Win Dinner for 6 at Osaka AND a Toys R Us Gift Card!!!

As you may have read in a previous post, we are giving away Dinner for 6 at Rochester's new Osaka Sushi & Steakhouse.  In addition, we have decided to add a $100 GIFT CARD TO TOYS R US!

Heres how you can win BOTH!

Come and visit us during the Rochester Area Builder's Parade of Homes at 1121 Maplebeck Enclave, Byron (Somerby Subdivision) during the showtimes listed below and pick up a floor plan for you and/or your child to draw your dream floor plan.  If your child enters his/her drawing, you and your child will be eligible to win the Dinner for 6 AND the Toys R Us gift card!

Parade Times:
Saturday, April 30th 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.
Sunday, May 1st 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.

Saturday, May 7th 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.
Sunday, May 8th 12:00p.m.-5:00p.m.

And remember, entries will be voted on our Med City Builders of Rochester, LLC Facebook Page.

Please see our previous blog, dated April 12, for additional entry information.
 

Win A Dinner for 6 at Osaka Sushi & Steakhouse!!!

We will be giving away a dinner for 6 at the new Osaka Steak and Seafood. You can design your own floor plan and your group along with your friends and family can vote for you to win. Pick your 6-person group that you'd like to enjoy drinks, appetizers, steak and/or seafood, and dessert with.  Print it out the floor plan and submit your drawing.

To Be Eligible, You Must:

Ø Complete your customized plan and submit to Med City Builders of Rochester, LLC.  The only restriction is to use the plan we provide, otherwise, it is yours to be creative with!

o  Email to jenni@medcitybuilders.com

o  Mail or drop off to

§  2518 Superior Dr NW, Suite 103

Rochester, MN 55901

Ø Visit our website, www.MedCityBuilders.com and “Like” our Facebook page

Ø The finalists will be posted on our company’s Facebook page.  The winner will be determined by how many “likes” each finalist receives.

Ø Encourage friends and family to vote “Like” for the winning picture!

Ø Pictures must be submitted by May 16, 2011.  Voting will be open May 17, 2011 – May 23, 2011 at Noon.

Ø The winner will be posted on our website, Facebook, and our blog.

Ø Have fun!!

Why Spray Foam Insulation?

Spray foam insulation is a common word used in the building industry, but still not as readily used in our market.  There are typically 2 types of spray foam used today.  One is an open cell foam insulation and the other is a closed cell foam insulation.  I will spend my time discussing the closed cell products.  

Many of my clients begin discussing things they'd like to do in a home to make it a "Greener" home.  Often I hear of possibly using geo thermal heating systems, solar panels, and even wind to power their homes.  Once price is discussed these items often get pushed back on the wish lists either due to the cost or the fear of appraisals not being able to be achieved.  Appraisers need to form an opinion of the property by the homes around it.  If it is the same home as the neighbors, but has a $40,000 geo-thermal heating system in it they feel most buyers are not willing to pay that difference.  Therefore the appraisal will come in less than needed to complete the project and the difference needs to be covered in the form of cash by the homeowner.  At this point, I typically discuss spray foam to allow them to enhance the homes efficiency and do so without spending an excess of money.  Often, I can spray foam a homes sidewalls for $3000 to $5000 more than a typical fiberglass insulated home.  This is a workable number for appraisals and one that can typically be included in the price of the home without outlaying additional cash from the homeowner.  The biggest difference in the way spray foam acts vs typical fiberglass insulation is the removal of air movement between the interior and exterior of the homes wall which I will call the stud pocket.  I tell people that there are 3 ways heat is gained or lost.  It happens through conduction, convection, and radiation.  Radiation typically occurs through the windows of a home, while conduction occurs through the pass through of walls.  The best way to describe conductions path of heat transfer is when you put a metal rod in the fire.  You will burn your hand if you hold on to the end that is not in the fire eventually.  The last way is convection.  With spray foam insulation, convection has a difficult time occurring because we fill the entire stud pocket with the foam.  Often people can feel air movement in the outlets of homes built in the past.  This is typically not the air directly from the outside, yet the air spinning in the stud pocket behind the sheetrock.  In the winter, the homes internal wall temp is around 70 degrees so the air in the stud pocket starts to rise.  As it gets to the top, the air hits the outside wall where the temp can be minus 10 degrees so it begins to drop.  The more dramatic the temperature difference between the two surfaces, the faster the air spins in the wall.  This is why a typical fiberglass insulated wall actually loses R-value as the temperature difference increases.  A home with an R-value of R-19 is based on the fact there is only a 10 degree temperature difference between the inside of the home and the outside.  This is where closed cell spray foam shines.  If we fill that entire stud pocket with something that does not allow any air movement, we eliminate one of the three ways heat can be transferred in the home.  R-values on spray foam homes stay very stable despite the temperature changes.  It does 2 other great things as well.  It strengthens the outside walls and it makes for a much quieter home in the inside.  I have talked in depth about the Energy Star ratings on homes and the one thing I'd like to mention is that our homes Energy Star ratings don't differ that much when we use one type of insulation or the other.  We are still able to build an extremely tight home with fiberglass insulation.  The true benefit comes through the energy bills my clients receive, although I don't have a true idea on the payback that each home will receive.   If I spend $5000 extra to put spray foam in and it performs like I've mentioned above, the payback is much easier to achieve than a $40,000 Geo-Thermal heating system.  I hope this helps you better understand the homes possible insulation systems.  

