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 Technology touches almost every aspect of modern life. It helps people communicate, work and get around. Many people revel in the way technology makes life easier and more fun. New gadgets hit stores every day and technology is constantly outdoing itself. But technology plays an important role in daily life far beyond your computer and cell phone.
Although you may not give it a second thought, the technology used to build your home makes it more beautiful and durable. It helps keep your family and belongings safe, and saves you money. Technological advances play a big role in the durability of your home, the size of your electric bill and how well it can weather a major storm.
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN HOME BULIDING
With fuel costs on the rise and global warming becoming more and more of a concern, energy efficiency is a major trend in home building.
Solar control window films are used all over the world, even on Buckingham Palace. These polyester films have a smoky opaque tint. They are applied on the inside of your existing windows, and are made to resist peeling and tearing. Solar films also provide some privacy.
“Solar control window films reduce glare, reject up to seventy-four percent of heat and protect your home from ninety-nine percent of ultraviolet rays,” said a local window films expert. This means cooler rooms on those hot summer days, lower energy costs and the fabrics in your home will fade less.
“According to studies, you can save ten to twenty-five percent of your home cooling costs.”
Insulation is another way to increase the energy efficiency of your home. Instead of the pink fiberglass insulation that comes in giant rolls, many new homes use spray foam insulation because it works better and takes up less space.
Spray foam insulation is liquid polyurethane pumped through a pressurized nozzle. As it is applied into wall, ceiling, and floor cavities, the foam expands to fill all the crevices and cracks, and creates a continuous barrier of insulation.
Spray foam insulation has a number of benefits. According to PowerHousetv.com, it has a higher resistance-value, or R-value, at any thickness than any other insulation material, which means that this insulator is more effective because it resists more heat flow. And your exterior walls can be thinner because they don’t have to accommodate thicker insulation materials. Spray foam insulation helps control moisture, which is important in this region. It won’t breakdown or sag over time. And spray foam insulation is airtight.
A home that’s insulated with spray foam is more energy efficient than homes with fiberglass batting. Plus, thinner walls means more interior space and lower framing costs.
WEATHERING THE STORM
Weather protection is an obviously a concern for a coastal community and many of the latest materials are made specifically for this purpose.
Weather shield windows are one way to protect your home from severe weather. Stronger glass and reinforced frames make these windows strong enough to withstand the impact of flying debris and high winds, and they replace the need for plywood or shutters over your windows in a hurricane.
When windows break in a hurricane, high-pressure air enters your home and causes other windows to shatter, doors to blow open, and even roofs to blow off. To prevent this from happening, hurricane windows are made with two layers of laminated glass with a strong plastic film between them. If the window shatters, then the film stays in place and keeps rainwater and debris from entering and damaging your home.
Hurricane windows can either be installed in new construction or to replace your existing windows. And if your home is relatively new, it may already have hurricane windows.
“All homes have to meet the International Building Code,” said a Lowcountry lumber supplier. “All of Beaufort County is in a 130 mph wind zone, so hurricane glass is required under the code.”
You can also have solar safety film applied to your windows to protect against hurricane force winds. Like solar films, these are applied to the inside of your windows and protect your home from heat and sunlight. But safety films are thicker and stronger to keep your home safe from severe weather and debris.
Security films are often used on government buildings for safety, and commercial storefronts use them to protect against smash and grab burglaries, according to experts. Some films are eight millimeters thick and have been tested to hold up against 400 ft./lbs. of force. In other words, you can hit it with a sledgehammer and the glass won’t shatter.
Security films are used in coastal communities for hurricane protection and are strong enough to keep your home safe in high winds. With security films on your windows, they won’t shatter when hit with debris or tree branches.
Some films are tested to 144 mph winds, so if you’re out of town you don’t have to worry about inclement weather.
AESTHETICS
When it comes to paint, most people think color. However, there’s more to paint than its aesthetic qualities. Even though lead paint is a thing of the past, some paints still contain a number of chemicals that are potentially harmful. With indoor and outdoor air pollution becoming more and more of a concern, many companies have developed new, safer paint mixtures that are odorless, low on fumes, and still easy to maintain.
 The smell of a freshly painted room is caused by volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which are added to paint to make it more durable and easy to apply. These chemicals can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, and even permanent damage to your kidneys, liver, and respiratory and nervous systems. They also cause indoor and outdoor air pollution.
“Now everything is environmentally friendly,” said a sales associate at a Hilton Head paint store and supplier. “The newest paints on the market are low- and no-VOC.
