What Should Be in Every New Home and Why --Part 5-- Siding / Exterior Insulation

Home construction has evolved over time. As we understand more about the environment and how the materials we use affect livability, new technologies have been introduced that have the added benefit of longevity with low maintenance.

Ask the builder: Was exterior insulation used?
The best way to boost the insulating value of your walls is to reduce the impact of temperature differences before they get to the structure. Builders who use a double vapor barrier exterior insulation have taken the extra steps to seal your home against weather.

Ask the builder: What were the conditions the home was painted in?
Many homes are painted on site under whatever conditions were present. Maybe the home was painted on a dry, overcast 70 degree day. Maybe not. Look for builders who use long-lasting cement based siding that was painted in a factory under controlled conditions. Ask about guarantees too. You should expect a finish that doesn’t need to be repainted for at least 15 years and siding that’s guaranteed for at least 30 years. When a manufacturer has a 15 year finish guarantee and a 50 year materials guarantee it says something about their confidence.
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes

What Should be in Every New Home and Why -- Part 4-- HVAC

The Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning System (HVAC System) of a home has a huge impact on comfort and air quality. It consists of much more than an efficient furnace or heat pump. It’s an entire air management system that regulates fresh air, efficiently moves conditioned air, and ensures proper evacuation of “dirty” air.

Ask the builder: How is air quality managed?
Air quality management consists of temperature control, moisture control, introduction of fresh air and evacuation of “dirty” air. This doesn’t all happen by accident. Look for builders who consider all aspects of air quality management by incorporating active systems with monitoring and control over air quality and exchange.

Ask the builder: Do all of the air ducts run within conditioned space?
Air ducts simply perform better when they’re within conditioned space. Metal is a great conductor of heat so metal ducts will quickly transfer temperature. When they’re in unconditioned space the difference in air temperature greatly affects the efficiency of your HVAC system. Any heat transfer the ducts allow should be within the space you’re trying to heat or cool so that the energy being used isn’t wasted. Sometimes you'll see an attempt to insulate ducts that run in unconditioned crawl spaces or attics. It’s a bandage that treats the symptom rather than the root.
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes

Next: Exterior Insulation and Siding

What Should be in Every New Home and Why -- Part 3-- Insulation

Homes that conform to new code are better than last year’s homes, but do you want a home that just conforms to code or one that takes advantage of technology, considers energy conservation, raises livability to a whole new level, and does so affordably?

Ask the builder: What type of insulation is in the home?

Fiberglass batting and blown-in fiberglass insulation have been the choice of most home builders for the last 50 years. More recently, other types of insulation have gained popularity as we study how fiberglass fails when outside temperatures fall below 45 degrees. According to a study at Oak Ridge National Laboratories, funded by the Department of Energy, the printed “R” values of batting insulation are inaccurate.
The study states that:
• “R-19” labeled fiberglass batts have an actual R-value of 17.4 before they are installed.
• “R-19” fiberglass batts have an actual R-value of 17.0 when installed “perfectly”
• “R-19” fiberglass batts have an actual R-value of 13.7 when installed as commonly found in actual walls. This represents a 28% loss in the actual R-value versus what is printed on the label.
(Read the details of the study at http://envirosealfoam.com/fiberglassbatts.pdf)

Make sure any home you’re considering uses open cell spray foam insulation. Open cell spray foam insulation expands during its application which helps it find and fill every crevice that might leak air. Batting leaves gaps around its perimeter in every wall cavity and at any seams. It’s impossible to squeeze it into all of the possible air leaks even if the installer can find them. In addition, open cell foam does not allow moisture transfer as fiberglass batting does.

Ask the builder: How many air changes per hour in this home?

Air Changes per Hour (or ACH) are calculated using a blower door test where all of the doors and windows are closed and the front door is replaced with a sealed fan that creates a controlled negative pressure inside the home. A gauge measures how many times the air inside the home is completely changed in an hour under this negative pressure. The ACH score of a home reveals how tightly sealed against outside infiltration it is. A lower score represents a more tightly sealed home.

