Part3 in my series – "How to build a better house". Last week we talked about advanced framing techniques, which in simple terms replaces lumber with insulation material and maximizes the wall that’s insulated. This effectively improves the thermal resistance or R-value of a wall. As a reminder on how important advanced framing is, let's look at the comparison of a standard wall vs a wall constructed with advanced framing again:

A standard wall assembly using R-13 batt insulation will have an effective R-value of 11.1. An "advanced" wall assembly will have an effective R-value of 14.6 or 30% higher than the traditional wall. 

This week I want to focus on the different kind of insulation materials we can use to use that give you the most energy efficient green home.

In general, insulation is one of the most important components in any responsibly built structure, especially in green buildings. Insulation reduces energy consumption and if properly installed, can reduce draft dramatically. From that perspective, any insulation material is a “green” product.

The choice of insulation material will be covered in my next article "Insulation techniques……or how to build a better house – Part4" and has a lot to do with where the insulation is installed (wall, ceiling, roof, crawlspace etc etc), the climate area you live in and the specific details of your wall assembly.

So let's look at some of the different kinds of insulation materials that are out there these days:

Fiberglass Insulation:
This is the standard in the building industry today. High-density fiberglass makes the same wall cavity 15 to 20 percent more effective in reducing heat loss. The majority of manufacturers now incorporate at least 30 percent recycled material, and there are quite few products that carry third-party verifications for their recycled-glass content. If Fiberglass insulation is used as a batt, it is important to know that most of them are manufactured with phenol formaldehyde as a binder, though some products use alternative binders or no binder at all. So be sure and investigate the contents of the product you want to use in your green home.

Cellulose Insulation:
Is primarily made out of recycled newspaper, but not always from post-consumer sources. It is often damp-sprayed into open cavities, or blown into closed cavities at relatively high density. Cellulose adds to the airtightness of the house—and by forming a good infiltration-barrier. It is also less quality control dependent in filling voids than fiberglass batts (in simple terms… not as easy to mess up

Rigid Foam Insulation:
Rigid foam insulation applied to framing yields added infiltration resistance, reduced frame conduction losses, and higher overall wall R-value. Extruded polystyrene (XPS) and polyisocyanurate (polyiso) rigid foam insulation used to be made with ozone-depleting CFC blowing agents, but when ozone depletion was identified as a major environmental problem, the CFCs were replaced with HCFCs through international agreement. HCFCs were eliminated from polyiso insulation as of 2003, but they are not scheduled to be totally eliminated from XPS until 2020. Polyiso is currently produced with hydrocarbon blowing agents. Expanded polystyrene (EPS) rigid foam has long been made with non-ozone-depleting pentane rather than HCFCs.

Spray-Polyurethane Foam insulation:
One of my favorite insulation materials, spray-foam is an excellent choice for most buildings. Though slightly more expensive than the other materials mentioned above, the qualities of spray-foam will give you "a lot of bang for your buck". As the name implies, it is sprayed into open cavities and quickly expands to about 100 times its original volume. Most manufacturers claim R-values of about R-3.8 per inch. Several manufacturers sell water-blown products though there are still quite a few that use HCFCs or hydrocarbon blowing agents which are harmful to the environment and your health. So again, beware of what you buy.

Of course, there are a myriad of products available on the market today. If you want detailed information, I have included some manufacturer links below. If you want to find out specific product details while you are in the process of building your home, try the product directory at http://GreenBuildingAdvisor.com (Paid subscription) or http://www.buildinggreen.com/ (Paid subscription). They have great product databases with all the relevant product information.

I should mention that most of these materials can be installed in different ways – Loose fill, batts, spray or rigid boards. What to use "where" and "why", will be covered in my next article.

Be sure and come back. Don't miss next week's article. Insulation Techniques… or “How to build a better house” – Part4

Links to other articles in this series:

Thermal Bridging… and how it affects a wall assembly – Part1

Advanced Framing Techniques – Part2

Some Manufaturer Links:

http://www.certainteed.com/- Fiberglass

http://www.applegateinsulation.com/ – Cellulose

http://www.knaufinsulation.us/ – ECOBatt

http://www.demilecusa.com/ – SprayFoam

http://www.icynene.com/

Sources:

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/

http://www.buildingscience.com
http://www.toolbase.org
http://resourcecenter.pnl.gov
http://www.energysavers.gov

…… that's why. The picture above shows water damage at the floor framing level in the entry door area of the house we are currently working on. The entry door we're replacing is not that old. This is only one of several areas we found in this home that have severe wood rot. The wood rot is due to a very poorly done previous remodel. This is a prime example what can happen over time if homeowners don't do their due diligence and hire professionals that know what they're doing. So what happened? Simple answer: Improper installation of a new front door with no flashing and waterproofing measures. Small amounts of water were able to penetrate the wall and floor framing under the door threshold which in turn slowly turned the floor framing to mush. We repaired the wood rot and had our roofing and waterproofing contractor – Stazon Roofing – install a proper metal flashing piece before the new front door gets installed. 

