Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Designing Net Zero Energy House Plans [Cheat Sheet]

Net Zero Energy House Plans


Designing a new home is always an exciting and challenging experience. Starting your home design and construction from scratch and being a part of every detail and step will make your new home that much more unique and fit to you. If you are considering going for gold and taking on the challenge of designing a Net-Zero energy home in Scottsdale, the fruits of your labor will definitely be worth the hard work. Here is a cheat sheet to help you get started on designing your Net-Zero Energy house plans.


Consult with Net-Zero Energy Home Experts


When getting started on your net zero energy home plans, it is important to consult with experts in the field. Receiving expert help and opinions will allow you to better identify your own needs and wants, receive accurate and up-to-date information, and cut out any unnecessary additions and expenses. This is especially important if you have little to no knowledge about net zero energy and home design. An expert can also help you ensure that your home is truly net zero and affordable for your budget.


Catalog Your Favorite Net-Zero Features


An expert consultation from Net-Zero Energy home builders in Scottsdale is also important because they can help you pinpoint which features should and should not be included into your house plans. Most, if not all, of these features are dependent upon the size, location and shape of your home. Location is important to consider in regards to climate and weather. In a Net-Zero home, the sun’s energy should be used as much as possible. Include features that will help you maximize sun usage, especially in places that do not receive much sun exposure. The size and shape of your home are also important to consider. A smaller, simply scaled home will save you on energy and expenses both during construction and in the long haul.


Some other features to include and consider in your net zero energy home design are raised heel trusses, placement and size of windows, double walls with offset studs, and simple lines without unnecessary corners.


Once you have settled on the design of your home, it is time to draw up the blueprints. Team up with an experienced architect and a net zero energy expert to ensure your Net-Zero energy home blueprints exactly match your vision for your home and your goal for affordability and energy efficiency.


Choose the Details of Your Net-Zero Home 


Designing energy efficient homes requires particular construction and details. This includes insulation choices all the way to the type of light bulbs you prefer. When furnishing and filling your home with the necessities, here are some added features to use and consider: low flow showerheads and faucets, motion detectors for lights in high-traffic rooms, clothes lines and racks for drying clothes, and installing LED light bulbs.


Check for Proper Certification 


There are certain building codes, regulations and permits that every builder must follow and obtain in order to start the construction process, and this is no different for future homeowners. There are already many green building codes in place for non-net zero homes to help conserve and reduce energy and resource usage. By designing a Net-Zero home, you already meet many of these requirements without even trying. Some of the regulations in the green building code include: storm water management and other water conservation, lighting, air conditioning and heating, and overall environmental impact.


__________________________________


Contact the Zero-Net Energy home experts at Peak One Builders & Restoration to learn more about building a custom cutting-edge green home. Request a free estimate or call 480-378-0611 now!

 


Read related articles:


 



Designing Net Zero Energy House Plans [Cheat Sheet]

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Carefree Home Renovations to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Carefree Home Renovations to Improve Indoor Air QualityWhen you’re a homeowner, you are responsible for keeping all of the systems in the house in tip top shape for the sake of your family’s health as well as protecting your investment. Everything from maintenance to renovations, equipment replacement and more are necessary to keep a house’s structure strong. With Carefree home renovations to improve indoor air quality, the air in your home will better, in addition to providing increased comfort and lower energy costs. 


The Consequences of Poor Indoor Air Quality


Unfortunately, low-quality indoor air is often undetected by the untrained eye, and many aren’t even aware that poor air quality can affect you negatively. However, the home with lesser air can actually worsen allergies and asthma, and even prompt other health conditions. If you suspect that your home may have poor air quality, or if it has been confirmed by professional experts, it might be time to invest in household renovations that can improve the quality of your indoor air.


Renovations to Improve the Quality of Your Indoor Air


One of the best parts about Carefree home renovations to improve indoor air quality is that your home will feel more comfortable, you can save on energy costs and the space will possibly even be that much more aesthetically pleasing. For instance, the professional remodeler might construct tighter building envelopes on your home, which would protect the interior of your house from the elements. Tightly sealed homes allow for the space to have better circulation, which can increase air quality and help cut energy costs each month.


