So here are a few photos that I thought I would share from my recent site visit.

Brutally Honest Attack on Homebuilders?

by Mr. Dorris via Consilience: The blog

As I have previously posted, the 20% of homebuilders who build 80% of all homes are not in the business of building homes, they are in the business of making money (increasing shareholder value) and, therefore, do not necessarily know how to build.

Continue reading the article at Consilence: The Blog

Foam Sill Sealer/Capillary Break

A buildings durability and energy efficiency believe it or not can be greatly affected by some of the smallest and least expensive products out there, and sill sealer is one of these products.  As pointed out by James over at Greener Structures, approximately 90% of buildings today do not install a sill sealer or also known as a capillary break.

For a little over $5.00 you can buy a 50′ roll at most hardware stores and even online shops (here).  So you may be asking what the big deal is over a sill sealer.  Well the product was designed to reduce air infiltration between the top of your foundation wall and sill plate by filling in any gaps or cracks. This product can also be used for slab on grade applications as well where there will be some imperfections in the slab.

Metal stud wall with no sill sealer

As you can see from this image, there is an obvious gap between the concrete slab at the bottom of the new wall being installed. This is going to let in a life time of uncontrolled, unconditioned air that will have to be dealt with by the mechanical equipment, causing it to utilize more energy over the life of the building.

Even though air infiltration is an important aspect of energy efficiency with today’s tight buildings, a sill sealer also acts as a capillary break, stopping moisture from moving from the concrete into the next material.  Moisture migration is another big issue that we as building professionals have to take into consideration.  So my question to you is, how many of you know that moisture can travel almost 6 miles through concrete?  That is a great distance and a whole lot of water that can potentially rot out the wood sill plates or rust the bottom track of metal framed walls.  Now you are right that the building codes do not allow for un-treated wood to be in contact with concrete.  However pressure treated wood only protects it’s self from rotting out.  It does nothing to stop moisture from migrating directly into your band board or floor joists that sit directly on top of that.

Interior wall on concrete slab

Here is a detail that I used on my own home when renovating my basement that I first laid the sill sealer and then attached the pressure treated wood to the concrete slab.  Now with the sill sealer, you do not need the pressure treated wood, it just made it easier for me to lay out the walls and take care of some of the irregularities in the floor surface when erecting the interior walls.

Exterior metal stud wall w/ sill sealer

Another small benefit to the sill sealer when it comes to metal wall framing, it will also act as a thermal break between the cold foundation and the steel studs.  As I stated, it is a small benefit because the product at most has a value of R-1.  However it will provide some resistance between the two highly conductive materials and reduce the chance for condensation to form on the metal studs.

So next time you are working on your next residential or commercial project, make sure you draw that extra thick line and call out the sill sealer/capillary break and get it into you exterior metal stud spec section under “miscellaneous materials”.

The majority of architects that you talk to are passionate about design.  It permeates every aspect of our lives.  However as I move forward into my career, I am finding I pay more attention to the details.  Now I have an appreciation for design, it is just not my strong point.  I find it more satisfying to be working on building and wall sections.  Taking what the designer has come up with and generating the details to make it reality and really focusing on the details that will help to insure that the building will be durable and energy efficient.

With that said, I plan on starting a new series of posts titled “Attention to detail”.  These posts, if you have been following the blog at all, at no surprise will be focusing on energy efficiency and durability.  I will be bringing the attention to small details that can make a big difference in the energy efficiency and durability of a building over its lifetime.

Builder Energy Efficiency Claims

I borrowed this image from a home builder here in Ohio (I removed any reference to the company’s name).  Take a look at what they are claiming that is going to protect our investment and on another page our environment.  They even created their own cute little “Energy Wise” logo.  The materials listed are standard building materials found in every building in the United States.  And don’t get fooled by the Thermo-ply, its name has nothing to do with thermal efficiency, it more of an air barrier.  Standard structural sheathing has a higher R-Value.  The SEER rating on the air conditioning unit is the minimum size you can even purchase now.  The biggest kicker is the insulation levels that they state.  If you see the attached chart from the Ohio Building Code, R-38 ceiling and R-13 is code minimum for climate zone 4. Well most of Ohio is Climate zone 5.  So that R-13 does not cut it according to the chart. Still time after time I see homes going up everywhere that is 2×4 wall construction and no exterior insulation.  I mean the easiest thing a builder can do is to switch to 2×6 wall construction.

