Stanton Homes - Building Green in the Triangle: June 2009

 Energy Wise Becomes Top Request by Stanton Homes® for Heroes Homebuyers in the Raleigh Area

Stanton Homes® and Healthy Home Insulation

Work Together for Guaranteed Energy Savings

RALEIGH, N.C. - Stanton Homes®  is pleased to announce a surge in requests for new homes that include green options, with 3 out of 4 expressing great interest in Energy Wise heating, cooling, and insulation systems.  Energy Wise has become an integral part of the nationally acclaimed Stanton Homes® for Heroes program, in partnership with Healthy Home Insulation. 

"We're seeing a tremendous amount of interest in the value this product brings to our new homes," said Stan Williams, CEO of Stanton Homes®.  "Our partnership with Healthy Home Insulation and the Energy Wise program enables military families to take advantage of some real bargains, with the knowledge that they're also doing the right thing for our environment and their health."

Stanton Homes® for Heroes is one of the largest military and veteran programs in the nation, with more than ten service partners working together to support active and retired local troops.  Stanton Homes® offers a 3% discount on any home they build for military families, along with special services such as Specially Adapted Housing through the Veteran Affairs office, and accessible homes and features.

The Stanton Homes® for Heroes program was created to recognize and salute veterans and military throughout the country, in tribute to the millions of Americans who have served this country, including Williams' own family members and friends who have served in Iraq, Vietnam, Korea, and WWII; in the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force branches of the Armed Forces.  

"We are very excited about the Energy Wise system that's going into our new Stanton Home," said Navy veteran Ryland Page, whose new home is nearing completion.  "Energy Wise really appeals to us because it is so thorough and balanced.  Rather than adding a few random upgrades, it is an engineered system. It starts by addressing all three modes of heat transmission in and around the home, from caulking to resist convection, Energy Wise closed cell Bayseal foam to resist convection and conduction, and heat rejecting windows to resist radiation. The system is really amazing - incorporating local climate data and solar exposure, and calculating the structure's heat load so well that it was able to guarantee the costs to run the HVAC equipment it has specified for the house." 

"We are pleased at the opportunity to partner with Healthy Home Insulation," said Williams.  "A healthy environment is something we strive for, together, working with families to determine their exact needs and factor the benefits and drawbacks of each type of insulation."

Ryland and his wife Kelly carefully researched every part o f their home construction, and worked with Stanton Homes®  and Healthy Home Insulation to make decisions based on their desires to have a healthy, economically efficient, environmentally responsible home.

"We chose Stanton Homes® primarily because of their knowledge of the VA's Specially Adapted Housing requirements, and the Stanton Homes® for Heroes program.  We found out about Energy Wise while planning the home," said Page.  "They are a pleasure to work with and our house is turning out great. These guys really do support the troops."

Stanton Homes® partnership with Healthy Home Insulation and Energy Wise enables the builder to include green qualifications in its new homes, along with a ten percent cost savings to military families, on top of the significant savings already offered through the Stanton Homes®  for Heroes program and its additional building partnerships.

"Healthy Home Insulation wants to offer the healthiest home possible with the absolute best systems on the market," said Tu Nguyen, CEO of Healthy Home Insulation.  "We strongly believe that the Energy Wise system offers exactly that.  Between the engineered HVAC system and the Bayseal foam insulation, we're fully confident about the 50-70% savings guarantee we're able to offer homeowners.  This kind of savings makes a big difference in today's economy, particularly as energy costs continue to rise."

Energy Wise use a systems approach to heating and cooling a home.   It starts with a careful review of the blueprints, window sizes and types, and room dimensions.  The HVAC system is precisely calculated.  Bayseal foam insulation is used to fill every crack and crevice, then extensive caulking is added to prevent any air leakage. 

"Our ecology-minded buyers like the Pages are telling us that their first concern is the environment, and the second is the growing cost of energy," said Williams.  "When they find out that an Energy Wise home offers a written guarantee of 50-70% cost savings on heating and cooling over any standard home, and uses fewer natural resources, they get excited." 

"Energy Wise's systemic approach to the entire structure made their claims of significant energy savings compelling to us," said Ryland. 

Healthy Home Insulation has years of experience with spray foam insulation, and a dedication to providing quality products and services.

"After obtaining my degree in mechanical engineering, I spent 12 years as a Senior Engineer for several oil companies," said Nguyen.  "I saw first-hand the alarming global increase in fuel demands.  Energy Wise and spray foam insulation is an extremely viable solution to alleviating our dependence on fossil fuel, while improving our health and protecting the environment for future generations."

Healthy Home Insulation and Stanton Homes® both offer free, personal consultations to discuss specific energy requirements for every home, with a precise cost benefit analysis of any floor plan.  Healthy Home Insulation's reputation for quality and responsiveness led HHI to become the first Raleigh area insulation company selected by Energy Wise to offer their system.