The new front door will be installed on top of this flashing piece. What you probably can't see in this picture is that the flashing piece has a an end dam (a small piece of metal that is bent up) -so if any water ever does get under the door threshold, it won't go far. 

Other areas of constant water damage we see in projects is in poorly installed or non-existing shower pans. 

Above you can see a properly installed shower pan, filled with water awaiting plumbing inspection. These liners are installed over a mortar bed for proper drainage and should not have any punctures or penetrations. We just recently had to tear out an entire shower due to an improperly installed shower liner…… a very expensive repair for our client.

As you can see, the potential areas for mistakes that can cost you a lot of money are endless, that's why you should always do your due diligence and hire professional and licensed contractors for any job.

 Written by:

Marc Kleinmann
EGC Custom Homes
http://DallasGreenBuilding.com
m.kleinmann@EGCDallas.com 
  

What we know today as "Advanced Framing Techniques", was originally developed in the 1960's as Optimum-value engineering (OVE) framing techniques under a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiative to cut the cost of houses by omitting unnecessary lumber. The approaches did not get widely adopted at the time. However, with the passage of time, many of the original OVE techniques have been incorporated in what we today refer to as "advanced framing". Advanced Framing includes OVE framing techniques such as increasing joist, stud, and rafter spacing to 24 in.; placing doors and windows on stud layout; and using stacked framing for direct load transfer. Application of advanced framing not only saves on lumber and labor costs, but also supports better insulation detailing and reduces the occurrence of drywall cracking.

The image below illustrates some of the advanced framing techniques.

Advanced framing, as the name implies, means using framing lumber intelligently in wood framing by:

1. use of common material dimensions (24-inch grid) as a basis for design to maximize material use and minimize waste and
2. efficient load transfer to reduce unnecessary framing members from the home.

As you can see in the illustration above, some of the techniques used include stack framing – allowing for the use of single top plates, elimination of wood beams/headers in non-load bearing walls, and two-stud corners. Framing around openings in exterior walls limited to those framing members needed for vertical load transfer or horizontal load resistance.

Looking at this from a broader view – what does this do for our exterior wall assembly and my house in general? Well… besides cutting back on material waste and material usage – which increases resource efficiency, one of the main goals of green building – incorporating these techniques allows us to install more insulation in exterior walls.

In simple terms: Advanced framing actually replaces lumber with insulation material and maximizes the wall that's insulated, which improves the whole-wall thermal resistance or R-value.

So let's look at a comparison of R-values in a standard wall vs a wall constructed with advanced framing:

A standard wall assembly using R-13 batt insulation will have an effective R-value of 11.1. An "advanced" wall assembly will have an effective R-value of 14.6 or 30% higher than the traditional wall.  

If you're a homeowner, you're probably reading this going: "How does this affect my wallet?" – I have some simple stats for you. Fully incorporating advanced framing techniques may result in:

• Materials cost savings of about $500 or $1000 (for a 1,200- and 2,400-square-foot house, respectively)
• Labor cost savings of between 3% and 5%
• Annual heating and cooling cost savings of up to 5%.

 (Source & detailed calculation: http://www.energysavers.gov)

So if you are currently in the market shopping for a home, ask if the home you're considering was built using advanced framing techniques or with other systems like SIPs or ICFs – which I will cover in future articles. If you are in the process of building a new home or undertaking a major renovation, ask your builder to incorporate these techniques. You will end up with a better home.

Links to other articles in this series:

Thermal Bridging… and how it affects a wall assembly – Part1 of 7

Sources:

http://www.buildingscience.com
http://www.toolbase.org
http://resourcecenter.pnl.gov
http://www.energysavers.gov
 

By Mike Tonsbeek

There basically two types of roof tiles, clay and concrete.  The oldest types of roof tiles are made of clay.  Clay tiles have been around for many centuries dating back to the Neolithic period in China and later made popular by the Romans.  Concrete tiles were first created in the middle of the 19^th century in Germany and gained popularity in the middle of the 20^th century.

Clay tiles have basically remained the same over the centuries when they were individually handmade.  Today’s clay tiles are machine made, achieving more uniformity in both shape and color consistency.  They are available in a variety of shapes and styles and finishes.

Concrete tiles are also machine made for the same reasons as today’s clay tiles.  They have gained more popularity than clay in the current construction industry primarily due to cost but also due to a larger selection styles and colors compared to clay tile.

One of the biggest misconception of tile roofs, either clay or concrete, is that they virtually last forever.  It is true that the tile will last for many, many years; however, tiles are only one component of a tile roof system. One of the more important components of the tile roof system nowadays is the underlayment that the tiles are installed over.  Roof tile primary functions is to serve as a water shedding component, protect the underlayment from damaging elements and provide the desired aesthetics intended by the building’s architects.  

Roof tiles will continue to maintain their popularity for many years to come due to their proven durability and aesthetic values they provide.

