Some Ideas to Consider …

  • Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #3 – Building Envelope & Air Quality

    Country Club Homes, Inc. is an environmentally aware Connecticut custom home builder continuing the family tradition of building high-quality, sustainable homes in Fairfield County, Connecticut for more than 50 years. In our ongoing series of posts on the subject of Fairfield County green home building strategies, we’ve covered the following two topics on the Blog:

    Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #1 – Passive Solar
    Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #2 – Energy Saving Materials & Systems

    The Green Home Building Strategy we will be discussing on the blog today covers the building envelope and indoor air quality. When we use the term building envelope, what do we mean? The building envelope is made up of the roof, floor and exterior walls that form a barrier between the indoor conditioned space and the outdoor unconditioned environment.

    According to writer Herb Kirchhoff at ehow.com, “A properly designed building envelope can substantially reduce heating costs in the cold seasons and cut cooling costs in hot seasons.” The insulating properties of the wall and window systems determine effectiveness. Low emissivity (Low-E) Argon gas filled windows are very effective insulators commonly used today. A building must also be airtight to be well-insulated. For more information about the building envelope, visit ‘Pushing the Envelope’.

    As new homes have become increasingly more airtight, the need for proper air supply and exhaust, and moisture control has become more significant. The reduction in air flow throughout the home allows for higher humidity, which if not regulated, may lead to mold growth.  The best way to prevent this is to prevent water from entering the conditioned space in the home with an air-tight, and moisture proof envelope system; and top-quality craftsmanship throughout the construction process.

    Interested in learning more about green home building strategies such as passive solar, or energy saving materials and systems? Click one of the links to an earlier post:  

    Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #1 – Passive Solar
    Fairfield County Green Home Building Strategy #2 – Energy Saving Materials & Systems

    If you are planning a custom new home or home remodeling work and are seeking green architectural design and construction services in the Fairfield County, Connecticut area, please contact us at 203-762-0550 or through the Country Club Homes, Inc. website. We welcome residential clients who are committed to incorporating these technologies into home design and construction.

    Image Source: Country Club Homes Portfolio

  • Being Prepared: Are Your Home and Family Ready for a Super Storm?

    Summer brings with it long days, vacations, ice cream cones… and storms.  Summer thunderstorms are common this time of year, and most of them are nothing to worry about.  However, summer is also hurricane season and, as we learned last year, the northeastern coast is not immune to the damaging effects of these super storms….

  • Remodeling Ideas That’ll Make Your Home Feel Bigger

    Gaining more living space in your home is not always about increasing the actual square-footage. Often times, remodeling a room so that it can serve double duty can effectively make your home seem a lot bigger and more functional. Here are some suggestions for remodeling your home to appear larger without actually adding on to…

  • The Benefits of a New Custom Home vs an Existing Home

    When searching for a new home, one of the earliest questions you need to answer is whether you want to buy an existing home or build a custom home.  Both have their benefits, but in many cases the benefits of custom building outweigh those of buying an existing home. When you search for existing homes,…

  • Has Marble in the Home Lost Its Luster?

    The use of marble in the home is a centuries old tradition. It’s beauty in the kitchen, bathroom and as floors or walls cannot be denied. But times do change. Once a sign of affluence, the allure of this natural stone has decreased dramatically as it has found its way into a high percentage of…