chapter one: the big picture
stylistic overview:
website:
www.dreamhomedesignusa.com and click to “period design”
books:
American House Styles: A Concise Guide, by John Milnes Baker, A.I.A., W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1994.
Buy a House Without Losing Your Assets, by Ron Dickson, self-published. To order, contact the author, 2487 Brawley School Road, Mooresville, N.C. 28117 (704) 664-4157 $25.00 prepaid.
Build It Right, by Myron Ferguson, Home User Press, Salem, Oregon, 1997.
Creating the Not So Big House, by Sarah Susanka. Taunton Press, Newtown, Connecticut, 2000.
The Healing House: How Living in the Right House Can Heal You Spiritually, Emotionally, and Physically, by Barbara Bannon Harwood, Hay House, Carlsbad, California, 1997.
House, by Tracy Kidder, Avon Books, New York, 1985.
The Most Beautiful House in the World, by Witold Rybczynski, Penguin Books, New York, 1989.
The New House Buyer’s Guide, by Martin Turk, Groom Books, Alexandria, Virginia, Revised edition, 2001. To order, contact the author at (703) 941-0100, ext. 158.
Norm Abram’s New House, by Norm Abram, Little Brown & Company, Boston, 1995.
The Not So Big House, by Sarah Susanka, Taunton Press, Newtown, Connecticut, 1998.
Your New House, by Alan and Denise Fields, Windsor Peak Press, Boulder, Colorado, 1999.
chapter three: how much will it cost?
The ANSI square-foot standard, ANSI Z765–1996, can be ordered from the National Association of Home Builders Research Center for $20.00 plus $4.00 shipping and handling fee (800) 638-8556.
chapter four: financing
websites:
The three national credit reporting bureaus can be reached at:
Experian (888) 397-3742, www.experian.com/consumer/index.html or www.creditexpert.com.
Equifax (800) 685-1111 or www.equifax.com or PO Box 105873, Atlanta, Georgia 30374–0256.
Trans Union (800) 916-8800 or www.tuc.com or PO Box 200, Chester, Pennsylvania 19022.
The FICO website includes information explaining the Fair, Isaac and Company credit scoring model: www.fairisaac.com/consumer. To get your own FICO score, as calculated by Equifax, www.myfico.com or through Equifax at www.equifax.com.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have websites: www.fanniemae.com and www.homepath.com and www.freddiemac.com.
Mortgage information websites: www.mortgageripoffs.com and www.americanhomeowners.org.
Numerous lending institutions have websites with detailed mortgage information and mortgage calculators. Here are two: www.homeloancorp.com and www.bankone.com.
books:
Taking the Mystery Out of Your Mortgage: What Desktop Underwriter Analyzes in Your Loan Application, a free Fannie Mae booklet available through Fannie Mae Consumer Resource Center, (800) 7FANNIE or (800) 732-6643.
Buy Your First Home, by Robert Irwin, Second Edition, Dearborn, Chicago, 2000.
Home Buying for Dummies, by Eric Tyson and Ray Brown, IDG Books Worldwide, Foster City, California, 1999 Edition.
How to Buy and Sell Your Home Without Getting Ripped Off!, by Patricia Boyd and Lonny Coffey, Dearborn, Chicago, 2000.
100 Questions Every First Time Home Buyer Should Ask, by Ilyse R. Glink, Three Rivers Press, New York, 2000 Edition.
Power Tips for Buying a House for Less, by Robert Irwin, McGraw-Hill, New York, 2000.
chapter five: the production-built house
websites devoted to new house sales:
www.homebuilder.com (nationwide data base)
www.HousingGuides.com (select metropolitan areas around the country)
www.NewHomesDirect.com (nationwide data base)
www.NewHomesGuide.com (Washington, DC–Baltimore area only)
www.NewHomesNetwork.com (nationwide data base)
chapter six: the custom-built house
websites:
The American Institute of Architects, aiaonline.com, lists members by state and city who do residential work; you can also call (800) 242-3837 to get a referral.
Home Plan Services. There are at least 100 plan services. These are four of the better known ones:
www.caddhomes.com (800) 722-2432
www.stephenfuller.com (800) 274-2444
books:
Design Considerations for a New House: Home Design Handbook, The Essential Planning Guide for Building, Buying or Remodeling a Home, by June Cotner Myrvang and Steve Myrvang, Henry Holt & Company, New York, 1992.
Raising the Rafters: How to Work with Architects, Contractors, Interior Designers, Suppliers, Engineers, and Bankers to Get Your House Built, by Stephen F. Collier, The Overlook Press, Woodstock, NY, 1994.
chapter seven: the kitchen
The “miracle corner,” the swinging-tray mechanism for a blind-corner cabinet condition, is made by Hafele, a German company, and used by a number of custom cabinet makers in the U.S. For more information, contact the U.S. office for Hafele, (800) 423-3531.
websites:
General information about cabinets and cabinet certification testing procedures administered by the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association, www.kcma.org, (703) 264-1690.
General information about kitchens and kitchen design, National Kitchen and Bath Association, www.nkba.org.
