By nature, heat flows from a warmer area to a cooler area due to the difference in temperature. So in winter, the warm air in your heated rooms will move to the cooler unheated areas such as the attic, garage, crawl spaces or outside.  During summer, the warm outside air will transfer to the cooler interior of your home because of the higher temperature outside as well as the admission of sunlight.  In either case, your HVAC (Heating – Ventilation – Air Conditioning) system must work to replace or remove the heat lost or gained.  The effectiveness of your insulation will directly impact how hard your HVAC system must work which then directly impact your energy costs.

Insulation’s role is to slow down the transfer of heat.  This is measured in its ability to resist air flow, which is called R-value (resist value). The higher the R-value is, the greater its resistance to heat.  Its R-value will be determined by the type of material it is made from, the thickness of the insulation and the density of the insulating material itself.

There isn’t just one correct R-value for all areas of the country or for all areas of the house.  Shown below is a table prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy for Targeted Insulation levels for different areas of the country and locations within your home. Take a minute to review this chart and see where you are.

Target Insulation Levels

If you want to know what the R-value of  the insulation in your current home, either look for an “energy label” containing the home’s R-values near the main electric service panel or near the hatch or stairway .  If you can’t find a posted energy label, look directly on the insulation for the R-value or measure the actual thickness of the insulation.

In addition to the R-Value, installing your insulation correctly is critical to its effectiveness.

There are five (5) common installation problems that can occur.

1. One of the types of insulation is Batts. If it is compressed it will provide less resistance to heat and can provide a channel for air and heat movement.
2. If your Batts or Vapor Barrier is stapled to the inside of the studs, unwanted air movement can occur between the studs and the insulation.  It should always be stapled on top of the studs, allowing the Batt to completely fill the cavity in which it is placed.
3. Not completely filling irregular areas or small voids with insulation can cause heat loss.  A void of 1-2% can result in a 25-40% loss in R-value in that area.  It is for this reason; different types of insulation may be used in the same home.
4. If you don’t install loose-fill cellulose insulation to its property density, heat loss can occur.  The proper density is called fluffing.
5. Heat can be conducted through the studs and joists of your home.  This is called short circuiting or bridging the insulation.  With careful design and proper installation, this can be minimized.

While your contractor will be looking out for these common problems, it is helpful for you to know what will be affecting your energy costs for the life of your home.

Some areas of your home will have a greater opportunity for heat loss than others.  If you have to prioritize which to insulate first, this is the recommended order:

1. Attic, including the attic door or cover hatch
2. Beneath floors above unheated spaces such as garages, unfinished basements and crawlspaces
3. Around walls in an heated basement or unventilated crawlspace
4. Around the edges of a slab-on-grade foundation.

As you work with your architect or designer and contractor, ask questions about how your home will be insulated.  This planning can save you money in the future as well as protect the earth’s precious resources.

What are the different types on insulation in a home?

One inch of insulation = 30 inches of concrete

There are nine (9) types of insulation used in home construction and remodeling today.  The type of insulation used can be based on the area of the house needing insulation as well as the cost.

The R-Value of Fiberglass insulation is 3.14 per inch

1. Rolls and Batts – These are blankets of flexible products such as fiberglass or rock wool and come in continuous rolls with widths suitable for standard wall stud spacing and attic or floor joists.

These can be purchased with or without vapor retarder facings as well as a one with a special flame resistant side for basement walls where the insulation will be left exposed.  This type of insulation is great for areas which have standard stud and joist spacing and are relatively free of obstructions.  They do not readily fit irregular spaces and can create insulation voids. Loose Fill or Sprayed-in-Place insulation is more effective in these irregular locations.

A void of 1-2% can result in a 25-40% loss in R-value in that area

2. Loose Fill – This insulation is made of cellulose which is recycled, shredded newsprint and is chemically treated to resist fire, and fungal and insect growth.  These shreds are blown into space with special pneumatic equipment and are well-suited to irregular areas where other types of insulation are difficult to install well.

The R-Value of Cellulose Insulation is 3.70 per inch.

