Regent Builders, Inc. Weblog

Building Green by Unbuilding

regentbuilders — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:25:36 +0000

Sounds funny but it is true. Deconstruction is one of the purest ways of building green. About a year ago, Regent Builders began building green officially. I say officially because after comparing our standard practices we found that we were already building to a level between Bronze and Silver through the LEEDS and Green Build programs. To complement this initiative we set up one of our subsidiary companies, JC&K Construction, which was already doing excavation and demolition, as a deconstructor as well.

We don’t force the process on our customers; we offer it as an alternative. An alternative that costs about $2,000.00 more than a straight knock it down haul it off demo. On a deconstruct we typically go into the house and remove any trim, hardwood flooring, appliances, cabinets, windows, HVAC units, water heater, radiators and plumbing fixtures that are worth reusing and salvage them. Then the plaster or drywall is removed. The plaster can be taken to a non-refuse landfill whereas the drywall/sheetrock can be ground up and used to lime a farmer’s field. The metals are then salvaged and recycled. The brick and block is then removed and cleaned of mortar. The framing is removed down to and including the sill plate and nails pull when practical.

All of the salvaged material in most cases is either sold to individuals or donated to a local charity for them to sell or reuse on their projects such as Habitat for Humanity or Christmas in April. We have several customers who have sold their two year old Andersen windows or a three year old furnace, water heater or a/c. As the saying goes, “ one mans trash is another mans treasure”.

Most people do not realize how much trash goes into the county landfills from the demolition of a single family home down to the foundation. According to published statistics from the Deconstruct Institute, demolition of buildings in the United States produces 124,670,000 tons of debris each year. The demolition of a 2000 square foot single family home produces approximately 127 tons of debris.

Additional benefits from deconstruction is that same 2000 square foot home could result in up to 6000 board feet of reusable lumber being saved. This equals approximately 33 timber size Pine trees. Further-more, a deconstruct can reduce the volume of waste in a landfill by up to 8400 cubic feet. The decomposing wood from this same house if demolished instead of deconstructed equals approximately 19 tons of carbon equivalent in the form of methane gas.

The response and receptiveness of our clients has been very satisfying. Once they learn of the environmental savings they overall want to do there part.

Cornerstone Kitchen and Bath

regentbuilders — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:12:51 +0000

It’s funny how life makes its little directional turns. Earlier this year we were given an amazing opportunity and we chose to move forward on it. On June 1 we purchased the Chantilly showroom of Kitchen Warehouse and launched Cornerstone Kitchen and Bath. As a result we have been immensely blessed with a steady flow of customers.

Heather will be putting her talents in design, administration, and customer service to good use as she manages the Cornerstone operation. In the process she has added ceramic tile and plumbing fixtures to the existing offering of cabinets and countertops. She has also added a premium custom cabinet line. With Regents construction services as a complement, it allows Cornerstone to be a one stop shop.

Regent Commercial Update

regentbuilders — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:00:42 +0000

The 17,500 square foot office warehouse located in the Dulles area, that Regent is building, is nearing completion. The Owners are scheduled to occupy just after the first of the year. I’m sure they will be happy to ring in the New Year in their new company headquarters.

Staff Updates

regentbuilders — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:55:51 +0000

It hardly seems possible that it’s been a little over two (2) years since Heather brought on board her Assistant Vice President. Talk about high energy, Nolan has been a much appreciated addition.

Our first Assistant Vice President earning his pay.

Because of our forecast of growing business, one of the most important facets is the need for key staff additions. Heather has personally taken on the roll of staff expansion coordinator. She delivered another Assistant V.P on December 8. In order to keep the company balanced this addition was a girl. Welcome to the team Morgan!

New A.V.P Working Hard on the Job.

Regent Winter Tips!

regentbuilders — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:38:49 +0000

As winter is upon us, remember to turn off outside spigot supplies if you haven’t already! If you forget to turn them off – please remember we do insurance repair work.

Also it is advisable to check and replace cracked and missing caulk before more inclimate weather arrives.

Last but not least, remember to change the batteries in all smoke detectors at the resetting of your clocks.

The New Regent Builders, Inc. Blog!

regentbuilders — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:47:02 +0000

We will be posting new and great information on this blog very soon! Stay apprised of company news, current projects, photos of our completed projects, and resources or industry information that you should know about. Please check back with us in the near future.

Best,
Bob Luckett