Doug Martens

DougMartens

How Technology is Improving the Home

October 8, 2019 Doug Martens Eco Friendly No comments

Technology is integrating into every aspect of our lives including the home. To a certain degree, a lot of these technical advances have been available for several decades. Until recently its affordability and the ease of installation made it accessible to everyone. The goal of technology in a home has two main objectives. Improve the tenants quality of life and cut costs. Here are a couple areas where technology can improve your home ownership experience.

Security Systems

Security systems have seen the biggest change over the last decades from a consumer standpoint. You can now order a security system online, ship it to your home and install it yourself. Additionally, you can pay month to month for your security service. No need for multi-year contracts and service fees.

Your smartphone and wireless internet now play a key role in your home security. You can monitor all cameras you’ve installed on your smartphone and the video feed is connected via wireless internet. You can also turn on or disable your alarm with the security company’s app in addition to a whole list of settings. Want to learn more about home security options, pricing and suggestions? Visit this page.

Smart Home Devices

Glance around your home and see what areas of your house you’ve already opted to add a smart component to. Home assistant’s are increasing popular like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. If you’re an organized person and have a busy life home assistants come in handy for scheduling, getting quick answers and making snap purchases on important grocery items or basic house neccescities.

Smart Lighting

Want to control every aspect of your home’s lighting? There are smart lights systems for that, here’s a popular item, the Philips Hue. While it may be easy to turn on and off light switches for in your home consider what a burden it is to accurately light up your front and back yards. Additionally, you can set a timer for when they turn on and off, saving you both time and money. Smart Lighting also can set ‘moods’ in your home depending on your activities. Hosting guests? Have a preset option for parties. Watching a movie? Find the right hue for a better home theater experience.

Home Entertainment Center

This segways perfectly to the next area of smart homes, the home entertainment center. A lot of homes are cutting cords and choosing to stream all of their content. This means less reliance on cable boxes and more focus on the wireless system. Smart Televisions even take it a step further by installing streaming applications directly so you don’t have to use third party software like Amazon Fire Stick or Roku. Smart speakers can communicate wirelessly with your phone or television giving users the ability to enjoy a surround sound experience without the hassle or mess of wiring a system. Finally control all aspects of the entertainment center with your smartphone. The only controller you’ll ever need.

Smart Vacuums and Lawn Mowers

Chores can tend to be a burden when you want to relax at home after a long day. Smart vacuums and lawn mowers can help save some time, keep your floors clean and lawn tidy at the push of a button. These smart devices are programable to run certain times of the day, built with sensors to avoid harm to anyone or property and do a good job. Simply clean and charge when their cycle is done.

Smart Thermostat

Thermostats have taken a step into the future by replacing touchpads with sleek touchscreen LED displays and smartphone integration. Like other smart home applications smart thermostats can be controlled, programmed and updated on smartphones or computers. Additionally, it provides up-to-date analytics so you can see your home’s energy performance over time. This can lead to energy savings with the right plan of action. To view popular smart thermostats visit this page.

The Home Building Process

May 30, 2019 Doug Martens Construction No comments

The process of homebuilding in the greater Bowling Green, Kentucky area starts far before the initial groundbreaking. With the guidance of hiring a professional homebuilder, all of the stress of building your dream house is put at ease knowing you have a knowledgeable professional taking care of every step along the way.

Save Time and Money

Spec Home

For clients on a tighter timeline there is always the option of purchasing a spec home. Instead of waiting up to a year for a custom home, most spec home clients are in their new home in 1-2 months and still have the luxury to pick the final touches from paint color, flooring and more.

Filing Paperwork

Since a lot of home buyers only go through the building process once or twice in their life filing the proper paperwork to build a home can be a confusing process. Doug has spent his entire career in Southern Kentucky and understands what permits and paperwork needs to be filed and to whom.

Loss Prevention and Job Coordination

Planning for and preventing any problems that could arise during the building process is one example how home builders save their clients thousands of dollars. This helps keep each project on time and on budget.

