General (10)
Green homes, like LEED-certified homes, can have myriad benefits for your family, your environmental footprint, and your wallet. Generally, green homes are more comfortable and durable, more energy and water efficient, and have a smaller overall environmental footprint than conventional homes.
SIP homes go up faster than traditionally framed buildings. A properly trained SIP installation crew can save a significant amount of time in a build cycle. Panels can be manufactured as big as 8- by 24-ft., so entire walls can be put up quickly, reducing dry-in time. SIPs can be supplied as ready to install building components when they arrive at the jobsite, eliminating the time needed to perform individual jobsite operations of framing, insulating and sheathing stick-framed walls.
No, they cost less. It's true that initial build cost of a Vesta Home may be slightly higher than a home constructed using 2 x 4's and fiberglass batt insulation. The cost savings begin the first time you write a check to the utility company. If a product does not have a positive payback at today's energy costs, we will not include it in our standard package.
Sustainable construction refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.
Building Energy Star is great but we don't think that's enough. We are constantly looking for proven products and technologies that will at the same time make your home more comfortable and more efficient. Vesta performs detailed cost analysis of our designs to ensure that the products and methods we use provide a positive payback for our customers.
A typical Vesta Home will cost approximately $800 a year to heat and cool when using natural gas. A similar size home built to code can cost up $2000 a year. That's a savings of about $115 per month. The savings can be even more dramatic when using LP or electric for your heating source.
Absolutely! The plans on our web site are a great resource but if you already have a plan, give us a call for a free estimate.
Structural Insulated Panels offer unique opportunities when designing your home. Vesta offers the opportunity to work with licensed architects that know how to design homes that take advantage of SIPs.
Yes. If one of our lots does not suit your needs, we will utilize the relationships we have built with area realtors. They will be happy to assist you in finding the lot that is just right for you.
As early as possible. Getting the right house with the right property takes a combination of efforts. So whether you have the property or not, give us a call and let us know what you're thinking. We can probably help you even if it's only advice.
LEED (8)
LEED for Homes is a consensus-developed, third party-verified rating system that provides a basis for quantifying the benefits of green homes. The rating system measures a home's performance based on eight categories: site selection, water efficiency, materials & resources, energy & atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, location & linkages, awareness & education, and innovation. Each LEED-certified home undergoes onsite inspections and thorough performance testing to ensure proper performance.
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification program, providing third-party verification that a building or community incorporates strategies aimed at improving performance, increasing energy and water efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, thoughtfully utilizing our natural resources, and improving indoor environmental quality.
A home that achieves LEED certification has been designed to maximize fresh air indoors, minimizing exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants, and has the potential to use 20-30% less energy – and some up to 60% less – than a home built to the International Energy Code Council's 2006 code. Less energy use means lower utility bills every month throughout the life of the house. Beyond energy, achieving LEED certification is a mark of leadership in green homebuilding, clearly differentiating a home as among the best in the country.
LEED is a national, third-party certification system for green homebuilding. It is designed to recognize leadership, so the program is rigorous and focused on measurable results. In addition, LEED provides a process and support system for builders to help them make informed decisions about their project, and achieve great success in green homebuilding.
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification program, providing third-party verification that a building or community incorporates strategies aimed at improving performance, increasing energy and water efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, thoughtfully utilizing our natural resources, and improving indoor environmental quality.
LEED for Homes is a consensus-developed, third party-verified rating system that provides a basis for quantifying the benefits of green homes. The rating system measures a home's performance based on eight categories: site selection, water efficiency, materials & resources, energy & atmosphere, indoor environmental quality, location & linkages, awareness & education, and innovation. Each LEED-certified home undergoes onsite inspections and thorough performance testing to ensure proper performance.
A home that achieves LEED certification has been designed to maximize fresh air indoors, minimizing exposure to airborne toxins and pollutants, and has the potential to use 20-30% less energy – and some up to 60% less – than a home built to the International Energy Code Council's 2006 code. Less energy use means lower utility bills every month throughout the life of the house.
Each LEED for Homes registered project is inspected by a LEED for Homes Green Rater under the guidance of a LEED for Homes Provider. Providers and Green Raters are local organizations and individuals with demonstrated experience with green building.
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are high performance building panels used in floors, walls, and roofs for residential and light commercial buildings. The panels are made by sandwiching a core of rigid foam plastic insulation between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB). Other skin material can be used for specific purposes. SIPs are manufactured under factory controlled conditions and can be custom designed for each home. The result is a building system that is extremely strong, energy efficient and cost effective.
Builders can save money through decreased construction and labor costs. The superior whole wall R-values and building tightness capable with SIPs allow HVAC equipment to be downsized and ductwork to be minimized. Builders can also significantly reduce jobsite waste disposal and temporary heat during construction.
Energy efficiency
Structural insulated panels are one of the most environmentally responsible building systems available. A SIP building envelope provides high levels of insulation and is extremely airtight, meaning the amount of energy used to heat and cool a home can be cut by up to 50 percent. The energy that powers homes and commercial buildings is responsible for a large portion of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere. By reducing the amount of energyused in buildings, architects, builders, and homeowners can contribute to a clean environment for the future.The tightness of the SIP building envelope prevents air from gaining access to the interior of the home except in controlled amounts. Mechanical ventilation systems allow fresh incoming air to be filtered for allergens and dehumidified. A controlled indoor environment is both healthy and comfortable for your family and less prone to mold growth and dust mites.
If panels are damaged, a structural engineer needs to assess the damage to determine what is cosmetic and what is structural. If the damage is only cosmetic then the source of moisture must be determined and fixed, whether it is from inside or outside. If the damage is structural, then the source of the problem must be identified and a structural solution to the problem must be found. That can be done by either a site modification of the panels or replacement of the panels, depending on the extent of the damage.
The area inside a SIP building envelope is considered conditioned space and will be ventilated by the building's HVAC system. There is no need to provide a vented attic beneath a SIP roof, and doing so would compromise the conditioned space of the building. Our roofing materials are backed by the full manufacturer's warranty.
The R-Value rating of a specific material or wall assembly was not intended to be the measure of thermal efficiency of a home. R-Value only measures resistance to heat loss by conduction. Other forms of heat loss are convection, radiation and especially infiltration (leakage). Conventional framing with batt insulation promotes convection,radiant and infiltration heat loss.
Our SIPs are manufactured with values of R-15, R-27, R-30, R-37 and R-45. Testing at Oak Ridge National Laboratories showed that our SIP walls are far superior to conventional stick frame and batt insulated walls. A 4-1/2" Structural Insulated Panel was 45% better than 2x4's with batt insulation and in fact also was better than 2x6's with batt insulation.
Yes. Extensive testing has been performed by many independent laboratories. Our Structural Insulated Panels are UL (Underwriters Laboratories Inc.) listed and a Third Party Certified product. Structural Insulated Panels have the recognition of the national building code bodies.
Yes. Structural Insulated Panels have exceptional strength to resist typical loads caused by seismic activity and high winds. Six SIP homes were documented to have withstood the 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Kobe, Japan in January 1995. These homes were located just miles from the quake's epicenter and stood solidly against the tremendous force of the earthquake. SIP homes have also withstood tornados in Tennessee and straight line winds in Michigan.