Custom Designing an Energy Efficient Home
With the ever-increasing energy costs that households have to bear, individuals who are constructing their residence are looking for ways to make their homes more energy efficient. A great way of doing this would be right off of the bat by using energy efficient custom designs. By working in conjunction with your architect and building contractors. You will be able to incorporate energy saving attributes to your home, which would save you a significant amount of costs in the long run. Moreover, by including energy efficient custom designs at the design phase, you are less likely to have to invest in additional renovations to enhance the performance of your residence. So what are some of the things that you need to do when custom designing an energy efficient home?
Start with proper site selection
If your home is to be energy efficient, the first aspect to consider would be the construction site. Some of the factors to keep in mind during site selection would be a topography that is flat and even, minimal exposure to the weather elements as well as unobstructed exposure to the sun.
Nonetheless, it would be difficult to find a perfect site that only offers you positive attributes. As such, it is important to hire an energy contractor who would be able to perform a site analysis on the various properties you are considering and compile a report on what would be the best prospects for your energy efficient home.
Focus on one ceiling design
Constructing your home gives individuals the opportunity to experiment with a myriad of design elements. However, this flexibility can become a drawback as some potential homeowners can go overboard trying to make their home unique and stand out. Instead of choosing different ceiling designs for your premises, it is best to stick to one type of ceiling. For example, if you have a flat roof in some areas of your home then have a cathedral ceiling in other room, you end up creating unheated spaces around the residence.
The wall separating the two types of ceilings, commonly referred to as a vault wall, can prove to be hard to insulate. As such, you find that your home will suffer from thermal loss and this can significantly decrease its energy efficiency. It would be best to have one type of ceiling that would be easier to seal and insulate, thus maintaining the thermal efficiency of your home.
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