Foundation
Superior Wall is the foundation wall system we use in our homes. This is the wall system that has steel studs built into the wall. It also has a continous foam insulation that is able to achieve Energy Star Certification without additional insulation. Although not necessary, when we are building a finished basement we insulate this wall cavity with the Spider Custom Insulation System which is a blown in Formaldehyde-Free Fiberglass Insulation to provide that much more comfort and Energy Efficiency to the added living space. We do not use standard vinyl basement windows - we use the same quality windows that are in the rest of your home, unfinished or finished.
Framing
We frame our homes using 2x6 exterior walls for extra insulation protection. Our exterior wall sheeting is called the ZIP System. It is an 7/16" OSB panel that has a sprayed on Water Resistant Barrier that is breathable with fully taped seams. We feel there is a substantial difference in stoping the air infiltration into the home using this system. We also feel this eliminates possible moisture traps that may occur using traditional house wrap. We also use this same concept on our roof system. A lot of where framing can assist in making a home more energy efficient is how it is put together. We place a continuous bead of glue under our exterior wall panels and at all corners and wall panel seams to add an additional barrier of air infiltration. We also use a continuous bead of glue on all of our exterior band boards where they meet the sill plates and between sill plates.
Insulation
We use the Spider Custom Insulation System in our Exterior Walls filling the entire 2x6 wall cavity with Formaldehyde-Free Fiber Glass Insulation achieving up to a R-23 insulation rating (R-13 is code for the Southwest Ohio Region). The other advantage of our wall insultion system is that as it is blown into the wall cavity, it is mixed with glue so that it will stay in place overtime (batt insulation has shown tendencies of settleing in the wall cavities) and it fully fills the cavity stud to stud without air gaps. We also foam behind all electrical boxes in the exterior walls to stop air infiltration through these. We caulk all wall panel seams to the floor and eachother as a secondary protection behind our glue system applied during framing. We foam around all windows and doors in exterior walls. We blow insulation in the attic to a R-60 insulation rating (R-38 is code for the Southwest Ohio Region). We also make sure that all attic work is completed prior to blowing to insure the insulation does not get trampled down from workers walking in the attic. Before we blow the attic, we seal all ceiling penetrations from light boxes and duct work to prevent air infiltration. At the end of construction, we perform a door blower test to give the house its overall Energy Efficiency Rating.
Windows
We use Anderson 400 Series Casement Windows with the EcoExcell Smart Sun Package (better than Standard Low-E Glazing). We prefer casement over double hung for air infiltration purposes. We also like the ease of operation of casement over double hung. We also prefer not to have grills in the window as this does effect the way the Argon Gas and Glazing performs. The reason we like these windows is the combination of three factors. The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient which measures how well a product blocks heat caused by sunlight (the lower the number the more it will help reduce air conditioning bills), The U-Factor which is how well a product prevents heat from escaping (the lower rating the better) and the Visible Transmitter which is how much visible light comes through a product (the closer to 1.0 the more light is transmitted) An example of a 29" x 72" 400 Series Casement Smart Sun Window is:
U-Factor 0.28
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient 0.21
Visible Transmitter 0.49
Please compare this to our competitor builders as this is a huge factor in Energy Efficiency
HVAC
We use Geothermal Heating Technologies. We use individual room air returns to better move the air throughout the home. We seal all of our duct pipe connections with tape. We install programmable thermostats so you can manage the heating and cooling of your home more efficiently. We use vented hood/downdraft exhausts for the cooking area. Each of our bathrooms use different size exhaust fans. We calculate each bathroom to ensure the fan will work for that bathroom.(most builders use standard 50 cfm fans which are under rated for most bathroom sizes) We install a Whisper Green Fan to ................
Plumbing
We use low flow 2.2 gpm faucets throughout the home. We use 1.28 GPF High Efficiency Toilets. We use an 80 Gallon Electric Water Heater that recieves a Geothermal Assist off our Geothermal Heating System. We use PEX water lines to get hot water to the faucet faster and eliminate most pipe connections behind the wall. (less likely to leak).
Electric
We use Energy Star Light Fixtures w/ Energy Star Light Bulbs
Appliances
Whirlpool Gold Appliances