Cellulose must be installed at a density of 3.5 to 4.4 pounds per square inch to ensure it will not settle and that gaps do not form.  When having cellulose installed, always get a written guarantee of the settled depth from the installer.

Manufacturers use recycled waste materials in the production of loose fill insulation.  Cellulose contains more then 75% recycled newsprint

3. Sprayed-in-place – This insulation uses cellulose, fiberglass and mineral wool that are mixed with an adhesive and blown into wall cavities.  When properly installed, wet-spray insulation resists settling and shifting, and allow the cavity to be completely filled.

4. Foamed-in-place – This type of insulation is typically more expensive than the fiber insulation but is very effective where higher R-values are required or, in irregular areas of your home which would not be adequately covered by a Batt type insulation.  Foamed-in-place insulation is either polyurethane or isocyanurate and is applied by a professional using special equipment to meter, mix and spray the foam into place. Foam can be used for a variety of applications but is especially effective with irregular-shaped surfaces and narrow openings such as shim spaces around doors and windows.  The foam does not act as a vapor barrier and should be protected from prolonged exposure to sunlight.

5. Foam Board – Foam boards are rigid and lightweight, and provide structural support and acoustical insulation.  These are designed to be used in confined spaces such as exterior walls, basements, exposed foundations, attics, concrete slabs and cathedral ceilings.

6. Radiant Barriers– These are manufactured from aluminum foils and are used to reduce cooling loads.  The common use is under roof rafters to reduce the heat gain from the sun or, on walls that absorb direct sunlight, I.E., walls facing west without an effective roof overhang.  Because they are designed to reflect the heat, they work well in warm climates but are not recommended in cold climates.

7. Reflective Insulation systems – Similar to the Radiant Barrier, the Reflective Insulation is made from aluminum foils with a backing of kraft paper, plastic film, polyethylene bubbles, or cardboard.  It is typically used between roof rafters, floor joists, or wall studs because it is most effective in reducing the downward heat flow.

8. Insulating Concrete Forms (ICF) – These serve as both insulation and as part of the wall assembly of your home.  The forms are made of two foam insulation boards and are connected by plastic ties.  Concrete is poured into the forms and the forms are left in place for their insulative value. 

ICFs can cost up to 4% more than the standard wood framing but a home built using this product requires an estimated 44% less energy to heat and 32% less energy to cool when compared to an equivalent wood-framed house. U.S. Dept. of Energy

9. Structural Insulating Panels – SIPs are made up of rigid form core insulation, laminated between two (2) layers of wood sheathing called OSB (Oriented Strand Board).  SIPs replace several components of conventional building such as studs, joists, insulation, vapor barrier and air barrier.  SIPs are most commonly used to build exterior walls but are also used for floor and roof systems.

Work with your contractor and architect, or designer, to carefully plan how the insulation in your home will maximize the effectiveness of your HVAC system and lower your ongoing energy needs. Your UBuildIt Construction Consultant can help you with these types of decisions.

Why is this important to you?

As an owner-builder, you might be asking why Universal Design would be important to you. There are a large number of reasons to incorporate Universal Design concepts into your home.

Longevity- How long will you live there? Chances are that if you are putting your heart and soul into a customized home, you plan to stay there a while. You may not retire there, but you’ll certainly age there. So what happens if you get arthritis and can’t turn the door knobs anymore? What if you are confined to a wheelchair yet your hallways are too narrow for passage or you’ve had a permanent knee injury and can’t manage the few steps down from the dining room to the living room? Think about sight issues and extra lighting or dexterity problems and toggle versus touch light switches? There are so many things to think about when designing a home around what future use you may require.  Talk with your designer or UBuildIt Construction Consultant on how you may incorporate these into your home’s design.  The cost to remodel a home to include these features can be substantially more than carefully and aesthetically designing a home around them.

Unforeseen illness or injury – We all have the best intentions of living a long and healthy life but what if something happens? Will your home be able to work with your newly introduced needs? 

Resale – With the estimated 78.2 million graying baby boomers and the already established 54 million Americans living with disabilities, the need for human centered design for people of all ages, sizes, and abilities is growing exponentially.

