A scheduled reduction in mortgage limits on government-backed loans could make about 1.4 million U.S. home ineligible for the most affordable and accessible types of mortgages, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

The Breckenridge fire department is boasting an historic first in Colorado — the first female chief of an all-professional fire department.

The Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District announced Friday that Lori Miller has been chosen chief. She succeeds Gary Green, who resigned in May.

Fire officials say Miller is joining just a handful of other women nationwide who head all-professional fire departments, including in San Francisco and Austin, Texas. Miller started her 26-year career at Boulder Fire Rescue in 1985. She worked her way through the ranks to acting battalion chief.

Miller became the division chief of training for the Summit Fire Authority, managed by the Red, White & Blue district. She has been the district’s deputy chief of operations since 2006.

The dog Kaia finds a spot for a nap on the stranded bamboo floors in this remodeled green home. Bamboo is not a wood, it is a grass, and it is fast-growing, but at least as strong as some slow-growth woods. (Leonard Ortiz/Orange County Register/MCT) ( LEONARD ORTIZ )

Whether framing a new addition, building a deck or making a piece of furniture, wood is often the go-to material. Lumber, plywood and other products made with sustainably harvested wood are widely available and relatively inexpensive. However, there are environmental costs and structural drawbacks to many traditional wood products. Plenty of creative alternatives are available. Here is a sampling of wood alternatives, most with some environmental advantages, for home construction and remodeling projects.

1. Hemp

Hemp is a fast-growing and sustainable crop that generates more construction-grade fiber per acre than most trees and other crops. It can be used in place of lumber and a wide range of other materials. For example, Washington State University researchers found hemp-based medium-density fiberboard to be twice as strong as wood.

2. Bamboo

Bamboo is often considered a wood, but this grass is really a wood alternative. It has been called the world’s most useful plant (though hemp advocates might argue otherwise). Bamboo is fast-growing but at least as strong as some slow-growth woods. It is a very trendy flooring option. It is also used in furniture and a wide variety of other construction materials.

3. Wood composites

As the name suggests, composite materials combine wood with recycled plastics or other components. As compared to lumber, composites are a more sustainable way to use trees. For example, composite deck boards can be made with scrap wood fiber leftover from cutting solid hardwood deck boards. Composite decks and other products also have other advantages over hardwood. They require virtually no finishing, staining or maintenance, and are very durable.

4. Plastic wood

Another growing segment of the deck market is basically the plastic — recycled or not — of composites without any wood fibers. Like composite decking, plastic wood requires no maintenance. Of course, it’s hard to make plastic look exactly like wood, so it’s not a perfect aesthetic substitute. However, in many other ways, composites and plastic wood are good hardwood alternatives.

5. Soy

No, you can’t build walls out of tofu, but soy is another immensely useful plant that is used for insulation, carpet backing, paint strippers and more. While soy fibers may not be a substitute for wood, soy can make traditional wood products safer. Soy-based chemicals can replace the potentially dangerous formaldehyde, glues and other solvents.

6. Cork

Cork is made with bark rather than the core of a tree. That means it re-grows faster and is more sustainable in some ways than many traditional wood products. It is a popular flooring material, and is growing into other areas of construction and remodeling.

7. Cardboard

Cardboard construction isn’t just for kids. A couple of plywood substitutes on the market are made primarily with recycled cardboard.

8. Newspaper

Similarly, recycled newspaper is being used to create fiberboard products for roof decking and much more. For example, Homasote is a New Jersey company that claims to recycle up to 250 tons of newspaper each day into construction materials.

9. Nutshells

Maderon is a recyclable Spanish furniture-building material made primarily of crushed almond, hazelnut and walnut shells. The shells are ground into a paste, then mixed with resin and molded into chairs and other furniture.

10. Straw

Look closely at plywood. The fibers look a lot like straw, so it’s no stretch to imagine particleboard from varieties of straw, including wheat, oat and flax straw. All these are available and useful alternatives to traditional pressed-wood products.

Source: MercuryNews.com

According to the 2010 census, the population of the United States is projected to have an 8.9 percent increase in the next decade. Builder Online reports that “The 10 metro areas expected to see the biggest jumps in population between 2010 and 2020 are mostly in states that experienced increases of between 15 percent and 25 percent in the last decade: North Carolina, Texas, Utah, Georgia, Idaho and Colorado.”

Grand Junction’s growth, which rose over 25 % in the last decade, can be accredited to the oil and gas industry. For more information on the 2010 Census please visit 2010.census.gov.

The National Association of Home Builders on Tuesday reported that a clear majority of voters, including self-identified Democrats, Republicans and Independents, supports maintaining the mortgage interest deduction, including for high-value mortgages, incomes over $250,000 per year and second or vacation homes.

Overall, the survey found 73% of all voters agreed with the statement, “In general, do you think it is appropriate and reasonable for the federal government to provide tax incentives to promote home-ownership?” Not surprisingly, Democrats came in at 79% support, with Republicans at 71% and Independents at 68%. Support was also 68% among those who said they support the Tea Party.

