Category: high performance homes

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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In the natural world mold serves a valuable role, helping decompose dead organic matter: fallen trees for example. Inside the home, however, it’s anything but healthy. Mold produces allergens, irritants, even toxic substances, and can cause serious health problems. Mold spores can be found almost anywhere; these 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. Control Moisture, Prevent Mold Interior Sealing We take care to seal all the wall joints and penetrations comprehensively at Clarum...


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What does insulation do? It maintains the living temperature you like best, of course! However, there’s more to it than that. What else does insulation accomplish? What are the passive design standards for insulation? And how does Clarum approach this? Allow us to give you a tour. What Insulation Does Insulation regulates temperature by preventing thermal bridging and unwanted air flow. Thermal bridging is when heat passes through solid objects, leaking in or out of your house. With a strong thermal resistance (R-value), insulation slows down the loss of heat. It also prevents drafts. Most...


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NOTE: This is a two-part series. Click here to read part 1. You can also download our complete Guide to High-Performance Home-building. Choosing Your Custom Home Builder You've spent hours tearing out pages of homes magazines and pouring over plans. You're ready to build your custom dream home. It's a huge investment of your money and time. The question remains: Who is going to build it? To help with your selection, we've put together 10 questions for you to ask potential home builders. We went over the first 5 questions in Questions to Ask Your Builder - Part 1 of this 2-part series. Below...


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Sustainability at each and every step A home is only as sustainable as the materials used in its construction and the components on which it runs. At Clarum Homes, we care deeply about sustainability. In fact, our core purpose is to transform the way you live by creating greater comfort, greater health, and greater environmental sustainability. Our passive homes and high-performance, passive inspired homes do just that. Conservation in our components Passive homes are, by definition, energy-efficient; to attain certification, a passive home must meet the efficiency criteria defined by the International...


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Harnessing the Sun Solar electric technology is fairly ingenious. With your rooftop tiled in solar panels, you can harness the sun’s radiation to power your home, charge a battery, and even earn a profit. Compared to the conventional alternative, a solar-powered home is not only more ecologically responsible; it’s also more financially savvy. Smart, Economical, Responsible Originally, solar electric was mainly used for spacecraft and satellites, and in the beginning, it was expensive. But that’s changed. With advanced technology, greater demand, and more efficient manufacturing techniques,...


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What does it mean to build a green home? What’s the future of passive building? How does Clarum Home fit into the overall picture of home construction? Meet John Suppes (Clarum’s President) and Sean Misskelley (Director of Construction), discussing these and other questions. Clarum Homes is different than other home builders. Our difference is rooted in our core purpose: we work to transform the way you live. While the majority of the building industry continues to do just what it’s done for the last 40 years, Clarum Homes maintains a relentless commitment to lead the way in home...


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Come see the Palo Alto Passive Home! October is a busy month for Passive Homes! Please join us at one of our several upcoming events. All events include our newest Palo Alto Passive Home, 1510 Portola Avenue. Please note that parking is limited; please consider parking at Palo Alto High School on Churchill Avenue. All events are free and open to the community! We hope to see you there! 2012 Solar Homes Tour: The Road to Net-Zero Energy Hosted by Acterra: Action for a Healthy Planet October 13th from 1pm – 5pm You are invited to take a self-guided tour of five local homes including...


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What Does a High-Performance Home Cost? Of course, it’s impossible to estimate the cost of any home without knowing all the variables, such as size and style. However, there are general patterns. "People are often surprised to learn that a high-performance home only costs 5-10% more than its conventionally-built equivalent," says Clarum president John Suppes. After several years, the high-performance home catches up, offsetting the difference in initial construction costs, and begins to pay for itself. How? By costing up to 90% less, month to month. At Clarum Homes, we build our high-performance...


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