Environments for Living® Certified
Recognized for energy efficiency and environmental sensitivity, each Eco Smart home is Environments for Living® certified with a written 3-year comfort and projected heating and cooling costs guarantee.
Every Home Individually Tested
Air leakage accounts for 1/3 of a home’s heating or cooling loss. Unlike other builders, the air ducts and building envelope of every home is individually inspected and tested for air leakage by an independent inspection firm to assure your home meets stringent energy efficiency and quality standards.
Home Energy Rating System (HERS)
Using a nationally accepted “Home Energy Rating System,” we conduct an analysis of our homes construction and energy efficiency to determine the amount of energy needed for heating and cooling your home. The lower the score, the less energy is required to heat and cool your home. Our Eco Smart energy efficiency program delivers one of the lowest energy usage scores available; even lower than Energy Star.
Blower Door Test
Realizing that more than 30% of a home’s heat loss is due to air leakages, we use a third-party to analyze your home for air leaks through a “blower door test.”
HVAC Unit and Duct Sizing
Each home in our Eco Smart Program has its own AC/Heating blueprint based on the number and size of windows, size of home, and other energy efficiency components such as insulation, ventilation, and equipment efficiency ratings. Based on all components working together as a system, we properly size the HVAC equipment using the acceptable industry standard Manual J according to the Air Conditioning Contractors of America and EPA standards.
Water Efficiency
A PEX plumbing system maintains water quality, is more energy efficient and results in reduced maintenance and greater reliability.
Energy Star Rated Appliances
Energy efficiency doesn’t stop with heating and cooling. To help maximize the energy savings for your home, Energy Star rated dishwashers, light fixtures, and ceiling fans are included to provide some of the highest levels of energy efficiency available today.
Programmable Thermostat
We control both the temperature and humidity levels in each home through the use of a programmable thermostat, providing greater energy savings and comfort to homeowners. Being programmable, it allows you the ability to control the temperature according to your desire and schedule.
Roof Ridge and Soffit Ventilation
A well-ventilated attic keeps your home more comfortable in summer and guards against moist, heated air building up in winter. To optimize circulation and heat displacement, our homes are designed with a soffit and ridge ventilation system with baffles above soffit vents to prevent a decrease in available air flow.
High Efficiency A/C System
By properly sizing and matching the evaporator coil to the condensing unit, our homes deliver an air conditioning system rated at at a high SEER (Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating).
R-38 Ceiling Insulation
The barrier between the outdoor and indoor air temperature provides some of the greatest energy savings in a home. That’s why we install R-38 insulation in flat attic spaces.
Air Infiltration
To ensure a healthier indoor environment, we seal all plumbing, electrical, and other penetrations of walls and floors, as well as joints between building material, with polyurethane caulk to reduce air infiltration.
Other indoor air quality features include:
- Whole home mechanical ventilation: uses less energy while diluting indoor pollutants
- Carbon monoxide and smoke sensors on each floor and outside of sleeping zones
- Local exhaust in bathrooms and utility rooms
Construction/Exterior
We conduct several inspections throughout the construction process to ensure consistent quality standards and your peace of mind. An independent, third party inspector performs detailed inspections of the foundation (before and during the placement of concrete), structural frame, water intrusion (moisture prevention), air conditioning, heating, plumbing, and electrical. The inspector also performs the following inspections: insulation and attic ventilation, windstorm inspection, engineered floor joist system, final cosmetic appearance and the operation of mechanical systems and appliances. Every home site is surveyed for proper drainage. Additional municipal inspections are conducted where required. Cementitious siding, soffit, and fascia have a 15-year warranty. All three help prevent rotting and mildew from weather as well as lowering maintenance.