The typical house, built to current code, usually scores 10 Air Changes per Hour (ACH). To qualify for the Energy Star rating a house can score no higher than 7 ACH. Look for a score of under 3 ACH for homes that are 70% better than standard homes. Infiltration typically represents 25-30% of the heating and cooling cost of a house so its ACH score is important. Lower energy usage is better for the homeowner and for the environment.

Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes

Next: Part 4 - Heating/Ventilation/Air Conditioning

What Should be in Every New Home and Why --Part 2-- Framing

Part 2 - Framing
Your walls play a huge part in energy efficiency. If your home is built in the rainy season, make sure it’s with materials that can stand this environment. If it’s built with lumber, understand its limitations.

Ask the builder: What material was used for framing?
Why does it matter?
Many builders today use wood for framing homes. It’s easy to find sources of wood and it’s relatively easy to find people who can work with wood. But, wood has its shortcomings. When it gets wet it holds moisture for a long time; far longer than most builders are willing to wait before finishing the interior of a home. It can take weeks, months, or even longer for wet wood, sealed inside walls, to dry. In the mean time, mold and rot have the perfect environment to establish a foot-hold; warm, damp, organic material. When it does dry, wood doesn’t remain the same size and the same shape as it was when it was wet. So, as they dry, wood walls change shape resulting in visibly noticeable warping and cracked sheetrock. Get close to the wall and look down its length. If it’s wood, and it isn’t warped yet, it may not be dried out.

Builders may tell you that they avoid these problems by using kiln dried lumber. If so, ask them what steps have been taken since it left the mill to ensure that it stayed perfectly dry. As soon as wood is exposed to moisture it begins to absorb it. It's a natural property of trees. Without it they would not be able to draw in water and nutrients to survive. Cutting down a tree and drying it doesn't change its tendency to absorb water.

There’s a reason commercial buildings are framed with steel and it’s not because it’s cheaper. Builders of commercial buildings understand the benefits of steel. It has a longer lifespan than wood, does not retain water, remains dimensionally stable and creates less waste than wood framing. It is not susceptible to insects, rot or mold and it’s not combustible. Most of the steel used in framing is 100% post-consumer recycled material as well.

Ask the builder: Where was the framing done for this home and what are the benefits?
Framing homes on-site is quickly becoming a method of the past. In fact, 47% of homes built on the East Coast today are framed in a plant. By framing in a plant and delivering completed wall sections to the jobsite for assembly, builders can ensure their quality. In a plant environment jigs and fixtures can be used to build walls that are perfectly square, windows can be installed and sealed, waste can be properly managed, and strict quality control measures can be employed. Walls can be built in a plant in less time, under better working conditions. When they are delivered to the jobsite they can be assembled in a matter of hours rather than days.

Ask the builder: What is the Quality Control process you use?
Every builder should have a written quality control process. Ask to see it, as well as the QC Inspector’s sign-offs for the construction of the home. If the builder has them they will be proud to show you. Look for detailed sign off sheets for each wall that show they were inspected for proper assembly and quality of materials.
Builders may try to convince you that the local building inspectors ensure they meet requirements. But, keep in mind, local inspectors are charged with inspecting for health and safety aspects of a structure. They are not responsible for accuracy, aesthetics or quality.

Ask the builder: What is your waste management plan during construction?
Every builder should have a waste management plan. According to the Office of Sustainable Development, four pounds of waste are created during construction for each square foot of a typical home. That means, in a typical 1,700 square foot house, 6,800 pounds of waste are created. That adds up quickly in a neighborhood of 100 homes. Make sure your builder is doing everything possible to reduce that amount of waste and recycling everything they can. Look for a plan that targets 1 pound per square foot with 95% of that being recycled.
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes
Next Post: Part 3 - Insulation.

What Should be in Every New Home and Why --Part 1-- Insulated Foundation

Preface - The Builder and the Realtor
Usually, when looking at new homes, you’ll be dealing with the Realtor. A Realtor can be a valuable ally during the transaction and with facilitating your home shopping. But, in many cases, the Realtor won’t be able to adequately answer the tough questions you’ll want to ask if they weren't involved in the build process. If they can’t, ask to speak directly with the builder of any new home you’re considering buying. If the Realtor stands in the way, there’s a reason. The builder doesn’t want to deal with you.

