Wouldn't It Be Nice If You HAD to Turn the Heat Down?

It's Show Time.  Time to wrap this house in an incredibly warm and fuzzy pink blanket.  It's Greenify's insulating method called "Mesh and Blow."  Because this floor plan had two bedrooms built into attic space, it took some creativity to reach the goal of R60 in the ceilings and R30 in the walls.  And remember, the radiant barrier is on the other side of the Mesh and Blow insulation.  Holes are periodically made in the mesh to allow the pink insulation to be blown inside and fill the mesh which is stapled directly to the framing.

 Here's some loose insulation that spilled out accidentally during insulation.  Easy to pick up and reuse in the walls elsewhere.

This is the finished product -- literally a thick R57 quilt encasing the roof.  It's not like R30 batts stapled to the sheathing, allowing cold or hot air to leak in between the studs.  With the vapor barrier over the top of the Mesh and Blow insulation, this ceiling is as close to sealed from the elements as can be possible.

Another insulation method is spray foam, which is great if it's installed correctly, however it adds up very quickly as it is billed by the square foot.  In order to get the R60 value in the ceiling, we would have had to spray the foam 10" thick, which would have broken our insulation budget.  We got a better, more cost-effective result with the Mesh and Blow.  However, it was worth it to have the rim joists (the part where the floor joists meet the foundation) spray foamed to seal the many gaps that let in outside air.  This is an area where most people don't consider any treatment beyond slapping an insulation batt in the rim joists. Greenify spray foamed the rim joists and then finished it off with an R30 batt.

This is how the rim joists looked after the spray foam and batts were installed.  Even before Tyvek and drywall, the house just felt warm and cozy.

Meanwhile, on the outside Tyvek and stucco paper were installed by Unique Custom Exteriors on the back of the house in preparation for the stucco brown coat.

 Another type of insulation that works great in attics and also as sound proofing, is a recycled newspaper product called cellulose.  It is also pumped into a mesh system as seen here.

We chose to use mesh and cellulose in the ceilings of parts of the basement where soundproofing would be a nicety -- like the ceiling and walls of the media room, office, and beneath the main level bedrooms.

 Once Greenify's insulation magic happened, the drywallers could come in and start making it look like a house.  We used Muddy Boys drywall company, whose bid was very competitive and they have several crews for each step of the drywall process.  The weather was starting to turn for the worse, and we had trouble getting the utility companies to come set the gas meter and electric panels.  We had to keep the mud from freezing by putting it in the pantry sealed off with plastic sheets and heated by a space heater.

 But once we had gas and electricity, we could move forward with tape and mudding which requires the temperature inside to be a steady 68 degrees Farenheit.  Because of Greenify's energy efficiency plan of radiant barrier, foaming, Mesh and Blow, mesh and cellulose, and spray foaming, when we have the thermostat set to 68 degrees, it is roasting.  I have to turn the thermostat down to 60 degrees in order to be comfortable.  How much money and energy would you save if you had to turn the heat down??  And we don't even have Tyvek and exterior finishes on the entire house yet.

On the outside, we finally had a warm day that allowed Unique Custom Exteriors to brown coat the stucco on the back of the house.  It needs 5-6 days to cure before the color coat can go on, so we are keeping our fingers crossed for another sunny warm day above 40 degrees so we can avoid the cost of tenting.  Wish it were as warm and toasty on the outside as it is on the inside.

Do You Have a Second Story That Bakes in the Summer?

So the framing, plumbing, HVAC, and electrical are complete.  The low-voltage stuff (pre-wire for surround sound, alarm systems, cameras, intercoms, etc.) and central vac are in the walls and ceilings.  Ready to slap on your insulation, right?  Wrong.  That is, if you want to make your house as energy efficient as possible.

Most people skimp on probably the most important part of building the house -- sealing it properly and insulating it against the elements in the heat of the summer and the bitter seeping cold of winter.  Maybe you suffer with a second story that just bakes in the summer, and no matter how cold you turn down the AC, there are rooms upstairs that are just never cool enough to sleep at night.  Hopefully, you're not like some of our clients who have had to sleep on sofas on lower levels of the house just to get through the hottest nights.

There are solutions, and this is where Greenify shines!  Take for instance, our second story on our model -- built into attic space.  Truly not the best energy efficient design.  However, with a little extra planning, Greenify came up with a solution to ensure these upstairs bedrooms are comfortable in any weather.  It begins with radiant barrier under roof sheathing and down the outside walls.  If you've never seen radiant barrier, it's that space-suit-like shiny stuff.  It was actually invented by NASA for astronaut space suits to insulate them against extreme temperatures in outer space and upon re-entering the atmosphere.  Used on houses, it reflects heat coming in from the sun back out to keep attic temperatures significantly lower during the summer.  During the winter, it prevents heat loss to the outside by reflecting the HVAC heat back into the house.  Ask any of our customers, and they will tell you the immediate and noticeable difference in the comfort level of their homes once radiant barrier is installed.

