![]() Water vapour condensation is a major threat to the structure of a house, no matter what the climate. Poorly insulated foundations have a negative impact on home energy use and comfort, especially if the family uses the lower parts of the house as living space.Īlso, appliances-such as domestic hot water heaters, washers, dryers, and freezers- that supply heat as a byproduct are often located in the basement. For example, a typical house in Ontario might have the insulation of R-22 in the exterior walls and R-50 in the ceiling, while the floors and foundation walls may not be insulated.Ī similar, but well-designed and constructed house will have insulation levels that range from R-40 to R-50 in the walls and from R-50 to R-70 in the ceilings.įoundation walls and slabs should be as well insulated as the living space walls. Insulation:Īn energy efficient house has much higher insulation R-values than required by most local building codes.Īn R-value is the ability of a material to resist heat transfer, and the lower the value, the faster the heat loss. Because the insulated concrete can resist sudden temperature change, homes built this way seem to be, dollar for dollar, most energy efficient. ![]() Such buildings are also very durable and easily exceed code requirements for areas prone to tornadoes or hurricanes. ICFs are the fastest technique and least likely to have construction mistakes. Houses constructed in this manner consist of two layers of extruded foam board (one inside the house and one outside the house) that act as the form for a steel-reinforced concrete center. The quality of construction is often superior because there are fewer places for workers to make mistakes. ![]() The foam may be 4 to 8 inches thick.īecause the SIP acts as both the framing and the insulation, construction is much faster than stick framing. Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs): These sheets are made of plywood or oriented-strand board (OSB) that is laminated to foam board. Some of the available and sought-after energy efficient home construction methods include the following: Wood framing is a “tried and true” construction technique that may use a potentially renewable resource (wood) to provide a structurally sound, classically constructed house. Most builders use traditional wood frame construction. It includes the wall and roof assemblies, insulation, air/vapour barriers, windows, and weather-stripping and caulking. Thermal Envelope:Ī thermal envelope is everything about the house that serves to shield the living space from the outdoors. While design, costs, options, and styles vary, most energy efficient homes have some basic elements in common: a well-constructed and tightly sealed thermal envelope controlled ventilation properly sized, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and energy efficient doors, windows, and appliances. Over the life of the home, an increase in initial purchase price and financing would be offset by lower energy and maintenance costs.Īnd even though some energy efficient home features are expensive, there are others that most home buyers can afford. Simply increasing the thickness of exterior walls will dramatically decrease a typical new home’s energy consumption. With high winter heating bills on the horizon in much of the country, this statement becomes apparent. Study after study shows that the total energy used during the life of a typical home in Canada could be reduced by at least 50% percent while also reducing the home’s long-term cost by approximately $150,000.00.
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