So now, you might be thinking about how to incorporate some of these ideas into your home building plans. There are a number of resources available to help you with any design enhancements. Among the most informative are:

• The Directory of Accessible Building Products offered by the NAHB Research Center
• The Fair Housing Act Design Manual.

Both will give you design enhancement ideas for your home that are both functional and aesthetic. Universal Design features need not look institutional since there are many beautiful products currently available and an ever increasing trend for creating more of them.

These are examples of just some of the Universal Design features already available and in use in home design:

• Step-free entrance
• Various heights of kitchen counters 
• Larger bathroom
•  Adjustable hanging closet rods and shelves
• Front loading washer and dryer
• Open knee space under all sinks
• Windows that can be opened for cross ventilation
•  Slip resistant flooring
• Central vacuum system
• Energy efficient windows with Low-E glass

The world is very different than it was 100 years ago. People are living longer and surviving smarter. As stated by The Center for Universal Design, “All consumers deserve to be recognized and respected.” Developing devices, services, programs, buildings and even homes must be done with an increasingly diverse clientele in mind.   

• Save money by planning ahead – Go through the design process first and choose everything you want to include in the new room(s), from appliances to light fixtures, etc.  Making product selections early can prevent costly delays later.  These early selections will define your budget and prevent hasty (and costly) decisions later in the project. Then be sure to include all your product and material selections in the contract to avoid confusion and unnecessary change orders. Include the model, size, color, and other specifications. It is also wise to save 10–20 % of your budget to allow for items added to the project.
• Financing – Talk to lenders to determine the loan amount you qualify for.  This is essential to determine the extent of the remodel you can do.
• Draw your ideas – Sketch out your ideas before you talk with a designer or architect.  If you are adding a room, consider how it will affect the traffic patterns for you and your family.  If you are adding a room or story to your home, how will it affect the overall look of the structure?
• Make a portfolio of all your ideas – Assemble your dream home portfolio with pictures, samples, brochures, swatches and other materials which meet the needs of your project.  If you see an element of a friend’s home such as their cabinets, ask them where they were purchased and add them to your notes. 
• Labor – Pay attention to how labor intensive some design features may be, for example, laying ceramic tile on kitchen counter-tops and the back-splash. Labor will be a significant portion of your remodel budget.  By planning ahead, you can spend your labor dollars where they are most important to you.
• Compare – Compare products and their prices carefully before you make final decisions. And keep an open mind when you discuss product and design ideas with your contractor. The cheapest is not always the best.  While some items may be a little more initially, the cost of their ongoing operation and maintenance is less expensive over time.  A front loading washer may be more to purchase but you will use 40 -60% less water and 30-50% less energy than the typical top loading machine.
• Be creative – There are often multiple solutions to accomplish a design objective, some more expensive than others. If your remodel project is to add a bathroom, rather than adding square footage to your home, maybe you could “borrow space” from your linen closet. Discuss various options with your contractor.

Remodeling your home is a big step.  With careful planning and thought, you can create your dream home without having to uproot your family and move.

Dollar savings today and into the future

• Using energy efficient appliances and durable building materials will reduce the ongoing operating cost of your home by using less energy and water
• Improve your productivity while at home by reducing the amount of time you spend maintaining your home.
• Take advantage of possible tax cuts through the Federal Residential Energy Efficiency tax as well possibly your local power company.
• Increase the value of your home by utilizing green building techniques which decrease your ongoing energy and maintenance costs. 96% of homebuyers said they are willing to pay more for a home with building green features.

A healthier and more comfortable home for you and your family

•  The EPA ranks indoor air quality among the top 5 environmental risks. Enhance the comfort and health of you and your family through improved air quality.
• Many families are learning they can minimize the strain on the local communities for utilities and natural resources by building green.
• Improve your overall quality of life by living in an environment which contributes to the health of your and your family.

Protect and improve the world around you

• You and your family can enhance and protect a diverse number of ecosystems by reducing your impact on them through the planning and design of your dream home.
• Your actions impact the air and water quality outside your home.  You can have a positive impact by building green.
• Reduce waste both during construction as well as after you have moved into your dream home by practicing a few simple recycling principles.
• Many home owners have found they can conserve and restore natural resources by careful selection of the materials used in their homes.

