How To Build A Custom Home For Thermal Efficiency
The diverse Australian climate requires proper planning when designing your custom home: structural features can make or break a home during the hot summer and cold winter. Choosing the right design for the location of your land, using efficient materials and installing solar panels and other modifications can all make your life so much more comfortable when construction is finished and you finally move into your new custom home. In this blog post we discuss the aforementioned areas of focus to ensure that when planning time comes around, you are properly equipped with the knowledge to build a custom home for thermal efficiency.
Choose The Right Custom Design For Your Location
The block of land you buy for your custom home will come with its own set of natural features which you should factor into your decision-making during planning. For example, placing more rooms in the East side and decluttering the West side of your house can facilitate coolness when the sun has passed its zenith: during the hottest part of the day. The West side of your house will undoubtedly be the hottest, so installing cool rooms (the bathroom, laundry and garage) on this side of the house can work to your benefit. The logic holds true when planning for Winter: by placing living rooms and bedrooms on the North side of your house, you can take advantage of natural heating and save on heating costs.
Use Efficient Building Materials
Typically, brick has been the most-commonly-used material in the construction of custom homes. There are other alternatives, though, which may be more thermally efficient. Insulated, aerated and precast concrete, as well as renewable timbers are some of the most energy-efficient building materials you can use and can keep your home cool in Summer and warm in Winter. Using these materials can also reduce the time it takes to finish construction and reduce waste on-site.
Install Thermally-Efficient Features
Two examples of how you can use features to improve the insulation of your home include double-glazed windows and solar panels. Double-glazed windows can be used when large windows or West-facing windows are included as part of the plan. These can reduce the heat absorption of the home and provide better thermal efficiency by requiring less energy to cool the home.
Solar panels are thermally efficient by nature. They can significantly reduce the electricity costs associated with climate control within the home. UHomes Living has relationships with several high-quality solar installers which ensure you get the best panels installed without sustaining any damage to the roof of your new custom home.
Why Choose UHomes Living to Build Your Custom Home?
UHomes living have more than 10 years of experience building custom homes in Melbourne. We have great relationships with material supply companies in Melbourne which mean we are able to ensure you use only thermally-efficient materials when building your home. We offer a wide range of tailor-made solutions for first home buyers looking to enter the market.
Contact Us Today
We are available to speak to you from Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm. Contact our friendly consultants on 03 9048 5737 today or reach out via our contact page to ask about how we can help you start the process of building your custom home.