We hear all these terms about energy efficiency in new home construction and how this home or that home is ‘super high efficiency’.
There are ‘radiant barriers’ and ‘radiant barrier paint’. There is ‘R-38’ ceiling insulation. There is ‘spray-foam’ insulation for walls and ceilings.
There are ‘super-high efficiency air conditioning systems.
Yet somehow, the way in which the house is constructed and the cost-cutting practices of just one tradesman can undermine the cost savings.
Let’s start with attic ventilation. Attic ventilation is often overlooked, poorly designed and inadequately designed. Most often, there is little or no soffit venting in critical areas. In addition, much will be made of ‘ridge venting’ type vents when the house has very little in the way of the ridge surface area or the sheathing is cut-out improperly to make the ridge-vents fully functional.
Radiant barrier type roof sheathing is great. Yet, when the installer doesn’t allow for expansion by installing the sheathing with the manufacturer’s required spacing specifications, the sheathing warps and lifts the shingles.
‘High Efficiency’ touted air conditioning systems are installed with multiple air leaks, at an alarming rate. Master bedroom and bathroom complexes are fitted with 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7 supply registers with no ‘return-air’ intake in the master bedroom. Simply put, when the bedroom door is closed, there is little air flow that can return to the air conditioning system. Almost instantly, when the bedroom door is closed, air flow is reduced to a minimum and the bedroom temperature begins to rise. If you sleep with the door closed, you must set the thermostat to a much lower temperature to achieve a comfort level in the master bedroom. You set the thermostat to keep the master bedroom comfortable while the rest of the house is an icebox. Guess who pays for this?
Bedrooms other than the master bedroom have similar issues. Even though there might be just one air conditioning supply vent in the room, there is often little or no air gap under the bedroom door. This too, results in the room becoming warm from a lack of air flow. Recently, homebuilders have begun installing doors with vents built into the bottom of the door. Unfortunately, these vents allow children to peer into the room when the door is closed.
Ill fitting exterior doors and poorly sealed or vented light fixtures can allow a tremendous amount of unwanted air flow into and out of your home.
An energy efficient home only works properly when all of the builder’s sub-contractors understand their role in constructing an energy efficient house.
After that, it’s up to you to correct all the builder’s mistakes.
