RhinoSmith

I find it odd that people that are reading "Fine Homebuilding" are condoning poor craftsmanship in home building in terms of energy efficiency. We as building professionals should strive to build the best that we can - skills and cost considered. It’s the difference between being a craftsman and being a run of the mill builder. IMHO energy efficiency isn’t a political BS game, it’s about the quality of the end product. By building inefficient homes, builders are needlessly costing buyers money every month for as long as that inferior building stands. It shouldn’t be just about profit, there should be a sense of pride when you finish a project - that it was done the best it could have within the scope of the project.

I don’t necessarily think that a required yellow sticker on the door is the answer, but I do think that full disclosure should be required for insulation levels, HVAC systems efficiency, plumbing fixture flow rates, as well as window and door ratings to all prospective buyers of new homes. If the homebuyer has this information, it is up to them to make the informed purchase decision of what is important to them.

I suppose that it is ultimately buyer beware. Most buyers are not builders and do not know what to look or look out for. Bigger isn’t necessarily better. In most cases, bigger is just bigger, and quality is quality – either you have it or you don’t. I can only hope that the pendulum will again swing toward the quality side of things and get away from the bigger/cheap consumer goods mentality.