Doing it right the first time

Building a home typically requires making many decisions: paint colors, flooring, cabinet style, hardware. Many of these choices can be altered in the future when styles and tastes change. Some choices, like the decision to build an energy efficient home, can’t be changed once the home is built. Most of the elements of an energy efficient home must be set in place before the construction of the home is even begun. The choice to make your new home energy efficient can only be made at one point: from the start. 

That’s why McAlister Construction builds every one of our homes to a higher, more demanding standard that will ultimately reduce our clients’ energy usage and utility bills. This allows our clients to contribute to the important effort to reduce energy consumption while also saving them money. Lots of money. Our buyers find that their utility bills are approximately 50 percent less than those of homes built by other builders. 

The exterior of a home that the "envelope" has been sealed.

So what exactly does it mean to build to a higher, more demanding standard? First of all, it means every single one of our houses exceeds the Energy Star label. To earn the Energy Star, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We go above and beyond these guidelines.

"Blown-in blanket" application

It also means that everything we do is inspected by an independent energy inspector both during construction as well as after completion. Before insulation is installed, our homes are inspected to ensure that the envelope, or shell, of the house is airtight. A thorough inspection of the sealed duct work in the HVAC system is also done at this point. After passing this inspection, the home is then insulated, which is followed by another inspection to ensure proper installation before sheetrock is installed.

Many more steps are required in building an energy efficient home, but these early steps are vital to the efficiency of the home. McAlister Construction continues to do it right the first time. 

Sealed R-8 ductwork

Look for upcoming posts where we further dissect and discuss the elements of energy efficient building.

Advertisement