High Performance Green Home Building

Why Build Green?

What is it all about; a high performance systems-built home, what does it mean exactly?

All these words simply mean that the building you live in is going to improve your & your Family’s Quality of Life in a number of different areas:

Americans spend upwards of 90% of their lives inside buildings between work, school and home, and in many cases pollutants often exceed outside levels by two to three times. It is no surprise that studies show that green buildings have a positive influence on the quality of our lives. Green building practices are linked to a laundry list of factors that are important to families, including.

• Health: Careful use of vapor barriers and conscious ventilation improve moisture control and indoor air quality which leads to:
• Higher test scores in children
• Reduction of sick days
• Asthma, allergies & other respiratory illnesses are reduced
• Reduction in depression & headaches
• Comfort: Quality windows, high efficiency heating & cooling systems, and increased wall & ceiling insulation improves comfort.
• Safety: All appliances & heating units are sealed combustion, no worries of carbon dioxide getting into your home.
• Durability: Quality construction leads to less maintenance over the life of the home, which means more free time & money for you and your family.
• Energy Efficiency: Lower utility bills from a quality, systems built home.
• Resale value: More money in your pocket when you sell.

The above are direct benefits to you, not to mention that you are contributing to a cleaner Colorado environment that will help conserve natural resources for your grandchildren and future generations.

Many people worry about the bottom line construction costs that must be paid for now. No matter how green the future benefits, cash on the barrelhead drives most decisions. Some studies show green building costs 3-8% more than traditional building, not bad considering the benefits. My experience is that most of the green building practices cost about the same as similar quality custom construction. In fact, much of green building practice is merely choosing quality design and construction methods instead of mindlessly practicing 1970’s era construction techniques.

FYI --- The City of Fort Collins has done an energy study that outlines the typical quality of construction practiced in this area for many years. The report is available from the city upon request and is very enlightening on how things have been done, or not done, for many years now.

Outlined below are some of the major technical features incorporated into homes built by Lamar Valley Craftsman. This list in not complete, yet offers a glimpse into a high performance house. These features represent a substantial shift in the way that typical homes are built in the marketplace. Each and every project has its own set of requirements and resource constraints that dictate the final product that is produced. Yet by addressing these factors at the start of the design phase allows the professionals at Lamar Valley Craftsman to produce a product that is well thought out and ultimately a better home.

Solar Smart Windows ---- High performance windows improve year round comfort while reducing energy bills and winter condensation. Low-e and solar coating on all windows including the basement is the cornerstone to window performance.

Insulation ---- A great insulation package provides better comfort in all seasons and lower energy bills. Attention to detail at installation is the key to this category along with a minimum R-38 insulation for the attic. Blown wall insulation that has no gaps or voids for the interior walls and R-5 rigid insulation at the exterior sheathing for added thermal value in addition to creating a thermal break that reduces energy consumption further.

Tight Construction ---- A tightly built home gives the homeowner more control over energy use, comfort and health. Advanced air sealing will limits drafts and reduces airflow to the home from low-quality sources. A tightly built shell with controlled ventilation and attention to detail as always for ultimate comfort.

Solar Design & Lighting ---- Designing with the sun in mind reduces energy bills and creates better comfort in all seasons. House orientation, window placement and shading along with future options to add a solar system for electrical & heating needs are all important considerations. More thought toward lighting details can provide a more pleasant home & smaller energy bills

Exterior Water Management ---- Keeping water out of the house avoids mold and water related problems. Proper drainage details for site, roof, walls and foundation are paramount to this construction detail. Tight construction, proper cladding & flashing, effective humidification and ventilation control are all factors that need attention during construction.

Healthy Indoor Air ---- Vital to good health are homes with tight construction and controlled mechanical ventilation that brings clean fresh air into the home 24 hours a day. Materials and equipment that create fewer pollutants also need to be taken into consideration when designing your project.

Combustion Safety ---- Essential for safety and healthy indoor air is to have sealed combustion appliances including fireplaces, hot water heaters and furnaces in addition to exterior vented range hoods. High efficiency heating appliances go along with this thought, furnaces always being 90%+ sealed combustion units and hot water supplied by tank-less units. More importantly for tank-less units is having water heated only when you need it, not all day long and wasting natural resources as is typical in America.

Summer Cooling Choices ---- Many approaches to summer cooling and comfort are much less expensive than air conditioning. Smart solar design and orientation, solar smart windows and simple cooling features such as whole house fans and evaporative coolers where appropriate. If an air conditioning unit has to be added it needs to be a high-efficiency condensing unit.

Forced Air Cooling & Heating Equipment ---- Equipment that has been properly sized using a Manual–J calculation and installed correctly lasts longer and provides better comfort for your family. Accurate design and load calculations will ensure that the equipment installed will perform at its maximum efficiency, last longer, and use the least amount of energy, which equates to more money in your pocket.

Forced Air Cooling & Heating Ductwork ---- Ductwork details affect comfort and the daily operation of the heating and cooling equipment. All ductwork is properly designed using a manual – D calculation, and all supply’s and returns in homes built by Lamar Valley Craftsman are hard piped and properly sealed using mastic and then tested by an outside third party to ensure design performance.

Appliances ---- Appliance energy use is a growing part of the energy bill. All appliances that are put into the home are Energy Star rated to ensure the least amount of energy usage.

~~ Lamar Valley Craftsman ~~
Great design & modern floor plans with old world craftsmanship powered by a 21st century mechanical system that improves your family’s quality of life! Is there any reason why you wouldn’t want a home with this much thought put into it?