At
Stateson Homes we place great focus and effort on the thermal building envelope
of your home during designing, planning and constructing your home. As defined by the Building Science Institute,
the building or thermal envelope of a home consists of the following: “…the
components that make up the shell or skin of the building. These components
separate the exterior of the building from the interior, and are designed by
the project architect or engineers to meet the needs of each individual home.
The building envelope may also be defined as the components that separate
conditioned areas from unconditioned space. Exterior or unheated living spaces
are not included inside the envelope, while any living space that is equipped
with heat or air conditioning would be included.”
Accordingly,
there are four primary functions of the building envelope: adding structural
support, controlling moisture and humidity, regulating temperature, and
controlling air flow exchanges between the interior and exterior of the home.
By maintaining these different areas, the envelope also impacts ventilation and
energy use within the building.
For the purposes of
this article we will focus on only 5 of these components and how the
installation of these systems will maximize the long term energy efficiency and
health of your home. Let’s look at these
5 components from a foundation to roof approach.
1. Foundation Insulation and Moisture
Control. Stateson Homes utilizes a rigid foam board
insulation installed continuously on the foundation walls to a thickness of
R-12.5. This material is bonded directly
to the concrete and increases the energy efficiency to help reduce energy
costs. With the use of 5,000 psi
concrete that is moisture resistant you are guaranteed a foundation that will
be free of moisture infiltration and provides a drainage plane which directs
water away from the foundation.
2. Sealed Duct Work.
All joints and unions in the ductwork system are continuously sealed
with a sealant that prevents air leakage, and increases the efficiency of the
heating and air conditioning system. By
reducing the air leakage within the system, the efficiency of the system dramatically
increases, and allows the HVAC designer to reduce the size of the overall
system equipment; which reduces energy bills and makes the home more
comfortable. In addition, Stateson Homes
goes to great lengths to keep all the equipment, duct work and mechanical
systems components within the thermal envelope of the home. This reduces the lengths of the duct work and
increases the efficiency of the overall mechanical system by reducing heat
gain/loss through thermal dynamics.
3. Air Sealing.
Through the use of advanced framing techniques which reduce the use of
redundant materials we are able to reduce thermal bridging between the interior
and exterior of the home and install more insulation in the exterior walls of
the home. In addition, any exterior penetrations
through the thermal envelope such as joints; where different materials come
together; switches and outlets are continuously sealed with expansive foam or
caulk. This provides an extraordinarily
tight seal which reduces air leakage from the home.
4. Energy Efficient Windows.
The windows in a home provide great views, fresh air and the opportunity
for substantial reduction in energy efficiency!
Through a partnership with Atrium Windows and Lansing Building Products,
Stateson Homes utilizes windows that are Energy Star®
Rated, double-paned, and filled with argon gas; to provide additional
insulation; and a Low-E coating which reduces solar thermal heat gain.
5. Attic and Wall Insulation.
At Stateson Homes we provide a combination of fiberglass side wall
insulation which is installed after our Air Sealing Program. This helps in completely filling the
wall cavity space with insulation. In
addition, blown insulation in the attic is installed to an insulated value of
R-38. Minimizing the need for equipment
and unnecessary trips to the attic space will ensure the insulation is kept in
place and not adjusted; decreasing the potential for cold spots.
These are just a few
of the highlights of the different components of your home’s thermal building envelope,
and the importance it brings to your home’s performance and health. Make sure you ask how your potential home
builder addresses these areas. There are many ways to achieve an efficient
building envelope and the home building industry is ever evolving to develop
new products to reduce energy use and increase the home’s energy
efficiency. However, it is important to
remember that having the newest gadget or product on the market installed in
your home may not provide a greater value than a building process and system
installed in an effective and efficiently designed manner. The installation and design of an effective
system will contribute to comfort and savings for years to come.
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