 Here's a close up of the radiant barrier foil between the trusses.  We don't recommend or install the paint kind of radiant barrier as it is just not as effective as the foil.  The foil reflects up to 97% of the radiant heat coming into an attic!  Every home, whether new construction or existing, can benefit from the energy savings of radiant barrier.

 Another overlooked, but crucial aspect of energy efficiency is properly sealing your home.  There are gaps in the framing around windows, in walls, in the rim-joists that often are covered up with typical R-19 insulation batts.  However, that doesn't keep the winter wind from whistling through or summer heat from radiating in.  Greenify foams all those perforations to prevent that energy loss.

 Ever wondered how those spiders got into your house?  Probably through your electrical boxes or other perforations from the electricians, plumbers, or HVAC guys.  The holes have to be cut, but if Greenify foams around them before you cover them up with insulation, you can eliminate a lot of entry places for those pesky invaders.

 This plumbers hole was big enough for a whole family of mice to enter into the home.  Not anymore after Greenify came to foam.

 Foaming perforations is an investment that has to be made before the drywall goes in.  It's something that can't be changed very easily later.

 Most builders will only put in the minimum amount of insulation required by code, which simply is not enough.  In our climate, the R-value goal should be close to R-60 in the ceilings and R-30 in the walls.  In many of the clients Greenify serves, they don't even have the minimum requirement like they thought they did.  You should have enough insulation in the eaves, as pictured here, to prevent snow-melt and eventual ice-damming and roof damage.

 This is when you can be relieved you framed your house with a minimum of 2x6 (instead of 2x4) when it's stuffed full of insulation batt equalling R-30.  Stay tuned for the next post which will show you a new kind of insulation called "Mesh and Blow" which literally looks like your house is wrapped with a pink overstuffed quilt.  We'll also show you cellulose blown insulation which is made from recycled newspaper and is dense enough for soundproofing as well as fantastic insulation.

The Big 4-Way Complete

With the big 4-Way (Framing, Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC) Inspection passed, it's time to call in Greenify to work their energy efficiency magic.  Stay tuned for the next post which will show Greenify doing what we do best.  The pink stuff has started to arrive...

 It's also time for the outside finishers to begin their set up.  Scaffolding begins to rise...

 Adam Prows at Unique Custom Exteriors (801)280-1061, helped us determine the ratios of stucco, and Hardie Plank and Board/Batten to hit the budget numbers.  Paint colors, soffit/facia colors, and gutters were all chosen.  The scaffolding took about a day to set up in preparation for the stucco to go on first.

 The front door, a fiberglass mahogany Thermatru door arrived and was installed by Jason with Greenify.

 After the electrical wiring complete, Kevin Davidson of Monster Media and Automation (801)592-9551, wired all the low-voltage requirements for built-in speakers, HDMI cable, Ethernet and TV cable.  He also put in the central vacuum system.

 It's important to keep your electrical wiring separate from the low-voltage wiring to ensure that your speakers don't have annoying feedback when watching a movie or playing music.

 We're glad the weather is holding out -- beautiful but crisp -- so we can get this house completely dried in before Mother Nature brings winter on.

Exterior Concrete, Electrical Rough-In, and Solid Surface Choices

With the weather about to change, it was time to get the exterior concrete poured.  

 Once again, Storstad Concrete did a fantastic job.

 Driveway, sidewalk, threshold steps, and approach concrete are now complete and ready for the winter weather to come.

 A door in the basement was cut out by the concrete cutter.

 Once it was opened, it let in the much needed light in the room under the suspended garage.

 The rough-in electrical got underway by Bullett Electric (801)553-8637  www.bullettelectric.com.  Most of the lighting in the house is recessed LED which will lower the electricity usage considerably.  See this chart to see the incredible benefits of using LED lighting.  http://www.designrecycleinc.com/led%20comp%20chart.html

It is also time to start narrowing down surface choices for the rear balcony.  A creative solution to solid surface decking was started by Jon Castleton of Pebble Rock Flooring (801)261-4100 www.PebbleRockFlooring.com.  He has a lot of different choices in colors, size, and textures and offers an exciting alternative to concrete overlays.

More Tricks and Treats of Energy Efficiency -- Windows and Chili Peppers

With the windows and doors being installed by Jason of Greenify (801)948-4464, it's starting to look more like a house.  On the back or southwest side of the house, we were concerned with the amount of solar heat gain we would have through those windows since they receive direct sun most of the day.  In our area, you should have a coefficient of .40 or lower if you are concerned about blocking heat gain coming in through your windows.  We chose an Amsco window with a double glazing low-E coating that brought the coefficient down to .22.  This eliminated the need for window tint.  If you have single paned windows or the old steel framed windows, replacing them with vinyl windows can save you 10 - 15% a year on your heating and cooling bill.  Greenify can help you understand the energy performance ratings for windows and determine which ones would best suit your individual home's needs.

