With this short video program General contractor Peter Brown describes an innovative owner built residential solar air heater on a garage in Bozeman, Montana. This solar air heater takes advantage of this garage’s very large south facing wall. The simple passive thermo-siphon design uses only the buoyancy of heated air to create circulation through…
Design/Build Contractor Peter Q Brown of Bozeman, Montana takes you behind the scenes for a look at what really goes on inside his current residential remodeling and new construction projects. Brick laying will be the focus here in Part 6 of the new workshop series. For this new workshop we are matching an architectural wainscoting…
Design/Build Contractor Peter Q Brown takes you behind the scenes for a look at what really goes on inside his current residential remodeling and new construction projects. This project is the design and construction of a very high end workshop for a furniture building client After finishing the house wrap, windows, and associated wall waterproofing…
This is Part 3 of the series on a Design/Build workshop project here in Bozeman, Montana. We will look at the wall, floor, and roof framing of the structure and the related framing details. Well organized project Ordering essential materials well ahead of time is an important element of project organization and efficiency. As…
This is part 2 of the video series on the execution of a new work shop construction project by a Bozeman general contractor. As a general contractor, I will give you my view of the initial steps of this project and the installation of our finished monolithic slab foundation. After my client and I determined…
This is the first of a multi part program looking at the design and construction of a workshop by Designer and General Contractor Peter Brown in Bozeman, Montana. Peter Brown will demonstrate the 3D modeling used in the planning process for this workshop. This modeling technique facilitates identifying, communicating, and resolving design issues with…
Solar Electric or Photo Voltaic technology converts sunlight directly into electricity. It works any time the sun is shining. Investing in solar electric allows you to produce your own electricity with no noise, and no air pollution. Solar electric technology is commonly referred to as the ultimate clean energy source for the 21st century. This…
This is the first of a series of short video programs discussing solar water heating. A solar water heating system uses the sun to heat water circulating through solar collectors, and this hot water is transferred to a solar storage tank. The water from the solar storage tank will preheat water for a traditional…
Bozeman Montana general contractor Peter Q Brown presents a video program on the salvage and use of pine trees that have been killed by the mountain pine beetle here in southwest Montana. The program examines some common misconceptions about the salvage and use of these dead trees as a source of alternative building materials, and…
. . . The project featured in this video will be a window replacement and insulation retrofit for an older Bozeman home. We will be improving the energy efficiency of the home by replacing siding, adding exterior insulation, and upgrading the windows New exterior insulation After removing the old cement shingle siding, and before installing…