central oklahoma homes july august

19700 Crest Ridge Dr.This beautiful home offers 4 beds, 4 baths, a large living area, and a covered patio. Kids will love the large upstairs gameroom! Still time to pick your colors, and customize this home for your family. Will be Complete by Thanksgiving. $329,000

Ph. 405.677.4426www.Frenchconstruction.com

CONSTRUCTION COMPANY

FReNChTom French ~ Builder

True craftsmanship

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every FRENCH

CONSTRUCTION

home. Quality

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components are

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veteran workmen

skilled in the

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The quality of

a FRENCH

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All Homes Open Sat & Sun 1–5pm

2925 Allie Drive FallbrookThis home has 4 beds, 3 1/2 baths, large living, great master suite, split 3 car garage design, gameroom up with 1/2 bath, full sod, landscaping, sprinkler system and fence. $365,000

2709 Cattle DriveOur model home is reduced for closeout! 4 beds, 4 baths, study, large living, custom kitchen cabinets, and game room. Outdoor features include a wood burning fireplace and built in grill on the back patio. $469,900

Details make the difference.

2717 Cattle DriveThis home has 4 beds, 5 baths, study, 2 dining, large living and features a gameroom and bath upstairs. Priced at $459,900.

Iron Horse Ranch Coffee Creek Rd. & Coltrane Iron Horse Ranch Coffee Creek Rd. & ColtraneFallbrook • Covell, East of WesternFallbrook • Covell, East of WesternStonebriar-located at Western and Danforth

SOLD

3008 Katie LaneThis beautiful home offers 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, a game room, a 3 car garage and spectacular custom cabinets. There is still time to pick your colors!! $399,900

SOLD

OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

6 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA HOMES | JULY-AUGUST 2010

Edmond-based Red Rock Builders is focused on buildinghouses with precision, comfort and efficiency

performanceHigh

homes

JULY-AUGUST 2010 | CENTRAL OKLAHOMA HOMES 7OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

StorybyMelissaHowell

InsulationInsulation is akeycomponenttobuildingahigh-efficiencyhome. Industry standardsrequiregood insulation.Somebuildersgo theextramile anduse foaminsulation. RedRockgoesonestep further insulatingthe roofline.“Weutilize a spray-on foaminsulation thatmakes thehousemoreair tight andhelps thehousemaintainamoreconsis-tent temperature,”Turner said.“The really critical element tohighperformance is insulatingthe roof lineandnot theceilingline.By insulating the roofline,it reduces the temperature intheattic from120-130degreesdowntoabout85degrees.”

hat is thedefinitionofhighperformance?Inautomobiles it’s speed,precisionmechanics, response to thedriver.Inhomes, it’snotmuchdifferent—precisionsystems,customspaceandcomfort and targetedenergyuse forhigher efficiency.“Iwoulddefineahighperformancehomeasa focusonenergyconser-vation throughbetter insulationandmoreefficientmechanical sys-tems,”saidBryanTurner,partnerwithwifeKate inEdmond-basedRedRockBuilders.

continued on next page

WVentilationHand inhandwith top-of-the-lineinsulation isproperventilation.“It’s important inbuilding science tobuildahomeas tight aspossible tocon-trol comfort andenergyusage,”Turnersaid.“But it’s equally important tohaveproperventilation.Because if youdon’tthepossibilityofpoor indoorair qualitycouldcreatehealth issues in thehome.“Building techniqueswerenot asgood20years agoandhomes leakedquite abit of air.The tighterhousesof todayrequiremoreventilation tokeephealthyairflowandavoid sickhouse syndrome,”he said.RedRockBuilders’homeshaveventila-tionsystems that essentiallybringout-sideair into thehomeseveralminutesperhourandfilter aswell asdehumidifyit as it enters thehome,Turner said.

GeothermalGeothermal systemsareanother criticalcomponent toall thehomesbuilt byRedRock.“Geothermal ismoreefficientbecauseit utilizes theconstant temperatureof theground tocondition theair temperature inthehouse,”he said.“Geothermaldoesnotuseoutsidecompressorswhichmakes themmoreefficient and reducesmaintenancecosts.”Conventional geothermal systemspro-ducehotwateronlywhen the system is inuse. But, in the springand fallwhenclimatecontrol isnot asnecessary,homeswiththese systemsmust relyonhot-water tanksforhotwaterneeds.“Theadvantage to theHydro-Tempbrandgeothermal systemweuse, is that itmakeshotwaterwhenever there’s aneed forhot

