By Carl Seville, GBA Advisor
I had a discussion several months ago with a designer I know regarding energy efficiency in a project she is working on. She recently took the initiative to become a licensed residential contractor and is now managing entire projects. I applaud her for making this transition and for working hard to maintain her professionalism in an industry where there are a lot of fly-by-night operators. The homeowner is interested in making the house more efficient, and our conversations focused on those aspects of the project. I offered my services as a consultant to evaluate the house and make a set of recommendations for improvements to consider.Well, I ran into her recently and asked about the project, which is just underway. She asked me about coming in to do blower door and duct blaster tests when the project is finished, to see how it turned out. Since I don’t find running test equipment that much fun, and I believe that my particular talents are better applied earlier in the job, I declined the invitation. During this discussion, it occurred to me that here was a residential designer with little, if any, training or experience in building performance making decisions on insulation, air sealing, HVAC systems, and other critical details. Any wrong choices in products or installation methods on this project would very likely create long-term problems that could be avoided with proper advice up front.
Expertise worth paying for goes both ways
This designer is very professional, places a value on her expertise, and expects to be paid for it. She is very experienced in kitchens, baths, and interiors, and, in fact, I hired her to assist in the new house I was attempting to build. I trusted that she has the proper knowledge in her area of expertise and engaged her to take advantage of her abilities. It appears that she was not as respectful of my expertise, and assumed that she could make appropriate building performance decisions by herself, with assistance from the insulation, HVAC, and other trade contractors on the project, then bring me in to confirm her decisions after the fact.In my curmudgeonly style, I pointed out to her that if she thought that she was qualified to make those decisions, what would keep me from thinking I am qualified to design a kitchen or bath, without any training or experience? If she didn’t use qualified professionals for their expertise, why should she expect anyone to use hers? This seemed to get her attention, and I expect that I may be hearing from her soon about some consulting work.
The implications of insanity
What occurred to me through this interaction was that there is a general attitude in the marketplace that residential construction isn’t very difficult, and pretty much anyone can do anything. Homeowners build and renovate their own homes. Trade contractors make decisions about products and methods without consideration of their impact on the entire project. Mechanical systems are installed without taking into account the overall building performance. This behavior perpetuates inferior buildings, and must change. Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Unless we change the way we build and renovate, we are insane and will continue to get the same result: poorly performing buildings.
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(Carl Seville, owner of Seville Consulting in the Metro Atlanta area, is a green builder, educator, and consultant on sustainability to the residential construction industry. After a 25-year career in the remodeling industry, he has dedicated himself to advancing residential green building and remodeling by consulting with, speaking to, writing for, and training industry professionals, and by certifying homes under the LEED, EarthCraft, NAHB, and Energy Star programs. Seville, a green remodeling consultant from Decatur, is among a group of 15 green building industry experts serving as advisors for www.GreenBuildingAdvisor.com, a new residential green building website launched by BuildingGreen, LLC. For more information about Seville, see www.sevilleconsulting.com.)
May 5th, 2010
By Sandy Boda, Executive Officer
Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia
It may be 2006 to most people, but for the tech-savvy homeowner, the future is now. Structured wiring, advanced home security systems, and media rooms are transporting home technology, and homeowners, into the future.
One popular trend in new homes is structured wiring. Structured wiring can incorporate phone lines, Broadband Internet connections and cable television into a single outlet. According to a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) builder survey, 39 percent of new American homes built in 2005 included structured wiring. Structured wiring begins with the installation of a central distribution panel, into which all technology services, including cable TV, phone lines, and Internet connections, are tied. From this central panel, cable extends to different rooms in the house. Structured wiring allows multiple computers throughout the home to network with each other, as well as supporting multiple incoming phone lines, a great solution for larger families.
High-tech homeowners are finding thrills in the latest security systems as well. Motion detectors and glass-break monitors have been standard features for a while, but high-tech security systems do more than simply alert the homeowner to a potential break-in. Some include advanced features such as closed circuit television allowing the homeowner to monitor various areas of the property through a set of discreet cameras.
Wireless backup, in case your landline is out, is another popular new trend in home security systems. With wireless backup, emergency calls can be placed by the security system without a landline.
Other systems allow the homeowner to control everything in the house from another location. Imagine being able to turn your lights on and adjust your thermostat so your home is exactly how you like it when you arrive home from work. Some of today’s new homes allow the homeowner to do just that, and more, by predicting their routine and adapting accordingly. These “smart� homes allow the resident to control just about everything through remote controls and other wireless devices or a control panel with settings personalized for different family members’ preferences. While most homes contain a various of systems and devices—security alarms, central heating, water, television, lighting—that run in isolation from each other, in smart homes, these systems and devices are interconnected and communicate with each other.
Another room getting a high-tech makeover is the media room. According to NAHB, 10 percent of new homes are built with a designated media room. With careful planning, however, just about any home can have one. And while they generally include a television and sound system, high-tech media rooms are only limited by your imagination. Enhanced video gaming, in-home theatre systems, wireless Internet, digital sound systems and more can become part of an integrated media room with the use of high-capacity, high-grade wiring and cable.
While bringing your home into the high-tech future is really only restrained by your imagination and your budget, it is essential to consider the builder/remodeler you select for your upgrades. According to TechHomes.com, good home builders realize that home technology can be used to dramatically improve the homeowner’s lifestyle. From the latest in building materials to energy-saving green construction to home theaters and home automation, tech-savvy home builders embrace new trends in building processes and home technology.
