Test homes reveal the secrets of high performance construction

Twelve homes in Midland, Michigan, that are part of a five-year test of high performance building techniques are revealing some of the secrets behind the best wall systems.

At the 2016 International Builders' Show, Gary Parsons, lead building scientist for Dow Building Solutions Research and Development, provided an update on the TEETH project, for Twelve Energy Efficient Test Homes.

The project consists of 12 homes that are not just test facilities, but homes in which real families live. Built in collaboration with Cobblestone Homes, this five-year study is the nation's first active energy-efficient test community, located in Midland, which is in building climate zone 5/6. The TEETH subdivision is made up of four different energy performance insulation and air sealing packages and three different floor plans.

Read more about the TEETH project here and here.

Each of the four energy performance packages features a different combination of insulation and air sealing improvements, including continuous insulation, closed-cell spray foam insulation and insulating foam sealants. 

To ensure the validity of the study, each home was uniformly built to exacting standards designed to mitigate variances, including orientation to the sun and grade. The 12 test homes are comparable in size, floor plan and all other key features with the exception of the insulating and air sealing systems.

Each home has a Data Acquisition Box in its basement to collect information relating to energy consumption, humidity, moisture levels, heat flow, and temperature – all key points in discussion of energy-efficient homes. The homes represent the country’s first active subdivision dedicated to the purpose of collecting and analyzing building performance data.

Read more about green home construction techniques.