The plumbing rough-in is now complete, done by Mountain Side Plumbing (801)281-3076, who were fast and efficient, easy to work with, and did a great job.  They had some great suggestions in finding the right tankless water unit that would accommodate a Chili Pepper recirculation pump in the Master Bathroom, which is 60 feet away from the tankless water heater.  That's a long line to have to pull water through the pipes in order to get hot water -- meaning a lot of water running in your shower before the water is hot enough to get in.  Installing the Chili Pepper means that the hot water will be there almost immediately, which saves water and time.

MCS Enterprise, owner Sean-Paul Borg had a big challenge given the amount of stick framing required in the center of the roof.  Because of the change in trusses, the roof line was affected and Sean-Paul devised a solution which was approved by the engineer.

It turned out pretty great, and he was able to save a lot of lumber which was returned for a credit.  The framer is one of your most important sub-contractors.  What they do affects the rest of the construction project.  Mcs Enterprise is a framing company that can not only follow the plan, but knows what to do if the plan has to change, and can also save you unnecessary cost in lumber use. They are only a 3-man crew, so they won't be fast.

Direct Vent gas fireplaces were installed by Alpine Fireplace (801)566-0666.  See our last post on the importance of direct vent gas appliances.

While using a zoned system can save you money and duct space, and can be a good solution, the load for our square footage was so great that if the two zones were called for at the same time, we would be starved for enough air for both zones to function correctly.  We chose not to take that risk and instead, put an HVAC system on each level.  The increased duct work in the basement took a little creativity to install by Hyland Heating (801)561-5904, but they accomplished the task and we feel confident that our load calculations are correct and can meet the demand of the house with little risk.

All delivery and return ducts (where possible) should be hard-ducted and sealed thoroughly with mastic.  Duct tape will not permanently adhere to metal or other materials and should never be used to seal the ducts.  Choosing another name for that tape is probably in order.

Skeletons, Soft Water, and Direct Venting

As we are nearing the end of October, skeletons might just be on your mind.  The skeleton of our energy efficiency new construction home is nearing completion and we begin installing the guts -- the  stuff deep inside that makes it function efficiently.

One often overlooked detail when planning a home and considering it's energy efficiency is the roof truss design.  In cold climates like ours, roof trusses should allow for the full depth of insulation across the entire ceiling area, which often isn't the case.  Trusses should have a heel height of at least 12" to prevent heat loss near the eaves.  If you can't get enough insulation near the eaves, you will have snowmelt, ice damming, and eventual roof damage.  If you have living space built into attic space, as we do in this plan, you will have to include extra care in your insulation plan to achieve the goal of R60 values in the ceilings.

Another overlooked detail is soft water.  Soft water for energy efficiency, you ask?  Yes.  Especially if you are installing a tankless water heater.  Battelle Memorial Institute, a non-profit applied science and technology company, performed a test on the effects of hard water vs. soft water on tankless water heaters.  The report, released in March 2010, showed that the use of soft water to reduce the scale forming compounds naturally present in hard water, resulted in natural gas savings.  It also meant not having to delime or clean the pipes periodically, which equals more economic savings.  That means money left in your pockets.  The cost of a water softener and supplies were recovered in a matter of months in the Battelle Memorial Institute test, and the lower use of natural gas resulted in a smaller carbon footprint, just in case you care about your impact on Mother Earth.

The plumbing is now ready for the water softener and tankless water heater.

One last tidbit:  Make sure your water heaters, HVAC systems, and fireplaces are direct vent/sealed combustion units.  All fuel burning appliances run certain risks of malfunction, which could cause carbon monoxide to spill into the home.  Illness and death can happen unless you take the precautions to install ONLY direct-vent sealed combustion appliances.  While more expensive, they are also more efficient, creating energy savings, and are a safer alternative.  They also eliminate the need for a standard flue, which helps offset the extra cost.

Rain, Rain Go Away

We have had a higher than average rainfall kind of year, with August and September bringing the effects of Hurricanes Norbert and Odile to our area.  Timing the setting of trusses was tricky trying to predict when the winds would be calm enough to lift them with the crane.

 Sean-Paul Borg and crew of Mcs Enterprises, Llc. (801)556-2687 found a window of opportunity and got all the pre-fabricated trusses into place and mostly sheeted before the wind and rain came.

 View from back of the house.  You can see the large section of the house that requires stick-framing.

 View from front of the house.  Truss caps still need to be attached and sheeted as well as the center section of stick framing.

 All the rain at least helps us see where the low points in the lot are and naturally settle soaks the excavation work.  Let's hope most of the rain clears out before Monday so the framers can get the house closed in quickly.

Next up:  HVAC and Rough Plumbing.