THE THREE PILLARS OF PEAK PERFORMANCE
Houses hit mark when they’re built to take into account durability, value and health
You know me — I’m all about building better. I’ve been working with home builders across the country to raise the stakes for all builders out there. I want our industry to go beyond minimum, and build homes that are safe, and that last.
We have a minimum building code we have to follow when building a home but I am not a “minimum” kind of guy. The code is much better than it used to be. It now provides guidelines for energy performance, which I like, but there are several non-code items I recommend to make a “high-performance home.”
So what makes a high-performance home tick to me?
I see lots of luxury homes and people think it’s automatically a high-performance structure, but that’s not always the case. It’s like putting your life savings into a glass vault with lots of bling on the inside and no substance in the parts that matter most.
To me, the true mark of a highperformance home is pillared on three things that go beyond energy savings and take into consideration things such as durability, value and health.
A WELL SEALED BUILDING ENVELOPE
I build from the outside in, and high performance starts during the design stage. A designer will use energy modelling to test how a home will perform once built and engineers assess the home to meet a higher standard.
By using better window systems, high-performance insulations (yes, it costs more but saves you more over the long run), and air-sealing techniques you can build a structure that doesn’t leak air.
Did you know that a drafty home can be responsible for up to 30 per cent of a structure’s heat loss? Addressing air leaks will address heat loss and poor energy performance, but that strategy must be coupled with one of ensuring we still get a fresh-air cycle in our airtight home.
If you are buying a high-performance home, make sure you get the testing that validates the design estimates. This can be done through an air-leakage test using a blower door device that pressurizes the home and creates a reading on how long it will take for one full air change to occur.
You can also get summary sheets for the energy modelling and make sure that you are getting what you pay for.
A high-performance home isn’t just energy efficient. It provides a healthier environment for you and your family.
How does it do this? When the home is built to be airtight, you need a method of cycling in fresh outdoor air, while exhausting the warm, moist air generated in your home by living in it (especially in kitchens and bathrooms). Enter the heat recovery ventilator (HRV ) which adjusts the temperature of outdoor air to match your home, while expelling the moist indoor air. An HRV doesn’t perform the function of a furnace or air conditioning; its job is to constantly provide good quality air to your home.
A high-performance home will take care of you. With a properly sealed building envelope and an HRV to regulate the air quality, your furnace will provide exactly the right amount of conditioned air to every room, keeping it uniformly cool during the summer, and warm in the winter. Keeping humidity under control will also reduce the risk of condensation in your home, which can lead to cases of mould and mildew.
In today’s homes we expect a lot of functions and convenience from our devices and appliances. We are entering the “data age” (which can be kind of scary at times) that offers more information, not only about how our home performs but also how we perform in the home. It is only when we understand this information that we have a role to play with our home: to maintain it, improve it and use it in such a way that maximizes the home’s performance potential.
I like the new Wi-Fi control hubs coming onto the market, which means less cable to run, and a lower cost for fewer materials, while offering greater convenience. I also like smart plugs and lights that modulate use based on times of day. Even a remotely operated skylight that is tied to your mobile phone can help you adjust the air flow and temperature of your home while you are sitting at the office.
There is a lot of potential for a new brand of home — a highperformance home.
I think that if we learn about what fits our needs best and take the time to research our options, that homeowners can lead the builders to a better home by demanding one.