Thank you for your interest in Residential Code. My name is David Dye and I will give you the information you need to live a more sustainable lifestyle. I was born and raised in Ann Arbor Michigan, so I know how important it is to take care of the watershed and the environment. I have been passionate about conservation and making the outdoors a great place to enjoy most of my life. I volunteer for many organizations in the area that help the community, it has been a l rewarding and educational experience. From making my home more sustainable to reducing storm water runoff into the watershed I want to help the environment as much as possible. I have found that making small changes leads to taking on more substantial sustainable lifestyle commitments, so I am making this resource to help others take those first few steps.
Being from Michigan I have always respected the outdoors. We have beautiful nature areas and are surrounded by the great lakes which I feel is our most valuable resource. I do things in a sustainable manner from everyday living to construction. I offer classes to Ann Arbor residents and groups on rain gardens, rainwater harvesting, environmentally friendly landscaping without the use of pesticides or fertilizers, and making their homes more energy efficient and sustainable.
After working for years as a computer technician and network engineer, I started a home improvement business in 2001 because I have always wanted to work in the building trades. I received my builder license in 2005 and started ArborServe LLC to offer more involved home improvements. In 2010 the EPA mandated companies that work on homes built before 1978 be RRP certified, so I took the class and received my certification. I decided to go part time in 2015 to get more into the education aspect of helping people become more sustainable. I am now developing Residential Code to be the online resource for my talks, teaching, and consulting.
I have made my home a net zero storm water runoff property. I harvest rainwater and use the water for my organic vegetable gardens. In 2017, I will be doing many sustainable upgrades to my 1950's vintage home and make videos of the projects. I love to write and I will use this website to reach out to people who want to learn to live in a more sustainable manner. I hope to provide a great resource for people and to help jump start my new career teaching people to reduce their carbon footprint while increasing their quality of life.
I offer many classes in the Ann Arbor area to help homeowners learn to take care of their home. I have also given talks to schools and businesses about specific topics including rain gardens, rainwater harvesting, sustainable landscaping, and home evaluations. My classes and presentations have had good reviews and often lead to other sessions because of my knowledge and the way I can engage an audience. I will speak to small and large groups or coach homeowners on a one to one basis. I will often waive my fee for schools and local non profit organizations.
I am currently working on new classes to offer along with my existing curriculum. I make my talks and classes tailored to the audience, letting them have input as to the information they are curious about. Because of my years of experience I let the class decide on the direction, when desired, and focus on what the group wants to learn. For my larger talks I will go through the presentation and take questions after the talk. I use PPT and a whiteboard in a formal setting. Many of my classes are outdoors so I give a more hands on type of presentation showing what needs to be done and why.
I will soon have some documents for you to download describing my talks and classes in more detail. If there is a specific talk or class you would like me to create I can usually develop something in a week or two. I make all the information I provide as current as possible, things are always changing including new products and studies offering a unique perspective on the way projects are done.