Wihalm Custom Homes Energy Package

(R-15 Wall Insulation) -Widhalm Custom Homes is committed to using the best and most effective products for the money. We use blown in fiberglass insulation in the walls that fills in all voids and cracks around boxes, wires, pipes, and imperfections. Paper backed insulation can snag and leave pockets where air can move through the wall. Blown in fiberglass creates a much higher effectiveness resulting in a more efficient home.

(R-50 Attic) -The insulation in the attic is also blown fiberglass that is 19” thick creating the
R Value of R-50. Each attic is inspected to insure that insulation has been properly installed to the correct height.

(R-10 Blanket Insulation in the Basement) -Although the majority of heat loss is through the attic an often overlooked aspect of insulation is thermal transfer in basements and through framing material. Even in a well insulated house up to 30% less energy can be used with properly insulated basement walls. Because concrete is a good conductor and a terrible insulator the cold or heat will transfer straight through the poured walls and floor in your basement. We use a vinyl backed blanket insulation on all exposed basement walls and then use conventional insulation inside the exterior walls if the basement is to be finished. We also use 2” (R-10) foam board around the perimeter of all walk out walls to prevent the transfer of the cold from the ground and use ½” foam between the slab and the footings to create a thermal break.

(R-3 Foam Thermal Break) -Preventing Thermal Transfer on the other levels of your home is just as critical as the basement. The material used to create the frame of most homes is SPF. SPF Stands for Spruce Pine Fur, a high bred that is structurally superior to older materials. Although it is stronger it conducts heat and cold just as well, allowing the cold and heat to transfer from the siding to the studs to the drywall on the inside of your home. The total of all the surface area of all of the framing material adds up creating a lot of unwanted Thermal Transfer. The solution is to create a Thermal Break (like a hot pad for a stove) around the entire exterior of the home. We use a ½” Dow Foam Board on 100% of the exterior walls and then sheath the home conventionally with 7/16” O.S.B. to give the walls the maximum strength. The ½” of foam keeps the materials from touching preventing the transfer of the unwanted heat and cold. Another side benefit of this process is a huge reduction in noise pollution from the exterior as well as vibration.

(TY-Par House Wrap and Tape) -After the home is sheathed it is completely wrapped with
TY-Par Brand house wrap. TY-Par is a superior product over TY-Vec ,the old standard, in the sense that it acts as a moisture barrier as well as and air barrier. All seams and widows are taped based on the manufacturers recommendations.

2. AIR INFILTRATIONS – Sealed Can Lights, Outlets, Switches, and Cold Air Returns, etc.

(Sealing the home for air leaks) -Creating a “tight” home is one of the easiest ways to improve it’s efficiency. Energy Sealing a home is a process that includes using expanding foam or caulk on all penetrations. Some critical areas including all Ceiling Fixtures including can lights, foaming around all windows and doors, and sealing all ducts and cold air returns to prevent outside air from entering the HVAC system.

3. HVAC – High Efficiency Furnace, Programmable Thermostat, & Direct Vent Water Heater

The type of equipment selected is important in an efficient home and there are many combinations to think about where making the decision. Widhalm Custom Homes is open to the combination the home owner would like to consider but has personally found that one of the best combinations is using a 92% high efficiency furnace in combination with a 14 seer AC and a 90% direct vent water heater. These systems can be side vented preventing a hard to insulate flu space and this system has the most bang for the buck. We use high end Trane Furnaces and AC's as our standard.

4. WINDOWS – Integrity Brand windows have Low E II insulated glass and Argon gas with Ultrex construction

The Ultrex Advantage
-Strong, stable, durable and virtually indestructible, If you’ve ever encountered a dented or corroded roll-form aluminum window or a faded, cracked vinyl window, the advantages of Ultrex are obvious. Ultrex’s specially compounded resins and thin strands of strong glass are combined to create a material so strong, it’s used in bridge construction; so stable, it remains virtually unchanged even when it’s subjected to extremes such as temperatures ranging from -30°F to 350°F. Windows made with Ultrex components expand and contract at the virtually same minute rate as glass, so each window remains tightly sealed with no leaks, seal failures or stress cracks.