12 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA HOMES | JULY-AUGUST 2010 OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP

Conjureupan imageofvacation-ers sittingonaverandahat a tropicalresort,a ceiling fan rotatingoverheadandsupplementing thecoolingeffectof theoceanbreezes.Well,youdon’thave togo to the

tropics to realize thebenefits‚orcreate theambiance‚of ceiling fans.Theycanprovideanenergy-efficientsupplement toair conditioningdur-ing thesehot summermonths.Theconcept is simple. If youusea

ceiling fan,youcan raiseyour ther-mostat andstill get the samecoolingeffect.Thatmeans lowerelectricbillsin the long run.Ceiling fansworkbycreatinga

wind-chill effect.As inwinter,whenthewindmakes it feel colderoutside,so thewind‚ormotion‚ createdbyceiling fansmakesyou feel cooler inthe summer.

homesceilingfans

goodforallseasonsCeiling fans reduce energy costs

in the summer andwinter

CStorybyCaroleFeldmanAssociatedPress



Many people install them in bedrooms or great rooms. “A lot of folksput fans in kitchens and eating areas,” Reeve said. “Anywhere you havea ceiling you can have a fan.”

When you go to buy a fan, you’ll need to know more than just whatstyle you like.

Consider the size of the room, Tarr said. For a larger bedroom, gowith a 52-inch fan. For a great room, a 60- or 70-inch fan would workbest. “For smaller rooms, a 44- or 42-inch fan may be just fine,” he said.

The measurement refers to the length of the blades.There also are different motor sizes. “You need a fan with a properly

sized motor to get an efficient air flow,” Tarr said.When you leave a room, turn the fan off to get the maximum energy

efficiency. Unlike an air conditioner, the wind-chill effect produced bythe ceiling fan is immediate. You don’t lose anything by turning it offwhen you’re not there.

The energy savings can be even greater if your fan is certified byEnergy Star. Although savings depend on the amount of use and theclimate, Vargas said Energy Star fans are about 50 percent more ef-ficient than conventional ones, leading to savings of about $25 a year.In 2009, however, these fans cost about $80 more than a conventionalone.

Energy Star and Hunter Fan also recommend using a programmablethermostat to automatically adjust the temperature during wakinghours, or when you are away or sleeping.

“Ceiling fansdon’t cool the room,theycool you,”saidMariaVargas,spokeswom-anandbrandmanager forEnergyStar, thegovernmentprogramdesigned topromoteenergyefficiency.Raising the thermostatby2degreesandusingaceiling fancancutenergycostsbyabout 14percentover thecourseof a season,Vargas said.Thatmakes themagood, low-cost sup-

plement toair conditioning. JeremyTarr,directorofmarketing forHunterFanCo.,says theenergycostof runningaceilingfan is similar to thatof runninga standardincandescent lightbulb.“Youcansavemuchmoreby raising the thermostat,”hesaid.Somestudieshave shownthatpeople

canmove their thermostatsup4 to6de-greesandnotperceiveany realdifferenceif they’reusingaceiling fan,Tarr said.“Savingmoney is something thathas

nevergoneoutof style,”said JohnReeve,managerofDan’sFanCity inRockville,Md.But,he’squick toadd, that’snot theonly reasonpeoplebuyceiling fans.“It’s energyefficient andsomepeople

like the feelingof airmovement,”he said.“It takes the stuffinessoutof a room.Itcouldadd to thedecor.”Byaddingsomemotion toa room,Tarr

said, fansadd“a littlebit of character.”Thecostof a fandependson theoptions.AtDan’sFanCity, fans range fromthe

simplestmodel,costingabout$40,tobuildergrade fanswithaprice tagof$3,000.Reeve saidconsumers shouldplan to spend$100to$250 for a fan.Alightkit adds to thecost.Thecompanyhas locations in sevenstates,most in theSoutheast.Vargas saidceiling fanshavebeen

popular in that region,aswell as in theSouthwest.“Wehavealsoheard fromafewmanufacturers that there is agrow-ing trend in theusageof ceiling fans in thenortheastpartof thecountry,especiallyin thewinter,as ameans to reduceelectricbills bydrivingheatdown,”she said.

Most ceiling fansare reversible.Dur-ing the summer, theblades shouldmovecounterclockwiseasyou lookupatthe fan,creatingawindchill. Inwintermonths, they shouldmoveclockwise.Thathelpsbring thehot airdown

fromtheceilingandevenout theheat-ing.HunterFanCo.saysyoucansave 15percentonyourwinterheatingcostsbyloweringyour thermostat4degreesandusingaceiling fan.