Using Green Building principles and techniques is a long term investment that continues to payoff for you, your family and the environment in which you live.

1. Soft Costs – These are permit, architectural, engineering, survey, school taxes, utility connection fees and any other fees incurred before your actual construction begins. Funds from your construction loan become available at the beginning of actual construction. These soft costs frequently occur before construction begins. Based on your choice and your lender’s options, you may choose to be “paid back” for these costs when your funds are available at the beginning of construction.

2. Hard Costs – These are the actual costs for all materials and labor associated with the actual building of your home.

3. Closing Costs – These are the costs associated with closing your construction loan such as title cost, loan fees, discount fees, insurance, and appraisals.

4. Interest Reserve – This reserve account is established to pay the estimated interest on the loan during the construction process. This way, you do not have to make any payments during the construction of your home. In the rare occurrence that this reserve is depleted due to lengthy construction times, then you will begin to make interest only payments on your loan.

5. Contingency reserve – This reserve is created to cover unforeseen cost overruns in the construction of your home. It is usually equal to 5% of the hard cost of your construction.

6. Lot Value – The value of your lot will be determined by one of two methods. If the property was purchased in the last 12 months, the purchase price is used to determine the value of the site. If the property has been owned for more than 12 months, an appraiser’s estimate of the site value will be used.

7. Inspection fees – Some lenders require that inspectors determine of the progress of your construction project. If these are needed, there may be a fee charged for each inspection.

8. Loan to Cost Ratio(LTC) – This ratio compares the project cost of your home to the total loan amount. As an example, if the project costs for your home are $350,000 and your loan is $325,000, your LTC ratio is 93%. Maximum LTC ratios vary from lender to lender, and may be a factor you want to take into account when selecting a lender.

9. Draws – Monies drawn during construction to pay for materials and/or suppliers.

While there are a few more elements to construction financing than with your traditional mortgage, you are now better equipped to talk with lenders to determine how they can help you build your dream home.

1. They need more room for an expected addition to the family.
2. The house is older and they want to update its interior and/or exterior.
3. They want a place for the teenagers to be with their friends, separate from Mom and Dad.
4. They need a place to store their boat or they just need more storage, period.
5. Loans for New Construction are not available.

The list is as long and as varied as there are homeowners but in each case they had to decide if remodeling versus moving to another home was the right answer for them. 

When considering whether to remodel or move, there are several factors you will want to think about.  With your family, consider these questions.

1. If we moved, what additional costs would there be over and above the cost of the new home itself?  According to the American Homeowner Foundation, selling your home and moving typically costs about 8-10% of the value of your current home.  Much of this cost goes to moving expenses, closing costs and a real estate broker. So any comparison to the cost of a remodel would need to take this into account.

2. How important is your current location to you and your family?  It is not very likely you will find a new home in your same neighborhood and school district. Moving to another neighborhood could change the schools your children attend as well as impact your daily commute.  If staying where you are is important to you, then remodeling may be the answer.

3. How much room is there on your current lot?  If you need to add a room, you will need to take into consideration what space there is on your land and if there are any setbacks or easements that could limit your usage.  If you were thinking of adding a second story, you will need to check for any height restrictions in your area.

4. Do you have any time constraints?  If your decision to either remodel or move is driven by, say a new addition to the family, you will need to determine if the remodel or a move are most likely to meet your timetable.

5. How long do you plan to stay in your home and if you remodel and what will it do to the value of your home?  The general rule of thumb is that any remodeling project that brings your home’s value up to the neighbor’s is a worthy investment.  Real estate experts recommend that a remodeling investment not over-improve (raise the value of your home) more than 10-15% above the median sales price in your neighborhood.  If you over-improve, you will have to hope that when you sell your home, you can find a buyer who likes what you have done, loves the location and is willing to pay your price.

6. Will it cost more to remodel than find a house that has the features we are looking for?  To answer this one, you will need to do some homework.  Take some time to do some preliminary design work and talk with a contractor about estimated costs.  Then, talk with your real estate professional about comparable homes in the areas in which you and your family want to live.  If the cost of one choice is significantly more than the other, then you will need to determine if cost is the most important factor for you and your family.  If the costs are roughly comparable then some of the other factors we’ve talked about here can help you determine what is right for you.

