This home is smarter from the Outside In!

Most European countries have been building with exterior wall insulation for years. Normal Florida construction has the exterior wall insulation on the inside of the block wall. That is not a very efficient way to do it. This house has the insulation on the outside of the structure, where it belongs. Our system provides superior moisture intrusion prevention along with substantial energy efficiency. This smarter building envelope enhances interior climate control and comfort. 

Why is building that way so much better?

Traditional Florida homes are built out of cement blocks with a thin stucco coating on the outside and then painted. Here are some facts about this inefficient type of traditional construction:

1.    Windows and Exterior doors are not properly sealed under traditional construction. Stucco finishes are not waterproof. It is the paint that makes them waterproof. Wrong products or improper installation with insufficient amount of product applied to the exterior can and will result in issues in years to come for traditional homes.
2.    The traditional way of insulating Florida block homes, is to put foil encased foam board against the inside of the block walls, around the living area. Think about this: Block is a high “thermal mass” product. That means, when it gets warm, it retains the warmth and slowly discharges it over time. All day long the walls of a traditional block home heat up as the Florida Sun bakes them. Where does that heat go? Over time some of the heat discharges to the atmosphere. A lot of it, by conduction, transmits that heat directly into the foil wrapped insulation board on the inside of the exterior walls. Fact is that any insulation product, as it’s temperature rises, decrease in R Value (R Value is the products resistance to transmit heat or cool). So, traditional construction almost eliminates the value of interior mounted insulation causing A/C systems to run longer and harder.
3.    There is what professionals call “Infiltration Practice”. It's the sealing of holes and gaps in the exterior envelope of a house. Traditional insulation practice, does at best, stop only a portion of air leaks. This means bugs, mildew and moisture can seep into the envelope over time. This could bring a host of potential problems that could occur long after the warranty period for you home expires - when it is too late to get builders to do anything about it.  So, what’s the best way to build the exterior walls?

THE SUNSEEKER ZERO-HOUSE MODEL HAS THE ENTIRE EXTERIOR OF THE BUILDING ENCASED WITH THE FOLLOWING SYSTEM:

1.    The first layer, to be a waterproofing and sealing system, is applied to the entire exterior around a conditioned space. This layer has a special sealing of windows and doors, efficiently eliminating air leaks.
2.    Next is an installation of a continuous 2” thick closed foam board around the envelope. It is installed in a way that creates a narrow air space and drainage chamber between the block and the exterior insulation. To be noted is, that the insulation is installed without mechanical fasteners, hurricane bonded to the masonry, with no bridging. Bridging is another way traditional construction fastening methods transmit energy that we do not want to be transmitted.
3.    This is followed by a sealing of all foam around windows and doors.
4.    Then a mesh reinforced base coat is applied.
5.    Finally, highly crack resistant, cement free acrylic with immense flexibility and strength is applied, providing a high SRI (solar reflective index value). No need for further paint jobs, as the color is in the finish already.