The Builder’s Notes

With the incredible array of energy-efficient home systems available today, your custom home building or renovation project has the ability to transform the way you live. And if you’re planning a new custom home, you should think high-performance from the start. High-performance homes utilize the most advanced sustainable design and technology available today to realize immense energy and cost savings, prevent mold and mildew formation, promote exceptional indoor air quality, and ensure that you live in remarkable comfort. And a high-performance custom home only costs 5-10% more than...


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When you’re planning to build a new custom home, it’s easy to focus on your upfront expenses and costs of construction without thinking about your ongoing costs once the home is built. These operating costs of your home are equally important, and have huge effects on the lifetime return on your investment and on the health of the planet. Today, anyone planning a new custom home should think high-performance from the start. You have an incredible array of options including eco-friendly construction materials, solar electric power systems, energy efficient windows, and on-demand tankless...


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Note: This is the second in a two-part series on How to Develop a Timeline for Custom Home Building Construction. Click here to read Part I of this series, where we discuss the pre-construction timeline for your custom home building process. Establish an accurate construction timeline One of the first steps to building a new house is establishing a comprehensive and accurate timeline for completion. And if you’re planning a new custom home, you should think high-performance from the start. In this post, we give you an overview of what to expect during the construction phase, and why high-performance...


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Planning a custom home: budget, design, permit One of the first steps to building a new house is establishing a comprehensive and accurate timeline for completion. And if you’re planning a new custom home, you should think high-performance from the start. With all of the new green, sustainable technology available, you have an incredible array of options for building a new home that will greatly reduce your energy and water use. Plus, high-performance homes are healthier, smarter for the environment, and a great long-term investment. A number of factors before and during construction...


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Deciding to build a custom home in Silicon Valley is an involved process, and understanding the progression of a construction project is essential to both your mental well-being and the success of your project. You may be surprised at how much work has to happen before construction. Pre-construction components like budgeting, financing, property selection, topographical surveying, permitting, planning, and design will weigh into your budget and timeline for completion. In particular, the complexity and duration of the permitting process can surprise future home owners in Silicon Valley. Permitting...


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In part one of this post, we asked if radiant under-floor heat makes sense for a high-performance, passive home. (Read Part One here.) The Overheating Debate Executive editor of Environmental Building News, Alex Wilson’s opinion is clear: radiant floors don’t make sense for passive homes. Overheating is one of many concerns: In a home with a tight envelope and a very small heating load, even a small amount of heat can cause overheating, and the thermal mass in a radiant floor system increases the risk. This is particularly true in buildings with some level of passive solar gain – the radiant...


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Few other heating methods get people so excited as do radiant floors – and for good reason. The delight of going barefoot on a warm surface is hard to beat. Think of a warm hardwood deck on a chilly day... or a picnic on a sun-baked rock. Radiant floors bring the pleasure home, heating your floor directly, which then radiates warmth into the room for a thoroughly comfortable atmosphere. A fantastic idea. But in a passive house – one that’s super-insulated and highly efficient, such as the homes we build at Clarum – does the idea hold up to reality? Our Radiant Experiment Between...


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The choice of healthy construction materials became a major issue in the mid-twentieth century, as builders began using toxic, artificial products, while also sealing buildings as tightly as they could. Sealed buildings conserve energy, of course. However, they also trap harmful gases. When toxic materials are used in construction, indoor air quality can actually reach urban pollution levels. The culprit is VOCs, or volatile organic compounds. Products high in VOCs continue off-gassing long after they’re installed, damaging your long-term health and bearing a daily impact on your your...


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Sunday, April 28th from 1:00 - 5:00pm 840 Los Altos Avenue, Los Altos, CA Free tour! No tickets or reservations required. Join us and experience a passive-inspired modern home first hand. The future of modern is a stunning merger of high-performance, energy efficient construction and contemporary architecture. Tour this green home and see how Clarum Homes seamlessly blends sustainability with sophisticated design. Don't miss out! This is a one-day opportunity to immerse yourself in a truly modern living experience. About the Home Approximately 3,800 square feet, this single-story...


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The quality of the air you breathe may not often come to mind. But given the impact it has on your everyday, it’s hard to exaggerate its importance. Most homes are built from construction materials that steadily off-gas over their lifespan; these pollutants aren’t healthy or comfortable to breathe. Neither is air that’s heavy and stale. Ventilation addresses both problems; it also goes further: Removes unwanted smells (cooking, pets, etc.) Controls moisture, protecting your walls, floors and belongings Prevents mold and keeps pollutants from damaging your health Helps you focus;...


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