Category: construction

construction

Blower Door Test Guarantees Energy Efficiency

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In order to test the airtightness of your home,professional energy auditors will use a Blower Door Test. For this test,a large fan is mounted in the frame of an exterior door. The fan then withdraws air from the home,causing the air pressure inside the house to drop. Measurements of the rate of change of the air pressure can be used to calculate how airtight your home is.

For instance,if the air pressure in the home stays relatively high,it’s an indicator that you have drafts and air leakage,which work against your home’s insulation. At HiLine Homes,we ensure that every home we build not only meets but surpasses,energy code requirements in airtightness. Let’s take a look at what high marks on the blower door test mean to you.

Air leakage in your HiLine home will be very low. Because each home we build is incredibly well insulated,heating and cooling systems will be able to work at peak efficiency,saving you money.

Because drafts as air leaks are eliminated,you can rest assured that moisture is not entering your home through gaps in insulation. This will ensure that your home is incredibly resistant to moisture-condensation problems,and mold.

You won’t be bothered by uncomfortable drafts.

Air filtration systems will be able to do a better job of keeping the indoor air quality inside your home high and filtering out particulate matter.

Remember,at HiLine Homes,all of the homes we build significantly exceed energy code requirements. With your HiLine home,you’ll be happy that you invested in energy-efficient construction. Contact us to learn more about the ways that HiLine Homes meets and surpasses energy code requirements. Learn more below.

Hiline Homes | Blower Door Test

Advantages Of Fiber Cement Lap Siding

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By HiLine Hal

Building a home is a huge investment. Choosing the right materials to fit both your budget and your dreams may seem like a daunting task. Thanks to the increasing use of fiber cement lap siding,today’s home construction market offers a way to create the look you want and stick to the budget you have.

When choosing the look for the exterior of your dream home,you want to find the best siding you can. Fiber Cement Lap Siding combines beauty and durability with a cost that won’t leave a gaping hole in your budget. What’s more,it comes unpainted,allowing you to pick the look you’ve been dreaming of while paying the affordable price you’re hoping for.

What Is Fiber Cement Siding?

Fiber cement siding is a mixture of cement,wood pulp,and sand. It’s designed to protect the exterior of your home from the damage weather conditions cause. Fiber cement siding fits into any climate but performs especially well in hot and humid areas thanks to its resistance to rot,fire,termites,and other insects.

Benefits Of Fiber Cement Siding

Durability is its other main asset. The unique combination of materials allows it to be easily repainted with water-based paint,and since it is designed to have minimal expansion and contraction the paint remains on the siding longer. This means less need to repaint. Its protective qualities keep weather damage to a minimum as well.

Fiber cement lap siding is one of the many high-quality components that are included in every HiLine Home. HiLine builds affordable homes that last by using fiber cement siding and fiber cement trim on the corners and around windows. If you’re ready for a home of your own,please click the link below to get started.

HiLine Homes | Build The Home Of Your Dreams

Where Does The Water Come From?

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When you turn on your tap do you ever wonder where exactly your water comes from? What journey has your water has taken between the time it fell from a cloud and to the point at which you use or consume it? And where does it go after your are done? For the answers to all of these questions lets take a look at the source of our water here in our community,the Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer.

Spokane Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer

The Spokane Valley–Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer (SVRP Aquifer) covers about 370 square miles in northern Idaho and eastern Washington. It is composed of Ice Age flood deposited gravels,cobbles,and boulders and is filled with water. No continuous clay or silt layers exist across the SVRP aquifer to keep contaminants from the surface moving down into the SVRP aquifer. Groundwater in the SVRP aquifer flows from the northern Rathdrum Prairie area southward to Coeur d’Alene–Post Falls,then toward the west into Washington. The water flows through Spokane–Spokane Valley areas and separates to flow around the Five Mile Prairie. All the water eventually empties into the Spokane and Little Spokane Rivers that flow into Lake Spokane.

A Did You Know infographic in green.

A Did You Know infographic in blue.

The large spaces between the rocks in the SVRP aquifer allow relatively large interchanges of water with the river. The Spokane river is the largest recharge source to the SVRP aquifer. What that means is our Aquifer,the primary source of drinking water is constantly mixing with the Spokane River. The Spokane River is contaminated with more of a potentially harmful fire retardant than any other waterway tested in the state,The reports also show that the river continues to contain more adverse chemicals and metals compared with other bodies of water statewide.

Where does the Water Come From?

Water enters the SVRP aquifer from several sources including:

  • Precipitation
  • Inflow from upland bedrock watersheds
  • Seepage from lakes
  • Seepage from the Spokane River
  • Water from irrigation
  • Effluent from septic systems

How has your waters journey affected its quality? And what does this mean for YOUR quality of life?

Because the aquifer serves as the sole source of water for most people in the area it is important for the water to be continuously tested to ensure that it meets federal standards. However the water’s journey from testing site to your faucet can cause the water quality to change. From broken water and sewer lines,chlorination stations,and miles of old water pipes it is important to conduct water tests at the home to paint an accurate picture of your specific water chemistry. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends homeowners test their water annually or even more frequently in some situations. 

Click the link below to find out more:

SVRP aquifer