Part 1 - Insulated Foundation
Your foundation should do more than just hold your house up. It should contribute to the energy efficiency of your home. It should be able to deal with moisture, reasonable earth movement, resist pests, and control outside environmental effects. If all of this is done, it allows the designers to utilize space they couldn’t otherwise and allows the home owner to access space they were uncomfortable entering before. It also adds to the comfort and longevity of the home.

Ask the builder: Does this home have a sealed, insulated foundation?
By using insulated concrete forms builders can eliminate the vents that let in insects, rodents and cold moist air. By adding a concrete slab that covers the dirt floor of the traditional crawl space and introducing conditioned air the “stack effect” can be eliminated as well. The stack effect is most severe when heating the home as the warmer indoor air rises up through the building and escapes through open windows or ventilation openings. The rising warm air reduces the pressure in the crawl space of the building, pulling cold, moist air through the foundation vents and into the home. As the air works its way up through the home it deposits moisture in the insulation under the floor, the carpet, the furniture and the inside of the walls. That moisture shortens the lifespan of your home, reduces the quality of the air you breathe and makes the home less comfortable. An added benefit to sealing and insulating the foundation and introducing conditioned air is that air vents and plumbing can be run underneath the home without being subject to outside air temperatures. By keeping these systems in conditioned space, energy consumption is greatly reduced.

Ask the builder: Does this home have foundation drains?
All homes should be built with foundation drains. Not all homes are built with foundation drains. It’s a shortcut that saves the builder a little time and a little money but that has a huge negative impact on the quality and longevity of your home. Without water management around the base of your home it is subject to more earth movement, erosion and water in the crawlspace. At a minimum, the builder should use a drainage system around a home but, even better, is a footing form that includes water and radon gas evacuation. By using a footing form drain, water is managed on both sides of the foundation wall and under the concrete slab.

Ask the Builder: Is this a monolithic pour foundation?

A monolithic pour is when all of the footings, foundation walls and earth slab are poured at one time. The biggest benefit of a monolithic pour is its strength. When all of the concrete is poured at the same time it all becomes one cohesive piece. Many builders set up plywood forms for the footings one day, and then come back the next day to pour concrete. The day following the footing pour they return to strip the forms. Later, they come back and repeat the process for the foundation walls. If they pour an earth slab, it is done in a third step. This method creates a foundation with a break between the footing and the walls which is not as strong or tightly sealed as a monolithic foundation. In addition, because a monolithic pour is completed in a single day, it requires the crew to drive to the job site one time rather than about ten times, and the concrete pump truck to travel to the jobsite one time rather than three. So, a monolithic pour makes a stronger foundation and does so with less environmental impact. Why wouldn’t every builder do it that way?

Ask the builder: Does this foundation take advantage of the thermal energy of the earth?
By excavating to the proper depth, the foundation of a home can take advantage of the constant 55 degree temperature of the earth. That means that when it is 25 degrees outside you have a head start on heating your home as the foundation collects that 55 degree temperature. Conversely, when it’s 90 degrees outside, you have a head start on cooling your house. It’s part of the energy efficiency of a home that many builders overlook.

Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes

Next week: Part 2 - Framing.

What Should Be in Every New Home and Why

Can you imagine buying a new car without seatbelts? They just aren’t available because certain features are demanded, by law and by consumers, as essential in every new car. So, what should be demanded as essential in a new home?

New homes should be:

• Efficient – They should use energy sparingly and wisely.
• Attractive – They should have the features that give you pride as a homeowner.
• Comfortable – They should give you complete control over temperature, humidity and air quality.
• Long Lasting – They should last 100 years or more.
• Pest Resistant – They should use materials and methods that inhibit rodents and insects.
• Easy to Maintain – They should not require excessive time or money in upkeep.
• Environmentally Friendly to Build – They should not create excessive waste or environmental disruption during construction.
• Safe – They should be fire resistant, mold resistant and not create harmful off-gasses.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be publishing some key features that you should look for when deciding on which new home to purchase. You’ll be armed with the information most builders don’t want you to know. You’ll be able to ask the questions that will eliminate the poorly built homes from your list of possibilities.

Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes

Map to Bella Ponte Cino - Lot 4

Below is a map to a home we're building in Clackamas. The address is 14056 SE Sierra Drive, Clackamas, Oregon 97015.

If you would like a personalized tour please call Larry Quilliam at 503-970-7061.

Miranda Homes Uses Game Changing Technology

Miranda Homes poured the foundation today on what promises to be a game-changer in the housing market. This foundation is just the beginning of a development of highly energy efficient homes being built in Clackamas this summer.



Not only are the homes highly energy efficient, they are being built to be affordable. Owner, Rob Boydstun, said,”We have developed methods and materials that allow us to create comfortable, attractive homes that are environmentally conscious and that are priced competitively with traditionally built homes.” Their methods and materials also allow Miranda to deliver completed homes fewer than 60 days from ground breaking.

Energy efficiency for this home has been projected at up to 50% over a traditionally built home of the same floor plan.

Larry Quilliam of Windermere Realty was on site for the pour. According to Larry, new homes built in 2009 in the Portland, Milwaukie, Clackamas, Oregon City and Lake Oswego areas total 255 (price range between $200,000 and $500,000), but only 99 actually exist or are under construction. “Citing data from the RMLS”, Larry said, “99 homes represent only 1.1% of the market. It is hard for those people who want to see something new in that price range to find a house to look at today.”



The home started today has already been sold. Two more homes using different plans will start within 30 days. Miranda Homes will be building a total of 50 homes in the development which will be available starting in mid September.

For more information please contact Mark Mecklem at 503-658-4818 or mmecklem@mirandahomes.com
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes

Read About us in the Oregonian

We are in the Oregonian today. You'll find us on the cover of the Homes and Gardens section.



Here's a link.

"Junked Cars Morph into Green Homes"

Stay tuned for more....

Rainwater Harvesting

We've been researching rainwater harvesting systems for use in our house. What we have found is that most of them are near the range of $30,000. That doesn't quite fit with our model. What we're trying to achieve is an affordable home that couples sustainable building practices and materials with sustainable living. A big part of that is finding ways to avoid the 30% up charge associated with typical sustainable homes. So, we started looking at the alternatives to a $30,000 rainwater collection system.

To start with we looked at the typical water usage of a home. We found that nearly 70% of the water used in a home is for landscaping, outside hose bibs and toilets. So, if we could find a way to cover a huge portion of the water usage at a fraction of the cost of what's available on the market we could help people into sustainability.

We came up with a system that includes a 1,700 gallon underground collection tank and a Master Shield gutter system that filters the rainwater. During a rain the first 10 gallons of water are collected and drained off to remove the huge majority of "undesirables" which is required by code. The rest of the water is collected in the tank. We are introducing a small amount of city water into the tank for the treatment properties it offers.

Water can then be pumped out of the tank on demand using a 15 gpm pump located outside the house. If the tank is drained to less than 250 gallons a valve in the crawl space switches the toilets, hose bibs and sprinklers over to city water. During a pump failure or a power outage the system will also switch over to city water.

Our home monitoring system will show how much water is in the tank and differentiate water usage between collected rainwater and city water. By knowing how much water is being used and how much is available in the tank, homeowners can make small changes to reduce their overall consumption. We will be installing two stage toilets that have the option of a .8 gallon "half" flush or a 1.6 gallon "full" flush which will also help manage water usage.

Our aim is to accomplish all of this for under $8,000. By making the decision to help reduce city water usage by 70% rather than 100% we can offer a savings of $22,000 and we can make it available to many more people.

The overall result of 100 people reducing city water usage by 70% has a much greater positive impact on the environment than 1 person reducing city water usage by 100%. And currently, the number of people choosing a $30,000 system over relying on city water is nowhere near the 1% in that example.