LoE3-366® Insulated Glass with Argon Gas
-Adds a third coating of silver oxide to the two layers provided by LoE2 for improved solar control and thermal performance
-Uses the latest technology to distinguish between visible light and undesirable UV and near-infrared rays, while providing high visibility
-Delivers a U-Value and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) that meet the 0.30 Tax Credit Guidelines on all Integrity Wood-Ultrex and All Ultrex products

Environmental Benefits of Integrity Windows
- Ultrex is made of 10% recycled material and the glass products contain 15%-33% recycled content.
- Ultrex requires 39% less energy to produce than vinyl and is inert, unlike vinyl / PVC, which can emit harmful environmental gas, pigments, and dyes as it degrades.

5. LIGHTING – Air Tight Cans / Using % of CFL (Compound Florescent Lighting)

Can Lighting in new homes is a must architecturally but unfortunately they are know for there inefficiencies. We use Air Tight Cans through out as well as caulking them to the ceiling where they are cut in. CFL / Florescent lighting is also another great way to cut energy cost and we add CFL's and Fluorescents in areas where the type of light is less important. We also use many Energy Star rated fixtures and ceiling fans.

6. APPLIANCES – Energy Star Rated

There are a lot of options for appliances in the allowance we offer but our standard is to use all GE profile appliances that are all Energy Star rated.

7. LUMBER– Engineered OSB

The use of OSB over plywood reduces the demand for large or old growth trees. OSB is used on virtually every surface of the home. Manufactured I Joist for the floor system is also an option that reduces the demand.

8. PAINT – Sherman Williams “Green Sure Paints”

Sherwin-Williams commitment reaches beyond supplying environmentally friendly paints. It extends throughout their laboratories, manufacturing facilities, and distribution systems.

- They use sustainable raw materials, like soy and sunflower oil in their paints.
- Reduced the amount of solvent in their formulations, so the vapors being emitted into the atmosphere are more environmentally friendly.
-New techniques in manufacturing processes have helped produce less waste and they have implemented energy efficient methods in their plants.
-Streamlined national distribution processes, helping to conserve fuel, energy and other natural resources.
-Formulated many of their coatings to clean easily and to resist mildew and harmful bacteria improving the indoor and outdoor environments.

Greensure products offer maximum performance, long-term durability and the highest indoor air quality ratings - proof that you can enjoy a beautiful room while still respecting nature's beauty.

9. CERTIFICATION – 3rd Party Energy Rater used from Planning thru Completion.

From-Plans Ratings.
From-Plans Ratings are conducted when a Rater reviews a builder’s plans and specifications prior to construction. From-Plans Ratings can show builders (and/or home buyers) how alternative packages of upgrades can affect the energy performance of a home.

The Energy Rating Process
The Energy Rating process involves accredited E-Star® Home Energy Raters collecting detailed data on a home, which is then processed through E-Star’s proprietary software to produce a report of the home’s energy performance. This process supports our efforts to produce higher quality homes, to meet local energy codes, and to objectively measure home energy performance for a variety of purposes.

The E-Star Energy Rating
An E-Star Energy Rating gives each home a score expressed on a scale from 0-to-100 points and one to five stars. As a uniform measure of residential energy performance, an E-Star Energy Rating serves as a “miles-per-gallon sticker” for homes.

Each E-Star Energy Rating includes a thorough, on-site evaluation of a home's energy features. A Rater certified by the E-Star program spends several hours in the home collecting data about the thermal performance of the building envelope and the solar orientation of the structure. The Rater gathers more than 200 pieces of data such as the R-values of insulation and windows and the delivery efficiency of space and hot water heating systems. In addition, the tightness of a home against infiltration from unconditioned air is quantified in each E-Star Energy Rating through a blower door test. Finally, the data is sent through proprietary E-Star software that calculates the energy efficiency of the home as a system.

E-Star Energy Rating Report
The result of the rating is an Energy Rating Report that provides the 0-to-100 score, the efficiency levels of the major aspects of the home. Overall, the Energy Rating Report gives Widhalm Custom Homes Inc. important information about the homes we construct and an objective measure of energy performance.

The South Bay Model from Widhalm Custom Homes Inc. has a HERS Rating of 52 giving us a Five Star Plus Rating. A Five Star HERS Rating is from 71 to 85.
(Actual report available upon request.)

10. RECYCLING – On Site Separation of Lumber, Metals, Plastic, & Cardboard

Last but not least Widhalm Custom Homes offers a recycling plan where available that includes the separation of Lumber Waste to be recycled as well as conventional materials such as paper products, metals and plastics.

Widhalm Custom Homes, Inc. is Dedicated to Building Quality and Efficient Homes with Reduced Waste, Greater Value, Lower Operating Costs, Increased Durability, Comfort, and Health Standards.