Residential Project Gallery - 2007 Earthcraft / TecHome Showcase House

2007 Earthcraft / TecHome Showcase House

The EarthCraft/TecHome Showcase was designed and built to be featured at the 2007 Southern Building Show in Atlanta, GA. The concept of the Southern Building Showcase home was originally created by Carl Seville. A green builder, educator, and consultant on sustainability in residential construction, Carl is well-know and highly regarded in the building industry. He has won numerous awards and was most recently named Remodeler Advocate of the Year at the 2006 National Green Building Awards. He served as the contractor for the 2005 Showcase EarthCraft Renovation project and as the Sponsor Coordinator for the 2006 New and Renew Showcase homes. This year, he returned to the role of contractor for the 2007 project.

Carl Seville

This new Tudor style home is an infill project, replacing an existing pre-war house in a developed in-town neighborhood. The home was designed to adhere to the principles of green building established by the EarthCraft House program, including: energy efficiency, indoor air quality, sustainable material use and durable construction methods. During demolition, most of the materials from the original house were recycled: lumber pulled from the house was ground on site into wood chips to be used for erosion control; larger boards were given to furniture makers and other individuals to use for personal construction projects; stones from the foundation and bricks were delivered to a renovation down the street; asphalt shingles and extra brick were ground and used as gravel; and concrete was hauled

Earthcraft/TecHome Showcase House

off site and ground into gravel at a recycling plant. A fabricated wall system formed the new foundation using less than 1/3 of the concrete of a poured-in-place wall

system and taking less time to install. The home will also incorporate a high efficiency HVAC system, rainwater reclamation and a vegetated roof.

Among the cutting edge green techniques chosen for the home was The Icynene Insulation System^�. Icynene Licensed Dealer, Torrey Building Systems, LLC, installed Icynene^� open cell spray foam insulation into the walls, floors, ceilings and attic of the Earthcraft / TecHome Showcase House. 100% water-blown and environmentally-friendly, Icynene^� expands100 times its initial volume in seconds to create a soft foam insulation and air barrier in one step. Icynene^� adheres to and integrates well with other building components to deliver improved airtightness levels for a healthy, efficient building envelope.

With its unique air-sealing ability, Icynene^�supports the four principles of the EarthCraft program:

1. Energy Efficiency
In the Earthcraft / TecHome Showcase House, Icynene^� works as an insulation and air barrier to keep the home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Its ability to control airflow in the home allowed for rightsizing of the mechanical system which can save future homeowners up to 50% in heating and cooling costs.

2. Indoor Air Quality
By minimizing random air leakage, Icynene^� helps create an indoor environment without drafts while it reduces airborne sounds and the intrusion of outdoor allergens, odors and pollutants. Combined with proper mechanical ventilation, occupants of the home will be able to control the quality of air they breathe.

Icynene^�uses water as the only blowing agent and contains no ozone-depleting substances, PBDEs or any other brominated compounds. Because it does not off-gas, Icynene^� maintains its rated R-value and energy performance levels. Homeowners will enjoy a healthier, quieter and more energy efficient home today and for years to come.

3. Sustainable Material Use
A key goal of sustainable building is to reduce the amount of material used in construction and minimize the impact to the waste stream. Icynene^� provides a significant barrier to airflow without the need for labor-intensive sealing material. And, as an open-celled material, Icynene^� is easily compacted, dramatically reducing the waste volume in comparison to other insulation materials.

4. Durable Construction Methods
When applied to the underside of the roof deck (creating an unvented or conditioned attic assembly), Icynene^� prevents the ingress of wind blown moisture into the attic, which helps eliminate moisture damage to the insulation and ceiling materials. Icynene Inc. is one of the first insulation manufacturers to invest in third-party testing of its product's performance in an unvented conditioned attic assembly. Icynene^� is also one of the few insulation products that meet building code requirements for this type of application (Section 806.4, 2007 IRC).

Icynene^� spray foam insulation is installed along the entire roofline of the house creating a sealed and conditioned attic area. This method allows for reducing the size of the HVAC system as the air handler and ducts are all within the conditioned space.

The perimeter floor band, or rim joist, is insulated with Icynene^� spray foam, eliminating the possibility of air leakage in this vulnerable area.

A long-standing believer in Icynene^�, Carl Seville had this to say:

"After almost 30 years in residential renovation and construction, I have decided that I will only use spray foam insulation in any project I build. As a committed green builder, I firmly believe that using Icynene^� insulation to create conditioned attics and crawlspaces provides my clients with a healthy, comfortable, and efficient home. Icynene^� provides the required air sealing and insulation in a single application, eliminating much of the manual air sealing required with other products to achieve the same performance. In warmer climates such as Atlanta, building a sealed attic allows me to reduce the size of the HVAC system and install the much-desired recessed lights without worrying about air sealing and insulating around each one. I have Icynene^� in my personal home, and will do so again in my next house."

For more information about Icynene^�-intalledprojects, visit our Project Gallery.

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Source: http://www.southernbuildingshowcase.com/construction/airsealing.html