"We looked into green building products and techniques and compared them with standard options," said Page.  "Energy Wise provides a service for something we feel is very important to include in our new home.  The projected energy savings should pay for it in just a few years, and the rest is gravy. "

"Energy Wise is really a hit with homebuyers," said Williams.  "It's a very compelling product that insulates every facet of a home's thermal envelope - and then leverages the HVAC system to optimally manage it, with the ability to guarantee metering savings." 

You may also be interested in these popular green building topics:

Green Home Building in the Triangle

What is a Green Home?              

What Is Geothermal?  Geothermal News and Information

Passive Solar Homes and Ideas

Green Homes Raleigh NC

AVID Offers Green Design

Gorgeous Floor Plans Keep it Green

AVID - A Vision in Design is a local Raleigh area architectural firm offering many different unique floor plans, including Bungalow, Ranch, Traditional, Craftsman, and Colonial designs, along with an extensive collection of European designs.

Here's how they help keep every home green:

Green Building Techniques - Reduce Waste

The Specialty Plan Package helps builders reduce waste during the building process, with a specially designed system.

- Sill Plate and Girder Layout

Includes a detailed material take off, but even more important, includes every cut required and even allows exact calculation of waste materials.  The diagrams help reduce wasted labor too!

- Floor Systems

Every floor joist length is clearly labeled, with three dimensional graphics for difficult areas.

- Subfloor Layout

Each 4x8 sheet is given an exact cutting guide, again reducing both labor and material waste.

- Framing and Wall Panels

Every section of wall is separately detailed with incredible accuracy. 

- Roof Framing

2x10, 2x8 and 2x6 are color coded on the diagrams for complete accuracy.

Green building isn't the only reason AVID has many fans.

ICF Floor Plans

AVID features floor plans specifically designed for Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) Panels, which can also be built using traditional methods.

ICF floor plans range from an 1192 sq ft Bungalow to a 26000 sq ft Craftsman estate.  Browse floor plans here.

At Stanton Homes, we work from thousands of different floor plans, including the unique designs or custom designs at AVID.  Browse their plans today, and let us know if you see something you like! 

Top 5 Kitchen Trends in New Homes

Barrel Vault Ceilings - What Are They?

 Certified Green Homes, Step By Step

You may also be interested in these popular green building topics:

Green Home Building in the Triangle

What is a Green Home?

What Is Geothermal?  Geothermal News and Information

Passive Solar Homes and Ideas

Copyright Stanton Homes 2009. 

Insulation R-Values Can Be Misleading

Here's the Real Scoop on Real Life R-Values

Guest Author - Thanks to Tu Nguyen at Healthy Home Insulation, in partnership with Energy Wise. 

When choosing an insulation, don't just compare the R-values, because these are generated under laboratory conditions.

"Although the fundamental heat transmission characteristics of a material or system can be determined accurately, actual performance in a structure may vary from that indicated in a laboratory (20.3)*."

What does this mean?  A material can have a stated R value under perfect conditions in a closed laboratory, but perform very differently in real life. 

The R-value of fiberglass insulation can be particularly deceiving, because the published R-values are based primarily on conductive heat.  But total conduction is really a sum of conduction and convention, or how air moves.

Fiberglass insulation manufacturers don't like to test their products for all forms of heat transfer because "The movement of air through an insulation system, either by natural or forced convection, has a deleterious effect on thermal performance (20.2)*."

According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers Fundamentals Handbook, air movement by infiltration must be limited. 

So how does air get in?  The natural assumption might be windows and doors. 

But studies have shown that leakage attributed to windows and doors constitute only about one-fifth of the total leakage.  Leakage cracks and openings in walls and ceilings, especially at intersections, make up a far greater contribution to total leakage.

"Up to 70% of the total leakage openings were in walls, and up to 67% were through the ceiling, depending on the structure tested (21.9)*."

Small air leaks can have a BIG affect.

Where there is a 4% void are in R-11 fiberglass wall insulation, the heat loss actually increases by 15%!

Even worse, a 4% void in the fiberglass insulation of an R-19 ceiling results in an increase of 50% in heat loss!

It's essential, for insulation to work to stated R-values, to seals cracks in joints and install insulation so that there are NO gaps or voids around the material. 

"The function of insulation is clear:

It reduces energy loss from a surface operating at a temperature other than ambient.  Optimum use of insulation can:

1) Reduce operating expenditures for energy.

2) Improve process efficiency

3) Increase system output capacity or reduce required equipment capacity

4) Reduce ... expenses

The most important benefit of insulation is the energy conserved and the resulting savings in fuel and power costs. (20.10)*."

In the average structure built using fiberglass insulation, it is not uncommon to see 45% total heat loss in walls and 50% in ceilings. 

NOTE:  The above quotations are taken from the ASHRAE Fundamentals Handbook. 

OK, That's a Problem.  What's the R-value Solution?

An insulation system with both a stated R-value, and a way to eliminate air movement through walls and ceiling.

