Custom Green Home Construction-Santa Fe and Las Campanas

This house was highlighted in our website blog several weeks ago when we detailed the installation process for the roof insulation. We realize that most consumers are not interested in the actual processes of green building and energy saving procedures, but are more interested in the actual practical benefits of these building practices. Knowing this, we emphasize the advantages our clients can expect when living in one of our homes. Our modern framing techniques helps reduce the gradual heat loss common in many houses that have “air leaks” prevalent with standard framed houses. By tightening up the framing envelope of the home, along with advanced insulating techniques, our homes will have lower energy costs for heating and cooling. We frame the house using principles of “thermal bypass framing”. This involves isolating each living area of the house with framing so that cold air cannot pass between the walls of each area from the outside. Then these areas are insulated with closed cell foam insulation to keep cold air from entering and warm air from escaping. The exteriors walls are double framed to a thickness of 10″ to 12″ to allow for more wall insulation. The framing members are staggered so that there is not a direct connection between the inside warm walls and the outside cold. These advanced building practices really become apparent when the cold New Mexico early spring winds start to blow. Nothing sucks heat out of a house like strong cold winds. Our well insulated homes feel noticeably more comfortable than a traditional framed house. The elimination of even a small amount of cold air though a house makes an enormous difference in the comfort level of a home during the dead of winter. Once the house is mostly completed, we have what is called a “blower door test” done. This test basically tries to suck the air house of the sealed house to see how much pressure is needed to pull outside air into the closed up house. This gives us an idea of any air leaking around windows and doors. We then can adjust thresholds and weather stripping to seal the house even tighter.
Our next blog post will cover the final stages of the finishing process detailing the choices we make with cabinets, flooring, counters and wall finishes.

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