The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) jumped four points in October, the largest increase in builder confidence in 18 months. “This latest boost in builder confidence is a good sign that some pockets of recovery are starting to emerge across the country, as extremely favorable interest rates and prices catch consumers’ attention,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. Derived from a monthly survey NAHB has conducted for more than 20 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair,” or “poor.”

Each of the HMI three component indexes recorded substantial gains in October. The component gauging current sales conditions rose four points, the component gauging sales expectations in the next six months rose seven points, and the component gauging traffic of prospective buyers rose three points.

Regionally, the West led all other areas of the country with its nine-point gain – the highest HMI score for that region since August 2007. The Midwest and South each recorded four-point gains while the Northeast held unchanged.

With builder confidence on the rise, celebrating the New Year takes on a whole new meaning!

Job SiteTip: Sealing Ductwork

Mastic is a sealant paste applied to joints and connection in ductwork, and can be used on cracks up to 1/4” wide. Use fiberglass mesh to help seal holes larger than 1/4” wide. Foil tape and butyl-backed foil tape can be used to seal holes and cracks as well. To achieve a good seal for a long time, it is important that ducts be sealed with mastic and fiberglass mesh where required.

Marketing & Sales: Sell Yourself As An Air Sealing Expert

Typically, a professional whole-house air sealing can cost from $500 to $2,000 depending on the size and complexity of the house and work required. Many homeowners believe they can do the job themselves. But a professional can do it better. Here are some tips on securing the work:

• If you’re not already, familiarize yourself with using a depressurizing fan door (a “blower door”).
• If you’re serious about getting into the air sealing business, know how to assess ventilation and combustion air requirements, and test backdrafting.
• Know your caulks, sealants and weatherstripping materials.
• Know where air leaks typically occur and how to seal the leaks (see below).

Common Places Where Air Leakage Occurs

Sill plate / foundation wall interface Sill plate / band joist interface Band joist / subfloor interface Bottom plate / subfloor interface Band joist Sheathing joist / stud / cavity Double top plate interface Top plate / ceiling interface Windows and doors Window and door frames / rough opening surfaces Electrical / telephone / plumbing / cable intrusions

What’s The “Greenest” Insulation Around?

Evidence suggests fiberglass, rock wool and slag wool insulation beat out cellulose insulation hands down. What’s more, fiberglass, rock wool and slag wool insulation qualify for use in the Weatherization Assistance Program.

While there are several types of insulation typically used for the weatherization market, none has the many advantages of loose-fill fiberglass or rock wool and slag wool insulation.

Advantages

Fiberglass, rock wool and slag wool insulation can meet the federal government’s recycled content requirements. Today’s fiberglass insulation products contain 40% recycled glass and are made from sand, a highly renewable resource. Slag wool insulation contains approximately 70-75% recycled blast furnace slag.

Blown-in fiberglass, rock wool and slag wool insulation products can achieve up to an R-15 in a 2x4 cavity and an R-23 in a 2x6 cavity – more than any other traditional loose-fill insulation on the market today.

Loose-fill fiberglass, rock wool and slag wool insulation products can be blown with most types of pneumatic machines and provide the equivalent R-value with less material than cellulose. All three products exhibit virtually no signs of settling or R-value loss over time. On the other hand, cellulose settles up to 20% and requires compensation for settling during installation.

The great amount of medical scientific evidence compiled over more than 70 years by industry; government, and independent research organizations supports the conclusion that these insulation products are safe to use when manufacturer’s recommended work practices are followed.

Source: North American Manufacturers Association

Social Networking... Let’s “Link” Up

Okay, so you admit “networking” is not one of your strong suits when it comes to running your business – you’d rather be nailing down subfloors than schmoozing with potential customers. Fortunately, online social networking doesn’t require the “face time” as other types of networking: think chamber of commerce, Rotary, and other business associations. But where do you start online? As a friend on your daughter’s Facebook page? No. Check out Linkedin at www.linkedin.com. This is the largest professional networking site on the Internet. All you do is add your name and email, and Linkedin begins matching you with other professionals in your area. No handshakes. No face time. Soon, you’ll discover people noticing your name and wanting to link up with you. As your links grow, so do your connections with possible customers.

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