Somestudieshave shownthatpeople canmove their

thermostatsup4 to6degreesandnotperceiveany real

differenceusingaceiling fan.

>What’s the ideal spot for a ceiling fan?

thecolor


homesinspirationpurple


very serene, but if you add a pop of yellow ororange, the space suddenly feels so vibrantand bold.”Woelfel loves to pair purples with greens. “It

feels natural and retains the feeling of calmthat purple brings to a room,” she says.For the best look,Woelfel says to base the

shade of green on the shade of purple in use.“Purple is a color that balances between redand blue on the color wheel. It possesses thefiery passion of red, and the calming aspectsof blue,” she explains.To play up a particular shade, simply look tothemore dominant influencewithin a paint.“For red-based purples like plum or egg-plant, use greens that also carry that warmundertone: moss, avocado or herbal greens.For cool purples like grape, violet or lavender,try blue-based greens likemint, sage or eventurquoise,” she says.Still, in a kitchen or bath,Warner says al-

lowing purple to be the only vibrant color isthe easiest way to ensure top style. “Specifi-cally in a kitchen or bath, usemore subtleshades, such as lavender, and pop in a lot ofneutral tones to keep it sophisticated andfresh.”

©CTWFeatures

The Secret lifeof LavenderAlthough this bold color family is not often

seen as an all-over tone for the kitchen orbath, it can be done, saysMelissaWarner, aco-owner ofMassuccoWarnerMiller InteriorDesign. But beware: “Overusing purple, espe-cially in a kitchen or bath, can really overwhelmthe space,” she says.Opt for a subtle shade of purple with a gray

undertone, like lavender,Warner says. “It looksbeautiful with Carrara or Calcuttamarble andwould also feel very glamorous andmodernpairedwith polished nickel or chrome fittings.”


homescoverstory

homescoverstory


doortoMaterials, designand history givevoice to a home’s

front doorStory by Jordon Shinn

Our lives areguidedby theopeningandclosingofdoors—fromopportunitiestoobstacles, successto failure; fromen-tryways toback-

doors,gateways tochamberdoors.Adoor is a focalpoint. Itmakesa state-mentandgivesafirst impression.Adoorhaspsychological significanceandsets theaesthetic tone for its surround-ings. Itmustbothblend inandstandout.Adoor is thefirst thingpeople seewhen theyvisit,and the last thing theyseewhen they leave.

door


20 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA HOMES | JULY-AUGUST 2010 OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP OPUBC

Doorsspeak“If you live inahalf-milliondollarhome,doyouwantafiberglassdoor,somethingthat looksplasticwhenyouwalkup to it?Ordoyouwant something that’shand-made, that standsalone?”saidMarkGardner,ownerofMonticelloCabinets andDoors,512SW3rdSt., inOklahomaCity.Theold-growthwoodMonticellousescreates anaturally rustic,antiqueap-pearance,whichGardner sayscannotbeachieved innew,softer, farm-grownwood.“Thewhole tree’sbeencutdownover 100years ago,so thewoodhasdonewhat it’sgoing todo,”Gardner said.CalebMcCaleb,ownerofMcCalebHomes,3644E I-35FrontageRoad, inEdmond,saidhe strives tofind thecorrectdoor tomatch the timeperiod for the styleofhousehe isbuilding.“It justbringsa lotof theoldcharmfromthoseolderhouses into thenewhomes,”McCaleb said.“It just adds to the storyofthehome.”McCaleb’sprojects includecountry-FrenchhomeswithBordeauxpantrydoors,Englishmanor-stylehousesand 1920sbungalowhouseswithauthenticCrafts-manbungalowdoors.ButMcCaleb saidadoordoesn’t alwayshave tomatcha styleofhouse.“Sometimeswe’ll putdoors intoahomejust tomakea signature,”McCaleb said,whosehomehasdoors fromFrance, India,Mexico,Portugal and theU.S.“As thebuilder, I signoffon it as theartist, just thefinal strokeof thehouse.”>>>>>>>>