      

Med City Builders of MN????

Just a quick heads up to let you all know I do plenty of traveling for clients looking outside the Rochester area.  Over the past few years I have spent time building cabins in NW Wisconsin, a home in St Boni which is located on the west side of the Twin cities, will be building a large custom executive home in Northfield this spring, and am soon to be starting a very large executive custom home in Lake Elmo which is located in the NE part of the Twin Cities.  I appreciate all of the referrals in the Rochester area my clients have passed my way, but wanted to extend the range of my company to all of you.  I still send the same crews to the job sites which allows me to control the timelines, selections, as well as the superior workmanship my clients have grown to expect.  If you or someone you know is looking outside the area, feel free to drop me a line. I'm happy to gas up the Med City Builders truck and take a drive!!

Win a full course dinner for 6 at Osaka Seafood and Steak!!

Win Dinner and drinks for 6 at the new Osaka Steak and Seafood!  We will be in the Spring Showcase of Homes coming up, so we will get updates on the times and dates soon.  During the Showcase we are planning on another contest, but this one is for the adults.  A Design Your Dream Home contest where we will give you the blank floor plan and you can submit your best home layout.  We will be voting for the winners on Facebook like we did before with the Coloring Contest.  We plan on giving away a 6 person appetizer, drinks, dinner, and dessert at the Osaka Steak and Seafood located at the old West Fire Grill in Rochester.  I tried it for a trial run and it was some of the best food I've eaten!!!  I hope to see you at the Showcase and email us if you can't so you too can get your floor plans to submit.

Custom Home Building

This is a term that is used pretty loose in our industry and can mean many things to many people.  To some a custom home is one that is simply modified from an existing floor plan.  To others a custom home is one that is created from just its most basic level in just thoughts to the final product.  Custom home building in Southern MN takes on many other aspects as well.  Whether or not to incorporate energy saving ideas or not and how to orientate a home to achieve the most desired result.  Selecting a builder that allows you to explain your ideas and that listens to what you want vs what they might want is a tough choice for some people.  One of the biggest obstacles I face day in and day out is to determine what people are trying to say when they are really not saying what they want.  That has come from helping many clients design many homes and many hours up front with them figuring out how they wanted to get there.  It happens during the design process and many times through the selection process.  One of the biggest tips I can give any of my clients is to trust your gut feelings.  I have taken many clients full circle only to end up doing exactly what they thought they wanted in the beginning.  A true custom home builder's job is to make this idea a reality for you no matter what level of custom you feel you are on.  Call anytime to get your dreams set in motion!!  

Attention Air Exchangers!!!!

Depending on the price points needed to be attained by my clients, I include Air to Air Exchange units as often as I can.  On average, I install them in 85% of the homes I build.  The clients I build homes for have these systems explained to them them several times during our many walk throughs, but as we all know our lives take over and we forget what we should be doing with them once we are in the home.  One of the first things I try to make clear is the air exchanger is actually the diamond shaped center core inside the box hanging from the ceiling.  The box around it has a fan that makes the center air exchanger an active system.  That center core is where the heat is extracted from the warm moist air leaving the home and where it blends with the cold air coming in. This is the reason for the 2 screen filters on the unit.  Once filter or screen is for the air coming in and one filter or screen is for the air going out.  Both air flows have dust in them and both need to be filtered so they don't dirty the center core or air exchanger.  By keeping the 2 screens around the center core or air exchanger clean, it will allow the system to do what we installed it for.  If these screens get dirty, the air cannot go through the air exchanger as easily and it also can potentially clog it.  To clean the screens, simply open the door on the unit and remove it.  Then slide the two screens off the center core and tap out the dust or soak them in hot soapy water if very dirty.  Make sure they are dry before installing them onto the center core or air exchanger and vacuum out any other dust you might see in the housing around the center core.  This should be done at least monthly or whenever you change your furnace filter.

Once a year, I recommend removing the center core and soaking that in hot soapy water as well.  Fall is a great time to do this just prior to turning the system on for the winter months.  I described the running schedule in an earlier blog.  Again, make sure this core is dry before putting it back into the housing.  At this same time, I recommend cleaning the intake screen at the exterior of the home.  The air exchanger will run in the summer months and will be bringing on dusts when running the bathroom controls to remove moisture.  This is the reason fall is a good time to clean the filter to make sure the air coming into the homes air exchange unit is cleaned before it even gets to the unit.

One of the most important things to keep in mind with these systems is that they work best when kept clean.  It is impossible for you to expect a dust free home if the appliance in your home responsible for bringing in the fresh air is clogged.  A little bit of maintenance goes a long ways with these types of systems.  They are designed for making a home more efficient, but one of the most beneficial things they do is cut down on air born allergens.  If you keep it clean, your home will be healthier and greener!!!