Author Archives: Jim Baker

Builders’ Circle Blog: Can You Hear Me Now?

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Jim Baker

Remember those old “tin can” phones connected with a string that we all played with as kids? “Can you hear me now” was always the question and the answer was seldom related to that question. Communication was mostly noise, and we all pretended that we understood. It’s a lot like “green” conversations that we hear so much of today. Everybody …

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Builders’ Circle Blog: 30.78 Acres of Trees

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Jim Baker

It is not too often that I get to brag about the building industry that I work in, but bragging proof came in the mail yesterday. ENERGY STAR notified me that I had rated 38 houses that were certified as ENERGY STAR Qualified in 2011. I knew this, but they added some information I did not know. 38 ENERGY STAR …

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Builders’ Circle Blog: HVAC – the Vast Unknown

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Jim Baker

We all love to untangle a mystery, and building “green” can be a mystery. But things are changing. In the last ten years Building Science and applications in the field have come together so that the buying public knows many of the right questions to ask. They know about Blower Door tests, HERS ratings, R-values, U-values and all that stuff …

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Builders Circle Blog: Thirty-Nine and Still Counting!

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Jim Baker

Jack Bennie, the famous comic from years ago, always claimed to be 39 years old. Year after year he remained 39. I like the idea of not aging, but some things need to grow in number. We just received the official certification for the HBA-led Habitat for Humanity house in Builders’ Circle Subdivision from the National Association of Home Builders …

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Builders Circle Blog: Football, Golf and HERS Ratings

Posted on February 25, 2012 by Jim Baker

The HERS energy rating on a house is more like golf than football. Football is loud, rough, and high score wins. Golf is quiet, skillful, and low score wins, with the typical championship golf courses having par values of 72. The official HERS rating for the HBA’s Habitat house is in…and the final ENERGY STAR Rating is 70. That is …

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Builders’ Circle Blog: It Is Official—Springfield Is Number One!

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Jim Baker

How does it feel to be number one? Springfield is number one, according to WIKI. I found out accidentally when, with no special reason in mind, I Googled the question, “What city has the most varied weather?” That’s right, Springfield, Missouri is listed as having the most varied weather in this country. I really was not that surprised and probably …

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Builders’ Circle Blog: If You Don’t Know Where You Are…

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Jim Baker

How do you know you are going in the right direction if you don’t know where you are? Haven’t we all, on occasion, made a wrong turn in some large, unfamiliar city? We did not think we were lost, but we never got to where we wanted to be. That never happens to me now, at least not since I …

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Builders’ Circle Blog: How Low Can You Go?

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Jim Baker

Low is not always something we like to think about. To lower your driving speed when you are late for a doctor’s appointment, to get there just in time so he can tell you to lower your cholesterol and lower your weight, tends to give us a low, negative feeling. The doctor’s advice continues to include lowering carbs, lowering fat …

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Builders’ Circle Blog: Green Comes in Many Colors

Posted on January 12, 2012 by Jim Baker

I don’t know whose idea it was or why Mom thought it was cool, but she did. This idea could be classed in the same league as “bell bottoms”, and likewise, never improved with time. Oh yes, it was green, but not the “green” we refer to today. This green was only skin deep, and on the inside it was …

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Builders’ Circle Blog: Better Than Superman’s X-Ray Vision!

Posted on January 9, 2012 by Jim Baker

Superman can see through walls and know what a bad guy is doing, but he would miss what my infrared camera can see. Superman is no help on this job. Know this, there are lots of bad guys in your walls, and you cannot detect their thief-like tendencies. These so-called “bad guys”, however, are just doing their job. In fact, …

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