In the last two years as home prices and the real estate market shoot out of sight. You may have heard people occasionally mention the cost of building code compliance. This is mostly regarding new construction, but existing structures are subject to be brought up to code as well. In either case code compliance has real cost to it in the construction process. It effects cost from every aspect.
I'm not here to bash building codes, to the contrary. Building codes help protect life and property actually, but not all codes are equally well thought out either. That is similar to the battle between the engineers that design cars and the mechanics that have to fix them. The building codes and inspectors are the partners in the process of building today, even if not always loved.
Building codes are also largely responsible for driving the continued march toward energy efficiency in new structures. Requirements for insulation, window standards, roofing construction, all has been a motivating factor for development in our new building materials.
The interesting thing I've noticed is that efficiency standards get tighter and tighter it makes some other building methods become more cost competitive. The "blower door" test being one of the key points in all this. This is a test of how tight the structure is. The test pulls a vacuum on the structure and measures the volume of air making it through the structures exterior envelope.
I am also a registered forester in Georgia. I love wood and love to use in in structures as it is a renewal resource. We grow big volumes of wood in the US and in the southeast as I have been a part of that personally. However, in these times of volatile commodity prices it starts to make alternatives like ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) more cost competitive. This, coupled with ever tightening building envelope standards such as the blower door test is motivation enough to consider alternatives. Yes, I know concrete is not the greenest of materials, but if it becomes cost competitive it will be considered. One of many advantages of concrete is the thermal mass involved and how that helps maintain interior temperatures with minimal expenditure of energy to maintain the area comfortable.
There is also the "Net Zero" home idea gaining ground too. This is a home that produces enough energy to support it's own needs. Generally through solar but it can also be wind generation of energy, but a key component in making a Net Zero home is that the home be very, very, energy efficient.
So, as you can see there are a lot of technologies and building materials and techniques that are available and tightening building codes will be pushing these more to the fore front almost by default.
I will discuss each of these, building codes, ICF, and Net Zero construction in later post.
Thanks and be safe.
Tony
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