The Fun Times Guide > Home Building/Remodeling > Articles by: Randy Boerstler

About Randy Boerstler

Writing a home building blog that chronicles new homes during different phases of construction from a consumers' point-of-view is rather unique and loads of fun. Basically, my tips are a collection of checklists for what I think should (and should not) go into building a quality home. So let's have fun seeing what's new in the housing market these days!

Charleston Style Homes Exude Southern Luxury

Charleston style homes offer the finest in southern living with lots of outdoor living space for warm afternoons.

Stalking, specifically house stalking, is an ugly and unseemly term. But, that's how this blog of mine started back in 2006 and I'd like to get back to what I am passionate about, unashamedly stalking houses. Basically, I enjoy house stalking: new houses that are under construction from groundbreaking up to completion in order to view where and how all of the pieces come together to make everything work. move-in ready homes. They almost always have the fixtures and appliances installed … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home & Garden, Home Styles & Trends Tagged With:

How To Choose The Best Air Filter

Choosing the best air filter for your HVAC system should be a quick and easy decision. photo by Randy@TheFunTimesGuide.com

Have you ever found yourself scratching your head at all of the different types of furnace filters to choose from at the home improvement store? If so, you have lots of company wondering and staring at the shelves along with you. In an ideal world you'd like to see an apple-to-apples comparison when you shop for HVAC filters, but in my experience it is somewhat similar to buying mattresses. You're not certain if you're getting the biggest bang for your buck unless you look closely at the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home & Garden, Maintenance & Decor Tagged With: ,

Modular Green Homes: GreenPods Designed By Ann Raab

greenpods

Modular homes have been around for decades. Green homes have been around for awhile, too, and they're getting greener all of the time. When you combine those two types of homes together you get modular green homes. Enter GreenPod Intelligent Environments.   … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Green Homebuilding, Home & Garden Tagged With: , ,

How To Repair Screeching Faucet Problems

Screeching, whining, and squealing are some of the most annoying faucet problems in a home. Fixing them could be a challenge unless you are informed on how to repair them. photo by Randy @ The Fun Times Guide to Hombuilding

Do you have a water faucet that whines, screeches or squeals when you turn it on? There are a few reasons why this annoying little problem occurs. By the way, I love that my son is such a willing participant in front of and behind the camera. The photo you see is him, while the angle and expression were all his idea. Got to love him! Is this a DIY fix-it project for able-bodied homeowners? It most certainly is, so pay attention, y'all. There are several possible reasons why your … [Read more...]

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7 Awesome Custom Garages

This is an awesome custom garage inside of a beautiful home in Santa Barbara, CA. photo via realtor.com

Having a really cool garage with tons of space for your 2 and 4-wheeled, prized possessions is the stuff dreams are made of for many a guy out there...and many of you girls, too. I was surfing around for cool garage ideas and found a great Forbes article about amazing custom garages and knew it would be a fun topic to share. I'm not going to talk about every garage in the article they posted, just the one's that really stand out, in my opinion. The homes that some of these garages are a … [Read more...]

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7 Reasons To Install Radiant Barrier Roof Sheathing

Radiant barrier roof sheathing is a great product that is installed just like regular roof sheathing. photo by Randy @ The Fun Times Guide to Homebuilding

Radiant barrier roof sheathing is a great product that will reduce your power bill. There are just a few manufacturers that make this unusual type of roof sheathing that has a shiny, perforated aluminum foil/craft paper laminated to one side of it. For simplicity's sake, I'm focusing my attention on Georgia-Pacific's Thermostat® radiant barrier product, not to mention that all Georgia-Pacific wood product samples are available to me. I happen to manage the facility that sends out all of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Green Homebuilding, Home & Garden Tagged With: , , , , ,

Swap Out Your Boring Doorbell Buttons For Some Style

doorbell-buttons

Are you trying to think of ways to add a little pizazz to your entryway by installing a new doorbell button? Okay...maybe not. But, if by chance you were thinking about it or you're gathering ideas like we like to do, then read on happy homeowner. Even if you're not thinking about doorbell buttons, you might think about swapping your old, boring push button for one of these far more interesting decorative ones. Whether you are looking for something modern, cool, rustic, or just … [Read more...]

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Are Radiant Barriers Right For Your Home?

radiant-barriers

Radiant barriers have been around for decades but they are starting to gain momentum. This is in large part due to advances in design and the sales potential to existing homeowners that are upside-down on their mortgages. I touched on the subject of radiant barriers in a recent post regarding home energy audits, but I wanted to dig a little deeper. Radiant barriers inhibit heat transfer by thermal radiation.  The concept works and is widely used throughout the homebuilding industry among … [Read more...]

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What Is A Home Energy Audit?

home-energy-audit

What is a home energy audit? A home energy audit, also known as a home energy assessment, is a series of specific tests and inspections performed by a certified professional to determine where your house could be more energy efficient. We recently had a free home energy review, not the same thing as a home energy audit, performed on our home by a representative of Home Energy Solutions. He came to our home and performed a complimentary 15-point inspection. It wasn't a full scale home … [Read more...]

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Great Gifts For Dad For Christmas

Ben-Franklin-workbench-via-American-Workbench

What are some great gifts for dad for Christmas? I'm a dad with decent handyman skills and I can give you some ideas that you may not have thought of before. Yes...socks, underwear and slippers are decent stand-by's, but it's never at the top of our list. Deerfoams are comfortable (I'm guessing) but don't buy them for us unless we've made a mention of them. We know you are more creative than that and probably just ran out of time and options. I know. I've been there. I've been out on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home & Garden, Homebuilding Basics Tagged With: ,
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