It’s not easy being green – Part 1
Kermit the frog was right, it’s not easy being green, but that is exactly what Preddy Homes has set out to do. It is their goal to build a home that is not only affordable, but super energy efficient. This is not a simple task. Being the only Certified Green Builder in Russellville, AR helps, but there are a ton of logistical problems that come with engineering affordable energy efficient housing.
This is the first in a multi-part post about the building processes Preddy Homes uses to build great homes!
It is tough not to sacrifice quality while staying on track with the material and labor involved in building a 1600 sq foot home that will boast an average utility bill of less than $100 dollars. The most important considerations when engineering a house for energy efficiency is the envelope of the structure. Preddy Homes uses rigid foam board to provide a necessary thermal break between the framing and the outside elements. This foam insulation board helps to increase the R-Value of the structure, while providing an outside sheathing that will not rot. Behind this foam board, every wood joint is caulked to create a barrier from the outside elements. 
All exterior walls of the home, as well as any interior water walls, are then treated with Forticel. This product features a 25 year transferable warranty against the growth of mold should a leak or water intrusion ever occur. Finally, Demilec’s Sealection 500, open cell spray foam is applied to every outside wall, including the garage! The foam is created when two chemicals meet as a liquid then expand to fill every crack and crevice to further create an airtight home.
The doors selected for the home are fiberglass, and meet energy star requirements, often having low-e coatings on glass. Speaking of low-e coatings, all windows used in Preddy Homes’ homes, feature 3 coats of low-e, accompanied by Argon gas to create energy star windows that qualify even in the southern most areas of Florida. These windows feature a minimum DP 50 rating for air leakage, and are superior to most used in the area. These windows have some of the best U-Factors, and Solar Heat Gain numbers available.
Moving upstairs to the attic area, Preddy Homes always installs an extra-wide heavy duty ladder for attic access. They apply the same spray foam to the roof decking, not on the ceiling creating an attic that’s absent of any ridge vents, whirly birds, or gabled end vents. The attic is completely sealed. This construction results in an attic that’s temperature is relatively close to the house, within 10-15 degrees. Because of this, the home’s heat and air system is able to work more efficiently pumping warm or cool air through a similarly conditioned space. Just imagine how inefficient pumping 57 degree air conditioning through a typical 140 degree attic is! Further, this space is now perfect storage! It’s often decked with plywood, lights installed, and becomes great for all your items, no more worrying about Christmas candles melting, or critters!
Another thing that sets Preddy Homes apart from the pack is their exclusive use of GE hybrid water heaters. Consumers spend more money monthly heating their water than running all their kitchen appliances. On average, most people spend about $40 dollars per month to heat their water. Using this hybrid GE only costs 16! How is it so much more efficient? It operates by pulling warm ambient air from around the water heater to heat the water rather than heating up coils that do the job in a conventional water heater. It’s a baby heat pump. The same technology we use to heat and cool our homes.
That sums up many of the great energy conscious features Preddy Homes includes on the exterior with every home they build. Further posts will follow as we explore the interior energy saving features!
These homes can be found in Magnolia Ridge subdivision.
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