BUILDING BETTER – BUILDING GREEN
What it means to build Green
Green Homes incorporate environmental considerations and resource efficiency into every step of the building and development process to minimize environmental impact. The design, construction and operation of a home must focus on energy and water efficiency, resource efficient building design and materials, indoor environmental quality, and must take the home’s overall impact on the environment into account. In the end, building a home better, results in building a home greener.
ASPEN RIDGE II HOME
GREEN AND ENERGY SAVING FEATURES:
1. All Starr Homes are Independently Energy rated/tested by a Certified RESNET Home Energy Rating company. This assures the homeowner that great care was taken in the building and performance of their home. The testing includes:
a. verification of density of insulation,
b. vapor & air barrier installation complete and installed to spec
c. blower door tests (to check for house leakage)
d. duct system performance testing
e. Manual J & S calcs on HVAC to calculate load and required air flow (CFM) rates for all ducts and rooms, and many others.
2. Energy Savings. As a result of continual process improvements our homes have been averaging HERS scores in the low 50’s and upper 40’s, which means our homes are much more efficient than a code built home. A home built to the 2006 codes has a HERS score of 100. A 1 point drop in the HERS score means 1% less use of energy in the home. Our model in Mills Farm has a HERS score of 46, meaning it uses 54% less energy! This home actually saves $3,000+ annually in energy costs (vs comparably sized typical existing home). It also means the house is sealed up tighter, is less drafty with more even temperatures and therefore simply more comfortable. A detailed report is available upon request.
3. 95% efficient furnaces & humidifiers. 4” Merv 11 or better air filter for better air quality.
4. Upgraded insulation package includes blow-in wall insulation (R-22 in 2x6 wall) and R-50 or better in the Attic. Owens Corning pro-pink insulation blows into every nook and cranny for maximum thermal efficiency. When used as cavity-fill insulation, this non-combustible product increases the fire resistance of any building.
5. Every Starr Homes house has an “Energy Heel” truss (for the roof truss) which increases the amount of insulation around the perimeter of the home by an additional 6”+ and increasing the insulation over the perimeter wall of the home. This significantly reduces heat loss from the home during the winter months (as well as minimizing heat transfer from the attic in the summer months).
6. 2x6 Exterior wall construction on all Starr Homes plans significantly increases the insulation around the home.
7. Thermacore Garage door (8’ tall standard) – Insulated (R-12.7) double sided steel door pre-wired for openers in every home.
8. Garage is insulated.
9. Premium exterior sealant system includes Eco-Seal® enhanced sealant package which pre-seals the interior of the exterior walls. Eco-Seal is an elastomeric sealant that provides the best performance in sealing up an energy efficient home. It is sprayed on all connecting lumber and sprayed on the interior of all wall cavities between the stud and the exterior air barrier. The NAHB National Research Lab tested the Eco-Seal sealant system and found that the Eco-Seal combined with blown-in wall fiberglass out-performed a spray foam insulated wall. Standard construction uses standard caulk that can break down and crack over time and the caulk is only required to be applied to Headers and sill plates.
10. We add Silicone sealant on the top plate of all sheetrock where it meets the attic space. Decreases passive air transmission to and from the attic. Improves overall home performance.
11. 50 gallon high efficiency direct power vent hot water heater in every home.
12. Since our furnaces and water heaters all vent through PVC pipe on the side of the home, Starr Homes have no flu pipe attic penetrations. This decreases air infiltration and improves air quality by eliminating possible exhaust back-draft of the flu.
13. Ductwork in this home is run through the conditioned space and not through the attic. By running the ductwork through the 2nd floor, floor system, it improves the performance of the 2nd floor furnace/AC. No energy is lost in the attic. Typical construction runs the ductwork through the attic.
14. LED Can lights save $100 per can over the life of the bulb, reduce energy usage by 65%+, and have been shown to provide a better level of lighting at that energy usage level.
BETTER AIR QUALITY:
15. Higher quality home air filtration system (Merv 11, 4” filter standard) decreases allergens and dust.
16. Starr homes protects all supply ducts in home with foam filters during the build process. The return ductwork is disconnected from the plenum in the basement during construction. This greatly reduces dust in the home immediately and for years to come. We are able to clean the short section of plenum in the basement prior to reconnection, making your ductwork as clean as possible when you move-in.
17. Passive Radon vent connected to interior drain tile. Helps reduce radon gas levels in home.
18. Active sub-slab depressurization fan, actively dispels radon, water vapor and other sub slab gasses, creating higher interior air quality.
19. We offer low VOC paints as an option for clients wanting to improve overall air quality and minimize the environmental impact of their homes building process.
20. All range hoods vent to the outside. Combustion gasses from gas cook-tops are best to always vent to the outside to maintain a higher quality of air inside the home.