The Energy Wise system has addressed each of the issues with fiberglass insulation.  

Over 40,000 buildings use the Energy Wise system, which includes spray foam insulation, an engineered HVAC system, and an incredible amount of sealing at all joints. 

Eliminating gaps eliminates air flow and heat loss.

And the biggest sign that Energy Wise works better than standard fiberglass insulation?

Energy Wise provides a WRITTEN GUARANTEE that energy costs for heating and cooling will be 50-70% below those in a standard built home.

Find out more about Healthy Home Insulation and Energy Wise today, or call 877-944-3626. 

Raleigh NC New Homes

ENERGY STAR Just Makes Sense

New Raleigh Area Homes will Save Money, Environment

Stanton Homes is proud to announce a 100% commitment to building new homes that save money, have higher air quality, and reduce dependence on natural resources.  Stanton Homes has been earning national recognition for green and energy saving new home features for years.

Now, as a 100% ENERGY STAR builder, they are working harder than ever to pass those values on to new homebuyers.

"If Americans continue to focus on doing the right thing, ENERGY STAR homes will become standard in the next decade," said Stan Williams, CEO of Stanton Homes.  "With Stanton Homes, that standard starts now."

To earn prestigious ENERGY STAR qualification, a new home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC).  ENERGY STAR homes must go through a rigorous third party inspection process, which includes review of plans, framing inspection, insulation inspection, and even a special "blower test" to check air tightness of the home.  These inspections are in addition to and much more rigorous than standard building inspections. 

"Every homebuyer should be demanding ENERGY STAR," said Williams.  "These homes save up to 15% in monthly energy costs. On top of that, the homes qualify for a 5% monthly discount from Progress Energy or Duke Energy.  An average ENERGY STAR home may cost $15 more per month, but the average utility savings is $40 per month!"

An ENERGY STAR home has:

Advanced air sealing

Tight ducts

Advanced windows

Extra efficient HVAC equipment

Efficient insulation installation

Complete air barrier 

All these aspects are field verified by third party agencies like award winning Southern Energy Management. 

If a Stanton Homes homebuyer decides they do not want ENERGY STAR in a new home they are custom building, then they will have the ability to opt out of this feature. But all Stanton Home homebuyers will be educated as to the benefits before they make that choice.  Starting July 1, 2009, all speculative homes by Stanton Homes will be built and certified as ENERGY STAR homes. 

Stanton Homes also encourages energy-conscious homebuyers to consider an EnergyWise home, which provides a guaranteed 50-70% savings on monthly heating and cooling costs, through use of a specially engineered HVAC system, Bayseal foam insulation system, and other initiatives.  The EnergyWise system is available through Stanton Homes and Healthy Home Insulation. 

You may also be interested in:

Green Home Building in the Triangle

What is a Green Home?

What Is Geothermal?  Geothermal News and Information

Passive Solar Homes and Ideas

Raleigh Relocation Information

North Durham NC Inventory Dropping Dramatically

Almost 1/4 Less Than Last Year - Selections Thinning

First Quarter statistics are in for Durham County - and the results might be surprising.

If you've been searching for your next home in Durham NC, you may have thought the selection was a little thinner.  You're right.  Inventory is dropping dramatically from last year, and the best homes at the best prices are sometimes only available for a few days.

North Durham Shows Significant Reduction in Lower Price Points

Here's the available inventory levels by price point in North Durham.  As you can see, all price points below $500K show much lower inventory levels than last year.

Not only that, but New Construction sales in Durham have significantly INCREASED in the first quarter.  New Construction in Durham is up 48.7%, with 171 unit sales in 1Q 2009, versus 115 unit sales in 1Q 2008.

Where is Inventory Decreasing Most Rapidly in North Durham?

The most significant inventory drops actually occured in the $300-$399K, $400-499K, and $800-899K price points.

Surprising, since first time homebuyers have been increasing in the market - would have thought the lowest price buckets would see the highest inventory declines.

But this could also be a reflection of fewer homes being built in other price points.

Durham NC Home Inventory Levels

These percentages reflect both new construction and resale inventory.  As you can see, selections have thinned considerably across nearly every price point in North Durham. 

Other Triangle Area Market Reports

Wake County Inventory Levels April 2009

Luxury Home Inventory - First Quarter 2009

Appreciation Rates Wake County - Best Places to Buy 

Is the Buyers Market Going Away?

Based on pending sales and numbers of properties on the market, it looks like this trend will continue, and we may reach a seller's market by the end of the year. 

Surprising? Perhaps not so much - interest rates have never been lower, and builders have been slowing the new home process. 

You may also be interested in:

Jobs in the Raleigh Area

Triangle Area Market Reports - How's The Real Estate Market in Raleigh?

Shopping in the Raleigh Area - What Kind of Shopping Is There?

Raleigh Relocation Package - All About the Raleigh Area!

Which Part of the Triangle is Cheapest to Live?  Property Tax Guide