Air Sealing

Tips from the Builder!

Here are 4 easy and inexpensive ways to Increase the energy efficiency of your current home for Winter 2013/2014:

1. Air Seal Your Home by Adding Insulation.

2. Seal Your Ducts By Using Sealant such as DOW, 3.0 window, door, and trim High Performance Sealant. Today's homeowners lose 20% of heating costs on poorly sealed and connected ducts.

3. Inspect your roof, check for loose shingles that could lead to water damage, leaks, & rotting wood. Use the extra sealant to seal any gaps around gables and chimneys.

4. Seal rim joists in your Basement and Attic access doors. Use a foam sealant such as, DAPtex Plus Multi-Purpose Foam Sealant to fill in any gaps or voids that may allow your heat to escape to.

 

          Are you updating your current home to sell?

Natale Builders shares a few simple ways to make your current home more Eco-friendly  and appealing to current homebuyers:

1. Painting: Choose Eco-friendly paints that are less toxic and better for your environment by purchasing Low or No VOC paints. Many traditional paints contain "Volatile Organic Compounds" that can cause negative health affects such as dizziness and eye irritation. NO VOC paint are naturally made with materials derived from citrus and balsams making them healthy for you and the environment.

2. Replacing Lighting: When choosing new light fixtures to spruce up your home, check to see if your light bulbs are CFL Energy Star Qualified or  LED Green Certified. According to NYSERDA, using these types of light bulbs can save you hundreds per year on electric costs and are proven to last at least 6,000 hours. Save the Environment and Money!

3. Replacing Appliances: NYS has recently initiated a "Buy Green Save Green" program that provides purchasers cash rebates of up to $350.00 on high efficiency refrigerators and up to $250.00 on a high efficiency clothes washer. For More Info: Visit www.nyserda.ny.gov 

Geothermal Systems

Geothermal heating and cooling uses a renewable energy resource available from your own property. Geothermal heating is flame-less, therefore producing no health and safety concerns as associated with fossil fuels. Natale has had 26 geothermal units installed in our homes and we have 26 very satisfied Geothermal customers! 

How it Works:

The earth absorbs almost 50% of all solar energy and remains a nearly constant temperature of 50°F to 70°F depending on geographic location. Working with an underground loop system, geothermal heating and cooling systems utilize this constant temperature to exchange energy between your home and the earth as needed for heating and cooling.

In winter, water circulating inside a sealed underground loop system absorbs heat from the earth and carries it to the geothermal unit. Here it is compressed to a higher temperature and sent as warm air to your indoor system for circulation throughout your home.

In the summer, the system reverses and expels heat from your home into the cooler earth via the loop system. This heat exchange process is not only natural, but is a natural and highly efficient way to create a comfortable climate in your home.

Horizontal Loops

Used where adequate land space is available, horizontal loops involve one or more trenches that are dug using a backhoe or excavator. High Density Green Geothermal Pipe is inserted, and the trenches are back filled. Each trench ranges in length up to 300'.

Vertical Loops

The ideal choice for a geothermal heat pump when available land surface is limited. Well drilling equipment is used to bore small-diameter holes from 100 to 500 feet deep. After the pipes are inserted, the borehole(s) are filled with thermally enhanced grout.

Pond Loops

Gaining popularity in "Cottage Country", Pond or Lake Loops are a great choice if an adequately sized body of water is close to your home. This is an affordable alternative as excavation costs can be virtually eliminated. A series of High Density Green Geothermal closed loops can be extended and sunk to the bottom of the water body. A 1/2-acre, 8-foot-deep pond is usually sufficient for the average home.

Open Loops

An open loop is used where there is an abundant supply of quality well water. The well must have enough capacity to provide adequate flow for both domestic use and the energy unit. Discharge water should be sent directly to a second recharge well.

Learn More!

HOW GREEN IS YOUR CURRENT HOME?

HOW GREEN IS YOUR CURRENT HOME?

