Don’t Park the Prius on the Roof
In this age of technology, one of the great ironies of modern home shopping is that buyers more often than not consider resale homes first over new construction. In fact, in some markets, up to 90 percent of homes sold are lower priced, less efficient resale homes. Homebuilders can reverse that trend by demonstrating how and why newer homes outperform resales.
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In our effort to help builders and contractors reduce air leakage in new construction homes, much of the focus has been on the building envelope. However, there are other areas outside of the building envelope that can prove problematic for air leakage. Bob Nelson of Ener-G Home Performance Consultants shed some light on three commonly overlooked areas that can contribute considerably to air leakage and often, help contribute to the 50 percent initial failure rate on blower door testing of new homes.
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The Role of Data in Assessing the Potential Hazards of Man-Made Vitreous Fibers
The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (“NAIMA”) occasionally gets questions about the health and safety of fiber glass and mineral wool insulation products. To answer those questions, NAIMA is launching a new blog series. Our first post is on the use of data in assessing possible fiber hazards.
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In his more than 30 years as a residential building contractor, Jim Iredale focused much of his career on constructing code-built custom homes. That changed in 2012 when he had the opportunity to work on a very high-end project that was designed to meet passive haus (house) standards, and a devotee was born.
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By: Matthew Brown, CGP, APA Engineered Wood Specialist
Insulation can increase a home’s energy efficiency, but only if it’s properly installed. Batt insulation installed as per manufacturer instructions should perform at its stated value, but R-value can decrease if it’s compressed in tight spaces.
In roofing assemblies, conventional trusses can restrict insulation space above the exterior wall top plate, resulting in compressed insulation. Raised-heel trusses can provide a significant boost to the insulating power of a home.
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Some people think that the idea of a high-performance building is a new concept, but it has been around for some time now. As defined in the Energy Policy Act 2005, a building that “integrates and optimizes all major high-performance building attributes, including energy efficiency, durability, life-cycle performance, and occupant productivity” is a high-performance one.
Today, many builders have already applied the principles of a high performance into their homes, and homeowners are now enjoying the benefits of living in a place that sets the bar much higher for energy efficiency, comfort, durability, indoor air quality, and the use of sustainable products.
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What impact will energy data for 110 million homes have on the energy efficiency industry?
By: Ryan Meres, RESNET Programs Director
For more than a decade studies have consistently shown that home buyers want energy-efficient features, but few are aware of the impact those features have on energy cost. The average U.S. homeowner spends more on energy than property taxes and insurance, but energy is the only one of those three common expenses not considered in the mortgage process. The announcement and report released by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) that real estate platforms have begun including energy information in their listings is a significant step toward reducing the barrier to the transparency of energy use in the home-buying process.
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As advocates for building energy efficiency, Insulation Institute and many other organizations support the development and adoption of model residential building energy codes like the 2015 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Unfortunately, code adoption is literally “all over the map,” in the United States. Twenty-two states have a version of the energy efficiency code that meets or exceeds the 2009 IECC. Ten states meet or exceed the 2015 code, and 12 states have no statewide code at all, according to the Building Code Assistance Project. For those who support energy code adoption, it can seem like an uphill battle to advocate for newer energy codes, particularly when there are lots of misconceptions about the purpose behind the codes.
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Home Builders take pride in the quality construction and workmanship of new homes. But even the best builder will occasionally be challenged with flaws in new construction that must be corrected. The complexity of new home construction, buyers’ lack of understanding about new home warranties, and internet savvy consumers raise the stakes for new home purchases and argue for independent home inspections.
Insulation Institute spoke with Frank Lesh, past president of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and Mike Chamberlain, owner of MC2 Home Inspections, a certified national home inspector. We discussed the prevalence of inspections for new homes, the three most common issues Chamberlain has encountered during those inspections, and what builders can do to ensure consistent quality construction.
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The Insulation Institute is committed to addressing and educating the market on quality installation, conducting training sessions and developing an extensive guide on how to get Grade I installation. Since we represent the insulation industry, we like to get out in the field from time-to-time and see how the products our members manufacture are installed.
So, when we had an opportunity to visit two Maryland homes currently under construction just after the insulation had been installed we jumped at the chance.
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