KnockonwoodFromredoak towhiteoak,walnut tofir,oldgrowthtonewgrowth,pine tobirch,doorconstructionhasasmanyoptionsas therearematerials.Doors canbepaneled,barred,clavoed,carved,finished,scraped,squareor arched,andareconstructed fromwood,plastic,metal,glass, rubber,paper andfiberglass.ButOklahomadoorsmakers agree:Nothingbeats asolidwooddoor.Gardener saidmostof thedoors available todayhaveacore inside,madeof cheapmaterial likepar-ticleboard.“Theonesyoubuy today, they’remassproducedand they’reprettyplain-Jane,”Gardener said,whohasbeenmakingdoors for 35years.“Oursdon’thaveanything insideof them,they’re solidwood.”A“greencompany,”Monticellousesold-growthwoodsalvaged frombuildingsdemolished in rivercities around thecountry tocreateEuropean-andMediterranean-styledoors.Gardener importshisreclaimed lumber fromChicago toCanada tofindjust the rightvertical-grainfirwood.“Ithasan impact in the strengthandstabilityofthedoors,so it’s very important tofind the rightwoods,”Gardner said.“And thisold-growthwoodismuchstronger.Thegrowth ringsaremuch tighterandclose together.”Andstrongerwoodequals greater security.“They’regoing toblowthewall outbefore theybreak thedoordown,”Gardner said.“You’renotgo-ing tobreakourdoors.”> storycontinuesonpage22

22 CENTRAL OKLAHOMA HOMES | JULY-AUGUST 2010 OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP OPUBC

CostofcustomDon’sDoors,362WillowPlace, inEnid,hasbeenhandcraftingdoors since 1978.“Wealwaysadvertise if youcangetusapicture,wecanbuild it,”saidDonAllred,ownerofDon’s.“But themorecomplicated, themoreexpensive.”Allred sayshisdoors range inprice from$900to$10,000,dependingonhowcomplicated thedesign.“Ofcourse, themore time it takes, themore it’s go-ing tocost,”Allred said.“Wecanmakeadoor in twohours; otherdoors takeus twodays.”Hesaid somedoors even takehimaweek tobuild.“Themostpopulardoors rightnowarearcheddoorswith somesortof glass in it,”Allred said.“Everybody’sintoarcheddoors rightnow,that’s the trend.”But like anything,beautycomesat acost.“Youwastea lotmore lumbermakinganarched-top,”Allred said.“Youmaywasteup to75percentofthewood it takes tomakeanarched-topmolding. Itdependsonhowdrastic thearch is.”Usingacustomknife-moldingmachine,Allredde-signs themoldings tofitaboveeacharcheddoor—oneonbothsides—so thedoorcanbe installed inahouse.“It takes longer tomake thearchedmoldingand thejam,than tomake thedoor,”Allred said.A typical eight-paneleddoorhasup to20pieces,eachofwhichmustbe individually cut andshapedbefore theycanbefitted together,Allred said.Incorporatingglass and iron-roddecoration intodoors further increases theirprice,anddoormakersusuallyhire local artisans todo thework.Further-more,Oklahoma lawstates all glass indoorsmustbetempered toprotect againstweather conditions—amoreexpensiveglass available in few locations inOklahoma. >>>>>>>

PearlygatesAnopendoormightbea luckybreakora risk to take.Acloseddoorcanbeabarricade fromthieves,orhideus fromourenemies.Doorsguarddark secrets,or simplycover thekitchenpantry.Weremember thedoorswehavewalkedthroughand theoneswehaven’t.With somuchdependingon theimpactof theirdoors,manyhomeown-erswantadoor that is theirs and theirsalone.“Peoplewant something that looksdifferent fromwhatyouget at thebuilder’s supply store,”said JackSmith-schick,ownerofArchitecturalAn-tiques, 1900LinwoodBlvd., inOkla-homaCity.“It’s aboutuniqueness andindividuality.”Acquiring theseantiquedoors andfurniturehas takenSmithschickall overtheworld.“Wetravel extensively,”Smithschicksaid,whose stops includeother archi-tectural antique stores anddemolitionsites across thecountry,andothercountries.“France,HollandandBel-giumareprobablyas far east as I go.”ArchitecturalAntiqueshashundredsofdoors at anygiven time,whichcanrange from$15 to$15,000.“All antiquedoors.Wetry tocutoffatWorldWar II,”Smithschick said.“There’snostandardat all.There’snothing standard in (our) building.”Perhapschallenging standards is thekey tofinding theperfectdoor foryourhouse.ButMcCaleb says it is as simpleasbuyinga tie.“If you’regoing to spend themoneyonanexpensive suit,youmight aswellspend themoneyonanexpensive tie.”


Morebudget-mindedconsumersmaylooktowardmapleinstead

ofthepriciercherry.