Older homes tend to be inefficient. They may have little to no insulation, single-pane leaking windows, old inefficient appliances and poor ventilation. Building a new home would offer modern innovative products such as multi-pane windows, higher insulation ratings. Natale builds homes to a "Green" standard ensuring little energy loss. A necessary R-21 insulation wall value, insulated Superior basement walls, Anderson 200 series windows increases your efficiency levels drastically. Stop losing all your heat today! Natale Builders can build you a Green Certified Home with the highest HERS (home efficiently rating system) score on the market. Don't throw away your hard earned money in high energy bills! American owners of older homes spend an average of $750 million more per year on upkeep and repairs than owners of new homes. REBUILD with Natale Builders and have LOW TO NO energy bills for life. Rebuilding allows for easy integration into a cleaner & healthier home and amazing savings in home repairs, maintenance, and upkeep!

Top 10 Questions to consider regarding your current home and your potential new home:

Visit positiveenergy.nyserda.ny.gov for additional information.

1. Does my home have energy efficient system and appliances?
2. Is my home outfitted with High Performance Doors?
3. Do I have a High Efficiency heating and cooling system?
4. Does my home have multiple energy saving energy star and/or green qualified windows with enhanced insulation and air sealing?
5. Has my home been performance tested by a certified Home Energy 3^rd  party rater to ensure the proper efficiency measures are installed and performing as it was designed?
6. Have you received an energy star certificate or green certified certificate proving that you purchased a energy efficient homes?
7. Does my home have a whole home air exchanger to decrease allergens and provide cleaner air quality than the air outside?
8. Is my basement insulated to the current highest standards in home building?
9. Are the building materials used in my home from local businesses and have a lower carbon footprint than any other home?
10. Does my current home design fit my daily lifestyle?

Natale Builders Guarantees after we build you your new home , you will answer YES to every single question posed above!! Green building increases building value, decreases utility costs, maximizes resources, and minimizes environmental impact. 

Superior Walls

We have been using Superior Wall systems in all our homes for the couple years. We believe that Superior Walls is the smarter foundation solution. Superior Walls are custom designed to your blueprint and built to demanding specifications, a Superior Walls foundation system meets or exceeds the industry's latest green building standards. Superior Walls products support green, sustainable construction and use by providing a continuous layer of insulation, reducing on site waste, and optimizing material usage.The superior walls system provides the highest quality, most green and more efficient foundation products in the world.The precast concrete panels manufactured at Superior Walls facilities across the country are the foundation system of choice for both energy-conscious homeowners and construction-savvy builders. According to the 2012 National Association of Home builders^™ (NAHB^®) "What Home Buyers Really Want" study, basements are considered especially desirable in homes by younger home buyers and those living in colder climates."The study findings show that 76 percent of Gen Y respondents and 74 percent of Gen X respondents would prefer a basement in their homes," says Costello. "Younger home buyers, who are investing in new construction homes, are looking for added living space and easily-accessible storage areas in the homes they purchase." 

Some of the Great benefits of Superior Walls are: 

• They are Dry. Superior Walls’ special 5,000+ psi concrete mix is moisture resistant. Because additional dampproofing is not required, this can help you save both time and money. With the specified crushed stone footing and perimeter drain, water will be directed away from your foundation, helping to keep your home dry. With our patented technologies and superior manufacturing methods, our basements are the very finest in the world and are backed by a 15 year warranty from the manufacturing facility / licensee.*
• They are Warm. Superior Walls foundations feature a continuous layer of insulation bonded directly to the concrete, resulting in high energy efficiency to help you reduce energy costs. Our walls have galvanized steel stud nailers built into the concrete studs, with room to easily increase the amount of insulation without any need to install additional framing.
• They are Smart. The building industry’s leaders are building today’s new homes with Superior Walls products. Certified trained crews install our superior systems typically in less than one day, in virtually any weather. Your builder can save valuable time building your home with the dry, warm, smart, superior solution.
• They are Superior. Superior Walls products are created in a controlled factory environment to ensure that your new home’s foundation will be built to the industry’s highest standards. The concrete is reinforced with steel rebar. And Superior Walls foundations can be customized to nearly any architectural style, providing you with a maximum of home design flexibility.

We pride ourselves is using the most efficient products when building your home! We believe that  Superior Wall Foundations is the way to go!