The windows in the house will also be upgraded to improve efficiency of the home. This will stop drafts from coming into the house, along with outdoor toxins that could spark allergies. If there are moisture control issues in the home, this can spark the growth of mold and mildew, which can great impact your indoor air quality. The water damage will be accessed, the root of the problem will be discovered and your home will be restored by your remodel professionals.


Of course, one of the most important elements to having the air quality in your home improved is to upgrade the ventilation system. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) are the systems in your house that treat air and disperse it in every room. With new HVAC systems, there is a higher possibility that air will stay clean as it is heated or cooled and transferred throughout the house.


Hiring a Remodeling Contractor in Carefree


In order to have these changes properly made to your home, you will need to employ the skills and expertise of a Carefree home remodeling contractor. These professionals will know exactly which systems of the house need to be upgraded or replaced so that your family can enjoy a higher quality of air.


As the homeowner, you can learn about the different options available to you in order to improve this aspect of your house. You and your contractor can work together to create a unique plan that is specific to your home and your family.


____________________________________


Contact the Carefree indoor air quality home remodeling experts at Peak One Builders & Restoration to get started with your renovation project today. Request a free estimate or call 480-378-0611 now!

Read related articles:


 



Carefree Home Renovations to Improve Indoor Air Quality

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

3 Tips for Cave Creek Energy Efficient Home Remodeling

cave creek energy efficient home remodelingYour house can be the most beautiful one on the block, but that doesn’t mean you have to pass up remodeling opportunities, especially when your home’s efficiency is the main focus. There are several things that can be done to a home during a remodel that will improve the energy efficiency of the entire space. Cave Creek energy efficient home remodeling experts can improve the efficiency of your home, and help you save on bills, without sacrificing style.


Revolutionary Framing Techniques


Throughout the years, home building has evolved in order to help homeowners save on energy and material costs. One of the unique ways that professional home builders are able to accomplish this feat is through the framing of the house.


Advanced wall framing uses less lumber in place of more insulation, which can increase the efficiency of the home without losing the integrity of the structure. When you have rooms added to your home during your green remodeling project, your contractors can use these framing techniques in order to better the efficiency of your house.


Improving Insulation and Air Circulation


Like with advanced wall frames, home insulation can be improved throughout, to help increase home energy efficiency and your cut energy costs. This can include replacing doors and windows to make a tighter seal, increasing insulation in the seams of the house and envelope air sealing.


Essentially, sealing and insulating the envelopes of the home can prevent leaks and drafts coming in from outside. Doing so can also reduce outdoor noise, control humidity and can even decrease the number of toxins from coming in your home.


Adding Natural Light to the Space


Replacing the actual windows in your home will certainly help protect against drafts, but that isn’t the only thing installing new windows can do. By adding more windows throughout your home, you can increase the amount of natural light that comes into each room.


This will keep the space warmer throughout the day, eliminating the need to turn up the heater during the chillier winter months. When the weather is warmer, you can leave these windows open and let the cool breeze blow through, in lieu of using your AC. It will also illuminate the space to the point where you wouldn’t need to turn on many lights in the house just to see.


Working with Remodeling Experts


When you work with professional contractors, you can learn more details about Cave Creek energy efficient home remodeling. Essentially, nearly every system in your house can be upgraded or improved in order to boost your home energy rating and help you cut back on your monthly expenses. A professional energy efficient home remodeling company in Cave Creek will be able to access your home and help you determine which changes could be most beneficial to your specific space.


____________________________


Contact the energy efficient home remodeling experts at Peak One Builders & Restoration to get started with your green remodel. Request a free estimate or call 480-378-0611 now!

Read related articles:




3 Tips for Cave Creek Energy Efficient Home Remodeling

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

How to Remodel High Performance Homes in Paradise Valley

remodel high performance homes in Paradise ValleyEssentially, when you remodel a home to be considered “high performance,” you are increasing the energy efficiency of the entire space. This kind of improvement project can better the look of your home, help you save on energy and increase the value of your property. With professionals who remodel high performance homes in Paradise Valley, you can turn your home into the green-space of your dreams.


1. Determine the Areas You Want to See Changed


Remodeling a high performance home means that you are taking your house and making it smarter, more efficient and healthier overall. Aside from the addition of energy efficient appliances, there are structural changes that can be made to your home in order to achieve the desired high-performance effect. For instance, the insulation of your house will be improved to reach its maximum potential, and the doors and windows can be exchanged to models that will help improve the efficiency of your home.


