The Builder’s Notes

John Suppes from Clarum Homes explains the Zehnder Heat Recovery Ventilator System at the Menlo Passive Project. One of the keys to a passive home's efficiency is its air tightness. This means that it's essential to have a system that brings in fresh air to the house. All air coming into the house is filtered through a Merv 13 air filter. This means all of the air in the home is clean - free of pollens and particulates. All of the stale air from the home is exhausted through the other side of the HRV. With this system, all the air in the house is exchanged 9 times a day with fresh air. The best...


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Sean Miskelley from Clarum Homes explains the use of SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) in the Menlo Passive home. Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are high performance building panels used in the external envelope - floors, walls, and roofs for residential buildings. The SIPs panels are typically made by sandwiching a rigid core of foam plastic insulation between two structural skins of oriented strand board (OSB). They offer great air tightness and insulation with superior R values. The resulting home is extremely strong, energy efficient and cost effective. Building with SIPs will save...


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Energy expert Sean Misskelley from Clarum Homes talks about the heating and cooling effect of high performance Gaulhofer windows and SeriousWindows in the Menlo Passive Home Project. Read more about the Menlo Passive project features here: http://bit.ly/iA8V3Y. And some additional photos here: http://bit.ly/p3An2N. Serious Materials energy efficient SeriousWindows feature U-values ranging from 0.14 to 0.18. and Gaulhofer windows' U-values range from U values 0.19 to 0.29 and a superior R value. These windows maximize passive solar heating and cooling - contributing to the passive home's...


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We finished up the construction of our Menlo Passive custom home a few weeks ago and just had our photographer come out to capture the home for us. Check out these beautiful photos – showcasing the exterior, the great room, kitchen, master suite and bathrooms. Menlo Passive proves that green can be gorgeous! Not only does Menlo Passive provide energy efficiency, comfort, health and durability, and up to 90% in energy savings coupled with construction techniques that exceeded the passive house air tightness standards by 65%, but it looks beautiful too. Passive house standards can be integrated...


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Back in April, we wrote about this contemporary high performance custom home we’re building in the Sonoma wine country.   It’s really unbelievable.  Now that the framing is completed, you can see the incredible views that our client is going to enjoy from this beautiful multi-level home that they designed with architect Stuart Welte at Environmental Innovations in Design. The original architectural design included large steel “I” beams. To reduce the carbon footprint of this home, we worked with the engineers to use more sustainable engineered wood products. Clarum’s client also...


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You are invited!  Please join us next week at one of our upcoming passive home events at Menlo Park and San Mateo County’s first passive home – Menlo Passive. We'll have expert passive house consultants to answer your questions about passive homes and show you how Clarum Homes is reinventing green building.     Passive House Consultants & Designers Tour Wednesday, June 1st 5pm – 8pm Menlo Passive Event includes refreshments and a passive house presentation.     Passive Home Event Thursday, June 2nd 12pm – 2pm Menlo Passive Event...


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We’ve all driven down the street and seen the remnants of those unattractive black panels on roof tops of “days gone by” solar hot water heating systems. Many of those older units were intended to heat swimming pools, and the results were mixed. Modern solar hot water heating systems are nothing like that! Today’s solar thermal systems are incredibly efficient, cost effective and more attractive.  Consider that an upfront investment starting at around $6,000 to $7,000 will contribute 80% of your households domestic hot water energy needs and up to 30% of your space heating energy,...


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  Clarum is several months in on the construction of an exquisite custom home in Los Altos Hills. When finished, the home will be approximately 5,800 square feet with five bedrooms over basement living area and a beautiful pool, fountain, and landscaped outdoor living areas. The home is being constructed with a host of amazing custom details and craftsmanship on the stucco, iron, pebble and stone work and will also feature reclaimed clay roof tiles. Looking to build a dream house like this for yourself? Call us and let us show you how we can help: 650.322.7069.


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Also happening this year is the construction of an incredible custom home in the Sonoma wine country. Designed by Stuart Welte of Environmental Innovations in Design, this contemporary high performance custom home features three story home four bedroom home with elevated pool, gourmet kitchen, wine cellar, sauna, and outdoor entertaining area. The home includes ultra high performance heating and cooling systems, solar power system, and heat recovery ventilation. We’re just finishing up the foundation and will begin framing soon. Check back for progress photos and more information...


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And finally, we just finished transforming a modest 1,185 square foot 1920’s period home into a super energy-efficient passive home inspired contemporary three bedroom home with an open floor plan designed for today’s family. The renovation included adding super insulation, air tight envelope, heat recovery ventilation, solar power, passive solar hot water and a host of crisp and modern but subtle stone and wood finishes and custom built-ins. The home is now one of the nicest homes on the block. Check out the photos on our Renovations page.


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