7. Can you to stay in your home during the remodel?  If not, where will you and your family live and for how long?  Ask your contractor what he/she recommends.  In some cases, you can live in the home throughout the remodel but may be limited in using portions of the house such as the kitchen, a bathroom or a bedroom.  In other instances you and your family will have to move out.  If you can stay in your home, you will need to take into consideration whether your lifestyle will accommodate the chaos and confusion created by a remodel.  As an example, if there is a new baby in the house, can your coexist with the noise that is normal to any building project?

Once you have answered these questions, you and your family can make an informed decision on what is the best way to create your dream home.

 

While the law mandates no more than 1.6 gallons of water per flush, manufacturers have developed high efficiency toilets (HETs) that use an average of 1.28 gallons per flush, a 20% decrease in water usage.  What this means to a family of four with an average of six flushes each per day, is a savings of 8,760 gallons of water each year.

Toilets are available in one or two piece construction.  A two piece model consists of a separate tank and bowl.  The one piece toilet, sometimes called a low profile toilet, is made with the tank and bowl as a single unit.  While the two piece toilet typically costs less, it is more difficult to clean than the one piece which does not have a crevice between the tank and the bowl.

The function of your toilet depends on the technology used for its operation.

Gravity flush system toilets use the weight of the water to provide the flushing pressure. These are more likely to clog and a not as likely to thoroughly clean the bowl.

Pressure assisted flush system toilets use water line pressure or a device in the tank to air pressure to flush the toilet.  This type of toilet typically averages 1.1 to 1.2 gallons of water per flush.  While there is significant water savings, these toilets can be louder than the gravity flush models.

Gravity fed Single Flush toilets operate like the gravity flush system but uses 1.1 to 1.28 gallons of water per flush.

Dual flush toilets are designed for light and heavy flushes and typically use a handle that moves up or down, a two button system, to indicate what type of flush is needed. This type is quite common in Europe.

Power assist toilets use a pump to force water down at a higher velocity than gravity toilets.  These models require a 120V power source to operate the pump.

Toilets come in a wide assortment of colors to match the décor of your bathroom as well as many types to meet the needs of your family.

What does it really mean to “assume the entire Project Management responsibility?” If you choose to become an owner/builder, you are your own Project manager and are responsible for:

1. Working with designer or architect to finalize the plans
2. Obtaining construction financing
3. All tax, insurance and safety issues relating to your subcontractors
4. Working with your local municipality to file permitting and engineering paperwork
5. Finding, evaluating and hiring all subcontractors and suppliers needed for your project
6. Issuing, reviewing and accepting bids for the different trades needed
7. Scheduling all trades when needed and in a timely manner
8. Managing the construction budget to remain within the limits set by your lender
9. Paying subs and suppliers
10. Daily oversight of the project including signing off on the work done by subcontractors

Being a Project manager, you assume the legal, financial and daily oversight responsibilities for the building or remodeling of you dream home. You may choose to do part of the actual work on your home but that is not a requirement.

So what are the benefits to being your own Project Manager?

• Cost Savings – Acting as your own Project Manager means more of your construction dollars go directly to labor and materials instead of contractor fees and overhead. Many owner/builders can save from 15- 30% depending on their project.
• Instant Equity – By being your own Project Manager, your time and effort results in instant equity the day you move in.

“We had our one-story bungalow converted to a two-story English Tudor. We spent under $200,000 on the remodel through UBuildIt (one builder wanted over $300,000 to do it). Now our “new” old home with a captured view appraises for $590,000. Considering we bought it for $225,000, we have $165,000 in new equity for our remodeling efforts and UBuildIt helped us save more than $100,000 by not going with a contractor.”- Mark and Katie, Engineer

• Pride – You will have the pride of building the home you want, the way you want.

“I catch myself many times sitting in a room just staring and thinking “WOW! I did this”- Erica, 29, social worker

Is it right for you?