BETTER CONSTRUCTION METHODS, MATERIALS AND RESOURCE EFFICIENCY:
21. Better exterior wall construction standard-- 2x6 wall construction provides a stronger structure in addition to energy savings. Every home also has the Energy Heel truss.
22. Better Windows -- Marvin Integrity fiberglass exterior wood windows standard. “366” glass used on windows versus “270” glass. This upgraded, triple low-e coated window, has argon gas between the double pane glass. This technology reduces the Solar Heat gain by 35%, increases the “R” value by 10%, reduces the U value by 10%, and cuts out 98% of UV light while only reducing visible light by 4%. The fiberglass exterior greatly reduces the chance of a window failure or leak.
23. Better flashing details -- We use Quick Flash® flashing details on all wall penetrations where it is Stucco, stone or lap siding installation. Quick flash flashings provide a much better seal to all outlets, light fixtures, and AC line home penetrations.
24. Better subfloor material -- Subfloor material is upgraded to Edge Guard Gold or similar product which reduces impact of water contact much better than standard builder-grade subfloor.
25. Less squeaks -- All Subfloors are glued and screwed down to dramatically reduce any possible floor squeaks now and in the future.
26. Recycled content in materials. Where possible, Starr Homes chooses products that provide equal quality, but reduce the environmental impact of construction, by incorporating recycled content. For example, Owens Corning Pro-Pink insulation has 35% recycled content. Our Masonite interior doors are made with recycled content. Many of our floor systems are made from character lumber that previously was discarded by the mills.
27. Resource efficiency. Truss floors and Truss roofs use less wood and provide greater strength. Panelized wall system construction, dramatically reduces construction waste and allows for home to be framed quicker, reducing the amount of time the home is exposed to weather. Palelized construction means that the wall panels that traditionally would be crafted by the framer on the house deck are assembled in a factory and shipped to the site. The wall panel assembly company uses presses and laser guided nailing systems to insure the highest quality of construction.
28. Floor system included in this home is a Web-truss floor system, which provides a stronger floor with less flex, while allowing some beams and ductwork to be upset inside floor system.
29. All Starr Homes sump pits are recessed in the basement floor ~4” and an additional basement floor drain is placed right next to the sump pit. This provides an unlimited emergency back-up, in the even the sump pit were to over-flow the top of the pit . This sump-pit sewer back-up is designed to help mitigate damage in the event of a long power outage or sump failure.
30. Tyvek house wrap on all 4 sides. In our opinion, Tyvek house wrap is the highest performing building wrap on the market. It acts as an air-barrier as wells as a moisture barrier on the home. The air-barrier nature of it decreases air-infiltration into your wall system. Many house wraps are moisture barriers, but they do not also function as an air barrier.
31. More drain tile to protect your basement – We install interior drain tile as well as exterior drain tile around the footing. Interior drain tile is not required by code but helps achieve 2 benefits: decreases the chance for water pressure build up under the slab, and also allows for a passive radon system to improve overall interior air quality.
32. Reduced Maintenance: Stucco Exterior on all 4 sides and LP Smart Trim reduces maintenance. Stamped concrete lanai, tile roof, elastomeric paint, composite material on exterior steps and many more features reduce home maintenance and costs.
33. We use Glitsa® Floor finish instead of the standard polyurethane. Glitsa has been shown to reduce scratching and yellowing issues found in standard Polyurethane. Glitsa is the best finish Starr Homes is aware of to finish a hardwood floor. All Starr Homes hardwood floor finishes receive Glitsa. Hardwood floors are both glued and nailed into place reducing noise on the floor system over time.
34. All stain grade cabinets receive a pre-catalyzed lacquer versus standard lacquers that will hold up better to the wear and tear that cabinets receive.
35. Elastomeric paint used on all stucco surfaces, provides a much thicker and elastic paint product that bridges small fissures that occur in any concrete based product. This seals the exterior of the home much better than traditional builder-grade exterior paints. This makes the home lower maintenance and more impervious to air and weather.
OTHER FEATURES
36. Granite counters in kitchen in all of our homes. (a choice of ~15 included standard)
37. Upgraded front door hardware & doors on all Starr Homes plans.
38. Cabinet doors are built from 1” wood stock instead of ¾” stock. Alder cabinets are a standard in every Kitchen, and Master Bath.
39. Trim includes wood end-caps and iron spindles on staircase.
40. Open atrium Staircase finished to the basement.
41. High efficiency direct Vent Gas fireplace in Hearth/Great room and Master.
42. Oversized Master shower with 2 shower heads and seats in all plans.
43. Huge center kitchen island and walk-in pantries on most plans. Most pantries are designed to accommodate a second refrigerator standard.
44. Large Mud room with built-in boot bench, glove and hat storage bins.
45. Superior media/network/phone pkg
46. No support posts in any garage in any plan.