New Tools for the Trades

by bryan henson, President Allen Associates Builders

Taking on a construction project of any size can bring with it many challenges. fortunately with the widespread adoption of smart phones, tablets, software and apps, there are many tools available to help homeowners and building professionals improve communication, manage information and make the construction process a little bit smoother.

my first technology recommendation is to create a new email address specifically for your building project (or if you don’t have an email address take this opportunity to create one). I find creating a designated email is the easiest way to track your project as well as to keep the communications between contractors and vendors separate from your personal account. This is easiest to do with a service like gmail (www.gmail.com). If you are taking on a big project and you don’t have a smart phone, then get one. most building professionals communicate via email, and you’ll want to have that communication at your fingertips. Smart phones can handle multiple email addresses at one time.

one of my favorite online resources and apps is www.houzz.com. This is a one stop inspiration shop where you can browse thousands of photos from top designers. The best part is that you can create “idea books” of photos you like and share this information with those helping you with your project.

Communication and file sharing is a key component of any project. Architectural files, photos, videos and construction documents can often be too large for email. I recommend to my clients to set up a dropbox account if they do not have one. dropbox (www.dropbox.com) allows everyone on the team to share files and documents easily and securely without having to be concerned about file size. every project requires multiple signatures, and sometimes your signature can hold up the project. You can print out everything sent your way, sign it and fax it back, or you can digitally sign it on your phone or tablet and save a few steps. my favorite resource for this is a free app called docuSign Ink.

Visualizing designs and colors is a common challenge for many home owners. Several resources are available to help. Benjamin moore’s personal color viewer (http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-yourhome/personal-color-viewer) is an online resource where you can upload a photo of your home and play with colors, or simply scroll through photos to find the colors you like. for those that are a little more tech savvy, an easy to use, entry level design program is home designer Suite (www.homedesignersoftware.com). You can quickly draw out floor plans and see realistic 3d elevations of your design.

The technology choices and applications abound, but the best choices should be practical and effective. If it’s easy to use and functional, it will make your project better.

Allen Associates, www.dennisallenassociates.com, 805-884-8777.