Once permits are approved it is the home builders job is to coordinate all aspects of the homebuilding process. Clients rarely get to see how home builders coordinate and adjust everyone’s schedule to stay on the correct timeline to getting your home completed. Home builders are also in charge of making sure that plumbers, heating and air conditioning crew and electricians deliver quality work. Doug has established strong relationships with professionals in each home building category and vouches for the craftsmanship of these companies.

Final Inspections

Home builders make sure every aspect of the build is finished to the highest of quality. Great builders have tried and true methods for making the build as painless as possible so when the client moves in the only thing they will have to worry about is how to decorate it. Even then, Doug Martens Construction has established relationships with interior designers including local interior designer, Coomer and Co.

Doug Martens Construction is Certified ICF(Insulated Concrete Forms) builder!

March 5, 2019 Doug Martens Construction, Eco Friendly, Uncategorized No comments

Doug Martens Construction is Certified ICF(Insulated Concrete Forms) builder!

Here are some benefits with a ICF home:

• Energy efficiency – Minimal, if any, air leaks, which improves comfort and reduces heat loss compared to walls without a solid air barrier

• Fire protection – ICF walls can have four- to six-hour fire resistance rating and negligible surface burning properties.

• Vermin – Because the entire interior space of ICF walls is continuously occupied (no gaps as can occur between blown or fiberglass insulation and a wood frame wall) they pose more difficulty for casual transit by insects and vermin.

Another Custom Home

January 28, 2019 Doug Martens Construction No comments

Doug Martens Construction recently completed a custom built home in the Bowling Green, KY neighborhood of Olde Stone. Here’s what the new home owner had to say about the house:

“Doug Martens Construction was voted the best builder in KY. He uses great subs and never misses an opportunity to improve. We were very pleased with his professionalism. This is the second house he has built for us, so YES, I would use him again.”

We hope you enjoy the gallery below.

Best General Contractor in Kentucky

December 20, 2018 Doug Martens Construction

I am honored to be selected by GC Magazine as one of the best General Contractors in Kentucky.

Energy Efficiency

July 6, 2016 Doug Martens Uncategorized No comments

What is Energy Efficiency?

As stated on Doug Martens Services page “energy efficiency is generally achieved through the use of building materials, construction techniques, designs and appliances that minimize the amount of electricity, natural gas and other fuels needed to heat, cool and operate a home. Maximizing energy efficiency is a major aspect of green building (also known as sustainable or high performance construction). Home builders strive to maximize energy efficiency in new construction, and improving energy efficiency is frequently a goal of residential remodeling.”

Improving energy efficiency

Improving energy efficiency doesn’t only do you good by saving you money, but it also does good for the Earth! By reducing your energy use you are also reducing the emissions of greenhouse gasses. So how do you become more energy efficient?

Benchmark- Assess your current situation. How much energy are you currently using?
Assess your building and its appliances- Do you have drafty windows or doors? Is your house well insulated? Do you have an energy saving cycle option on your washer? Was your home built using insulated concrete forms?
Make an efficiency plan- What changes are manageable for you? What is the end goal for you?
Implement plan- Make your changes and document them so you can compare to past periods.
Reevaluate and Retry- improving efficiency is something that can be done daily! With today’s technology, we are learning more than ever about how to create efficient buildings.

Energy Efficient Buildings

Home Energy Efficiency

Whether you are building or buying, if energy efficiency is a concern of yours (or even just saving a few bucks) the most important thing you need to do is research.

Look at websites like Energy STAR to learn more about how efficient appliances work and how to identify efficient spaces.
Take it one step further and contact us about energy efficiency consulting. We are Certified Green Professionals recognized by the National Association of Home Builders. We would love to assist people on their journey of creating efficient homes.

Spring Cleaning

April 14, 2016 Doug Martens Uncategorized No comments

Spring Checklist:

The comfortable weather of Spring gives homeowners a chance to get outside and really start working on their home and lawn. We put together eight tasks for you to add to your Spring cleaning checklist! Remember, these are suggestions! If you don’t feel safe performing a task, consult a professional for tips, advice and service.