Almost every cabinet manufacturer has a website.
stock cabinets used by many production builders:
Aristokraft, www.aristokraft.com
Cardell, www.cardellcabinets.com
Merillat, www.merillat.com
Wellborn, www.wellborncabinet.com
widely used semi-custom cabinets:
Amera (made by Merillat), www.merillat.com
Kraftmaid, www.kraftmaid.com
Decora (made by Aristokraft), www.decoracabinets.com
Brookhaven (made by Wood-Mode), www.wood-mode.com
wine storage specialists:
www.vintagecellars.com, (800) 876-8789
www.wineappreciation.com or info@wineappreciation.com, (800) 231-9463
composite countertop materials:
these two sites have information on maintenance and stain removal for stone countertops:
Fred Hueston’s National Training Center for Stone and Masonry Trades, www.ntc-stone.com
Stone Care International, www.stonecare.com
solid surface materials:
Avonite, www.avonite.com
Corian, www.corian.com
Fountainhead, www.ftnhead.com
Gibraltar, www.wilsonart.com
Sorrell, www.formica.com and click to Sorrell
plastic laminate:
Formica, www.formica.com
Nevamar, www.nevamar.com
Pionite, www.pionite.com
Wilsonart, www.wilsonart.com
kitchen appliances:
websites:
The Energy Star Program rates both dishwashers and refrigerators for energy efficiency, www.energystar.gov.
Consortium for Energy Efficiency also rates refrigerators and dishwashers, www.ceeformt.org.
Consumer Reports website lists their reports that rate kitchen appliances, www.consumerreports.com.
Every appliance manufacturer has a website. Each site will have a complete list of all appliances offered and many of them have features that allow you to make cost comparisons between appliances with different features. The prices listed are “suggested retail price,” but the appliance business is very competitive and sales are frequent. Most retailers will match the prices offered by competitors. Some sites and other resources also include useful consumer information:
books:
Consumer Reports Annual Buying Guide, published by Consumers Union, Yonkers, NY.
Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, by Alex Wilson, Jennifer Thorne, and John Morrill, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Washington, D.C., 1999 Edition.
chapter eight: other rooms
websites:
General information about bathrooms and bathroom design, National Kitchen and Bath Association www.nkba.org.
The Energy Star Program rates clothes washers at www.energystar.gov.
The Consortium for Energy Efficiency rates clothes washers for both energy efficiency and water usage, www.ceeformt.org.
chapter nine: flooring
websites:
Carpet and Rug Institute, general consumer information about every aspect of carpeting, www.carpet-rug.com or (800) 882-8846.
Nearly every carpet manufacturer has a website.
laminate flooring manufacturers:
There are a number of companies that manufacture laminate flooring. These three are described in the text:
Formica: www.formica.com
Pergo: www.pergo.com
Wilsonart: www.wilsonart.com
composite decking made from recycled wood fibers and recycled plastic:
Boardwalk: www.certainteed.com; click to “outdoor living products”
SmartDeck: www.smartdeck.com (This is linked to the parent company’s website, USPlasticLumber.com)
Trex: www.trex.com
recycled plastic:
Carefree: www.carefree-products.com (This is linked to the parent company’s website, USPlasticLumber.com)
Virgin vinyl:
Brock Deck: www.royalcrownltd.com
EverNew: www.certainteed.com, click to “outdoor living products”
Kroy: www.kroybp.com
chapter ten: the lot
websites:
Locating a registered licensed landscape architect: Contact the American Society of Landscape Architects (800) 787-2752 and ask for the phone number of the local chapter in your area. Call the local chapter to get names of members who do residential work. For general information about this organization and profession, check their website, www.ASLA.org.
To locate a consulting arborist in your area, check the website of the American Society of Consulting Arborists, www.asca-consultants.org or contact them in Rockville, Maryland, at (301) 947-0483.
To find a Certified Arborist in your area, check the website for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), www.isa-arbor.com or contact them in Savoy, Illinois, at (217) 355-9411.
chapter eleven: the purchase
websites:
To find a private home inspector through the American Society of Home Inspectors, check its website, www.ashi.com, or call its toll free number (800) 743-2744. In addition to the ASHI credential, home inspectors in fifteen states are required to be licensed, certified, or registered. Detailed information is available on the ASHI website.
Another professional organization of home inspectors is the National Academy of Building Inspection Engineers or NABIE. A much smaller organization, it is affiliated with the National Society of Professional Engineers. To find a private home inspector through it, check the NABIE website, www.NABIE.org.
chapters twelve and thirteen: production-home and custom-home sales contracts
books:
Brincefield’s Guide to Buying a Home: The 21 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Buying a Home, by James C. Brincefield, Jr., self-published, Alexandria, Virginia, 1993. To order a copy, call (703) 836-2880 or buy online at www.brincefield.com.
