What’s wrong with in floor radiant heat in Colorado?

In-floor radiant heat is a wonderful system, it is efficient and your toes are never cold…. so what is the downside?

Building energy-efficient homes with ICF’s many people assume we typically use in-floor radiant systems, however, we rarely do. In Southern Colorado our temperatures fluctuate rapidly going from 10 degrees to 70 degrees and back again within a 12 hour period. We also get a lot of radiant heat from the sun.

In-floor radiant systems are designed to use thermal mass (the floor) to heat up and slowly radiate warmth to maintain a constant temperature. If your outside temperature rises quickly and you have lots of windows gaining solar warmth, your in-floor system can not adjust quickly enough to counter act the solar heat gain. Then as the sun goes down and the temperature drops quickly, your system has to readjust and warm the floor before it can make a difference in your home. In addition to the above issues in-floor systems are expensive to install and even harder to repair if there is ever an issue.

We prefer to recommend a high-efficiency forced air system. The benefit to these systems is that the duct work is used for both heating and cooling, they are relatively inexpensive to install and they can adjust quickly to changing temperatures. When building energy-efficient homes there are many things to consider, we always look at cost vs. reward, and environmental conditions when we make these choices. What works in Alaska is probably not the best choice for Florida. In Colorado, proper use of solar heat gain and smart placement of windows and overhangs helps to maximize our natural solar energy. A properly designed home needs to have a heating/cooling system but should rarely need to use it for more than the most extremes of our conditions.

We all hate stepping out of the shower on to a cold tile floor, this is one place where we actually do like in-floor radiant heat. We can put a small electric system in just the bathroom and raise the temperature of this room and keep the floor toasty warm without affecting the entire house. These systems are relatively inexpensive and the reward of comfort make them a worthy consideration.

In designing your new home we take into consideration your lifestyle, desires and budget. We strive to find the best solutions to make your home the dream home you imagine. If we save you money on the heating system, maybe you can have something else you thought was out of your budget like granite counter tops or custom cabinets.

Visit us at www.apachecreekbuilders.com to view some of the dream homes we have built.

Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders serving Southern Colorado including Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Westcliffe, Colorado City and more.

What is green or sustainable housing and how does buying Made in the USA help that goal?

Building green is a conscious choice to save our worlds resources. Buying American made can help make that happen?

Most people understand that being green is about recycling and using recycled materials, but it is also about energy conservation. Obviously if you build a house that uses less energy, that’s green. What many don’t consider is the energy used to transport materials? If you purchase energy-efficient, recycled products from foreign countries, you must consider the cost of fuel to transport those products. It is usually better to purchase non-recycled products Made in America because the fuel used to transport the foreign products contradicts the recycled aspect of the product.

Better yet use recycled products made in the USA, or even better, when possible use energy-saving, recycled products manufactured as close to the final destination as possible. The U.S. Green Building Council has developed LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design to redefine how we build homes. One of the factors considered in gaining LEED Certification is transportation of materials used.

Green building materials meet one or more of the following objectives:
   – Resource Efficiency through recycled, natural/renewable, or locally available content
   – Indoor Air Quality enhancement though non or low-toxic materials by utilizing materials
   – Energy Efficiency, with materials and systems that reduce energy consumption
   – Water Conservation, with products and systems that reduce water consumption in buildings and conserve water in landscaped areas
   – Affordability, which is met by ensuring that product life-cycle costs are comparable to conventional materials or as a whole, are within a project-defined percentage of the overall budget.

Our goal at Apache Creek Builders is to use Made in the USA whenever possible, not only for the energy-saving aspect, but also because of pride in our country and a concern for our economy. We can accomplish all of this for very little, if any additional cost. Several of our suppliers of ICF’s have manufacturing facilities in Colorado Springs, CO. One is a family owned company since 1946 and their plastics division has utilized recycling to create 0% waste. They currently have 9 locations throughout the USA and more coming soon. This means less cost to the consumer due to less transportation costs. The icf’s we mostly use are Reward Walls and Fox Blocks.

Visit us at www.apachecreekbuilders.com to see what we have to offer.

Charlie Kattnig owner of Apache Creek Builders serving all of South Eastern Colorado including Pueblo, EL Paso, Teller, Fremont, Otero, Bent, Custer, Park and other counties.

All I want for Christmas is a lower energy bill. What do R-values really mean?

ICF construction is a great option for an energy-efficient home. Insulated Concrete Forms provide a higher R-value than a standard 2″ x 6″ construction. However, R-value is just part of the story when it comes to energy efficiency. The interlocking forms filled with concrete provide thermal mass as well as an impenetrable barrier to wind and the elements. Our homes lose and gain heat in 3 ways

–Conduction– def. The transfer of heat through two objects due to a temperature difference.
ICF walls have a consistent R-value that reduces thermal transfer through the wall assembly.

–Convection– def. The transfer of heat through circulation of heated part.
ICF’s are virtually airtight which reduces the “circulation” of heated air from one side to the other, which give a structure a consistent indoor climate

–Radiation– def. Energy that is transmitted through one side of an object and absorbed by the other side
The thermal mass in ICF walls reduces the radiation of temperatures from one side of wall to the other.

There is not another wall system that can control all three of these elements of energy efficiency in one system. By the way did you notice R-value truly affects only one of the “Chosen Three”?

R-values are tested in a lab, so R-values may be different in different climate zones etc.   

So, to try our best to break it down for you, and give honest values and representation of the R-value of ICFs, our Reward iForm has a steady state actual R-value of R-22 (Conduction!).  This is the clear wall R-value, the whole wall assembly and all its materials from inside to the outside face of the wall (foam < concrete > foam). This is not like a framed (wood or metal) wall where insulation is placed into the cavities of the wall and they call it an R-18, when in reality its clear wall R-value is more like R-13 or lower.  The wood or metal is not accounted for in the wall’s R-value, as a wood or metal stud by itself is an R-2 to R-6.

Secondly, the continuous EPS insulation and monolithic concrete wall provides an air tight envelope (Convection!).  This is probably the biggest factor contributing to the excellent energy performance of an ICF building.  Wood or steel framed structures need extra material and effort to even try to achieve this level of convection.

Finally, the thermal mass of the concrete in the ICF wall will moderate peak temperatures daily (Radiation!).  The thermal mass performance is a function of the climate or region of where the building is located.  A climate that has wider temperature fluctuations daily will get better benefits due to the thermal mass.

So the ACTUAL R-values of Reward Insulating Concrete Forms is R-22, as are most ICFs.  What is “Effective” R value? The effective R-value is the comparative R-value that a framed wall would need to be insulated in order to have the same energy performance as the same building built with ICF walls.  It is not the R-value of the ICF wall.  The effective R-value considers the actual R-value, the air infiltration rate and the thermal mass.

So you can see why some people will say “Effective R-value” of 32 all the way up to 60 for ICF walls. All of the other factors you cannot test in a lab, as it will vary on climate and other variables. It is a COMPARATIVE measurement, with everything else being equal in the comparisons. As an example we say an effective R-Value of 32+.  That means in order for you to achieve that level on a non-ICF wall, you will need to insulate the framed wall to a level 32+ value.

Other areas of the envelope that will enhance the energy efficiency of the building would be to add energy-efficient windows, to provide high quality design and construction of the openings, and to provide a well insulated roof and an energy-efficient roof to wall connection.

I hope this helps you to better understand R-values and what energy efficiency really means

Much of this information was taken from Reward Walls website for more information visit us at www.apachecreekbuilders.com

Charlie Kattnig – Owner of Apache Creek Builders serving South Eastern Colorado including Pueblo, Colorado Springs, Canon City, Colorado City, Hatchet Ranch, Rye, Salida

What are ICF Homes and are they right for you?

      

ICF home in process

ICF stands for Insulating Concrete Forms,  ICF’s are interlocking forms which are dry-stacked and then filled with concrete to create structural walls of a building.

There are many different brands and materials that the forms are made of, I will concentrate only on the types that we prefer to work with at Apache Creek Builders. These hollow blocks are pounds lighter than standard masonry blocks because they are made of expanded polystyrene – similar to the white, insulating foam used for take-out coffee cups. They either stack together like giant interconnecting, toy building blocks or are separate panels connected with plastic ties.

 The benefits to using ICF‘s :

• e-star rated
• green building material, environmentally friendly
• save an average of thirteen trees per house
• homes are six times quieter than ordinary wood frame homes
• have a three to four-hour fire rating
• provide 25% to 50% energy savings
• homes have lower insurance costs
• homes qualify for energy-efficient mortgage rates
• have an R-50 wall insulation value
• require smaller HVAC units

ICF homes can be designed in any style, and will accept any traditional exterior finish including vinyl or wood siding, stucco and brick. Because custom angles and curves are easily created, it’s simple to build in bows, bays and curved walls. ICF systems accommodate any of today’s most popular design features, such as tall walls, large openings, long floor spans, and cathedral ceilings.

ICF’s originated in Europe (where concrete home building is standard) ICF systems have been used successfully around the world for more than 30 years. Thousands of ICF homes have been built in recent years throughout the United States and Canada. They have proven successful in every region and climate, from Orlando to Calgary. ICF systems are accepted by all the major model codes in the U.S., and by the R-2000 program in Canada.

Check back often for energy-saving tips and more information regarding building with ICF’s. Please check out our website at http://www.apachecreekbuilders.com to see photos of ICF’s as well as pictures of completed homes.

Charlie Kattnig – Owner of Apache Creek Builders, serving South Eastern Colorado including Pueblo, Colorado City, Hatchet Ranch, Canon City, Walsenburg, Trinidad, La Junta, Las Animas and more