Today, one in 10 custom homes is built by an Owner/Builder. There are some great benefits and some new responsibilities associated with becoming an owner/builder, so how do you know if being an owner/builder is right decision for you?

Take a few minutes and ask yourself the following questions:

1. Do you have the time available to give daily oversight to the project including being on the job site every day?
2. Are you the type of person who is organized and can keep many balls in the air at one time?
3. Do you know what trades need to scheduled and in what sequence?
4. Do you have basic knowledge of construction to determine if the subs and suppliers have the done the job you need them to do?
5. Is managing the construction budget a strength for you?

Building a home may be the single most expensive undertaking of your life. Being the Project Manager for the job can be immensely rewarding, both financially and emotionally. If you decide it is important for you to do this but are unsure that all of your skills are up to it, contact your local UBuildIt office and they can help you through every step of the process.

“Working with UBuildIt really paid off. We benefited from their strong business relationships by receiving more favorable financing terms and supplier discounts, and we were linked with high quality, highly skilled subcontractors. UBuildIt reduced our risks considerably.”- Bob and Sally, retired

If you lack sufficient sunlight on your skin, you will suffer health effects. That’s because the human body was designed to be exposed to sunlight on a frequent basis. We evolved, after all, under the natural sun, not under fluorescent lighting. Our environment was one with plentiful sunlight.

Skylights can provide up to 30% more natural light than vertical windows while making a small space seem bigger.

A skylight is like a window which has been placed in your roof. It has a frame specially designed to withstand rain and prevent leakage from rain and snow. To maximize a skylight’s use of natural light to illuminate a room or its passive solar heating potential, you will want to take into consideration how a skylight is positioned.

Facing north, your skylight will provide fairly constant illumination, but will not provide a lot of heat.

Facing east, it will provide the maximum amount of light and solar heat gain in the morning.

Facing west, your skylight provides afternoon sunlight as well as heat gain.

A skylight facing south provides the greatest potential for winter passive solar heat gain than any other location, but will often allow unwanted heat gain in the summer. This heat gain can be minimized by installing your south-facing skylight in the shade of deciduous trees or adding a moving window covering.

Skylights come in all shapes and sizes. Its size greatly affects the illumination level and temperature of the space below.

As a rule of thumb, the size of a skylight should never be more than 5% of the floor area in rooms with many windows; and no more than 15% of the room’s total floor area for spaces with few windows. Dept. of Energy.

Glazing

Like windows, skylight manufacturers use different types of glazing to improve their energy efficiency. The glazing comes in three different forms.

Plastic glazing – This type of glazing is usually inexpensive and less likely to break than other glazing materials. However, these surfaces scratch easily and can become brittle and discolored.

Glass glazing – This is found in the more expensive skylights. It is more durable than plastic and does not discolor. All glass used for skylights must be made of “safety glazing,” a generic term for both tempered and laminated glass. Tempered glass is the most impact resistant. Laminated glass is fabricated with a thin layer of plastic embedded near the center of the glass. Both types keep the glass from breaking into large, sharp pieces. Skylights are often made with a tempered glass on the exterior side and a laminated pane on the interior side. This arrangement gives maximum impact resistance while protecting occupants from falling shards of glass.

Solar heat control glazing – Manufacturers use various glazing methods to reduce the impact of summer time solar heat gains and winter time heat losses. These come in the form of heat-absorbing tints, double and tripled paned skylights and low-emissivity coatings.

Slope

When your window professional installs your skylight, one of the factors they will take into consideration is the slope. The slope, or tilt of the skylight, affects the amount of solar heat gain. A low slope on your skylight admits more solar heat in the summer and less in the winter, which is the opposite of the effect you are trying to achieve.

As a rule of thumb, you want to achieve a slope equal to your geographical latitude plus 5 to 15 degrees. For example, the optimum slope for a south-facing skylight in Columbus, Ohio, at 40º North latitude, is 45º to 55º.

Every skylight has a “shaft” which governs how much light is admitted into the room below. If all four sides are flared, then the light is spread over a wide area. If your skylight has a shaft with perpendicular sides, the light is focused straight below. If your skylight’s shaft is flared on only one or two sides, then the light is sprayed in the flared direction.