“They are odorless, so they are safe to use in hotels, hospitals and other places where people may be affected by paint fumes. They are good for people with allergies.” Although these new paints are environmentally friendly and odorless, they are formulated to work just as well as the older, more toxic paints.
“Everything these days is acrylic based, and the advanced acrylics are high performance paints that are more durable. They hold their color and gloss, and they clean up with soap and water.”
Even though the chemical makeup of paint has become more advanced, the same methods are used to apply it. Brushes, rollers, and sprayers are still how painters get a job done.
Aside from color, spacious, open floor plans and peaked ceilings are desirable qualities in a home. But years ago, these architectural designs were impossible to create because of the way trusses were built. Trusses are the peaked parts of a house frame that form the structure of the roof. Trusses used to be built on site, using nailed plywood gusset plates. The old method required interior walls to support the roof, which meant a closed floor plan. In the 1950s, truss construction changed with the invention of a metal connector plate. Instead of building them on site with plywood gussets, trusses are now prefabricated using more efficient machinery and hauled to the home location.
So how does this work? Trusses are designed by the contractor or architect to meet building codes. Then a truss fabricator is contracted. The home designer gives the truss fabricator the details of the roof structure and supplies a truss layout for each element of the roof. This information is entered into a computer program, which generates the specific design for each truss. The computer gives precise cutting instructions, dimensions and locations for the connector plates. Then the trusses are constructed, checked for quality and prepared for shipping. Prefabricated trusses make homebuilding faster and more efficient, and give designers more options by eliminating the need for interior support walls.
LOW MAINTENANCE
Durability and low maintenance are other trends in home building, which is why liquid vinyl siding is a popular alternative to exterior paint. Liquid vinyl siding is a mixture of vinyl resins and polymers that are applied to the exterior of your home with a sprayer. The coating creates a waterproof, breathable barrier that shields your home from weather, mold, and moisture. The vinyl layer is ten times thicker than a regular coat of paint. It seals cracks and lasts for decades - which eliminates the need to periodically repaint your home.
Liquid vinyl siding comes in a huge variety of colors and can be used to coat any surface you can paint, including wood, stucco, vinyl or aluminum siding, brick, and block. Once liquid vinyl siding is applied, you can clean it with a garden hose or pressure washer. Depending on what your home is made of, some steps will be required to prepare the surface for liquid vinyl siding application. The surface is cleaned, mold and mildew are removed, and rotted wood is replaced. Rust and oxidation are removed, and the surface is sanded and caulked. These steps ensure that you won’t ever have to paint again.
The humid climate makes moisture a concern for homeowners in the Lowcountry, especially in crawlspaces that can collect water and mold. Moisture can cause the wood in your home to rot and decay, and mold creates a serious health concern, especially for people with allergies. And whatever is in your crawlspace is also in your living space because of the way air circulation works. A relatively new process, called crawlspace encapsulation, was created to keep these problems at bay.
Most crawlspaces have dirt floors and some type of ventilation to allow air to flow. However, in the humid summer months, the vents allow moist air into the crawlspace. When warm moist air enters a cool crawlspace, then condensation occurs. Then water collects under your home and provides a hospitable environment for mold to grow. And in the winter, ventilation allows cold air to circulate under your floors. This means it costs more to keep your home warm.
Crawlspace encapsulation is the process of sealing off the entire crawlspace from the outside so moisture can’t get in. First, drainage issues are addressed with matting that allows water underneath it to flow away from your home. Rocks and organic materials are removed from the floor. Then the entire crawlspace is lined with a polyethylene liner that’s cut to fit, and sealed with nylon fasteners and polyurethane caulk in a way that prevents moisture and insects from gaining access to your home.
Once the job is done, your crawlspace is clean and completely cut off from the outside. The interior of the liner is white and clean. Then you can use the space for storage, without worrying that your belongings will get dirty, moldy, or destroyed by insects or animals. Your heating costs decrease and the air quality in your home improves. Crawlspace encapsulation also protects your home from radon, which can leak into your home through the ground.
Although the methods that contractors use to build a home haven’t changed much in the past several years, the materials they use have come a long way. Stronger materials, new applications, and new research make your windows stronger, your paint less toxic, your home safer and your energy bill cheaper. So even though you probably don’t think about the way your home is insulated or whether or not your windows protect your furnishings from fading every day, technology plays an important role in the building you call home.
- Melinda Copp
Photos courtesy: Marvin Windows & Doors, Andersen Windows & Doors
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