At a track meet the two rival high schools had finished first and second. One school newspaper reported that they finished first. The other school newspaper though, reported that they had finished second with the other school finishing next to last. This is a good example of how the local newspapers have reported on the Kitsap Housing Market. The national real estate news has been filled with negative reports on the housing market for approximately three years. read more »

I often enjoy looking back to gauge how far we have come in improving the green building environment. There is an interesting evolution to the theme as we enter a new phase of green. read more »

In January there were press releases all over on the court decision that pesticide spraying along salmon creeks was to stop and a requirement for urban home and garden stores to provide a list of the banned chemicals in Washington, Oregon and California. The ruling put a buffer of 100 yards aerial and 20 yards for ground applications with exceptions for certain products not likely to pollute water. read more »

Real wood? Plastic? Recycled? What’s the right choice in decking?

Well it all depends on the project and the look you are going to want to end up with. It seems like there is a new product out each week. They all claim to be the best and are the answer to all our deck woes. read more »

Are you one of the many bottled water users? According to a study on the EPAs web site you are paying $2.29 or more per gallon compared to a penny a gallon from the tap. The highest reason listed was convenience. read more »

Grass flooring is really becoming popular these days. No mowing or watering and it can go into any room in your house.

Bamboo is not a wood but a grass and has been used for thousands of years. It is an attractive building material because it is very hard, strong and dimensionally stable. read more »

You know there are certain stereotypes that people use when thinking of a businesses or professions. I ran into this the other day when I went to a doctor’s appointment. As I sat in the waiting room doing the usual Dr Wait thing, a woman close by was busy chatting with other patients. When she asked me what I did I mentioned I was a builder specializing in green building. Now I usually get a discussion on energy effiency or indoor air quality or even a problem with their home. Her response was different. read more »

Since the 1940s, treated lumber has been in use in this country. Known in the trades as treated wood, the materials used is called CCA or Chromated Copper Arsenate. CCA wood is used in residential construction as well as decks, playground equipment, posts, and any ground contact application. read more »

As people have become aware of the issues with IAQ in homes I am amazed at the amount of misinformation on the subject. I get many calls each month asking which caulking is non-toxic yet the major polluting sources are missed.

Formaldehyde is the most common chemical used in homes. I estimate 75 percent of manufactured wood products used in a home have a Formaldehyde binder. There are two kinds of resin used. Exterior and interior rate. read more »