Parade of Homes

"utilizing the right mix of technologies in your new home construction is the key to striking the balance between the greatest efficiency and comfort and the most cost effective approach," he says. Improved insulation and heat recovery ventilators are among the changes incor- porated into building codes over the years to provide better minimum standards. but many builders set higher standards for themselves, integrating the latest options on the market and designing homes for maximum comfort and efficiency. Swan says Huntington Homes has been a leader on that front for almost three decades. "Often, we have been doing things for 10 to 20 years before they became build- ing code requirements," Swan says. "We have spent the last 27 years in business constantly analyzing products. And ev- erything we do from a structural point of view, we do it as standard in every house we build." Swan lists a number of key areas for new home buyers who want to maximize ef- ficiency and comfort, all of which focus on working with natural law instead of against it. For example, the natural move- ment of air — hot air rises — is an impor- tant principle to keep in mind when build- ing for comfort and efficiency. there are several ways to maintain a comfortable temperature on every floor of your home. Dividing the house into different zones from floor to floor, with temperature controls for each level; adding ceiling fans to move the air around; using the best venting sys- tems to regulate the temperature and using high-efficiency furnaces with the heat-saving advantage of side- venting systems. "If you're moving air, you're keeping it the same temperature — like you're mixing it," explains Swan. "We use a multi-speed furnace, which runs more constantly at a lower speed to move the air. It also runs more quietly, and at the end of the day, it is more efficient." Swan says windows have an important function in terms of comfort as well. because of our long, cold winters, it's a good idea to integrate lots of well- installed energy-efficient windows to allow you to enjoy ample natural light as well as outdoor views. A dark cold basement can also be transformed into a warm, inviting space with the addition of a wood structural basement floor. Hunting- ton Homes installs suspended wood structural floors with a crawl space underneath, which houses the base- ment ductwork. Heat enters through registers at floor level, just as it would on the main floor of the home. upgraded insulation, especially in the attic, is another great way to keep out- side air out and inside air in, as are ex- terior house wraps. using spray foam in joist cavities and choosing manu- factured joists — known as the silent floor system — will address areas of significant heat leakage which would otherwise would result from lumber shrinkage over time. Later this year, Huntington Homes will start working with the mike Holmes Group as a Holmes Approved Homes certified builder (www.holmesap- provedhomes.com). this certification means the builder is using top innova- tions to produce an efficient, well-built home, and will put the home through a number of tests to ensure quality technology and workmanship. During the Fall parade of Homes, visit Huntington's show home at 130 Lake bend rd. in bridgwater Lakes, or see www.huntingtonhomes.com. 'If you're moving air, you're keeping it the same temperature — like you're mixing it' More on page 8 >> rob Swan, co-founder and president of huntington homes >> inviting spaces and large windows that bathe rooms in natural light chase away the winter blues in style. phOtO by marianne helm Parade of Homes Fall 2014 7

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