The Importance of a Clean Furnace

You may have never considered what a furnace can go through before you ever live in a house. It is commonly used by subcontractors to help dry out the inside of the home and to speed up the process of sheet rock mud, tape and texture. The problem is that during construction there is a substantial amount of dust and debris in the air. Sheet rock dust is especially fine and stays airborne easily. When the furnace is running it sucks all of that matter into return vents, through the furnace and out through the ducts. Unfortunately, it leaves dust behind that the homeowner has to deal with for a very long time.

The furnace should never be used until the home is completed. All registers also need to be sealed with a durable material to keep construction debris and dust out. The furnace itself should be sealed in plastic to keep it clean as well. The best way to tell if you're looking at a furnace that wasn't subjected to construction debris is to pull a couple of the register vents out and look inside. The ducts should be clean and free of sheet rock scraps or other debris. You should also pull the filter out of the furnace and look inside for dust.

Using the furnace during construction may seem like an unimportant shortcut but it can have a long lasting negative impact on interior air quality for the homeowners.

Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes

Electricity Versus Gas

There are really only two common options for energy in today's homes; natural gas and electricity. Several factors contributed to our decision to standardize on electric appliances as opposed to gas. Arguments exist supporting both fuel types as being more environmentally friendly, however we believe the future will increasingly favor electricity as a means of tapping renewable sources. Even now, gas is almost entirely fossil-based. Electricity, on the other hand, already has several renewable technologies employed.

This is why homes that are "off grid" are largely electric. The technology exists for on-site generation of electricity in sufficient quantities to make it possible for a home’s production to exceed its consumption. Similar technology for natural gas is decades away. As the requirements approaching "net zero" or "zero carbon" homes are implemented over the next 20 years, we think homes will be forced to utilize electric fuel from renewable sources at ever increasing rates. This part of the country already has abundant, cheap, relatively clean electrical power generation. Building our homes with this in mind will put our customers in a better position to take advantage of future technological advances.

Electricity is universally consumed and unmatched in its capacity to fulfill all the energy demands of the house: heating, cooling, lights, cooking, and electronics - whereas, a home with a gas furnace will still need to have electricity to run the blower. Being entirely electric improves efficiency because we deal with fewer utility companies and our customers will have the convenience of fewer bills each month. Additionally we can eliminate the minimum meter rental charge that gas companies apply to each home whether or not any gas is used in a month. This charge is typically around $13 per month for an average household. Selecting the 100% renewable energy option through Portland General Electric will add $9 to the average household electricity bill.

Some customers may insist that they prefer gas appliances, and it will be simple to accommodate them – at an environmental cost. But to set a standard for a high performing home, all electric is simply better.

Loren Hanson - Miranda Homes

What Should Be in Every New Home and Why --Part 7-- Hidden Details

Many aspects of a home and its construction are covered up with the finishes. Sheetrock and carpet hide floor decking, fasteners and poor quality materials. What's under the cosmetics is very important to the longevity of your home and the comfort and security you'll experience while you live there.

Ask the builder: Was this home built from architectural plans or from engineering plans?
Historically, homes have been built from a set of architectural plans. These plans are a two dimensional guideline. It is similar to trying to build a car with a photograph and some notes. There is a significant amount of room for errors in translation by builders. Engineering is done in a three dimensional environment. Every aspect of the construction is completed on the computer prior to building. In a three dimensional environment designers are able to look at a home from every angle on the computer which exposes issues before they’re experienced on the jobsite.

Ask the builder: What is the thickness of the floor decking?
Floor decking is what’s under the floor covering. Most builders use ¾” plywood. You’ll notice a big difference with 1 1/8” tongue and groove plywood. It provides a more solid surface and is quieter than thinner decking. If you want to check for yourself, look at the crawlspace access door. You’ll be able to see from the profile exactly what is being used. Many builders will use less expensive materials here because they don’t think you’ll ask or that you’ll check for yourself.
(While you have the crawlspace access door open, look inside to see if there is a concrete slab or just a plastic sheet over dirt.)

Ask the builder: What types of fasteners were used to build the home?
Did you know that screws provide 30% more strength than nails? They also tend to squeak less. Look for builders who use screws rather than nails as fasteners.

Ask the builder: What measures have you taken to ensure the roof doesn’t leak?
There are many new products available today that help ensure a better sealed roof. Starting with the felt paper, (which is the base layer of the roof) better builders use improved staples that include a plastic cap. The cap helps seal the hole created by the staple and minimizes the possibility of the felt paper tearing at the entry point.

Roof valleys are another particularly susceptible area and can be improved with the use of an ice and water shield between the felt paper and the metal flashing.
Mark Mecklem- Miranda Homes

What Should Be in Every New Home and Why --Part 6-- Contractor / Subcontractors

At the surface, it may look like most homes are built by professional homebuilders. In truth, most home construction is run by a contractor but built by 20 or more subcontractors.

Ask the builder: Was this home built by a single professional builder or by many subcontractors each completing a small part of the process?

Subcontractors (or “Subs”) tend to be concerned with their own piece of the process. They don’t generally worry about the other subcontractors or how their work affects the work of others. Shoddy work has to be dealt with by the trades that follow. It is common to see a jobsite sit for days at a time with no one working on it because one sub is waiting on another, who is waiting on another, etc. That wasted time can add several months to the process and is transferred to the home buyer as extra costs in the form of interest and insurance payments made by the developer or construction loan interest by the homeowner.
By contrast, a professional builder efficiently schedules, completes, and takes full responsibility for every aspect of the home. It is a common impression that faster construction equates to lower quality. In fact, organized building processes reduce build time, increase quality control, and reduce costs. You’ll notice that homes built by professional builders are completed much more quickly (45 days or less) because of the control they have over scheduling. The assembly crew completes every part of the process. Any shoddy work they pass on is to themselves, so it is in each individual’s best interest to complete each task correctly.

Ask the builder: Who do I call with issues or questions?

It is common for contractors to refer questions to the subcontractor who completed the specific task in question. Often times it is not clear who the responsible party is. Subcontractors point fingers at each other leaving the homeowner powerless and the issue unresolved. When homes are built by a single responsible professional homebuilder issues can be resolved quickly and efficiently.

Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes

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