Insulation Institute Blog

Posts Categorized: Performance

3 Common Problems Found in New Home Inspections

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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3 Common Problems Found in New Home Inspections

Blow the Insulation, Not the Budget

Maximizing cost effectiveness is every builder’s goal and every home buyer’s expectation. Each year, an impressive group of builders is recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for their forward-thinking approaches to delivering Zero Energy Ready homes. The most exemplary of the annual winners achieve this extraordinary target while keeping costs in line. Utah-based Garbett Construction is a 2017 Housing Innovation Award winner, and its winning Elizabeth model delivers notably affordable high energy performance, using proven energy-efficient construction practices and economical blown-in fiberglass insulation.

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Blow the Insulation, Not the Budget

The Rising Appeal of Factory-Built Homes

Builders today face a number of challenges in the face of a national shortage of available and affordable housing. At the top of the list is a deficit of skilled labor, a lack of construction knowledge by consumers and real estate agents, and a declining number of experienced and qualified general contractors for both onsite and modular home construction.

Factory-built home construction advocates argue that their construction process can tackle many of these issues. To get a clearer picture, Insulation Institute spoke with Ed Hudson, Director of Marketing Research Services at Home Innovation Research Labs, and Jay Young, Marketing and Licensing Agent for William Poole Designs about the current housing situation and the future of home construction in America.

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The Rising Appeal of Factory-Built Homes

Profile of a Top One Percent Builder

Since 2013 the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Housing Innovation Awards has recognized the top builders of zero energy ready homes. Housing Innovation award winners represent the top one percent of builders across the country who meet the most rigorous specifications for High-performance Homes. Among this year’s 24 winners is production builder Charles Thomas Homes.

Founded in 2009, Charles Thomas Homes constructs High-performance Homes that typically command a higher price than competing builders, but also deliver on energy efficiency and comfort, which is important in frosty climate zone 5. Part of the company’s winning approach to constructing energy-efficient homes includes blown fiberglass insulation in the attic and walls, demonstrating that high-performance doesn’t have to mean high price.

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Profile of a Top One Percent Builder

Overcoming Barriers to SEE Building

By Thomas Peterson, Institute for Super Energy Efficient Building, Founder and President

The Institute for Super Energy Efficient Building

When I first became involved with energy efficient housing back in the 1970s I figured that such housing would quickly take off.  It didn’t. I was determined to find out why.

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Overcoming Barriers to SEE Building

When To Make A Date With A HERS Rater

The popularity of HERS-rated homes is clear, with 38 percent of all new homes getting HERS rated in 2015[1]. This figure is indicative of the importance of this energy performance marker to both builders and homebuyers and the growth trend is likely to continue. As builder adoption of the HERS score expands, how can HERS raters help builders make the transition from standard code-built homes to HERS-rated homes more efficiently?

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When To Make A Date With A HERS Rater

“Trades may grumble but customers are lining up”

Addison Homes, a green builder in Greenville, South Carolina, certainly didn’t set out to cause trade partners to grumble, murmur or gripe. They set out to build DOE certified Zero Energy Ready Homes (ZERH) to provide their customers with the energy savings, comfort and indoor air quality such homes deliver. To do that, Addison Homes had to get local trades on board by doing things a bit differently. In doing so, they provided award-winning homes that customers rave about. They even show off the energy-efficient features included in the home (the homeowners in their winning Cobbler Lane project show their guests the pristine conditioned crawlspace…seriously).

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“Trades may grumble but customers are lining up”

“The Plate Escape”: where you’re leaking the most air

In the 1963 film “The Great Escape”, we were rooting for McQueen, Bronson, Attenborough and crew to safely escape the Nazi prison camp. When it comes to air fleeing our homes, our hope is exactly the opposite. Codes and customers are pushing for more energy efficient homes, and that means tighter envelopes. Tighter homes have significant impacts on both moisture management and air quality, but at a more basic level, they are just plain hard to build. A tight home is a result of successfully combining People, Practices and Products (our 3 Ps of air sealing) to deliver the desired result. Executing requires diligence from multiple subs, at many stages of a build, typically employing multiple products, both air barrier materials and sealing accessories. This complexity begs the question: how do I prioritize my focus (and my money) to attack the biggest problems first?

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“The Plate Escape”: where you’re leaking the most air

What the “Google Era” Means for Energy Efficient Homes

Over the first half of 2016, The Insulation Institute conducted qualitative research[1] with builders exploring a few areas, including the changing dynamic between home builders and home buyers. The “Google Era” has changed the way homebuyers enter into the buying process and is reshaping their interactions with builders. They are researching more; more about homes, more about building products, just more in general. This leads to new opinions and new questions for builders, including about energy efficient homes. These opinions and questions can be a problem, if not responded to effectively. Our research found that builders can employ three effective techniques when faced with a buyer (or prospective buyer) who has ideas about energy efficient homes that may be a challenge if not properly addressed.

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What the “Google Era” Means for Energy Efficient Homes

There’s Insulating a Building. And Then There’s REALLY Insulating a Building.

For an insulation inspection during a building inspection, our handy guide – “25 Checkpoints for Inspecting Insulation Jobs” – covers all the bases, and then some. Intended to provide useful guidance on how to improve the quality of the installation of insulation products, the List has been created by our experts here at the Insulation Institute. It tells you what to look for when inspecting insulation in wall areas, as well as ceilings, floors and other areas.

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There’s Insulating a Building. And Then There’s REALLY Insulating a Building.