Imagine you’re standing in front of two new homes built by two different home builders. As far as you can tell from the outside, they’re very similar. The same square footage, same number of bedrooms, same number of bathrooms, same number of stories. While the specific layouts of the floorplan might be different both are optimized for your lifestyle. Honestly, it seems like the only differences that matter to you is the exterior of the home, and the price tag. In this scenario let’s say that both exteriors are equally appealing to you even if it’s in different ways and the only important difference is the price tag. With one home being at the higher end of your budget than the other. So the choice is easy right? Just get the cheaper home. It will cost you less in the long run right? Not quite. Because the more expensive home in this scenario was built with next gen insulation techniques. Which will pay off in lower utility bills than the other new home, superior defense against mold, and a more comfortable experience. Let’s talk about how Garbett Homes has continued to push the energy efficiency envelope with new insulation techniques that make your Utah home the most comfortable and healthy home for the price.
Why Insulation Matters
Do you own a metal water bottle? The kind that you can fill water and ice cubes at 7:00 AM and still have full ice cubes at 4:00 PM when you get home? Even in the height of summer? Whether they’re from Stanley, Hydroflask, Yeti, or even the Wal-Mart brand, they all get the job done through insulation. Keeping your cold drinks cold and your hot drinks hot for significant periods of time. A well-insulated home should achieve the same goal. Keeping your home at your desired temperature for long periods of time without needing to use the HVAC system. Not only do these gains in energy efficiency help reduce air pollution, but they help you save a significant amount of money.
How Garbett’s Current Standard is Different
When it comes to creating the insulation barrier in their walls, most home builders install rolls of batt insulation between the studs of their walls. Which is a start. Unfortunately, when insulation is installed this way there are significant gaps that can allow air to leak out of the home. Meaning that while you’re heating or cooling your home, you’re also heating and cooling the air outside your home. Taking a portion of the money you spend on your energy bill with it.
For years, we at Garbett Homes have utilized blown-in insulation supplemented by spray foam insulation where needed. This creates a much denser insulation barrier that keeps more HVAC treated air inside the home. We take this even further thanks to construction methods that accommodate even more of these dense insulation methods than traditional construction would. Allowing us to maximize your home’s energy efficiency which in turn maximizes the savings on your utility bills.
Going Further
Being Utah’s leader in green home building means that we are always on the search for ways to make our homes healthier, more energy efficient, and save more water. Which is why starting with our downtown Salt Lake City community, Azure Place, we are adding a layer of exterior insulation. In new communities, we now surround our homes with an inch thick board of rigid insulation. This allows us to create a continuous barrier around the home to ensure a consistent temperature throughout. This insulation system is capped off by the use of TYVEK® HOMEWRAP® to allow for water vapor to leave the home, preventing rot or mold from developing in the walls of your home. Protecting you from costly repairs further down the line.
When considering the cost of buying a new home, it’s easy to just zero in on the price of the home itself, especially if you’re a savvy budget conscious buyer. But cheaper up front does not always mean least expensive. If you’d like to learn more about how Garbett’s green home building efforts can save you more money in the long run, please reach out to our New Home Specialist or check out one of our model homes today!
