DIY Network

Web Extra: Ensuring Comfort From "Best Built Home" episode DBBH-102F

A leaky roof, big gas bills and mold in the basement are all effects of poor construction that occur later down the line. There is one issue that you'll notice immediately if something isn't working right: uncomfortable rooms.

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	In a centralized forced-air system, heat is generated by an air-handling unit and is pushed through the ductwork and into rooms.
	Proper insulation is a vital component of creating a "tight" house envelope. Without it, your home will have more difficulty in reaching its maximum "comfort" level.

If your house has comfort issues, the air could feel too hot or too cold, temperatures could vary between rooms or surfaces could be cold and clammy to the touch. The usual reaction? Turn up the heat (or air-conditioning)!

But raising the heating or cooling levels not only jacks up the energy bills and makes your equipment work harder but also fails to solve the problem. When you plan a new house, you can build for comfort without having to depend on adjusting your thermostat. There may be a few concepts you need to understand first, starting with thermal comfort.

Thermal comfort refers to the perceived temperature in a room. It takes into account the actual air temperature but also depends on other factors such as the radiant temperatures of surrounding surfaces -- a warm, sunlit floor, for example -- relative humidity and the movement of air. Is there a lot of activity in your home? You and your family's activities and clothing also affect thermal comfort. By understanding thermal comfort, you see how many different factors make a comfortable home. These days, the best comfort-control system uses both a thermostat that keeps the air temperature just right and a humidistat that balances the moisture in the air, so your skin doesn't dry out in cool air or become sticky when it's warm.

Talk with your contractor about five factors of design and construction to make sure everything is accounted for to control thermal comfort:

1. Thermal Load -- The building envelope is the protective structure between your home's interior and the outside elements. When your builder designs and constructs your home according to methods that are ideal for your climate, the building envelope will help to manage thermal loads that affect your comfort. Hot sun and cool air on the outside and moisture given off by people on the inside are types of effects on a house that make up its thermal load.

2. Sizing -- A home's heating and cooling equipment consists of the furnace, air-conditioning system and the air-handling unit (fan). When it comes to this equipment, bigger is not better, and the HVAC contractor should calculate the specifications of your equipment based on the details of your unique home, such as the square footage and type of insulation. Also, registers help to manage airflow, so their size and location should be customized for each room. Every room of the house requires a certain amount of airflow to keep it comfortable. Properly sized equipment and registers will effectively mix the air in the house and provide a more uniform temperature.

3. Distribution System Design -- How is conditioned air distributed throughout the home? In a forced-air system, the ductwork and registers should be designed to deliver conditioned air in the best quantity and at the right location. A good design places the equipment in a conditioned space, or uses insulated ducts, and seals the ductwork with mastic to prevent air leaks.

4. Installation -- The best designs can fall short without correct implementation. The builder's site-supervisor should communicate the details of construction and installation to the subcontractors who do the hands-on work. When you order a steak, it's your server's job to tell the cook how you want it done. Make sure a similar process is in place that gets the details of your designs passed along to the subcontractors.
   
   
5. Commissioning -- This is a smart procedure that boils down to ensuring that a quality control process is in place on the jobsite. Visual inspections and reviews of the work in progress and the final product should verify that you're getting what you paid for.

In summary, as a homeowner you can talk to your builder or contractor about this information so you have an understanding of the strategies that are going into your home to ensure comfort. But the work doesn't stop there. After you move in, follow these tips to ensure your comfort strategies fall into place.

• Honor the location of your registers. Don't obstruct the flow of air by placing objects and furniture in front of them.

• Keep the thermostat relatively steady. Drastic changes to the settings require extra energy and can cause sudden, uncomfortable changes in temperature.

• Consider using a programmable thermostat that regulates the temperature of the home according to your activities throughout the day. Wireless thermostats are also available that control the comfort level according to whichever room it's located within.

For more information:

American Society for Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers
Website: www.ashrae.org/template/Index

Associated Air Balance Council
Website: www.aabchq.com

Duct Sealing (published by the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Program)
Website: Duct Sealing Article

Knowledge Library (from Advanced Energy's)
Website: Knowledge Library

Residential Energy Services Network
Website: www.natresnet.org/

RESOURCES :

Oakwood Homes
Phone: 303-486-8500
Website: www.MoreHouseLessMoney.com

Hedgewood Properties
E-mail: sales@hedgewoodhomes.com
Website: www.hedgewoodhomes.com

D.R. Horton
Home Builder
Phone: 916-965-2200
Website: www.drhorton.com
Sacramento Website: www.sacramento.drhorton.com

GUESTS :

Michael Dickens
CEO, BuildIQ
Website: www.buildiq.com

George Del Valle
Insulation Contractor
AC Insulation
Phone: 770-787-1065
E-mail: ACInslation@yahoo.com

Robert Lynman
Supervisor of Cellulose Insulation
Allied Insulation
Phone: 303-289-3326

Rob Johnson
Energy Efficiency Consultant
EarthCraft House
Website: www.earthcrafthouse.com