Enjoy this 'behind the drywall' tour of a complete Dining Room & Kitchen remodel we are working on in Saline, MI:

While all of the preplanning that Bob reviews in the video below may make your head spin... But here at Fireside Home Construction - we love it!

See the value we bring and deliver to your project through all of the well thought out preplanning that goes into every project we work on:

In this video Bob shares a BUNCH of details related to the siding and outside of the Home On The Range.

Too many details to list out here - so go ahead and watch the video! Great information and education on how everything is coming together:

You've heard about energy efficient building, R-Value, insulation - here is what it looks like when it's done right... A 'behind the drywall' look for you!

Behind the scenes look at how we achieve proper planning and budgeting related to Electrical Wiring in the home. Details can be seen here:

Coming up on October 15th, we will be hosting a free Kitchen, Bath, or Addition Homeowner Seminar. Learn more and RSVP.

We also wanted you to read a quick article on our Homeowners Seminars that was featured in a national Remodeling Magazine. Click here to read the Remodeling Magazine article.

We look forward to seeing you on October 15th or at one of our future homeowner seminars!

In this video Bob reviews with you some of the materials that we are using on the outside of the Home On The Range. Including AZEK Trim and Sherwin Williams Super Paint.

Watch the video below:

We had a great feature article in Fine Home Building a few years back - and in it, Geothermal heating was discussed in detail.

You can read the entire article here (be sure to click on the PDF link at the top of the page for graphics and details) and learn more below:

How it works: Heat from the earth
Geothermal heating and cooling are based on the fact that while temperatures above-ground can vary greatly during the year, temperatures belowground remain fairly constant. In winter, when the temperature underground is warmer than the air temperature, tubes carrying water or freeze-resistant liquid bring heat from the ground to a heat pump that extracts the heat and distributes it throughout the house. In cooling mode, the heat pump functions like an air conditioner, extracting heat from the home and releasing it underground. In many systems, like Burnside’s, some of that excess heat is routed through another heat exchanger called a desuperheater to produce domestic hot water.

Not Just for New Homes
Retrofits account for about 70% of the geothermal installations done by Michigan Energy Services, the company that installed Burnside’s system. The easiest retrofits tap into existing forced-air systems, according to vice president Rob Derksen. Costs range from $18,000 to about $30,000, depending on site conditions and the extent of modifications required. Although geothermal is often used in conjunction with radiant-floor heating, the water it produces is not hot enough to make it compatible with hydronic baseboard systems. In that case, forced-air ductwork is usually added.

Have questions or want to know more? Contact us for a quick and informative reply!

Video showing some of the Septic work, preplanning, and some of the additional outside progress:

As this is being written, 30-year fixed rates are under 5% and 15-year rates are well below that number. Those are the lowest rates in the past 40 years. True, credit is tighter than it was five years ago, but that only affects those with marginal credit. The vast majority of home buyers will not be impacted by more stringent lending standards. Low mortgage rates, combined with the lowest land costs we’re ever likely to see, mean that right now you can build more house for the money than you will when the housing market recovers.

For years, we have worked closely with Todd Philpotts of 1st Place Bank up in Grand Blanc, MI. We have a lot of trust and respect for Todd - don't hesitate to give him a call to learn more about your mortgage and financing options: 810-444-0211.

One of the keys to being a successful builder is who you work with.

In the video below Bob tells you about one of our suppliers, Laurence Smith Window & Door. As a homeowner and Fireside client this is important for you to know:

Shingles are on, windows and in, brick work has begun - see a few new photos in the slideshow below:

We are proud to announce that we committed to build and label our homes to meet the new and more rigorous ENERGY STAR requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) for 2012.

What does this mean for you, the homeowner? Here are some details:

ENERGY STAR qualified homes that earn the label in 2012 will be built with a comprehensive, building science-based approach that features:

• A detailed package of home envelope air sealing, properly installed insulation, and high-performance windows to deliver comfort, durability, and lower utility bills.
• A high-efficiency heating, cooling, and ventilation system designed and installed for optimal performance.
• A complete water and moisture management package to protect roofs, walls, and foundations.
• ENERGY STAR certified lighting and appliances that help reduce monthly utility bills.
• Third-party verification, with independent inspections and testing by a certified Home Energy Rater.

We continue to focus on being Michigan's Leading Green Builder - let us know how we can help you or if you'd like more information on this new ENERGY STAR commitment.

Read our complete Press Release here (PDF document will open.)

Learn more at the EPA website here.

A different perspective for you today from one of our trades craftspeople, Roy Crites. His take on how Fireside clients are taken care of, how we take care of our employees and partners. Thanks Roy for taking the time to record this video!

See the personality and hear from our Project Manager, Mark Allor, about jobsite productivity, efficiency, quality control, and how our crew stays productive to keep your building costs down.

Lots of new work done on the 'Home on the Range!' Take a look at the details in the garage, stairway, windows/doors, interior walls, etc.

There is a lot to consider when looking at vacant lots for your new home.

We have talked about this free service we offer before (see blog post here), but wanted to give you some additional details.

Enjoy some tips and advice from Bob:

Here are some recent photos from our 'Home on the Range' project:

Bob interviews Paul Manion, our local representative from the Marvin Design Gallery in Bloomfield Hills, MI.

In this video Bob & Paul are at the Marvin Windows headquarters in Warroad, WI. Here at Fireside Home Construction we are always attending tradeshows and educational events to increase our knowledge. This allows us to bring back what we learn to our clients and their projects. We are always looking to improve!

Bob & Paul discuss some of the benefits of Marvin Windows in this brief video:

* One correction, Bob mentioned Laurence Smith Window & Door / Marvin Design Gallery has been around 18 years - it has actually been since 1939!

Quick video of the progreson the new home. This video shows off the outside of the home. It's coming together beautifully!

Drywall up, first coat of mud - blending old into new and everything is going great! Take a look at all of the work that has been doen over the last week by our trades craftspeople and entire Fireside Home Construction team! (See the before video here...)

Listen to Bob lay out what will be happening in this unfinished basement space over the coming couple weeks... Check back a week from now for an update!

Details of one of our wall systems. This wall system will give us an R-26 wall system, twice the insulation value that typical wall systems had in the past:

At our educational homeowner seminars we invite some of our Architect friends to speak to our group. Back in June we had Dawn Zuber of Studio Z Architecture out.

Get to know Dawn a bit in the two videos below as she talks about some different exterior design elements as well as some of the changes she's seeing in the industry. Enjoy!

We recently came across another article (read it here) from back in 2007.

We wanted you as a visitor to our website to review the article as it points to our long history of building with energy efficiency in mind. An excerpt from the article below:

"[Bob] said his firm lays out the added costs to customers for green features, and then explains how they could pay off in the long run. While some upgrades, like geothermal heating, can tack on an extra $8,000 or more, others are common-sense practices that don't add cost.

'It's a matter of understanding proper techniques,' Burnside said. 'A lot of it's free - it's just a matter of paying attention to detail.'

...Still, Fireside remains one of the original and most-honored green builders, receiving awards from the National Association of Home Builders and Home Builders Association of Washtenaw County.

'The bottom line is we believe it,' Burnside said."

Interested in talking to us about your remodeling or new home project? Reach out to us here!