The builder works with the homebuyer to determine their lifestyle needs and uses technologies to enhance that lifestyle. They don’t simply offer “option packages A, B or C… take it or leave it.” They ask questions like: Does your family often listen to music? What kind of home theater or media room do you envision? Are you aware of the benefits of new trends such as central vacuum systems and radiant floor heating? They use this consultative process to tailor your home to fit your family’s lifestyle.
Home technology, especially in the area of electronics, changes on a rapid basis. What was innovative or even the standard a year ago may not be so today. A good home builder knows when his expertise is stretched. Many builders create relationships with home technology integrators, installers and designers and rely on these companies to stay current on new trends. Part of being a tech-savvy builder is creating these trusted relationships and knowing when to bring in additional experts.
For more information on new home technology or to find a tech-savvy builder, visit www.nahb.org or contact your local home builders’ association at [insert contact information]. To sign up for NAHB’s free consumer e-newsletter, visit www.nahb.org/housekeys.
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(Sandra J. (Sandy) Boda is executive officer of the 650-member Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, and she is also serving as president of the Georgia Executive Council (GEOC) for the Home Builders Association of Georgia for the 2005-2006 year. As executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia since December 2001, she coordinates the association-related activities of HBA members in 10 counties , including Butts, Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Jasper, Lamar, Meriwether, Pike, Spalding, and Upson. )
October 8th, 2006
By Carl Seville
Seville Consulting
Are you living in a “clunker� of a house? Everyone complains about something to do with their house. It’s too hot, too cold, or both. That room over the garage never stays warm in the winter. It’s dusty. It’s drafty. Energy bills are too high. Sound familiar? Most people just think that is the way it has to be. They are very wrong.
Putting up with an uncomfortable or inefficient house today is like driving a car that needs the tires balanced, is out of alignment, needs a tuneup, a new muffler, and has a leaky sunroof. No one who could afford to fix these things would continue driving that way. But we all live in houses that are just as bad without thinking about fixing them or even knowing where to go to. For our cars, there are mechanics. Until recently, there was no equivalent for homeowners to look to for help. Now there is.
The business of “tuning upâ€? a house like you do a car is called Home Performance. We are lucky that in the Atlanta area we have the Home Performance with Energy Star program (HPES), created by the U. S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Managed locally by the Southface Energy Institute, HPES trains professionals to accurately diagnose and solve problems that make houses unhealthy and inefficient. Consider them “House Mechanicsâ€? — they do for your house what a good mechanic does for your car.
Leaky Homes — the big problem
There is a general misunderstanding that homes should be allowed to be “leakyâ€?, that is, air should flow in and out of the house through various cracks and crevices so that the house stays “healthyâ€?. In fact, these leaks contribute to making most houses unhealthy as well as inefficient. It is true that homes can become unhealthy if there is no fresh air — in a tight house fresh air is introduced through fans, special ventilation systems, or by just opening the window. We should strive to make our houses as tight as submarines, as long as we bring in some air to keep them fresh. Insulation is important, but if the house is too leaky, then most insulation will not work very well. The most common insulation, fiberglass, doesn’t work well in a leaky house. It also doesn’t work if it is compressed or doesn’t completely cover the walls and ceilings. There are many ways to stop the air leaks in homes — caulk, spray foam, and gaskets are some examples. Once you stop most of the leaks, then you can insulate. Or you can use some newer insulation materials that cut down on the leaks themselves — spray foam and dense packed cellulose are the most common types used to seal as well as insulate.
Heating and air conditioning cause some of the biggest problems in houses today. Most homes have ducts that move the hot and cold air to each room in an attempt to keep them comfortable. Unfortunately, most of these ducts are not installed properly — they are leaky and don’t take direct paths to the rooms. Leaky ducts waste energy and force furnaces and air conditioners to work extra hard to condition a house. Duct systems in some homes can be less than 50% efficient. Homeowners will frequently install a new furnace or air conditioner and leave the ducts as they are. Home Performance contractors will test and repair the ducts, making the system run more efficiently. Often there is no reason to replace the equipment — just fixing the ducts can sometimes make all the difference. One side benefit of an efficient home is that it can also be a healthy home. A well sealed house with an efficient HVAC system will keep the air in the house healthy by maintaining the proper humidity — eliminating mold in warmer months and keeping the air moist in the colder months.
On top of that, a tight and efficient house doesn’t get as dusty as a regular house — reducing allergies and the time needed to dust. A Home Performance professional can inspect your house, determine exactly where the problems are, and show you how they can correct them. So stop “drivingâ€? than old clunker of a house and get it “tuned upâ€?. Your checkbook and your lungs will thank you.
(Carl Seville of Seville Consulting is a consultant on sustainability to the construction industry. Focused on advancing green building practices, Carl trains to industry professionals, writes, and speaks around the country on the subject. Prior to this, he founded and served as Vice President of SawHorse, Inc; an Atlanta design/build firm for 25 years.During his tenure, Sawhorse received over 100 national, regional, and local industry awards including the 2005 Green Building Advocate of the Year, the 2004 National Green Building Award for Residential Remodeling, and four Excellence in Design Awards from Environmental Design and Construction magazine.Carl has served on the board of directors of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association and the Atlanta chapter of NARI, and is currently on the Green Building Subcommittee and the Green Building Education Curriculum Committee of NAHB, NARI’s Green Remodeling Education Committee, and the Editorial Advisory Boards of Professional Remodeling and Atlanta Home Improvement magazines. He served as the chairman of the committee that developed the Earthcraft House Renovation program during 2001 and 2002. Carl can be contacted by email at cseville@comcast.net, and the website address for Seville Consulting is www.sevilleconsulting.com.)
May 24th, 2006