The High-Performance Remodel

The High-Performance Remodel

Many of our clients are less interested in “green” construction than they are in projects that offer health, comfort, and low ownership costs.

“Green” remodeling hasn’t been as big a hit among homeowners as some contractors hoped it would be. It’s easy to see why. Green has been over-used as a marketing term, often supported by vague definitions and poorly defined customer benefits. But while many homeowners are no longer moved by pleas to “go green,” they remain very interested in upgrades that use less energy and require less repair and maintenance.

The good news is that making a home more energy-efficient and durable also reduces its impact on the environment. And its owners reap a harvest of concrete benefits.

 Green Builder Magazine definesa greenhome as "healthier, more comfortable, more durable, and more energy efficient, with a much smaller environmental footprint than conventional homes."

Matt Power, editor-in-chief of Green Builder magazine, agrees that the term “green” doesn’t connect with a lot of homeowners – even though builders and remodelers who embrace the term do a great job meeting those homeowners’ needs. “What we have come to understand as green is really just good building practice.
It’s a high-performance home that’s healthy, safe, and comfortable, with predictable expenses.”
Of course a newly-remodeled home will be better on all these counts than it was before work began, but high-performance professional remodelers raise the bar even higher.

These remodelers prioritize health, comfort, and energy efficiency with top-shelf doors and windows, high R-value insulation, careful air sealing, and ventilation systems that provide a steady supply of fresh air. By doing so they reduce heating and cooling bills, eliminate uncomfortable drafts, and ensure that the homeowners enjoy a healthy environment. These techniques also keep the home quieter by helping to muffle street noise.
The result is a home that’s a sanctuary—a retreat that is the focal point for family gatherings.
When it comes to heating, cooling, and electric bills, the savings can add up fast. A savings of just $120 per month is $1,440 per, or a five-year savings of  $7200.

High-performance remodelers also use quality products and careful construction detailing to reduce costly repairs over time. These details include good moisture management to keep water out of the structure, eliminating worries about mold and rot, as well as top-end mechanical equipment that will last for years without the need for replacement or repair. For instance, with today’s variable speed furnaces the fan runs at low speed much of the time. Besides requiring less fuel to operate, the fan will last longer than one in an older furnace, which runs only at high speed and is constantly switching on and off.

Determining which details to prioritize are driven by budget and client needs. For instance, the homeowners may want to replace all the home's windows when they add that master suite, but may decide to put a furnace replacement on the back burner for now. Local climate and utility rates can also factor in the decision: upgrading the home's insulation might offer the quickest return on investment in one case, while better windows might be the first choice in another. The professional remodeler can help the homeowners choose the best options for a particular project.

The ultimate benefit offered by upgrading a home's performance is peace of mind. “What we’re really talking about is making the home more resilient,” says Power. “Because the home has a lower cost of ownership over time, the homeowners are better able to plan for, and weather, economic ups and downs.”

Warm Regards,

Doug Abbott
Village Builders

This is an excerpt from a newsletter that is distributed to all former, current and future clients of Village Builders Inc.  If you would like to receive this newsletter feel free to email me at www.robabbott@villagebuilders.ca

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc

What is Green Construction?

What is Green, Anyway?

Sustainable construction is nothing mysterious. Its most important aspects are some of the same things that define a quality remodeling contractor.

Green, or sustainable, remodeling is more popular and more affordable than ever. Last year, for instance, a nationwide McGraw Hill study of builders and remodelers projected that 65 percent of remodeling projects will have a "green" element this year, with that number increasing to 77 percent in over the next three years.

The same study also found that the price tag is coming down: going green adds an average of just 7% in cost to a project, compared to 11% six years previously.

Part of the reason for this growth is that there's more widespread agreement on what makes a project truly sustainable. It turns out that you don't need organic concrete or a $40,000 solar electric roof array. The most important qualities of sustainable construction – those that offer the most positive environmental impact – are the same qualities most people look for in a new car: low maintenance and maximum efficiency.

Achieving this isn't brain surgery; instead, it's a matter of good, basic design and detailing. The areas that provide the biggest bang for the buck are design, materials choice, good management, durability, and the efficient use of water and energy.

• Thoughtful Design: A thoughtfully designed project uses the floor plan in a very efficient way, with elements such as cleverly designed spaces that serve multiple purposes. It's also efficient to heat and cool. For example South-facing glass helps reduce heating and lighting bills by bringing ample daylight and solar energy into the home.

• Wise Materials Choice: Seemingly every manufacturer wants to label its products as green, but look for third party verification from a reputable organization – GreenGuard, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), or ENERGY STAR, for example. Also consider maintenance; for instance a decking product that has to be refinished every year may use materials over time that are potentially harmful to the environment and require time, energy and dollars to maintain.

• Minimal Waste: In some parts of the country, 40% of landfill volume is from construction and demolition debris. Much of this can be avoided. A well-managed project minimizes the amount of waste sent to the landfill, and saves you money in the process.

• Long-Term Durability: This is a huge part of sustainability: a project that can stand for years without the need for rebuilding or repairing will use fewer resources over time. When it comes to durability, Job Number 1 is keeping water out of the structure. That's why, when doing exterior work on your home, we make sure our crews understand proper flashing details, use quality building wrap beneath the siding, carefully seal penetrations like plumbing vents, and inspect everything before installing the siding.

• Water Efficiency: Reducing water bills is easier than ever. For instance today's WaterSense rated plumbing fixtures are rated for water savings as well as performance. That means a quality low-flow showerhead can now deliver the same experience as the old full-flow models.

• Energy Efficiency: The most oft-cited benefit of green construction is the promise of energy savings (the equivalent of higher gas mileage). But while homes have gotten more efficient on paper, many aren't performing better than the average home built a decade ago.

The key to getting high performance is to hire a remodeling contractor who pays attention to detail. For instance, thicker insulation will only deliver its benefits if properly installed. The contractor has to make sure that there are no gaps in the insulation, that it fills the entire cavity and the surrounding structure is properly sealed against drafts.

None of these systems and strategies is very sexy, but good design and detailing have a big payoff: a home that's more efficient, more durable, and less costly to run. And of course it's also a more pleasant place to live.

Warm Regards,

Doug Abbott
Village Builders

This is an excerpt from a newsletter that is distributed to all former, current and future clients of Village Builders Inc.  If you would like to receive this newsletter feel free to email me at www.robabbott@villagebuilders.ca

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc