What is a High Performance Home?

At Sierra Homes we have chosen to pursue a path in new home construction that takes a more focused effort at improving energy efficiency and indoor air quality. With the improvement of building techniques and materials over the last couple of decades, homes are being built much tighter and more energy efficient. Although this is very good as we are starting to reduce utility expenses in our homes, there are problems that have been created by these advancements. One of the main problems created is the opportunity for mold growth when moisture becomes trapped. Another issue is the pollutants and gases that are being trapped in our homes and affecting our families health. The good news is that these problems are able to be addressed and handled effectively while continuing to improve the energy efficiency of our homes.

We at Sierra Homes are following the Energy & Environmental Building Association (EEBA) Builder’s Guide. This builder’s guide promulgates “A systems approach to designing and building healthy, comfortable, durable, energy efficient and environmentally responsible homes.” In short, the process takes into consideration how a home reacts to the environment and its occupants. We start with as tight a building envelope as possible to keep moisture out and our conditioned air in. This also allows us to control the indoor air quality through adequate and proper ventilation and filtration based on the needs of your family.

Another measure that we take is to reduce or eliminate the use of materials that off gas and create further pollutants to deal with. Great consideration goes into the materials used to construct your home and product selection is taken very seriously. We also work closely with you and provide the best information we can obtain to assist you in making decisions on the finish materials for your new home as these also can affect the indoor air quality.

This is a brief overview of what is involved in creating a high performance home for healthier living for your family. We would welcome the opportunity to share more with you and answer any questions you might have.