Thermal Moisture Protection System!
When building a new home everyone wants to ensure that they have adequately invested in its Energy Efficiency. Of the many energy saving investments you can make, proper installation of the Thermal Moisture Protection System offers one of the biggest returns on your investment.
Properly insulating your home for example reduces energy consumption and also increases the overall comfort and livability of your home, but it should not stop there! Maximum Energy Efficiency and comfort depend on a balance among the following:
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Insulation
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Air Sealing
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Moisture Control
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Ventilation
- Mechanical Engineering
Insulation
Proper insulation offers one of the biggest energy saving benefits. Proper insulation also provides added comfort and noise reduction, thus improving the overall livability of your home. Proper insulation involves a good understanding as to 1) where to insulate and 2) which types and quantities of insulation to use for our climate and type of heating/cooling system you plan to install. You can also check with the U.S. Department of Energy website for insulation guidelines.
Air Sealing
Energy efficiency and comfort is compromised when air enters a house uncontrollably through cracks and openings – this is called infiltration. Do not rely on infiltration to provide ventilation - it cannot be controlled, it reduces energy efficiency, and can cause problems with moisture, mold, and dust. Air sealing, or properly sealing cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment. Air sealing also reduces the likeliness of certain insects from entering your home. Air seal your home everywhere possible, and provide proper ventilation as needed.
Moisture Control
If you control the moisture in your home, it will increase the effectiveness of both insulation and air sealing efforts and vice versa, thus improving the overall energy efficiency of your house. Moisture control also improves the comfort of your home, and helps prevent mold and insect infestation (certain bugs such as termites and roaches seek moisture). Moisture control techniques should be applied to attics, slab foundations, basements, crawl spaces, and walls.
Ventilation
When you create an airtight home by implementing proper air sealing techniques, you must consider ventilation. If proper ventilation techniques are not employed, your home will seal in air pollutants and moisture. Ventilating properly also reduces odors, dust, and other compounds leading to health problems, including allergies. High moisture can compromise the structure of your home. To ensure adequate ventilation, the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) says that a home's living area should be ventilated at a rate of 0.35 air changes per hour, or 15 cubic feet per person, per minute, whichever is greater.
Mechanical Engineering
Lastly and while the individual components are mostly effective individually, the key is proper installation of the Thermal Moisture Protection System or "Intelligent Efficency." To understand “Intelligent Efficiency” is to stop thinking about energy efficiency simply in terms of individual components (e.g., furnaces, air conditioners, insulation, or windows) and to start thinking about it in terms of the entire system approach. When engineering homes and commercial buildings, we work with a team of engineers to utilize a “total systems approach” which considers geographic location, windows, doors, HVAC engineering and hardware, insulation package, air filtration and more. We take the guesswork out of optimizing the HVAC performance of any home or building while incorporating all the other inherent benefits of building the ultra energy efficient way. This final piece to the puzzle adds unprecedented value and consequently this efficient installation of a major component of a building system truly separates us from our peers in the industry!
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