Category: comfort

At Clarum, the modern homes we build are both sleek and luxurious. We take great pride in our ability to weave together luxurious comfort with high levels of energy efficiency through passive-inspired design. During the building process, you can work with us to transform your home into a relaxing harbor that buffers you from the stress of the outside hustle and bustle. The Clarum team believes that comfort is an integral component of building a passive-inspired modern home. Our goal is to create luxurious havens that put people at ease and add to their wellbeing. We work closely with...


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Sustainability starts with a careful process A sustainable home is one that makes efficient use of resources and energy. It does not use up or destroy natural resources. This means that a home is only as environmentally-friendly as the materials used in its construction and the systems on which it runs. At Clarum Homes, our core purpose is to transform the way you live by creating greater comfort, greater health, and greater environmental sustainability. Where a home’s materials are sourced is important, as well as the manufacturing methods of the products. When the Clarum Homes team...


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Extend your living space outdoors One of the reasons we all love Palo Alto is for its gorgeous weather. We live in a city that gets – on average – 261 sunny days each year. This beautiful weather motivates us to get outside as much as we can. So, it’s important when planning the construction of your modern home to think about how to extend your living space outdoors. The right design will turn your outside areas into an oasis that’s so comfortable, inviting, and relaxing, you’ll never want to leave! At Clarum, we encourage our clients to think about their outdoor spaces throughout...


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  One of the most important (and often overlooked) energy efficiency factors in any home is its orientation. Believe it or not, how a house is oriented in relation to the sun can have a dramatic impact on heating and cooling – the largest energy contributor in most homes. A study by the Bonneville Power Administration found that homes re-oriented toward the sun (without any additional solar features) saved between 10% and 20% on heating costs. Not to mention – lots of natural light creates a desirable natural ambiance, contributing to your home’s overall comfort. While...


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One important consideration for your family's health and comfort is the prevention of mold in your new home. In the natural world, mold serves a valuable role. Inside the home, however, it’s anything but healthy. Mold produces allergens, irritants, even toxic substances, and can cause serious health problems. Control moisture, prevent mold While mold spores can be found almost anywhere; these actually aren’t harmful in themselves. The problems arise only where they can find a moist place to grow. So, the key to preventing mold? Controlling moisture. There are several ways to do this when...


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Building a new custom home? Indoor air quality should be at the top of your mind. The average American spends 90% of their time indoors, and air contaminant levels inside the average new home are 2 to 5 times worse than the pollution levels outside. This may come as a surprise. You’re probably aware of the toxic contaminants like lead and asbestos that have made historical headlines and reshaped building codes. But did you know that new home construction presents its own list of contaminants and pollutants to worry about? Toxicity in new home construction Unfortunately, most construction...


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While there is a lot to consider when building a modern home, health, energy efficiency and comfort should be high on your priority list. And although they might not immediately come to mind, air ducts are one of the greatest contributing factors. Duct work – while rarely seen or thought about after installation – can contribute to or detract from the safety and livability of your home in no small way. In fact, the US Department of Energy asserts that duct repairs could be the single most important energy improvement measure you can take. At Clarum Homes, we couldn’t agree more. Duct...


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At Clarum, we believe “home” is a place where you should feel at ease. Comfort and health are important factors in that equation, and to achieve them, you need ventilation and filtration systems that are up to the task. When a builder fails to plan for these systems properly, the results can include poor air quality, discomfort and ultimately, poor health as well. That’s why choosing the right filter is so important. To ensure that the air you breathe in your modern home is fresh, comfortable and healthy, it’s vital to select the right level of air filtration for your needs. Indoor...


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Last week, we talked about the benefits of airtightness in modern home design. Airtight construction is one of the most powerful strategies in passive design, resulting in a custom home that maintains a comfortable environment while consuming very little energy. The airtight trend is a profound improvement from conventional techniques, but as we pointed out last week, it also brings with it the need for whole-house ventilation. Which begs the question, “Are airtight homes stuffy?” We’d like to set the record straight: proper design and construction results in airtight homes that aren’t...


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