Want more tips, reminders, and ideas for planning your new home or remodeling project? The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner's Planning Guide to Building a Functional Home will do the trick.

“With dozens of “how to build your new home” books available, what could be left out? Plenty, as author DeCarlo shows in her practical approach to topics often left out, forgotten, or given scant attention. Readers will thank her for raising subjects to consider in the earliest stages of planning a new home.”
-- Carol Smith, Author of "Building Your Home: An Insiders Guide"

I’ve spoken with so many families who spent a year or two of their lives and a large sum of money building or remodeling their home only to move in with a list of “I wish I would haves”. Why does this happen? Because there is an information void in the residential construction industry. Homeowners are missing the tips, reminders, and education needed to thoroughly plan their project.

Unfortunately there aren’t enough hours in the day for anyone, including the builder, architect, designer, or me, to sit down and tell you what you need to know. Nonetheless, this information void needs to be filled.

That’s why, back in October of 2006, I began creating The Difference is in the Details: The Homeowner's Planning Guide to Building a Functional Home. Two years, 400 pages, 400 photographs and over 900 tips later, it's finally here! All the hours and hours and hours of researching the web have been done for you. This comprehensive Guide provides the education, tips, and reminders you need to navigate successfully through the residential construction process.

With this tool you’ll be able to anticipate and deal with a myriad of critical details at the beginning of your construction project. Using this tactic will greatly reduce the number of change orders (and corresponding expenditures) during the project, while at the same time resulting in a home that fits your family’s unique needs.

If you save the cost of a single change order, The Difference is in the Details will have paid for itself many times over! To peruse the Table of Contents, view sample tips, and learn about my free bonus offer, see www.DifferenceInTheDetails.com

Health and Home

Why all the buzz about building a healthy home? What does it mean and why does it make a difference?

Building a healthy home is about selecting products and procedures that minimize the infiltration of irritating gases and reduce the particles in the air we breathe.

AN EFFECT OF A HEALTHY, GREEN HOME: To give you a real-world example of the difference a healthy home can make, the June 2008 issue of Builder Magazine included a short article about a 15-year-old girl named Brooke Madden. Brooke’s severe allergies to pollen sent the Madden family on weekly trips to the emergency room and caused Brooke to miss countless days of school. Steroid-based breathing treatments kept her from gasping for air, but the medication bloated her body.

While investigating ways to help their daughter, the Maddens learned about the EarthCraft House program (a green building and certification program out of Atlanta, Georgia). They sold their home and moved into an EarthCraft-certified home in Cumming, Georgia.

The Maddens’ lives have changed dramatically for the better since moving into their new green home. Brooke no longer needs the breathing treatments, reports Mrs. Madden, nor has she had to visit the emergency room. “She hasn’t missed school because of her breathing. She hasn’t seen an asthma doctor at all. It’s a huge, 180-degree change because she was so sick. We love our house, obviously.” Mrs. Madden says.

According to 2006 statistics from the American Lung Association, over 6.8 million children under age 18 have asthma, making it the leading chronic illness of children in the United States.

FEATURES OF A HEALTHY, GREEN HOME: Here are some of the products and features that can be incorporated into your new home to promote better indoor air quality (IAQ): (Fortunately, due to the green-home construction movement, these products are now readily available.)

• Low- or no-VOC paints: VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are chemicals released into the air as gasses. About half the volume of a can of paint is made up of the chemicals (VOCs) that keep it liquid. This is why, believe it or not, that about half the volume of paint placed on your walls actually evaporates. The odor from traditional paint is caused primarily by VOCs; over the days it takes the paint to fully dry and cure, you’re inhaling those VOCs into your lungs. Low- or zero-VOC paints emit very little or no odor.
• Central vacuum system: A central vac is a much more thorough and powerful product than a traditional vacuum. Research at the University of California, Davis, showed that a Beam® central vacuum removed allergens and reduced symptoms by 47 percent for nasal-, 48 percent for non-nasal-, 61 percent for eye-, and 44 percent for sleep-related allergies. The EPA has acknowledged this product as an indoor-air-quality enhancer.
• Low-VOC carpeting: Some laboratories estimate that there are over 200 VOCs released by new carpet (not to mention the dirt and dander it accumulates in spite of frequent vacuuming). The Carpet and Rug Institute has developed the Green Label Plus certification in response to the growing demand for low-VOC-emitting carpet, pad, and adhesive products. All carpet from Shaw® or Mohawk® has earned this certification.

If adhesives are used in the installation of the carpet pad, be sure they also are low-VOC. Better yet, when possible, avoid carpet altogether.

• Healthy insulation: Some types of insulation emit formaldehyde. This gas has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer and as a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Insulation such as most spray foams, cellulose, or formaldehyde-free fiberglass products are healthy options. Owens Corning, CertainTeed, and Johns Manville all offer formaldehyde-reduced or free fiberglass insulation products.
• Certified formaldehyde-reduced or -free plywood and/or pressboard: Another opportunity to reduce the VOC formaldehyde is to purchase cabinetry, MICA tops, and adjustable closet systems made with certified formaldehyde-reduced or –free plywood or pressboard. Many cabinet manufacturers now offer this feature as part of their green cabinetry line. Ask your sales representative to explain the options.
• Sealed duct registers: Having duct installers cover the duct system registers during the installation process keeps you from having to breathe construction dust that would otherwise accumulate in the system.
• Upgraded filtration products and systems: Filtration options, along with a variety of other products and features that contribute to better indoor air quality, are pictured and explained in The Difference is in the Details. For more information or to order your copy, visit www.DifferenceInTheDetails.com

IS THERE A SUBJECT YOU'D LIKE ME TO COVER? Let me know by sending an email to tracy@tracystips.net.

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Tracy DeCarlo, author of "The Difference is in the Details" publishes the idea-packed, monthly e-zine "Tracy's Home Building Tips." If you're ready to learn how to plan a more durable, energy-efficient, and easy-to-live-in home, get your FR*EE tips now at www.DetailedSolutions.net.

Tracy DeCarlo owner of Detailed Solutions, Inc. and One Stop Green Home Certification, has more than fourteen years' experience in the residential construction industry. As a Home Building Function Analyst, Certified Green Professional, Green Certifying Agent, and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist, Tracy addresses the functional aspects of home construction, design, and usage, including items such as energy efficiency, disaster mitigation, air quality, aging in place, green building, plumbing, electrical, lighting, and storage.

By working with homeowners to focus on their daily habits and preferences, she helps them create living spaces that support and compliment their lifestyles, while at the same time teaching techniques to manage the bottom line.

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