The HTRC

The Homeowners & Trades Resource Center

Lunch & Learn about the AERC

As part of the North Alabama Leadership Group of the USGBC & also as the presenting speaker, I would like to invite you to attend this April’s Lunch & Learn Event. I will be discussing where everyone currently stands in the adoption process, the changes in the Building codes coming soon to a  city near you, some […]

Wacky Weds: Penny Wise but Pound Foolish

We got another two-fer special for you today…Both involve a simple piece of flashing called a kick-out which directs water away from the wall. For more on this simple detail & the codes around it, check out 4 Flashing Errors & how to Avoid Them . Do you really need three guesses where the water is […]

Fix a Leak with the WaterSense Program

This week happens to be the EPA’s 5th annual “Fix a Leak” week which we have covered before. Instead of focusing on unintentional water leaks this year we wanted to focus on one of the biggest intentional ones & that is your hot water faucets & showers. Ironically most people don’t realize how much they […]

10 Questions to ask your Contractor

Ahhh finally, it’s time for the proverbial rubber to hit the road and to turn ones dream project into reality… yes, it is time to hire a contractor. One of the biggest things to remember is that remodeling is not a commodity based solely on price, but rather a complicated service. The Rationale for Getting […]

Wacky Weds; Watch that last step

I spent most of my weekend sorting through files & pictures & came across these two gems. These are both up in Pennsylvania & within a 1/4 of a mile of each other – it’s amazing how much time one gets to look around while averaging 2 miles an hour… Got to love the ADA requirements […]

7 Steps to temporarily patch your roof with a tarp

When ones roof is damaged it is only natural to want to stop any water from getting inside, which also happens to be one of your insurance company’s primary concerns. While it may take weeks or even months to get a roofer out to repair the damage, a tarp can be put in place pretty […]

Safety Sunday: 10 Reminders for safe mowing

While Punxsutawney Phil may have been wrong about when this winter was supposed to come to an end, for many of us in the south we are starting to see the first signs that it is time to dust off those lawnmowers. For our friends further up north, this next snow storm maybe it & […]

Conferences, Codes & Reality

This last week was probably one of the busiest conference weeks when it comes to building better buildings. Not only was the RESNET / ACCA / IAQA / RPA conference going on, many other states & groups were holding similar ones throughout the week. I know here in Alabama we had at least 2 open […]