Power Outage Protection

Spring can bring some wild weather here in the Midwest. We have been helping to bring some peace of mind to our customers. Grand Bay Builders offers the protection of personal home generators. Our customers know that in the case of utility power failure, their homes will continue to function without interruption.

Generators run on the home's existing natural gas or lp fuel. They automatically sense utility power failure and switch predetermined areas or the entire home to the generator. Once the utility restores their service, the generator reverses the switch back to the utility. This process is done automatically and creates a real peace of mind during extreme weather. - Nancy

Check out this video link for a demonstration:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid14602144001/bclid14539912001/bctid14621246001

Promising New Shower Products

I'm intrigued by a new idea in shower drains that may eliminate the need for that round center drain. This Quick Drain product is a low profile stainless steel linear drain. It's 1-1/2" wide and fits nicely at the entrance to the shower or up against a wall. This eliminates the need for all 4 sides of the shower to slope to the middle and could be a valuable option when accomodating a special needs piece of equipment. www.quickdrainusa.com

Another interesting shower product is a new sustainable flooring product for wet applications. I love this idea!!- post industrial wine corks cut into 1/4" thick slices on 12" x 24" sheets. This sustainable floor is advertised as being slip resistant, accoustical and perfect for showers and pool surrounds. Cork is a great green product so this would add LEED points to a project. Being a wine lover here in Northern Michigan wine country, I'm excited about the design possiblities this flooring offers. - Nancy

www.sustainableflooring.com

"How To Expo"

Grand Bay Builders will be participating with the Traverse Area Association of Realtors(TAAR) during a "How To Expo" on Saturday March 14th. This expo is geared to help home buyers and sellers make informed decisions. Victor and I always support education and look for opportunites to share our knowledge.

Victor will be a member of the panel during both "Is There Green in Green?" seminars offered Saturday 3/14/09 11am-noon and 2pm-3pm. The venue is the Hagerty Center in Traverse City, MI located at 715 E. Front Street. Admission $3 at the door

ICF's - A solid building option

ICF's (Insulated Concrete Forms) have become a very good energy saving option for foundations and walls. When we first began seeing versions at the IBS convention years ago, we were intrigued but not sold on their stability. Much has changed over the years and we now feel that ICF's are a very good option for not just foundations but entire walls. The decision is now which product to use and there are many.

ASTM International (American Society for Testing & Materials) is the largest voluntary standards development organization for materials, products, systems and services. ASTM has now introduced a new mininum standard E2634 for ICF's. This will help ensure that an ICF product will conform to a standard to meet building codes enforced by building code officials and specified by architects.

As with any new technology, products change rapidly and new ones are introduced constantly. Victor and I make a constant effort to stay informed. That's what keeps us involved and excited about building and remodeling. - Nancy

Home Builders EXPO Feedback

Vic and I are very encouraged by the attendance and general enthusiasm during this year's Expo weekend event. Builders can tend to be "eternal optimists" - that's what gets us up and at 'em during these times. Years past many Expo attendees were really just looking with their sights on projects a year or 2 or 3 down the road. This year however, many people have projects in mind to begin Spring or Summer of this year. They were using the event as it was planned. February and March are perfect for talking to builders and designers to firm up ideas, plans and budgets. Call now so your project can be blooming along with the tulips:)

Home Builders Expo Feb 14 & 15 2009

Grand Bay Builders will be hosting a booth at this year's Home Builders Expo presented by the Home Builder Association of the Grand Traverse Area. This show is a great opportunity to meet Victor and I as one of us will be at the booth throughout the event. The members of this association are professionals in the building industry. If you have a project in mind it will be worth your time to come to the Expo. Our first choice is always to use a fellow member we know we can trust.

Hours: Saturday Feb 14th 9am-7pm
Sunday Feb 15th 11am-4pm
Tickets are $3 at the door Traverse City East Middle School 1776 3 Mile Rd TC
For more info: www.hbagta.com phone 231 946 2305

Educational seminars are offered each day - I'm presenting a seminar for Women on Saturday Feb 14th 11:30am-12:30pm. Come join the fun,Nancy

Focus: The Power of the Woman Homeowner

I'm excited to be presenting a seminar at the HBAGTA Home Builders Expo on Saturday Feb 14th 11:30am to 12:30pm. My topic is all about a very strong and powerful group - WOMEN! I hope to be speaking directly to a group of ladies so that I can explain why they are so important to the building industry and how they can use that information. I'll begin to demystify "Green" and "Universal Design" and briefly discuss 2009 color trends. My goal is to help the woman homeowner use her power to proceed confidently with her home project. Wow-that's a lot to cover in an hour!

*Be one of the first 150 women to attend the Expo on Saturday-Valentine's Day and receive a flower.

Location: Traverse City East Middle School 1776 3 Mile Rd Traverse City
tickets $3 at the door For more info: 231 995 9057 www.hbagta.com