Examine the Roof – Roof damage is common in the Southern Kentucky area because of the snow and ice that accumulates during the winter months and the strong winds and heavy rainfall during the spring.
Check the Gutters – Falling leaves, twigs and other debris clog rain gutters in the fall, while wind, snowfall and ice damage gutters during the winter.
Inspect the driveway concrete – It’s a given that a concrete slab will develop cracks over time. This is particularly true at cold joints, where two concrete slabs meet that were poured at different times.
Seal your driveway – Keep the driveway looking like new and prevent further deterioration.
Check the outside faucets – If you own a home it’s extremely likely that it has one or more outside faucets. These faucets are exposed to the freezing temperatures and have the potential to become cracked and damaged.
Service the A/C Unit – As the days become longer they also become hotter. You don’t want your home’s air conditioning to go out during the warmer season. Have a trusted professional check it out.
Caulk the Cracks – One of the best ways to save energy in your home is by caulking any cracks around windows and doors.
Pressure wash the exterior – Any type of exterior gets dingy over time, but a pressure washer can quickly restore your home to its former beauty.

Finally, if there is a bigger task you had in mind such as adding an additional room to your home, renovating your house or building a second home or vacation home please don’t hesitate to contact Doug Martens!

Enhance the Value of your Home with a Remodel

January 26, 2016 Doug Martens Remodel No comments

Are you selling your home or do you want to enhance its current value? Here are some of the top home remodel projects that will earn you more cash when you do decide to sell it!

Bathroom Remodel: Ditch the old shower and sink, get rid of the hideous tile, and repaint the walls! A bathroom remodel can raise a home’s value up to $10,000.
Kitchen Remodel: The kitchen might be in terrible condition. Through years of wear and tear kitchens tend to show their age. Common examples of a worn kitchen are cracked tiles, scratched up counter tops, broken cabinets and old appliances. A remodel would really liven up the whole house.
Exterior Improvements: Old home? Make sure the paint is tested for lead! Further, the exterior gets the brute of the seasonal elements. Make sure the gutters, sidings, and roof are in prime condition. Ignoring any early signs of damage could prove to be more costly in the future!
Basement or Attic Remodel: A house with an unfinished basement or attic presents you with a golden opportunity to add a considerable amount of livable square footage without building on to the exterior of the house. Finishing your attic or basement can cost you anywhere between $25,000-$50,000 but the returns can be huge! Now you can utilize the new space and interested buyers will pay more when you plan to sell the home.
Home Décor: The dollars are in the details. Enhance your home’s value by replacing the light switches, outlet covers, floor registers, crown molding, chair rails and drapes, plus fresh, live flowers and accessories.

If you’re interested in a remodel and want to talk to a builder with over 20 years of experience give Doug Martens a call or shoot him an email at (270) 782-5949 / bghomebuilder@gmail.com. Doug would be happy to answer any questions and offer his professional insight on your current home.

Holiday Party Hosting

December 15, 2015 Doug Martens Uncategorized No comments

Is your family growing? Are your children starting families of their own? The holiday season is a festive part of the year where everyone comes together in celebration of their beliefs, annual traditions and, the New Year. Hosting one or more events at your home can extremely stressful as you want your guests to be comfortable and happy during their stay, it might make you review your current home amenities. How many bedrooms and bathrooms, the size and capabilities of the kitchen, is there ample room to seat all of your guests during dinner?

A home, just like a car or garden needs proper maintenance, care and sometimes a professional opinion. If there is something you would like to change, add or fix give Doug Martens Construction a call at (270) 782-5949. We excel in home remodels.

When you consider the advantages, the decision to build a new home over buying existing is an easy one.

September 10, 2015 Doug Martens Construction No comments

When you consider the advantages, the decision to build a new home over buying existing is an easy one.

Better Construction, Warranty, No Surprises, Safety, Appreciation in Value and more!

If you’ve been thinking about starting building a custom home here in South Central Kentucky let’s talk! (270-782-5949) / bghomebuilder@gmail.com

Doug Martens

DougMartens

How Technology is Improving the Home

Security Systems