Imagine this. The year is 168,000 BC. You’ve just returned from a successful deer hunt. You’re sitting around the fire with a handful of berries trying to stay warm. The nights are getting cooler again for some odd reason. You see your crazy neighbour Gorg rubbing a rock back and forth on an old deer skin. You laugh at him not enjoying the fire time, while adding another log to the fire. Man that smoke sure is aggravating in your eyes.
No infringement intended
Days go by, you continue heading out in the morning, hunting, gathering, foraging, and just generally surviving. Crazy Gorg has now finished rubbing his rock and deer hide together. What a nut, he’s now actually wearing the deer hide. You notice he’s spending less time cutting trees, wiping smoke from his eyes, and seems to be generally more comfortable. Could it be that a hide cover is right for you?
I realize all analogies break down at some point. But there’s a point to my prehistoric story. There’s a known way of living our lives, and then there are those on the fringes coming up with ideas. Like in the movie “The Croods” we’ve had ideas to make life better since the dawn of the human race. And like coats, or fish shoes, or wheels, the technology of eco-friendly and sustainable building is coming, rapidly. A majority of home owners simply aren’t aware what they sacrifice when building a code built home. They aren’t aware of the comfort savings available to them.
Working from home these past couple days has really opened my eyes to how much sustainable building makes for a healthier and happier home. Exterior insulation blankets and attic insulation keep every corner of your rooms an even temperature, conscious decision making to reduce VOC’s in your home means healthier air and happier lungs, smaller carbon footprints reduces the cost of increasing carbon tax. So if you clicked on the article link to hear why YOU should build your next home as a sustainable home, here you go.
Comfort Level
By incorporating better air sealing, better insulation details, less thermal transfer areas, and better materials you’ll wind up having a much more comfortable home. Your basement temperature will match your upstairs temperature, you’ll be able to sit by your large windows without a blanket. You’ll get the opportunity to control humidity much easier, and not worry about dry lips all winter. If you are like me and already own a home, consider checking out Manitoba Hydro’s recommendations for air sealing and insulating existing houses.
Cost savings
People often ask us how much more it costs to build an eco-friendly home. The answer of course, is much less. Sure, it costs a bit more up front, but when you consider reduced maintenance on simpler systems, reduced energy bills due to insulation and air details you’ll wind up far ahead over the course of your home ownership. Details like exterior perforated insulation in conjunction with a properly sized mechanical system can be paid off within 5 years!
Health
This reason is often overlooked. But if you have the choice between breathing healthier air with lower VOC’s why wouldn’t you take it? By insulating better, and making better air/vapour barriers we’re keeping mold and rot from gaining a foothold in your home! A healthier home leads to a healthier life!
carbon footprint
While the public discourse can seem alienating and complex, the science seems to be pretty clear that being better citizens on our planet means treating her better. We need to use less resources especially considering the trajectory of our population growth!
We realize this is a very abbreviated list. There are many reasons both tangible and intangible. But we’d love to chat with you more about sustainability, energy efficiency, or any other question you have regarding new home construction! Visit us online at www.dueckbuilders.com to start the conversation!