That support level held across whites, blacks and Hispanics, at 73%, 74% and 72% respectively. It also held in the low-to-mid 70% range in Congressional districts identified as either held by freshman GOP members or considered up for grabs by a pair of well-regarded political handicapping firms, Cook and Cillizza.

By party, 63% of Republicans, 56% of Independents and 55% of Democrats said they would be less likely to support a Congressional candidate who supported a repeal of the mortgage interest deduction. When asked whether they agreed with the notion that the MID benefits higher-income groups and eliminating it would help reduce the deficit, only 29% said yes, with Democrats at 36%, Republicans at 26% and Independents at 25%.

The intensity of support for MID was also evident in the survey results, NAHB said. When asked if they supported or opposed eliminating MID, 53% said they were strongly opposed. Lowering the deduction was opposed by 63%, with 39% strongly opposed. Dropping deductibility for home equity loan interest was opposed by 58%, 36% strongly. Dropping MID for $250K-plus households was opposed by 55%, 33% strongly. Scaling the deduction back for mortages over $500K was opposed by 53%, 30% strongly. And dropping the deduction for second or vacation homes was opposed by 53%, 29% strongly.

Also not surprisingly, the electorate is not particularly knowledgeable about the debate now underway in Washington over the size of mortgage down payments, with only 20% of the sample reporting having even heard of the issue. Still, of those who had, an overwhelming 92% said they thought raising the down payment requirement would make buying a home much more difficult.

Among the overall sample, when the figure 20% was applied to the down payment requirement, support and opposition were dead even at 49%, with the most support for the higher down payment coming from those over 55 and those who own their homes outright. Among 18-55 year olds with a mortgage, 58% opposed raising the down payment requirement to 20%. Among renters 18-54, 59% opposed the 20% down payment.

The NAHB survey was conducted May 3-9 by Public Opinion Strategies and Lake Research Partners among 2,000 likely 2012 voters. It has a margin of error of +2.19%. A slideshow of the results can be found here. Results of the survey regarding voter views of home ownership, which also showed strong support, were released last week. The associated slide show can be accessed here. The audio of a conference call on that portion of the survey is available here.

Source:bigbuilderonline.com

Breckenridge Ski Area had a banner year in 2010-2011

Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) announced during its 48th Annual Meeting last week that its 22 member resorts hosted an estimated 6.9 million skier visits during the 2010-11 ski season. This represents an increase of 2.6 percent, or approximately 179,371 skier visits, compared to last season’s final numbers. “It’s gratifying to see skier visits where they are this year,” commented Melanie Mills, president and CEO of Colorado Ski Country USA. “We’re reporting a very solid season in Colorado and visits are up for the second year in a row, which tells us that the ski industry here is healthy and moving in the right direction.”

CSCUSA’s membership saw an increase in visitation from in-state and international visitors. Domestic destination skiers saw good snowfall in all parts of the U.S. this season, so those visit numbers were down slightly.

CSCUSA’s numbers don’t include the four in-state ski areas — Vail Mountain, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Breckenridge — operated by Vail Resorts, which withdrew from membership in CSCUSA in 2007. These four resorts are among the state’s most popular. It is believed that Colorado statewide skier visits eclipsed the 12 million threshold, which would be only the fourth time skier visits have reached this mark. CSCUSA estimated that statewide skier visits broke the 12 million mark by assuming that visits to these four non-CSCUSA member resorts in Colorado were up by at least the percentage increase at CSCUSA resorts, which would bring statewide total skier visits for the 2010-11 season to 12.18 million or more. However, on Thursday Vail Resorts released financial results that showed skier visits at its Colorado resort held relatively flat for the three months ending April 30.

Most resorts saw above average amounts of snowfall during this La Nina season, in some cases resulting in earlier than planned terrain openings, and in some resorts extending their seasons. “At Thanksgiving, Colorado resorts had a great deal more terrain open for skiing and riding than they typically do at that point in the season,” commented Mills. “As the season went on, some parts of the state reported more robust snowfall amounts than others, with some resorts reporting higher base amounts at the end of the season than they had in January.”

A strong start to the season, including abundant early season snow, pushed early season skier visits up by 10 percent compared to the same period the prior year. Conditions during the holidays were colder and snowier than average.

“Unusually cold temperatures on key ski weekends, and certain travel challenges that included road closures, caused visitation to slip a bit in the middle of the season, but by the end of February we were able to maintain our strongest season-to-date of the last three years,” explained Mills. Wintery conditions prevailed through spring resulting in a season that is still going strong in June. “All numbers reported are preliminary estimates as the season is still happening. Two resorts have remained open on weekends as conditions permit, Arapahoe Basin and Aspen Mountain, and continue to add to this season’s positive numbers.”

Aspen Mountain, in fact, opted to end their season on June 6.

On a national level, skier visits overall are up less than one percent with the Rocky Mountain region seeing an increase of 1.7 percent. Skier visits are the metric used to track participation in skiing and snowboarding. A skier visit represents a person participating in the sport of skiing or snowboarding for any part of one day at a mountain resort.