If there are specific areas of the house that you would like to see change drastically, you should take note of such. For instance, popular rooms that are remodeled for high performance are the kitchen, bathrooms and common living spaces. All of these areas can be upgraded to improve the aesthetics and comfort of the space, in addition to saving on your monthly energy costs.


2. Begin to Form Your Remodeling Plan


Before you begin meeting with professional contractors who remodel high performance homes in Paradise Valley, you need to gather the plans for your remodel. Now that you already know which rooms you want to see improved the most, you can start creating a more detailed list of the specific changes you would like to see. When you take this list to your contractor, you will find that whole process will move along that much more smoothly.


3. Meet with Professional Contractors


It can be nerve-wracking to choose a contractor who will be working on your beloved home. To help you choose the right high performance home remodeling company in Paradise Valley, there are certain qualities that you can be on the lookout for. An experienced company will have the references, portfolio and remodeling options you need in a contractor.


After you’ve found the perfect company for your project, you can begin to work together on finalizing the remodel plan for your high performance home. They will be able to make suggestions on advanced framing techniques and what would look best for your house in making it as energy efficient as possible. You can then enjoy watching your home transform into the ultimate, high performance space.


Remodel High Performance Homes in Paradise Valley


Do you live in Paradise Valley? Don’t suffer through another unbearably hot summer that sends your energy costs through the roof. Have your home transformed into a high performance space that can help you save on energy while living in maximum comfort.


_____________________________


Contact the high performance home experts at Peak One Builders & Restoration to learn more about starting a green remodel. Request a free estimate or call 480-378-0611 now!


Read related articles:




How to Remodel High Performance Homes in Paradise Valley

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

3 Amazing Benefits of Building a Zero-Net Energy Home

building a Zero-Net energy homeEvery few weeks, homeowners pour over their monthly bills and wonder how they can cut back on their energy costs and consumption. If you’re ready to make some household changes, there is an alternative to living in the traditional home with municipal power. By building a Zero-Net Energy home, your house will produce as much energy as it uses, helping you to save on energy costs and increase your home’s value.


How Zero-Net Energy Homes Work


These types of homes are built with the idea of maximum efficiency in mind. From top to bottom, your professional builders will ensure that the house is airtight, with advanced insulation and the most efficient appliances, lighting and HVAC systems. With a grid-system to collect energy from the sun, combined with efficient appliances, the idea is that your home will produce as much energy as it uses.


There are several elements that go into creating the perfect, zero energy building. For instance, the placement of windows is carefully planned, and ventilation solutions are incorporated into the home to avoid condensation complications. Even the land and position of the home are taken into consideration when using a Zero-Net Energy home builder in Scottsdale.


Three Major Benefits of Building a Zero-Net Energy Home


It seems as if the benefits of owning a Zero-Net Energy home are endless, as energy consumption plays such a large role in the majority of our lives. There are, however, three main benefits to living with home renewable energy systems in your house. The most obvious being that the total cost of homeownership is reduced due to more energy efficient systems.


If you’re more concerned with the long-run, you should know that having an energy efficient home can increase the value of your property. The aesthetics of the traditional home are not lost either, as the solar panels will seamlessly blend in with the roofing. This could produce a higher resale value for your house and bump up your ROI (return on investment).


Lastly, Zero-Net Energy homes are simply more comfortable because the interior temperatures of the house are consistent. Remember those windows we mentioned earlier? Similarly, every part of your home will be strategically planned out for maximum efficiency, which equals maximum comfort as well.


Building an Energy Efficient Home in Scottsdale


Having a custom home built for you and your family in beautiful Scottsdale can be an exciting experience. With a Zero-Net Energy home, you will have the most innovative and futuristic house on the block. Your energy costs will drop, you will feel comfortable in your efficient home and you will enjoy the brand new space that you get to call your very own.


____________________________________


Contact the Zero-Net Energy home experts at Peak One Builders & Restoration to learn more about building a custom cutting-edge green home. Request a free estimate or call 480-378-0611 now!

 


Read related articles:



3 Amazing Benefits of Building a Zero-Net Energy Home