Dexter, MI (PRWEB) May 19, 2008
For the third year in a row, Fireside Home Construction (www.firesidehomeco.com)] of Dexter, MI, has been recognized by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center as one of the nation’s leading builders in energy-efficient construction. As a winner of the 2008 Gold EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA) in the custom home/cold climate category, Fireside continues to demonstrate its strong commitment to building green and energy-efficient homes.
The EVHA program awards builders, like Fireside Home Construction, who successfully demonstrate innovative approaches to energy-efficient construction. It also serves to educate the home building industry and the public about advanced technologies and successful approaches to energy-efficient construction. Fireside was selected based on its home‘s energy value, design, construction methods and processes, marketing and customer relations efforts and the ability to demonstrate an understanding of a whole-house systems-design approach.
With 11 years of home building experience, Fireside Home Construction’s energy efficient timber framed home stood out among the other applicants. According to the EVHA judges, “Fireside did everything right and then some.” Personal attention to each client, customer satisfaction and a focus on energy efficiency are mainstays at Fireside, which includes specialized training for its framing crews and blower door tests to demonstrate typical energy leakage spots. Fireside’s mechanical and electrical trades are also trained to minimize air leakage as much as possible and are given air sealing equipment to seal holes after rough-in.
A few of the innovative features of the winning home, located in Dexter, MI, include a 2kW photovoltaic system, frost protected shallow foundation, advanced framing on interior walls and a geothermal heat pump. The EVHA judges applauded the company for its attention to detail and air sealing practices. Fireside’s award-winning, 4,010-square-foot custom home is an excellent example of how energy efficiency adds value to residential construction.
Fireside is not new to energy efficient and green building. In the fall of 2007, the Gold EVHA home earned the first platinum-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) award in Michigan. At the time, it was only one of just 12 in the nation to receive the highest level in LEED certification. Fireside Home Construction also won a Silver EVHA for a home it built in Dexter, MI in 2006, and another silver in 2007 for a home constructed in nearby Ann Arbor. In addition, Fireside has won numerous state and local green building awards. It also voluntarily participates in green building programs.
Michael Luzier, president of the NAHB Research Center said this about Fireside and the EVHA program, “EVHA winners are pioneers in their fields and the level of innovation and home design this year is outstanding. Clearly, the home building industry’s efforts to expand energy efficiency and green building have taken hold and will continue to make a difference for future generations.”
The EVHA program is managed by the NAHB Research Center, and operated in partnership with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the U.S. Department of Energy through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
About Fireside Home Construction
Fireside Home Construction has been building new custom homes and providing remodeling services since 1996. Fireside also focuses on respecting the environment by incorporating green building and energy efficiency building technology into every home it builds. For the past three years, Fireside Home Construction has been awarded a national EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA) from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center. In addition, the company has received numerous state and local energy efficiency and green building awards and designations. For more information call (734) 426-4353.
About the NAHB Research Center
Located in Upper Marlboro, Md., the NAHB Research Center (www.NAHB.org) promotes innovation in housing technology to improve the durability, affordability, and environmental performance of homes and home building products. Created over 40 years ago as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the NAHB Research Center has established itself as the source for reliable, objective information and research on housing construction and development issues. Through its various testing and certification services, the Research Center seal is internationally-recognized as a mark of product quality and an assurance of product performance.
Contact:
Bob Burnside, president, Fireside Home Construction, 734-426-4353
Janet Gaydosh, media relations, Gaydosh Communications, 216-870-3836
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Givens Ronald I Reviews
Houston
1932 Lexington St
Average Rating: 3 out of 5 (2 Reviews)
Review by Connie B.
Yup – still five stars. We’re under contract for a new home (and by new, I mean different – circa 1950s) for my parents, and of course I would trust no one…
Rating: 5
Review by Mica C.
LOL! This guy’s a joke. I would never recommend him. I’m sure he’s done a good job somewhere during his career, but not with me. I’ll just share my…
Rating: 1
So I am having my first home built and I have been taking video along the way. I decided to share the experience as it progresses here for anyone who may be thinking about building a home. It shows most of the milestones as the home starts to take shape. Enjoy! Be sure to check out Part 2!
Video Rating: 5 / 5
There was only one thing which I didn’t notice in the walls and that was braces between the studs to strengthen them. I like a strong wall and wish that plywood was cheap enough to put up a plywood wall instead of Sheetrock which is flimsy and if you receive any water damage it will have to be replaced throughout.
frame building is a fast way to do it
Thanks for the comment. Sadly, so many homes around here are production built crap. Davis Homes actually followed good building standards (16″ on center studs throughout, etc.) and still used a “stick build” process instead of pre-fab. They went out of business last summer due to the economy and people not wanting to pay for the better quality with the cheap builders out there. I’m thankful to have had the chance to get a quality home for a good price. Too bad those days are gone now
i use to frame,we would finish a house in 4 days.
you can almost tell the type of weather conditions by the building codes. looks to me like they did a great job chriss. and i very much like the idea of
the open space and ceiling. – its almost like a traditional quebec “norman” home.
Peter.
nice i love construction please send me more if you can
I was actually worried the floors would be cold in the winters as well. Surprisingly, they have not been cold at all… even on the vinyl surfaces. So far so good on the sidewalk. I guess time will tell that story.
wouldn’t the floors be cold even though your winters are mild? i would have put the floor heat we live in pa. that front side walk is going to drop the back fill needs to settle!
I used a general contractor who did a great job of keeping all the subs in check and staying on schedule.
Thanks for the kind words! Yeah, we have builders here in the States who can really toss these things up fast. Some of the pre-fab homes that you can have built go up even faster. There is a 3,500 square-foot home going up next door to me that started at the same time as mine and is almost done as well.
wow that was fast, now I know why you guys build your houses from wood,
traditionally here in the UK we build from brick and blocks, it would take at least 4 times longer to build a house like that,
very nice looking house
Thanks Al! It is interesting to see how much they can get done so quickly. I move in at the end on the month and I’m ready! My favorite day was May 17… navigating through the house was almost impossible with all the extra supports they had in place at that time!
OMG This video will be gold, especially as time goes forward and you look back at it! Wait WAIT — at time market 03:04 – holy crap — I see a structural integrity flaw. CHRIS, WTF??