Since the introduction of our NGBS Green Certification program in 2009, close to 150,000 homes and apartments have become certified. As of August 2018, there were an additional 120,000 homes in-process for certification. The program has shown steady growth year after year; based on strong growth for the first half of 2018, the program is once again on target to see an increase in the annual number of units certified.
The housing rebound continues, but its effect hasn’t been evenly distributed across the spectrum of housing types and price-points. In 2006, Multifamily represented only 16% of residential starts but surged to 35% of starts in 2015, bringing a new character to the market for home building materials. In 2016, however, while we saw a modest return to pre-2006 markets when Move-up and Starter homes ruled, Multifamily began inching its way back down from its peak the year before.
Like most data points in the building industry, insulation material usage varies widely by geographic area, the size and type of builder, and types of homes. The national survey of builders we conducted in February, 2017 sheds further light on usage patterns—confirming some stereotypes about insulation usage in new homes, but it also seems to refute others, lending insight into the market for insulation materials and systems.
The results of Home Innovation’s annual survey of 110,000 U.S. households are in. Helped by declining prices in recent years (and the fact that Mother Nature knows how to produce some beautiful countertop material), granite is still the best-selling kitchen countertop by a sizeable margin – accounting for about 40% of home countertop replacements in 2016.
Recently, I shared results from our builder survey on foam wall sheathing and how its use varied by builder type, price point and type of home, and geographic areas. Now I’d like to share a few things we learned about usage patterns in thickness of foam sheathing in the same survey.
Over the past few years, a lot has been said and written about continuous foam insulation in new homes, including the writing of the new building code requirements.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance says solar will be the cheapest source of energy in the 2020s. Why wait to experience the benefits of solar?
While we're all happy to see the rebound of the housing market underway, smart companies aren't just watching the volume of housing starts, but also the mix of home types built. In many ways, the mix can have a bigger impact on building materials purchased than does the total number of new homes.
Keeping up-to-date is critical in order to capitalize on trends and avoid being stung when your product category takes an unexpected dive. Data from our 2016 Builder Practices Reports shows some changes underway that you need to know.
Keeping up-to-date is critical in order to capitalize on trends and avoid being stung when your product category takes an unexpected dive. Data from our 2016 Consumer Practices Survey shows some unexpected changes underway that you need to know.
For the first time since 2013, Home Innovation Research Labs is conducting the Canadian Builder Practices Survey, a study that quantifies home builder purchases of building materials. With the Canadian new home market shifting strongly from single- to multifamily, it's more important than ever to keep up on building products purchases there.
According to Home Innovation Research Labs' Annual Builder Practices Survey, a shift in homebuyer demographics and builder buying and building habits has created a significant shift away from spray foam insulation across the board — in walls, floors, and roofs and in each of the four Census Regions. While a one-year shift in building product usage data does not constitute a real trend, this may be signaling a change in the home insulation landscape.
The overall residential construction market is heating up, and experts forecast expanded activity in the green housing industry. McGraw-Hill's recent green home SmartMarket report can help builders and building product manufacturers refine their business and marketing plans to remain competitive in the changing market.
North Carolina is a national leader in green housing, and the numbers prove it! The North Carolina Energy Efficiency Alliance (NCEEA) has released data detailing the market penetration of voluntary, third-party certified green and energy efficient homes statewide.
Despite having tens of thousands of green home certifications under out belt, the National Green Building Standard (NGBS) and Home Innovation's NGBS Certification Program are still not as well-known as LEED. Find out why NGBS is still the best choice.
After a two-year field investigation, the NAHB Research has identified some optimal building practices for preventing excessive moisture content in wood framing members and structural sheathing.
With ever-increasing energy costs, homeowners are worried about their skyrocketing utility bills and looking for ways to save energy and money. With all of the talk about "going green" and energy efficiency, people are paying more attention to environmental concerns such as global warming and smart growth. As a result, solar energy is fast becoming an option to which consumers are paying close attention. It is one of those renewable sources of energy that is viable in most parts of the country, limited only by clouds.
Consumers’ expectations of energy performance have changed. They are demanding a higher level of energy performance than ever before. To maintain a competitive edge, there’s no better time than now to figure out how your current cadre of home designs stacks up for future needs.
Creating a tight building envelope is only one part of the equation in creating a high-performing, energy-efficient house. If the strategies for creating a tight building envelope are not coupled with strategies for letting accumulated moisture out of wall cavities, it can be a recipe for disaster.
The key to an energy-efficient home is largely in how the building envelope is designed. Find out some best practices identified through Home Innovation Labs work as a Building America team.
Green building, once widely perceived to be a “luxury” approach to home building, can be a viable solution for both builders and consumers in the affordable market.