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7820 58th St, Lubbock, TX 79407
Energy Efficiency

What Can affect your Home's energy efficiency?

Improperly installed Insulation

There are many factors that come into play when using R-value to compute heat loss for a particular wall. Manufacturer R-values apply only to properly installed insulation. Squashing layers behind plumbing, electric boxes, or wiring lowers the R-value and leaves air gaps. With our blown-in cellulose which you get complete coverage allows for proper installation of insulation. It receives a true R-value of 13.6 in a 3.5” cavity.

Fiberglass Batt Insulation vs. Wallkote MIX II Cellulose Why should you care?

The total cost of a home has three components — the purchase price, the cost of repairs and maintenance, and the cost of utilities. The more energy efficient a home is, the less it costs to run, the more comfortable the home is, and the lower your utility bills are. Using less energy is good for the environment, too; it can reduce air pollution and help conserve natural resources.
What Roten Homes does different than other builders

Problem:

In the exterior walls of a residential home, 25% is constructed of wood: headers, bottom plates, double top plates, and studs. Since Lumber has an R-value of zero, you really only get 75% of the R-value of the insulation you use. This is due to “Thermal Bridging,” which occurs when a non-insulating material (such as wood, R-0) is in the space between the exterior environment and the interior climate controlled area.

Solution:

Roten Homes uses a 1” foam board that has an R-value of 4.2 that covers the entire outside of your house that is installed on top of your structural wall board, so no reduced structural effect. Due to this, the thermal bridging is eliminated. Where other builders have 25% of the walls with an R-value of zero, Roten Homes gives you an R-value of 4.2. Not only do the materials we use insulate your home better, they also reduce the infiltration into your home of outside noise and air.

Problem:

Air infiltration under bottom plates which allows dirt, insects, and moisture into the home.
Solution: Roten Homes caulks the inside of all exterior bottom plates with roofing cement. The roofing cement is long lasting and durable. It will help keep the pests, air, and moisture infiltration out of your new home.

R-value: a measure of the resistance of an insulating or building material to heat flow, expressed as R-11, R-20, and so on; the higher the number, the greater the resistance to heat flow.

Solution:

Roten Homes installs radiant barrier roof decking. The radiant barrier decking is a foil backed O.S.B. with small incisions. The penetrations are to allow the O.S.B. to breath and not build up condensation. This product reflects the radiant heat and can reduce monthly air conditioning costs up to 17%.
It does not stop there!!!

Roten Homes uses a product called Wallkote Mix II in our exterior walls. Wallkote is a cellulose insulation that you spray into the wall cavities. It provides complete coverage around all plumbing, electrical, and any other materials in the exterior walls. It has a R-value of 13.6. If you add that R-value to the above mentioned R-value of 4.2, you receive a total cavity R-value of 17.8. That is unheard of in the housing market.

Roten Homes then sprays our attics with an R-50 fiberglass insulation, the normal is R-30. That is 67% better than code. Our windows are a low maintenance vinyl window with low-E glass. These windows block much more of the sun’s damaging UV rays and minimize heat gain. Also, we use numerous products that are energy star certified. To name a few, we use energy star certified water heaters, furnaces, air conditioners, dish washers, microwaves, ovens and windows.

All in All

Roten Homes’ average home is insulated 20% better than a new home built to todays codes. If you were to upgrade a pre-existing home to our standards, it would cost upwards of $40,000, but items like the 1” foam wall board and radiant barrier decking would not be able to be acquired at all. With all of this taken into consideration, building with Roten Homes will afford your family the luxury of living in a more comfortable home with reduced utility costs.
Wouldn’t you say Energy Efficiency is important for you and your family?

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