Ventilation

If you wish, you can have a skylight which also provides ventilation as well as light to your room. This allows you to release the hot air which collects at your ceiling. Your ventilating skylight can be operated by one of three ways:

Manual skylight controls – These are opened by your use of an extended rod to manually crank the skylight open. These are designed for ceilings of less than 15 feet.

Electronic skylight controls – A simpler model of this type of control is wired to a wall mounted switch which opens and closes the skylight. More complex models are controlled by a special wall console of a wireless remote control.

Automatic operating controls – With this type of control, integrated heat sensors trigger the skylight to open when the interior heat reaches a preset temperature. Exterior sensors automatically close the unit when they sense moisture.

Tubular skylights

An alternative to the conventional skylight, which looks like a window in your roof, is the tubular skylight. The tubular skylight is a roof-mounted dome which collects natural light and delivers it to the room below. It is less expensive than the conventional skylight because it is designed to fit between roof and ceiling framing, eliminating the need for structural modifications. You will commonly see these used in bathrooms, hallways and closets, but they can be used in any room of your house.

The average tubular skylight ranges in size from 10 – 21 inches in diameter, which lights a 100-600 square foot interior space.

Skylights of any type transform a room by adding warmth and depth while bringing out the natural beauty of your home and its surroundings. When planning your new home or the remodel of your current one, take some time to consider skylights as a beautiful enhancement that also provide comfort to you and your family while conserving the energy we all share.

According to Wikipedia, fenestration is defined as, “Products that fill openings in a building envelope, such as windows, doors, skylights, curtain walls, etc., which are designed to permit the passage of air, light, vehicles, or people.”

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NRFC) has developed a rating system for you to compare the performance of different fenestration products. NFRC is a third party, non-profit organization that sponsors certified rating and labeling programs to help consumers compare the energy and performance features of windows, doors, and skylights. NFRC’s programs do not distinguish between “good” and “bad” products, set minimum performance standards, or mandate performance levels. This is where ENERGY STAR comes in. ENERGY STAR enables consumers to easily identify NFRC-certified products with superior energy performance.

Let’s look at the NRFC label and see what it tells us.

There are five (5) characteristics to consider when looking at a fenestration product.

1. U-Factor - This measures how well the product prevents heat from escaping your building envelope. The rate of heat loss generally falls between 0.20 and 1.25. The lower the U-Value, the greater the product’s resistance to heat flow, and the better its insulating value. The U-Factor is particularly important during the winter heating season.
2. Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) – The SHGC measures how well the heat caused by sunlight is blocked. It is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower the number, the less solar heat is transmitted into your home. Atypical range is 0.25 to 0.80. Blocking solar heat gain is particularly important during the summer cooling season.
3. Visible Transmittance (VT) - This is expressed in a number between 0 and1, and is a measure of how much light comes through your fenestration product. The higher the VT, the higher the potential there is for daylighting. Generally, products range from 0.20 to 0.80.

Daylighting is the practice of placing windows or other transparent media and reflective surfaces so that, during the day, natural light provides effective internal illumination. Within the overall architectural design of a building, particular attention is given to daylighting when the aim is to maximize visual comfort, productivity, or to reduce energy use. Energy savings from daylighting are achieved in two ways–either from the reduced use of electric lighting or from passive solar heating or cooling.

4. Air Leakage (AL) - Any air which filters through cracks in the product’s assembly results in heat loss and gain. AL is measured in cubic feet of air passing through one square foot of window area per minute (cfm/ft^2.). The lower the AL value, the less air is leaked. Most industry standards and building codes require a minimum AL of 0.3 cfm/ft². The AL rating is optional and manufacturers can choose not to include it in their labels.
5. Condensation Resistance (CR) - This measures the ability of the product to resist the formation of condensation on its interior surface. The higher the CR rating, the better the product is at resisting the formation of condensation. The CR rating is optional and manufacturers can choose not to include it in their labels. The CR does not predict condensation but rather measures the potential for its formation.

So, when you look for windows, doors or skylights take these characteristics into consideration. The better NFRC ratings will result in increased energy savings and great comfort for you and your family.