Frank Shoderbek leans with both hands on the light brown granite counters in the kitchen of Lot 18, an approximately 6,000 square foot red-brick home within the Summerset at Frick Park community (see page 2 for more information on Summerset). This house is in the final finish stages, almost ready to treat its new occupants to low energy bills, a comfortable, safe, and healthy living environment, and the promise of being durable enough to pass down through generations. As with all homes built at Summerset, Lot 18 is designed to be at least 30% more energy efficient than typical homes. Frank, Project Manager for Jayar Construction, who built this house and several other custom, estate-type homes at Summerset, has found that building energy efficient homes is worth the investment. If you’re committed and it’s done right, it’s worth it.
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One of the Jayar homes under construction. |
“Minor changes were made in framing, insulation, and the HVAC system. In the long run, it creates a quality product that doesn’t break the budget,” says Frank.
Jayar Construction is committed to building quality homes, and has been working with IBACOS to improve their construction practices for more than two years. They’ve been through a long process of learning the new strategies and techniques required to radically change their construction practices.
Jayar Construction and IBACOS partnered to ensure that all Jayar’s homes meet performance standards established for the Summerset community. Throughout the design and construction of their first Estate Home, Jayar and IBACOS worked closely together to understand the community’s performance standards and how to implement the quality construction practices necessary to achieve those standards.
Jayar took the ball and ran with it. Committed to building quality homes, Jayar and their trade contractors enthusiastically learned the technologies and approaches during the construction of the first Estate Home. They used what they learned to then improve both the quality of all the homes they’ve built at Summerset since, as well as the quality of their construction practices. The homes they’re building are efficient, durable, and safe, healthy, and comfortable for the occupants.
How did Jayar do it? Increased insulation (including at the foundation), significant air sealing, and high performance windows with a low-emissivity coating improved the performance of the building envelope, thereby reducing heating and cooling loads. Consequently, the mechanical system was downsized, saving up-front equipment costs. In the long term, the homeowner’s utility costs will be lower. The couple who bought the first Estate Home reported that their energy bills in the summer of 2003 were around $140 a month, which is remarkable considering their home is 6,400 square feet. Of course, low utility bills keep customers happy, something important to Jayar.
In addition, the air distribution system was made more efficient by implementing a carefully engineered layout and airsealing ductwork. A mechanical ventilation system was also installed to provide a continuous supply of fresh air to the occupants.
Spray-applied expanding foam insulation was used as the primary insulation system throughout the house. It was installed at the finished basement walls and in the entire exterior envelope, from the bandjoist at the foundation to the ridge beams in the roof system.
Frank’s a big fan of spray foam. “It seals everything, so it saves labor time,” he explains. “While we absorbed the additional cost, it factors in well when you consider that it reduced the labor time in caulking and sealing all the joints.”
Frank believes that one of the most important elements in learning how to build an efficient home was performing an airtightness test using a blower door at each stage of the shell construction. This showed their progress relative to the total airtightness target in the Summerset Standards.
From these quality control tests, Frank has learned that, “It doesn’t take super expensive doors and windows to make a home energy efficient. The real important work is sealing the envelope.”
“Look at these and standard houses,” Frank says, expanding his arms to take in the foyer, kitchen, and living room that surround him, “and you can really see a difference.” Jayar’s customers sure do, and that’s the real measure of success. |
