that make up the shell or skin of the building. These components separate the exterior of the building from the interior, and are designed by the project architect or engineers to meet the needs of each individual home. The building envelope may also be defined as the components that separate conditioned areas from unconditioned space. Exterior or unheated living spaces are not included inside the envelope, while any living space that is equipped with heat or air conditioning would be included.”

Accordingly, there are four primary functions of the building envelope: adding structural support, controlling moisture and humidity, regulating temperature, and controlling air flow exchanges between the interior and exterior of the home. By maintaining these different areas, the envelope also impacts ventilation and energy use within the building.

For the purposes of this article we will focus on only 5 of these components and how the installation of these systems will maximize the long term energy efficiency and health of your home.  Let’s look at these 5 components from a foundation to roof approach. 

1.       Foundation Insulation and Moisture Control.  Stateson Homes utilizes a rigid foam board insulation installed continuously on the foundation walls to a thickness of R-12.5.  This material is bonded directly to the concrete and increases the energy efficiency to help reduce energy costs.  With the use of 5,000 psi concrete that is moisture resistant you are guaranteed a foundation that will be free of moisture infiltration and provides a drainage plane which directs water away from the foundation. 

2.       Sealed Duct Work.  All joints and unions in the ductwork system are continuously sealed with a sealant that prevents air leakage, and increases the efficiency of the heating and air conditioning system.  By reducing the air leakage within the system, the efficiency of the system dramatically increases, and allows the HVAC designer to reduce the size of the overall system equipment; which reduces energy bills and makes the home more comfortable.  In addition, Stateson Homes goes to great lengths to keep all the equipment, duct work and mechanical systems components within the thermal envelope of the home.  This reduces the lengths of the duct work and increases the efficiency of the overall mechanical system by reducing heat gain/loss through thermal dynamics.

3.       Air Sealing.  Through the use of advanced framing techniques which reduce the use of redundant materials we are able to reduce thermal bridging between the interior and exterior of the home and install more insulation in the exterior walls of the home.  In addition, any exterior penetrations through the thermal envelope such as joints; where different materials come together; switches and outlets are continuously sealed with expansive foam or caulk.  This provides an extraordinarily tight seal which reduces air leakage from the home.

4.       Energy Efficient Windows.  The windows in a home provide great views, fresh air and the opportunity for substantial reduction in energy efficiency!  Through a partnership with Atrium Windows and Lansing Building Products, Stateson Homes utilizes windows that are Energy Star® Rated, double-paned, and filled with argon gas; to provide additional insulation; and a Low-E coating which reduces solar thermal heat gain. 

5.       Attic and Wall Insulation.  At Stateson Homes we provide a combination of fiberglass side wall insulation which is installed after our Air Sealing Program.  This helps in completely filling the wall cavity space with insulation.  In addition, blown insulation in the attic is installed to an insulated value of R-38.  Minimizing the need for equipment and unnecessary trips to the attic space will ensure the insulation is kept in place and not adjusted; decreasing the potential for cold spots. 

These are just a few of the highlights of the different components of your home’s thermal building envelope, and the importance it brings to your home’s performance and health.  Make sure you ask how your potential home builder addresses these areas. There are many ways to achieve an efficient building envelope and the home building industry is ever evolving to develop new products to reduce energy use and increase the home’s energy efficiency.  However, it is important to remember that having the newest gadget or product on the market installed in your home may not provide a greater value than a building process and system installed in an effective and efficiently designed manner.  The installation and design of an effective system will contribute to comfort and savings for years to come. 

~ By George Grundler, Stateson Homes