By First Tracks!! Online Media

Like a lot of people I first came to Summit County for the weekends, essentially, to ski. But the weather of late has been so fantastic I think I’ve indeed made that inevitable evolution in thought to where I now feel that summer is my favorite season in Summit. All jokes aside, (especially the one that states that Summit County has two seasons, Winter, and July 4th) the weather has been really great for at least a couple of weeks now (except for one day of snow) and we anticipate another couple of months of fine weather with days daytime temperatures stretching into the low eighties and nights down in the low 50s. Perfect in my mind. I’ve been spending a lot of time on my new bike (my old one was stolen while I spent the night in Denver) and it’s really a joy to see so many families enjoying our exceptional network of bike paths. No doubt July 4th will be a very big weekend for lots of families as it’s already starting to get busy.

All of the towns have numerous parades, festivals, and fireworks planned, so there’s sure to be something to do for just about anyone. There’s still quite a bit of snow on the high peaks, but the backcountry trails are drying out and the river’s are in high flow (I know some great secret mountain bike rides, so if you drop me a line I might share a secret or two.) It’s truly a beautiful time to be in the high country of Colorado, and this July 4th in Summit should be absolutely spectacular. And the weather forecast looks GREAT! It’ll be nice and cool out here while it’s broiling in much of the rest of the country. So come join us. For a day or the long weekend. For more information go here.

At Trilogy Partners we understand the importance of the exterior of your home blending into its natural surroundings. That is why we use timber framing and a lot of stone work so that the house can complement the backdrop on the Rocky Mountains.

Take for example our Steamboat House that we built for South Park’s Trey Parker. We built and designed this home located on a hilltop overlooking Steamboat Springs. We mixed American West design along with a traditional Japanese style and surprisingly it worked well against this mountainous terrain. The Japanese gardens and Tea House allow the homeowners to spend more time enjoying the great Colorado outdoors.

Steamboat House by Trilogy Partners

When working on our Timber Trail project, located in the prestigious Timber Trail neighborhood in Breckenridge, we had to consider the rest of the neighborhood to make sure the home was cohesive in its space. We also wanted to combine some “old world” style with the latest in sustainable design.

Timber Trail by Trilogy Partners

For more information on Trilogy Partners visit our website at Trilogybuilds.com.

LEED was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in March 2000 and is an internationally-recognized green building certification system.

What does LEED do?

According to USGBC, “LEED provides building owners and operators with a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.

LEED promotes sustainable building and development practices through a suite of rating systems that recognize projects that implement strategies for better environmental and health performance. The LEED rating systems are developed through an open, consensus-based process led by LEED committees, diverse groups of volunteers representing a cross-section of the building and construction industry. Key elements of the process include a balanced and transparent committee structure, technical advisory groups that ensure scientific consistency and rigor, opportunities for stakeholder comment and review, member ballot of new rating systems, and fair and open appeals.”

What buildings does LEED work with?

LEED can be applied to either commercial or residential building types and may even be used as a framework for urban planning and design through the LEED for Neighborhood Development rating system.

What LEED rating systems are there?

LEED’s rating systems include:

– LEED for New Construction (NC)
– LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance (EB: O&M)
– LEED for Commercial Interiors (CI)
– LEED for Core & Shell (CS)
– LEED for Schools (SCH)
– LEED for Retail
– LEED for Healthcare (HC)
– LEED for Homes
– LEED for Neighborhood Development (ND)

Each rating system uses a different, specific approach tailored to the type of building it focuses on to measure the sustainability of a project or existing building.

For more information on the LEED green building rating systems, visitUSGBC.org.

LEED Professional Credentials

In addition to the range of certification systems for green buildings, LEED also offers a highly regarded credentialing system for green building professionals. LEED professional credentials are administered by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

LEED Green Associate

The LEED Green Associate is the entry level LEED credential for professionals interested in learning about the fundamentals of green building and the LEED rating systems.

Earning the LEED Green Associate, often referred to as LEED GA, requires passing a computerized multiple choice exam. There are certain eligibility requirements for taking the LEED GA exam, and options for becoming eligible, which we have written about here.

It is a requirement to pass the LEED Green Associate exam before advancing to the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) credential.

LEED AP

The LEED AP credential is an advanced LEED credential which specifically focuses professionals on learning the ins and outs of one of the particular LEED rating systems listed above.

The LEED AP exam is a much more rigorous exam. The exam requires a lot of memorization and knowledge of specific detailed aspects of a LEED rating system. Indeed, some people have compared it to passing the bar exam.

Approaches to studying for the LEED GA and LEED AP exams differ. For people with experience working on a LEED project, it is possible to take both exams on the same day. However, it is recommended that people take the exams separately to maximize their chances for success. We have covered tips on passing the LEED AP exam here.

LEED Fellow

The LEED Fellow is the most prestigious professional designation. According to GBCI, the designation was developed to honor and recognize distinguished LEED APs who have made a significant contribution to the field of green building and sustainability at a regional, national, or international level. To earn this designation a person must be nominated by their peers. Once a person is nominated, they will be evaluated along for or five “mastery levels” including:

– Technical Proficiency
– Education and Mentoring
– Leadership
– Commitment and Service
– Advocacy