TABLE 1102.1 INSULATION AND FENESTRATION REQUIREMENTS BY COMPONENT

However, the average home buyer has no knowledge of building and energy codes. So this list sounds good to them.  Therefore if this rant can do more than just provide a means to vent, I hope that a new home buyer stumbles upon this post to realize what their builder is trying to sell them is just standard construction and energy efficiency.  Anything less would be illegal.

So I ask any home buyer that may stumble upon this post, to do a little research into a home builders claim for energy efficiency.  Are you getting a code minimum  or a more energy efficient home.  And ask the difference between the standard and “Energy Wise” model.  In the meantime I will provide some links from the U.S. Department of Energy that provides a wealth of information on home building and energy efficiency.

U.S. Department of Energy – Building America
U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Savers
Oak Ridge National Laboratory – Zip Code Insulation Program

Now the energy inspectors job is similar to a  thermal bypass inspection that energy raters do for new home construction when the builder is seeking an energy star rating.  However the biggest difference is the inspector has the authority to make the contractor fix any mistakes.  Therefore, it would be great to see these inspectors start to pop up more throughout the country.

A New Enforcer in Buildings, the Energy Inspector

By CLIFFORD KRAUSS
Published: July 17, 2009

Residential Energy Codes

AUSTIN, Tex. — Peering behind a bathtub in a newly built house, an inspector, John Umphress, spotted a big gap in the wall insulation. “Somebody took a lunch break!” he complained to the builder, who sheepishly agreed to patch the hole.

With the fix, the house, already a model of energy efficiency, will use even less energy and save its residents money — for decades.

But that small catch would not have been made in many American towns. Mr. Umphress is a particular kind of inspector, an energy auditor, and Austin, with one of the toughest building codes in the country, requires an energy inspection before a building can be occupied.

Climate scientists and architects say that no single policy change could do more to save energy over the long run — and reduce the nation’s contribution to global warming — than building codes that make saving energy the law.

Since the energy crises of the 1970s, the United States has known it has an energy problem. Yet today, the energy requirements in building codes remain weak across half the country, and at least seven states have virtually no rules. That means that in many places, particularly the nation’s heartland, almost every new home, store and factory that goes up locks the country into unnecessary energy use for years to come.

The problem is not just construction defects like the one Mr. Umphress caught, though those are plentiful. In many places, builders are still using too little insulation. Citing cost, they have not adopted the most energy-saving water heaters, roofing materials or window panes.

Continue reading the article at The New York Times

“Destruction” of Home Quality – words may offend!

Posted by Mr. Grant Dorris via Consilience: The blog

I want everyone to think about a staggering statistic – 80% of all homes are built by only 20% of all builders. This ultimately means that a small percentage of homebuilders control the end products that are available to consumers. Most all of these homes would be classified as production built or tract built homes. This relatively small percentage of builders can take one of two paths:

1. Understand that it is their responsibility to build safe, comfortable living environments that balance with their surrounding natural environments – and accomplish this by integrating planning & design with climate & site analysis to maximize the energy efficiency, durability, indoor environmental quality and water conservation of the structures they build, while simultaneously minimizing waste and our impact on natural resources.

2. Choose the path that is fast, labor saving, cheap, and based on cleverness rather than quality – basically the exact opposite of Path #1.

Unfortunately, most choose Path #2.

Continue reading the article at Consilience: The blog

At this point we are still targeting a Gold certification.  Unfortunatly we still have a year of construction ahead of us to even determine if that will happen.  So periodically I will post some construction photos as well as other updates as it may relate to LEED and share some of the things that I have learned along the way.

In the meantime, enjoy the short video.