That moment you know you want to buy a new home is an exciting one. Whether you flipped through magazines and saw a room you just had to have, or you finally realized your current home just isn’t cutting it anymore, you can’t wait to start the shopping process.
You look through floor plans, décor ideas, maybe even visit a few show homes. You look for all the visible things you want in a new home, but what about the features you can't see? Not only should you be looking for a beautiful, comfortable place to rest your head, but that new home should contain modern features to keep you healthy.
So what are some of these features? New homes—and the recent introduction of a brand new energy code —are constructed with a multitude of new technologies to improve health and wellbeing for years to come. The difference between new home builders is that some build to minimum codes, but good ones will strive to exceed that code to build you a better home you'll feel good in longer.
Building Materials and Processes
Building Materials and ProcessesYour custom home will already be constructed using higher-quality building materials, but how do these materials contribute to a healthier home?
1. Low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound)
Choosing paints, carpets, and finishes with low VOC is an easy way to reduce the amount of contaminants and chemicals in the air you breathe.
2. Foundation Waterproofing
Having a waterproof foundation protects your basement from water seepage, which can lead to dangerous mould growth.
Homes today are constructed to be virtually airtight, minimizing air exchanges per hour in the home. What this means is that your home is also energy efficient, minimizing the temperature fluctuations your home goes through. This helps you keep a steady level of comfort in your home for you and your family.
3. Sill Wrap
Something relatively new that's added to your new home construction is sill wrap. This is a custom-fitted synthetic wrap installed just underneath all of the windows in your home during the framing stage. What this wrap does is in the event of window condensation, it adds one more layer of protection to redirect any moisture from your windows away from the wood in your home.
What you can’t see in the structure of your home is what protects you most. Be sure to ask your builder about the many ways your new home construction keeps you healthy.
Special Features and Functions
In addition to the building materials and processes, your home includes systems and features that contribute to your healthy home.
4. Mechanical Ventilation Systems
Automatic ventilation will provide additional control over the air exchanges within your home; should you need fresh, clean air simply turn on your ventilation system. It's always recommended to run this system when you're cooking or showering to keep household moisture from spiking.
5. Heat Recovery Ventilator
This system works with your furnace to retain more of the heat in your home. An older furnace will pull fresh—and in winter, cold—air from outside, pushing warm air out. Older furnaces are inefficient for this reason. Because today’s homes are virtually air tight, extra equipment is needed to exchange air into and out of your home. A HRV will retain the warmer air exchanging through your furnace, and help to improve the air temperature and quality throughout your home.
6. Water Line Filter
Consider installing a whole-house water filter in your new home. It's a filter connected to your water line that will filter out contaminants. Not only will you have cleaner drinking water, but cleaner water for cooking, washing, and other daily activities.
7. Radon Mitigation
Although we don’t really have an issue with Radon in our Alberta homes, your new home will be constructed with Radon mitigation. Radon is heavier than air, and this mitigation system (in conjunction with your weeping tile) will collect any Radon, deposit it into a tube near your sump pump, and allow for easy testing. This is more of a concern in places like Ontario where heavier Radon levels have been detected, but nonetheless, the system is installed in your home here to protect you in the future.
Healthy homes start from the ground up. Ask your builder for all of the options available to you to help make your home a happy and healthy one.
These features certainly help keep your home healthier, but keeping your home clean is something you can do to contribute too. Check out the low maintenance features of custom living that can make this easier on you.
