ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN YOUR HOME

At McIntyre Builders we are very serious about energy efficiency. 

However to design for energy efficiency it first must be understood how the house works as a system. 

There are no independent elements in your homes design, there are many separate features that individually impact the performance of the system as a whole. 

The home system begins at the foundation and includes the exterior walls, ceiling and roof systems, all of which make up the perimeter envelope. 

Also included are the water, heating and ventilation systems and the occupants themselves. 

As each of these elements is changed or improved it will impact other elements of the home and in many cases in an adverse way. 

For instance the homes perimeter can be sealed to a point at which the house is to air tight, at which time changes need to be made to the ventilation system to compensate. 

If not an environment is being created that will harbor stale odors, fumes and allergens in the home creating a unhealthy home. 

Another example is a home can be designed that provides an exterior air barrier over the sheeting (house wrap) with no interior vapor barrier or exterior thermal barrier. 

This provides an ideal environment for moisture to enter the walls from the interior and Condensate inside the wall creating an environment for mold growth.

These are just two of many examples of how the system works together, at McIntyre Builders we have education in and a strong understanding of building science and incorporate many features that improve the energy performance of the home while considering the home as a system and maintaining a safe healthy environment.

• We were one of the first in the area to achieve EPA Five Star Energy Star status and routinely apply these principles to our home construction.
• Independent third party Energy Star auditing.
• Low E and argon filled Energy Star certified windows for state of the art window performance.
• Energy wall framing techniques that allow for more insulation in the areas that require it the most.
• Energy roof systems, which allow for greater insulation at the eaves, which is one of the largest heat loss areas of the perimeter. This reduces heat loss and prevents ice damming due to the heat loss.
• Air Shield air infiltration and sealing techniques, which seal the entire building envelope against unwanted air penetration.
• 1" rigid R-5 exterior wall insulation providing a complete exterior wall thermal barrier reducing the ability for moisture to condense within the walls.
• Spray polyurethane wall insulation.
• Continuous exterior drainage plane eliminating moisture penetration into the home.
• Engineered roof ventilation system providing moisture control in attic space.
• R-50 stabilized cellulose attic insulation.
• Fully framed basement energy walls.
• Under floor basement insulation.
• Engineered ventilation systems utilizing 90% + furnaces, air to air heat exchangers and air makeup systems.
• Mastic sealed ventilation ducts greatly reducing duct heat loss.
• Tankless & high efficiency power vent water heating systems.
• Energy Star approved appliances.
• Sealed recessed lighting fixtures.
• Energy Star approved lighting systems wherever possible.
• 7 day programmable thermostat.