Whetheryouare in themarket for anewhomewith the latestmultimediasystemandenergy-efficientdesign,or justwant tobrowse themarket,theSouthwestShowcaseofHomes insouthwestOklahomaCityandMoorehasyoucovered.Hostedby theSouthwestHome-buildersAssociation, theSouthwestOKCShowcaseofHomes is a jointventurebetweenMooreHomebuild-ers andSouthwestHomeBuilders.BeginningSat.,Sept 11,andcon-tinuing throughSun.,Sept. 19., thebuilderswill open thedoors to theirhomes in subdivisions throughoutsouthwestOklahomaCityandMoorefrom1-7p.m.eachday for aweekoffree tours.Lastyear,more than40homeswereentered in the showcase.BothMooreandSouthwestwillpresent a“projecthouse,”to featurethe latest andgreatest inhome-builder trendsand technology.Thehouseswill includeenlargedoutdoorliving spaces,energy-efficient andold-worlddesign,andstate-of-the-art electronicmediaandsecuritysystems.“You’regettingmorebang foryourbuck thanyouwould inhouses southofhere in likeNorman,”saidTomPollardofTLPCustomHomes, inNorman,who isbuilding theMooreHomebuilders’projecthome.Beingbuilt for the showcase,Pol-lard’sprojecthome is in theRockCreek subdivision inMoore.The

W

CONTINUEDONNEXT PAGE

Story by Jordon Shinn Photos by Chris Landsberger

> The 2009 Southwest Showcasehome is at 7301 SW 105 in the Rio deBella housing addition.


2,587 sq. ft.housewill includeanoutdoorfireplace,a“bonus”orgameroomupstairs and foaminsulation—amixbetweenfiberglass and foamthat savesmoreenergy thancommon insulation.TheSouthwestBuilders featurehomebuilt by John

Baxterof JBHomesLLC inYukon, is located in theRockport subdivisionatSW125thandPortland inOklahomaCity.With2,904sq. ft.of living space, thehousewill includea stereo systemwired throughoutthehouse that is customizable toeach roomandahomeentertainment systemthat is controllableviacell phone.“Ithasa lotmoreamenities thanastandardhouse

would for that size and thatprice,”Baxter said.Thehousealso features twoair-conditioningunits

andaduel-fuel,heatpumpandgas furnace.“Theheatpump ismoreefficientdownto freezing,”Baxter said.“Andbelowfreezing, the furnace is themoreefficient.Soyouget thebestofbothworlds.”LikePollard’s featurehome,Baxter’s includesan

outdoorfireplace—atrendBaxter saidhehas seengrowsincehefirst installedone inhisownhomesixyears ago.“Wereally enjoy it,winter timeandsummertime,”Baxter said.Homebuyers canget apull-outguide to the showcase

fromtheRealEstate sectionofTheOklahomanduringtheweekendsof theevent.Thepull-outs alsowill beavailable at anyof thehouses.Theshowcase isn’t just about sellinghomeson the

spot.MarvinHaworth, thechairmanof theevent.said the showcasegenerates sales for theentireyear.“It alsogetspeopleoutwhomaybearen’t interestedinbuying (ahousenow),”Haworth said.“Theyaren’tin themarket today,but theywill be sixmonths fromnow.”Forbuilders,“It getsyournameout there,youget

to showcaseyourproduct toa largegroupofpeople,”Haworth said.But theSWShowcase ismore thana trip to the shop-

pingmall.SWHBA’s sole fundraiser, theprofits fromsalesof theprojecthousesaredonated tocharitableorganizations in thecommunities.The funds raisedgo to support charitableprograms

andorganizations that thehomebuilders associa-tions support.BothMooreandSouthwest eachhavepledged$5,000to theClevelandCountyRedCrosseveryyear forfiveyears,Haworth said.Hesaid thegroupsalso supportBackpacks forChildren,anOklahomaCityFoodBankprogramthat sendshungrychildrenhomeontheweekendswithabackpack fullof food.“Whateverwemakeon thehomegoes tochildren’s

charities,”Baxter said.“Wesendabunchofkids tocampeachyear.”Baxter saideveryyearMooreHome-builderspays forhandicappedchildren toattendCampCavettSummerCamp inKingston,sponsoredby theOUMedicalCenter inOKC.“So theSWShowcasehas twopurposes,”Haworth

said.“Toshowcaseall thebuilders and theirproductsin thearea,and to raisemoney togiveback to thecom-munity.”

central oklahoma homes july august

Documents

french construction

cattle drivethis home

large living area

large upstairs gameroom

cattle driveour model

game room

homes open

insulatingthe rooine