Tag Archives: EarthCraft

Curb Appeal: The Block : HGTV-Recycled retaining wall

SawHorse was invited to participate on the hit show Curb Appeal.  This was our first episode with them and it turned out to be one of the more popular episodes of the season.  My favorite part is where we recycled the chunks of driveway and created a retaining with them.  This saved in landfill costs and materials needed for the retaining wall.

From HGTV’s Curb Appeal page:

Errin Haines recently bought her first house, but unfortunately it is the eyesore of the block. She works around the clock and doesn’t have time to devote to fixing up the front yard. Fortunately, the Curb Appeal team is stepping in and turning the sticks and weeds in her front yard into a gorgeous landscape. In fact, even the mailbox is getting an overhaul. Designer John Gidding’s design plan includes adding a stone patio with seating as well as white washing the existing brick to unify the property. The plan doesn’t end there as John and his team also give smaller makeovers to two of Errin’s neighbors as well. Not only will this unify and inspire the block, but property values will be raised as well, benefiting everyone.

via A First Time Homeowner Gets Much Needed Curb Appeal and the Neighbors Also Benefit : Curb Appeal: The Block : Home & Garden Television.

About the author

Matt Hoots is President of SawHorse, Atlanta’s cutting edge design build firm since 1978.  He also chairs the Green Building Council for the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association to help grow better building practices in Georgia.

My profiles: Facebook LinkedIn Twitter YouTube

Posted in curb appeal, Landscaping ideas, Retaining walls | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Standard Construction” is like “Making Sausage”

Yummy!

I found a way to equate green construction to the Marine Corps, so why not create an analogy between sausage and standard construction.

Now, every time you bite into your next sausage link you will think about us.  Why is that?  We all know what goes into making sausage, however we really don’t care to know much about the process.  Much like your home.  I would prefer not to know what went into the most houses.  Unfortunately, since I am a renovator and a new builder, I get to uncover the jewels left behind for us under the Sheetrock.  Ever go to a new construction site and think “thanks God this is not my house”?  There is trash is the duct work, urine in the bathtub, who knows what type of human waste in a five gallon Sheetrock bucket.   I have seen much worse which I cannot post on my blog.  Of course not on our construction sites.

Why the graphic images?  Well, green home building is a completely different process.  A green home is more than the products that go into the home, it is the process of how it is built that makes it green as well.  Green homes are not like sausage, they are kind of fun to watch going up.  The sites are cleaner, the trash is recycled, and the duct-work is protected.  You would think that this is code, it is not.  It is just good builder practice.

We at The Hoots Group, are so confident in our site cleanliness, that we are showcasing one of our projects on Facebook and have a website for it.  Since it will be built to EarthCraft House and LEED for Homes standards, you can be assured that there is “no sausage making on our site.”

Visit our latest green (non-sausage) project at the Midtown Green House.  To to get your own organic house visit The Hoots Group

Find out more about us here, check out our videos, and become a fan of us on Facebook!

Posted in Hoots Group Showcase Houses | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment