With all the homes on the market across the country you would think that building a new home would not be high on the list for home ownership. In some areas many homes are going for sums well below the appraised value and banks are selling homes for less than the mortgages.

However, building a new home has its advantages which may be well worth the extra expense. For one thing the home builder will get exactly what he or she wants in the desired the location. This is because there are many parts of a pre-owned home that cannot be easily changed without tearing out walls and replacing expensive items like cabinets and flooring. In addition, the advances in energy-efficient home building techniques have grown exponentially within the last few years, designs which cannot be retro-fitted into an older home.

Structure

Building a wood-frame home, like constructing an old ship, means assembling a framework and covering it with a sheathing. In North America this style of building still makes up the lion's share of building. However, with energy costs going through the roof and the threat of hurricanes and other weather systems punishing homes there are other designs and materials being used to make the structure of a home.

Insulated Concrete Forms: Extruded foam, like the material used to make coffee cups, is formed into hollow blocks with plastic webbing holding the side together. These are stacked in much the same way as a child's building block set. Steel-reinforcing bar is placed inside the block and then concrete is poured into fill the space. The result is an insulated, concrete wall that can withstand huge wind and water forces while saving energy. It is also fire and insect-proof.

Insulated Structural Panels: Various thicknesses of rigid foam are sandwiched by oriented strand board to form a strong panel which can be used to make walls and roofs. No trusses or framing is required and the home is completely sealed with a huge insulation factor.

Steel Studs and Trusses: As the supply of building wood gets scarce steel-framed homes are becoming popular. Steel is light and strong and can withstand tremendous wind forces.

Insulation

No matter where you live in the country insulating a home is extremely important to lessen energy costs. Because a homeowner in South Dakota needs both the advantages of heat retention in winter and and coolness inside the home in the summer. Batts of fiberglass has been the standard insulation for many years. Made to fit inside the studs and to blanket the attic fiberglass has an R-factor of 12-19 in the walls and usually R-35-40 in the attic. But there are newer products taking over.

Blown-in Cellulose: Made from treated, recycled newspaper cellulose gets in all the nooks and crannies of a home. It has a similar R-value to fiberglass but it seals any missed cracks or small crevices where cold air can get in. It is usually used to re-do old homes or to fill the attics of new ones.

Spray-in-Place Foam: Another great sealant is spray foam insulation. It is available in two products, open cell, which is soft and fills the entire stud space, and closed-cell, which dries hard. The latter style requires less space and provides a more lasting insulating factor.

Rigid Foam: These are foam sheets can be cut to fit in the spaces betwen the studs. The product has a high R-value.

Heating

As oil prices climb the choice of heating becomes more crucial. In many areas oil or natural gas is burned to provide electricity so the homeowners are getting squeezed from both sides. But there are alternatives to the standard heating systems.

In-Floor Radiant Heat: One of the most efficient heating systems is to heat the space under your feet. This works especially well with tile because the ceramic quality makes it a heat good storage area. This means that it will give off heat long after the power is shut off. The hydronic system works from a small water heater which can be supplemented by a solar water heating system.

Electric Thermal Storage (ETS): Many states offer an off-peak heating plan where as much as 60% is saved from using electricity from 11pm through 7am. To take advantage of this program ETS units are installed. These are metal cabinets with ceramic bricks which are heated by electricity during the off-peak hours and then the heating coils shut off when the power rate goes up. A small fan distributes the heat from the bricks into the home.

Solar Air: Panels with coils of light, black pipe are placed on the roof or the side of the home. The sun heats the pipes in the panels and a fan brings the heat into the home.

Solar Hot Water Heating: In this solar system the panels have vacuum cylinders which heat up and transfer this heat to a glycol liquid. This liquid is pumped into a transfer tank containing coils of copper piping leading to a standard hot water tank. The heat from the glycol is transferred to the water in the tank either replacing the electrical element or supplementing it.

Using these new developments your new home will be built to mower your costs of operation now and in the future.