Various types of leaks may occur in your home and may not present themselves until it rains. There are all sorts of places where water and moisture can penetrate the interior of your home from the outside like roofs, windows, walls, and fireplaces,

Keep in mind that many building materials are very porous like concrete, cinder-block, and mortar. When they are left untreated, it’s inevitable that over time, water will seep through them and create more damage like mold or small and large cracks in the walls and flooring. Keeping your home properly protected from the elements will save on energy expenses as well as keep unwanted insects or rodents from intruding your home.

There are number of solutions which can help repair and prevent water or moisture intrusion such as correct flashing installation, using the correct sealants and the proper application of specific wall systems for these types of problems is significant. Unprofessional or unknowledgeable attempts at these repairs can cost you more time and money down the line. And you may regret cutting corners in these areas.

You also want to be sure you don’t neglect the lower areas of your home. Basements and other below grade areas are ideal for storage, wine cellars or additional living space.  This area can be a magnet to water and moisture damage and it would be greatly beneficial to take all the necessary precautions to ensure that the space is kept moisture free.

Heavy rain, runoff, gutters installed incorrectly or gutters that have been poorly placed and many other factors may allow water to accumulate in the soil, creating hydrostatic pressure over time.  This can cause the basement to crack and leak which can lead to electrical hazards, mold and mildew growth, insect problems and structural and peripheral damage. The damage may look worse than it is and may be easily remedied. Your professional waterproofing company will know the best solutions to these leaks and water intrusion problems. Many of the products used for these purposes are ENERGY STAR^® rated.

DGBA Video Series: A Garden in the sky….

This week I decided to post a video blog on a “Awesome Product.” I found it saves Builders, Framers, And Drywall Companies a lot of Material cost, as well as labor that wasn’t needed. This Product is a one of a kind, and I wish all builders would use this product in place of “Traditional Methods.”  It makes the Drywall Contractors job, much easier when “Archways and Ceilings,” product is installed. I have also looked into the “Green,” aspects of this product.

You can click on the picture above for a link to video blog:

or

Click direct link below to see ”Video,” Below:

Greener Framing Practices

After you have seen Video go to This website to see more information on this product.

Link to Archways and Ceilings website: Must Cut and Paste Link

www.archwaysandceilings.com

Not only are builders using metal roofs for commercial buildings, multi-family units and retail shopping centers but, more and more, cool metal roofs are being utilized for residential housing as well.

Metal roofs are on the leading edge of technology and are being sought after as an energy saving material for your home. They can improve the esthetics of your house and the can also provide long-term savings on energy costs.

So what is the difference between asphalt and metal roofing? Simply put, asphalt traps heat in the house while metal roofs reflect the sun’s energy and keeps heat away from the home. An unpainted metal roof will reflect much of the solar radiation which is usually absorbed in your attic.

‘Cool’ refers to the cooling aspects that the color coating provides on a metal roof.  So for homes in warmer climates like Dallas, a pre-painted or granular coated metal roofing system is recommended. These roofs not only reflect the heat, they also re-emit heat of absorbed solar radiation which can make your home’s temperature even cooler. Your home will stay warmer in the winter because the metal roofs are reflecting inside heat from the underside of the roof back into the home which adds up to a comfortable living environment and more savings for the homeowner.

There are additional advantages to a cool metal roof system that you may not have considered. Check out these 10 personal and environmental benefits of a metal roofing system:

1. Wide variety of ‘cool’ colors and finishes so you can customize your roof to meet your architectural style

2. Fire resistance can save your family and contents in case of a fire

3. Contain a significant amount of recycled material and are 100% recyclable

4. Can be designed to resist strong winds.

5. Low-maintenance and they do not warp, split or crack

6. They can be configured to catch rain water for harvesting systems

7. Are light weight and can be applied over an original roof saving waste and removal costs

8. Sustainable and have greater durability than other roofing systems which leads to a longer life cycle

9. Homeowner may qualify for a tax credit or insurance rebate

10. Most metal roofing systems come with a 20 year warranty

Waterproofing protects your home from allowing water and moisture from getting in where it doesn’t belong. But it is not just wetness you’re protecting your home against. There can be serious long-term ramifications from improper waterproofing.

Heavy rain, runoff, poorly placed gutters and many other factors may allow water to accumulate in the soil, creating hydrostatic pressure over time. This accumulation can cause the foundation to crack and leak and may cause electrical hazards, mold and mildew growth, insect problems and structural damage to your property.

Waterproofing is an extensive term and includes the application of coating systems, caulking, and sealants. They all play an intricate part in protecting your property and keeping it air and water tight.

There are an assortment of coating systems, caulking and sealants which help safeguard your exterior walls, concrete floors, windows and water features from moisture, chemicals, and heat and freeze-thaw damage. Many applications are ENERGY STAR® rated and come in a variety of colors, styles and textures which can be customized specifically for your decorative and architectural needs.

It is recommended to allow a professional to fill your waterproofing needs. They are trained to detect any unforeseen problem areas that others may not be able to identify.  This preventative maintenance can help to ensure your family and your home is properly protected for years to come.

(jaz)