Your clients may not see insulation, but they sure feel it. In this age of energy efficiency, more customers are demanding better insulated homes. Heating and cooling costs comprise more than 50 percent of the energy consumed in a single-family home. Adding the recommended levels of insulation will save energy, reduce utility costs and improve comfort.

Whether it's fate or chance, sometimes things just seem to work themselves out. For Gardner/Fox Associates, one of the largest design/build remodelers in the country, the fact that the company's three principals came together from different backgrounds has been the key to the company's success. "The best thing that ever happened to us was partnering up," says Mark Fox, the Bryn Mawr, Pa.

The remodeling industry is often portrayed as a bunch of criminals preying on unsuspecting homeowners. While the industry certainly has its share of miscreants, the truth is a lot of remodelers spend a good portion of their time giving back to the industry and community.

Modern materials and an improved layout transforms the generic “finished” basement in this home in Potomac, Md., into a more exciting and efficiently-planned space that brings the homeowners recreational opportunities to a whole new level. Their new amenities include a home theater, a computer center and a climate-controlled wine cellar.

The Berk home remodel would have raised red flags for some contractors. Crane Builders saw flags waving but, to David Crane and his team, those flags looked decidedly green. Crane knew this would be no routine project. Jim and Amy Berk wanted to transform their 1,200 square-foot walkout basement — unfinished except for a small, never-used den — into a high-tech theater room and a luxurious entertainment space.

How your employees and subcontractors behave on a job site can be a deal-breaker or maker for future business. Jud: First of all I want to start out by asking: Where does job site etiquette start, in your opinions? Tom, go ahead. Tom: Job site etiquette starts with me! In how our values and culture trickle down to our employees.

If you have a Trade Secret you would like to share, e-mail Senior Editor Jonathan Sweet at jonathan.sweet@reedbusiness.com.

The future of green remodeling is upon us. Professional remodeling contractors must not miss the opportunity to be part of it. Green Remodeling is the next logical step for the industry. There are many good reasons to go green and few, if any, not to: How do you incorporate green remodeling into your business? First you must learn how to do it.

Throughout my career, I've seen an evolution in many business functions, one being the changing role of public relations in daily business operations. In the past, we simply placed an ad in the newspaper and got favorable results; now we must strive for getting mentioned within an article to really make it pay off.

With consumer awareness of environmental issues and energy conservation at an all-time high, the market for green remodeling is expanding rapidly. We dedicated this issue to finding out where the industry stands with regard to green. Our green remodeling survey results (page 20) reveal that more remodelers than ever are making green at least a small part of their business; many have made it the...