The number one way to make a home more energy efficient and keep maintenance costs down is to add more insulation. Over the years, the building code has changed to reflect the need for more insulation but adding more makes it harder for walls to dry out if they should ever get wet.
“Moisture is the leading cause of mould,” explained Mike Memme, of Mountainview Homes. “So you want to have a good air barrier surrounding the house. Our homes are built with a tight air barrier so there’s less moisture and air movement around the walls.”
A Mountainview home is also measured for air tightness using a blower door test. “We put a big fan at the front door that sucks the air, which helps us find any imperfections and tells us how air tight the house is.”
The builder creates the air tight barrier by encasing the home, just behind the drywall, with a sheet of poly, and then seals all the joints. “So we have something similar to a fish tank but that’s not ideal either because without filtration a fish tank will grow algae,” Memme said. “We don’t uses filtration, of course, but we do use ventilation.”
Every Mountainview Homes has a ventilation system in the basement to make sure the humidity stays low so there are no mould issue or dust mite issues. “Because so many homes today are more air tight, there is a danger of dust mites,” he said. “In fact, nearly 10 per cent of the population is affected by dust mites. This is not going to happen in our homes.”
For every house that’s built, Mountainview Homes hires a consultant to do an analysis on the construction drawings and materials. After the blower test, the builder will get a rating on the EnerGuide scale from 1 – 100, which tells how energy efficient it is relative to other houses, then a sticker goes on the hydro panel.
“This shows future purchasers of your house how energy efficient it is.”
For more information
www.mountainview.com
