What's New at WB
Winter 2023 Energy Efficiency Insulation, HVAC, indoor air quality, and rebates.
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It winter, and high time for heating load, air leakage, and of course constantly questioning why we choose to live in New England! Unfortunately our buildings usually compound this question as our properties energy efficiency becomes more acutely apparent with utility bills increasing as the temperatures drop. As homeowners this frustration is not lost on us, and as builders we work to mitigate this phenomenon by building tight and ventilating right simple but impactful rhyme that outlines our goal to construct efficient buildings without sacrificing indoor air quality. Once the building envelope is weather tight a variety of insulation techniques can be utilized. The goal is to reduce building air changes and stacking effects caused by heat loss creating negative pressure drawing cold air up through buildings. At this new equilibrium of limited air changes, intentional venting ensures indoor air quality stays safe and does not suffer from off gassing, or occupant load. The final product is a safe and comfortable interior environment and a building drawing less energy to operate. The relevance to the WB winter 2023 post is that new energy initiatives and code requirements have been added in 2023 that include a number of rebates and subsidy programs to help building owners achieve these lower building operating costs. Contact us to learn how we can help your building operate more efficiently while capitalizing on public incentives.
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Fall 2022 Rough In decisions, decisions, decisions.
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It fall the name of the game is closing in for winter, buttoning up the exterior envelope, and preparing to stabilize the interior climate for finish. That said, with the weather wrap up and roof tight, siding and trim can be the only item on the agenda, as now is high time to begin the MEP rough ins to get to insulation for the winter weather. To this point, to keep project momentum especially in these times of supply chain snarls, the real work occurred months ago making the key decisions. At WB we encourage clients to work cohesively through a checklist of critical decisions with the project team of designers, builders, and engineers prior to the first shovels entering the ground. The checklist runs the gamut from shower trim kits, to appliance specs, to overlay vs inset cabinets. The task, while tedious and possibly confusing why these items have to be picked when they wont be installed for possibly months pays in spades once the project has reached this rough in milestone. We often say building on paper first backwards from the finish keeps projects from moving backwards in the field.
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Summer 2022 In the ground – self performed site work as a value add.
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As discussed in the Spring update, as far as New England seasons go, Spring and Summer are generally peak seasons to get projects into the ground on trajectory to close-in for the Winter months. This phenomenon is not exclusive to WB, and the seasonality can often create bottlenecks for projects on similar delivery schedules. To mitigate this bottleneck, WB has a unique ability to self-perform entire site packages from initial land clearing, to utility tie-ins, to finish grading. Having this ability with licensed operators on staff and our own heavy equipment allows us to better control project costs and schedule for clients during peak earth moving months.
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Winter 2022 Collaboration – Build a team, Build on paper, Build vertically. The benefits of pre-construction.
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This winters topic surrounds the advantages of engaging with your general contractor or construction manager early on in a projects life cycle. The pre-construction period is arguably the most important phase that is overlooked when embarking on a new project. Breaking ground, while exciting, is a milestone achieved well into a projects flight plan. However, if Ill-planned, the duration of the schedule could be turbulent at best. To mitigate this reality, it is beneficial to engage your design team and builder together, early. This synergy allows for design teams to collaborate with the GC in real time on project costs, duration, and sequencing while retaining third party price assessment. Similarly, this dynamic allows for collaborative work between familiar teams. To that end, we’re happy to provide design reference and insight for clients new and old when envisioning a project.
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Spring 2022 Ground breaking and punch lists – Exciting times and updates at Whitmore Brothers.
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Spring is an exciting time of year to be a builder in New England. As a 40+ year builder we’re regularly managing multiple projects in varying points of completion throughout the year. However, the spring season often creates the largest overlap of new projects breaking ground, and project punch list close-outs. Thus, it’s a very exciting time of year at WB with the inception of new projects coupled with the gratification of turning projects over to their new owners. To add to the excitement this spring has brought a number of other updates to WB. Highlights include: refreshing our website and social media platforms, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Please be sure to follow along; Attendance and contribution to the Merry Mixers Gala to support pediatrics at Salem Hospital; and beginning to plan our companies summer outing in appreciation of our employees, and partners.
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Fall 2021 Welcomed Weather – Gratitude for our team’s resilience and poise to surmount a challenging environment.
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This year’s Indian summer was a welcomed reprieve for four projects pushing towards Thanksgiving closeouts, and an added benefit for our ongoing builds and projects breaking ground. After a busy, and somewhat soggy summer season, the autumn warmth feels like a well-earned reward. Climate aside, the year has presented a challenging building environment to overcome, and we thank our valued team member, design partners, supply network, and subcontractors for their continued dedication as we drive forward towards another successful year. We applaud our groups resilience and poise to adapt and maintain a safe and productive work environment to deliver a quality product. It is our goal to promote this environment of continuous improvement and agility because we’ve learned over 40 years in business that the construction industry is not static. The methodologies, materials, governance, customers, and workforce are dynamic variables influenced by new technologies, economic cycles, political climates, and natural forces. Our companies success in this continually evolving industry resides in this adaptability to leverage our strengths to meet the current market’s profile. Two strengths we’ve found hold constant over our 40 year tenure are honest communication, and proactive planning. It is this collaborative communication amongst project teams and clients, and proactive planning with a loyal network of suppliers and industry partners that’s allowed us to continually execute projects. We sincerely appreciate all participants that make this possible, on to the next!
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Summer 2021 A Sense of Normalcy – Emphasis on safety as we transition towards the “new normal”.
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At Whitmore Brothers we are ecstatic at the premise of returning to a sense of normalcy after the coined “unprecedented times” brought on by 2020. That said, safety and client/partner satisfaction remain at the forefront of our daily priorities, and with that our operations will continue to reflect the highest level of safety and consciousness of our surrounding. Safety has always been a pillar of each project’s success, and WB takes pride in clean, organized, hazard free sites.
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