Crumbling Dreams, by Ruth S. Martin, M.C., Lakeside Press, Cleveland, Ohio, 1993.
chapter fourteen: construction considerations
bouncy floors:
For more information on floor vibrations and rules of thumb for joist spacing, see “Beyond Code: Preventing Floor Vibrations,” by Woeste, F.E. and Dolan, J. D., Journal of Light Construction, 17(1): 69–71 or http://www.jlconline.com/jlc/archive/framing/floor_vibration/index.html.
indoor air quality:
website:
Radon: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s radon maps of the U.S. designate predicted average indoor radon levels for every state and county is listed at its website, www.epa.gov/iaq/radon.
books:
The Healthy House, by John Bower, The Healthy House Institute, Bloomington, Indiana, 1997.
The Healthy House Answer Book, by John and Lynn Marie Bower, The Healthy House Institute, Bloomington, Indiana, 1997.
Residential Indoor Air Quality and Energy Efficiency, by Peter DuPont and John Morrill, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, Washington, D.C., 1989.
windows:
websites:
The National Fenestration Ratings Council (NFRC) data on energy performance for all windows tested through their program is posted on its website, www.nfrc.org, and published in three volumes available for $60.00 by calling NFRC at (301) 589-6372. Note that double-hung windows, the most common type used in residential construction and what you are most likely to use on your new house, are listed as vertical sliders.
For general information on windows, check the website for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, www.efficientwindows.org.
For information on energy-saving window strategies for 48 U.S. and four Canadian cities, check “window selection” at www.efficientwindows.org.
To cross-reference window type with framing materials, climatic region and manufacturers that participate in the Energy Star Windows Program, check “windows” at www.energystar.org.
books:
Residential Windows: A Guide to New Technologies and Energy Performance, by John Carmody, Stephen Selkowitz and Lisa Heschong, W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1996.
heating and cooling:
websites:
Building America Program, to locate a builder who participates, check its website, www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/building_america/index.html.
Energy Star Homes Program. To qualify for the Energy Star designation, a builder’s houses must be 30 percent more energy efficient than the Model Energy Code requires. To insure that the completed houses meet this standard, they must be tested and certified by an approved third party. Builders can use a variety of strategies to achieve this goal, and the Energy Star program promotes many of the same energy-saving measures that Building America does. To locate a builder who participates in the Energy Star Homes Program, check its website, www.energystar.gov and click on homes. Many of the builders are small, but some divisions of the larger, national firms including Centex, Brookfield, Beazer, and Ryan are also involved.
Two other websites that have useful information about energy efficiencies in housing: The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California, http://duct.lbl.gov, and Florida Solar Energy Center, www.fsec.org; browse the homes and buildings pages.
residential lighting:
books:
Home Lighting, by the Editors of Sunset Books and Magazines, Menlo Park, California, 1999 Edition.
structured wiring:
websites:
These five firms sell the equipment and train and certify installers. You can get a dealer referral by calling them directly or checking their websites:
OnQ Technologies: www.onqtech.com or (800) 321-2343
Ustec: www.ustecnet.com or (800) 836-2312
Home Director: www.ibm.com/homedirector or (800) 426-7144
Lucent Technologies: www.lucent.com/netsys/homestar (800) 344-0223, ext. 8001
Leviton: www.levitontelcom/com (800) 722-2082
These two firms install the systems and can be contacted directly:
Verizon Connected (formerly Bell Atlantic Ready): www.bacccsi.com or (888) 947–3782
Digital Interiors: www.digitalinteriors.com
Two professional organizations for installers whose membership indicates an installer is involved in this industry and keeping up with its frequently changing technology:
Building Industry Consulting Services International or BICSI, www.bisco.org (800) 242-7405.
Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association, CEDIA. To get a referral to a member in your area, check the website, www.CEDIA.org, or (800) 669-5329. The website also has general consumer information.
Smart Homes for Dummies, by Danny Briere and Pat Hurley, IDG Books, Foster City, California, 1999.
acoustics:
websites:
For general information about acoustics, check “tech information” at Acentech’s website, www.acentech.com.
For the name of an acoustical consultant in your area who does residential work, check the Yellow Pages or contact the National Council of Acoustic Consultants in Springfield, New Jersey, at (973) 564-5859 or e-mail them at info@ncac.com.
roofing:
websites:
Every manufacturer of roofing materials has a website.
books:
Roofing and Siding, by the Editors of Sunset Books and Magazines, Menlo Park, California, 1999 Edition.
The Slate Roof Bible: Everything You Want to Know About Slate Roofs Including How to Keep Them Alive for Centuries, by Joseph Jenkins, Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, Vermont, 1997.
two periodicals for general readers with information on green building and energy efficient construction:
Environmental Building News: The Leading Newsletter on Environmentally Responsible Design and Construction, published monthly, www.BuildingGreen.com or (802) 257-7300.
Home Energy, bimonthly, www.homeenergy.org/ or (510) 524-5405.
books that cover residential construction more broadly:
Building Your Own Home: An Insider’s Guide, by Carol Smith, Home Builder Press, Washington, D.C., 1996.
How Your House Works, by Dan Vandervort, Ballantine Books, New York, 1997.
Understanding House Construction, by John A. Kilpatrick, Home Builder Press, Washington, D.C., 1993.
The Walls Around Us: A Thinking Person’s Guide to How a House Works, by David Owen, Vintage Books, New York, 1992.
The Well-Built House, by Jim Locke, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1992.