News

There are a lot more options available today in regards to energy efficient homes. Breakthroughs in energy efficient windows and doors, appliances, and building materials go a long way to making homes more efficient and sustainable. The layout of the house can have a big impact on how energy-efficient it is, as well. Below, we’ll discuss some of the design features to consider when planning for an energy-efficient home. Just the home’s orientation on the lot can make a big difference. For example, it makes sense to locate the kitchen in the coldest corner of the house (usually the northeast...

A recent survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders highlights the preferred kitchen colors and features among recent and prospective Millennial home buyers (defined as those born after 1980). A considerable share of Millennials – 31 percent – prefer white kitchen cabinets. However, as far as other cabinet color options, Millennials are essentially split: 18 percent prefer dark brown cabinets, 16 percent prefer medium brown, 14 percent prefer black, and 13 percent prefer gray cabinets. In general, Millennials share similar cabinet color preferences with older generations. For example, there is less than a 10 percentage point gap between...

There are two components to the net-zero house energy equation. On the one hand, there’s conservation: The house needs to be designed and built to require minimal inputs of energy for heating, cooling, lighting, and plug loads. On the other hand, there’s on-site power generation: No house uses zero power, so to reach net zero, the house has to generate some of its own juice using photovoltaics. In practice, net-zero houses generate surplus energy during summer months when days are long and the sun is high in the sky, and they consume power from off-site during winter months (and, of...

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced new, tighter standards for lead in dust on floors and window sills to protect children from potentially harmful effects of lead exposure. The announcement comes almost a year after the agency influentially recommended tighter dust-lead hazard standards. The agency is lowering the dust-lead hazard standards to 10 micrograms of lead per square foot (µg/ft2) from 40 µg/ft2 for floors and to 100 µg/ft2 from 250 µg/ft2 for window sills. The more protective hazard standards will apply to inspections, risk assessments, and abatement activities in pre-1978 housing and certain schools, child care facilities,...

This article originally appeared on the BUILDER website. Whether for cooking or entertaining, kitchens serve an important role in today’s households. To see what cabinets, counters, appliances, and overall trends homeowners are looking for right now, BUILDER staff sat in on Metrostudy and Meyers Research’s Consumer Insight Series on kitchen and bath trends. In the hour-long webinar, Mollie Carmichael, consumer segmentation expert and principal at Meyers Research, gave industry professionals valuable insight into what is shaping kitchen design now and in the future. 1. Bring in the light: Instead of adding upper cabinetry, owners are seeking windows, and complementing open shelving, that allow...