Paul Magleby
Paul Magleby and Associates, Lindon, Utah
Custom builder Paul Magleby blames himself for the poor indoor air quality and the condensation that formed on the thermal-paned wood windows in the home he built for himself nearly 20 years ago. “I was pointing my finger at the window people, accusing them of having a failed product, but in reality it was I who had built my house too tight and hadn’t provided for any fresh-air exchange,” he admits. He knew there had to be a solution, and he soon found it. Now he includes a heat recovery ventilator (HRV) from Venmar Ventilation in every home he builds.
Pollutants and chemicals that off-gas from building materials tend to stay inside tightly built homes that don’t have a means of introducing fresh air, which can adversely affect the health of the homeowners. Ideal for colder climates, an HRV system supplies the home with a steady stream of fresh outdoor air and expels stale indoor air, while warming the incoming outdoor air before distributing it through the home. Venmar’s HRV system also controls excess humidity.
Venmar Ventilation. 800.567.3855. www.venmar.ca.
Charles Barry
Thoughtforms Corp. Builders, West Acton, Mass.
The traditional New England styles that Charles Barry’s company builds and renovates usually call for wide-plank floors to complete the early-American aesthetic. For domestic hardwoods that fit the bill, the firm turns to Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, which specializes in solid wide-plank flooring crafted from mature specimens of slow-growing species as well as from salvaged antique woods. “One of the things that distinguishes them is the quality of the wood they cut,” Barry says. “Also, they are very particular about how the wood is seasoned. They air-dry it before they kiln-dry it, which makes a big difference in the overall stability of the product.”Barry says his firm mostly uses Carlisle’s ripped and quartered oak planks. The company also offers select-grade red and white oak for a formal, traditional look as well as country-grade planks for a more casual aesthetic.
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. 800.595.9663. www.wideplankflooring.com.
—Stephani L. Miller
