Building your own vacation home is more than having a destination you can visit for free. It’s a fantastic way just to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and get complete relaxation. You can build in the country, on a lake, or near the beach. It’s an amazing opportunity for your family to have a go-to holiday sanctuary.
But apart from personal benefits, a vacation house also provides financial perks such as tapping into rental income and capitalizing on tax breaks. If you want to extend those benefits into something eco-friendly, here are a few factors to consider when building your custom vacation home.
Fenestration
Any green builders know the importance of considering the directions that windows will face. For instance, north-facing and east-facing windows often get the coolest temperatures and least natural right, meaning they need to be insulted to prevent heat loss. South-facing and west-facing windows, on the other hand, are more likely to generate extra heat and have access to plenty of natural light. This makes them ideal for high-traffic areas such as the living room. Consult your custom builder to know more about the impact of these directions on the natural light and average temperature for every room.
Air sealing and ventilation
If you want to build an energy-efficient vacation house, consider the air sealing and ventilation too. Sealing is crucial for making your home airtight. This allows you to prevent leaks around the house and prevent energy loss. You’re making it a challenge for the outside air to get in and the internal air to get out. Air seal work more efficiently on attic hatch opening, window and door weatherstripping, pipe wall penetrations, HVAC duct sealing, and exterior wall outlet boxes.
Apart from air sealing, you’d also need to plan for the ventilation. Not all air must be kept inside. Air with toxic gases such as radon and carbon monoxide should be flush out too. This is where vents and exhausts come to play. Installing a good ventilation system can help you and your space breathe fresh and clean air. Choose one that suits the type of your house.
Proper insulation
Who doesn’t want to save up to 75% of heat in their home, right? You can achieve that by building proper insulation. Insulation is beneficial not only for lowering your heating costs but also for reducing your carbon footprint. At the same time, it provides more comfort for everyone living in the house—no need to worry about too cold or too hot spots. In short, insulation can help even out the temperature inside the home. In general, it’s best to use insulating materials with R-value per inch thickness or high thermal assistance like spray foam.
There’s also cellulose, which is another good green insulation choice. If you’re planning to build the vacation house in a location with a mild climate, you can make it comfortable enough by adding the right insulation. You won’t need heating or cooling systems.
Cool roof
Another feature to request on your custom home builder is a cool roof. Installing this type of roofing system is particularly beneficial for those living in a dry and scorching location. If you’re planning to build on an area with long and harsh winters, you have the option not to get a cool roof. Nevertheless, this roofing system absorbs and reflects less heat and minimizes local air temperatures too.
Communities that use cool roofing systems tend to experience fewer power outages as electricity demand will lessen. Most homeowners also choose to install solar power systems in addition to their cool roofs to take advantage of the sunlight. Since it’s a renewable source of energy, you can reduce your cooling costs drastically.
Energy Star certification
If you have the extra budget and effort to space, it’s best to get your new house Energy-Star-certified. This is currently one of the best ways to guarantee a structure’s build quality. Apart from insulation, your vacation house will need to pass the air and moisture quality control. Remember that the process can be tedious as you might have experts coming in and out of your finished home to test things. On the positive side, this investment can give you all-around peace of mind that you’re living in an energy-efficient living space. After all, we’re talking about huge lifetime savings here.
By building an energy-efficient vacation house, you are not just saving yourself from high utility builds. You can also help the environment and protect the Earth by reducing your greenhouse emissions and air pollution. Find a seasoned builder to ensure you get to maximize energy-saving and avoid wasting money on inefficient elements too.
