Scientific Building for the Future
At Livwell Homes, we have a passion for building science and design. We are dedicated to continued research into current building technologies and materials that promote green, healthy, and smart homes. Our homes are built for practicality and comfort, with low to no maintenance materials, that save time and money for years to come. We value our customers and make it a top priority to form a strong partnership in order to understand your style and vision. We are committed to ongoing communication, to help build a home that will suit your needs now and in the future.
Green Home
Extreme Efficiency
At Livwell Homes, we specialize in creating highly efficient structures, which far exceed standard construction techniques. Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) or staggered stud construction eliminate thermal bridging and provide some of the highest R-Value walls available (up to R-38).
Thermal bridging is created from poorly insulated materials (i.e. wood studs) in contact with the outdoors and the home interior are eliminated. Where concrete floors and in-floor radiant heat are utilized, we use a specially engineered product called compact foam to block heat transfer to the outdoors. This foam has the structural rigidity of wood and the insulting value of foam.
An air-tight structure is created by using closed-cell foam blown into every crack and crevice. This is impervious to insect and critter infiltration.
Concrete construction techniques used to build floors and walls create a large “thermal mass” in the home. A large “thermal mass” is difficult to change temperatures. The home will stay warm longer in the winter and cool longer in the summer.
Recessed mounted windows reduce cold air transfer to the interior structure and frost in extreme cold temperatures. Recessed mounted windows are rarely used in construction, as they are much more difficult to install and trim. In other countries that have more stringent building codes, they are a requirement.
Reducing energy costs has a major impact on the environment and your pocket book. It is the way of the future in modern home construction.
Smart Home
Modern Living
Smart Homes are the way of the future. Imagine pulling into your driveway and having your garage door open without activating an opener. You approach your smart home and the lights automatically turn on. You hear your favorite music as you enter the home. Doors unlock and the thermostat adjusts the temperature. This is called geofencing and allows your smart home to predict your needs as you approach your home.
At a predetermined wake-up time, your blinds slowly rise over 15 minutes, music slowly rises in volume, lights slowly brighten over 15 minutes, coffee is made, the shower turns on and warms up. Your home is warm when you get out of bed. A smart home is only limited by your imagination.
Smart homes save energy by keeping the temperature down, while you are sleeping or away. Blinds are automatically controlled to block sun in the summer, and allow it in, in the winter.
Security can be increased by wiring the alarm system into the smart home. When an intruder is detected, all exterior lights are programmed to flash. Interior lights turn to full brightness, except bedroom lights, which are kept off to hide occupants from intruders.
Healthy Home
Protect your Family
With 15 years practicing Natural Medicine, Dr. Kotlarz incorporates his knowledge of environmental toxicity and the effect on one’s health. Interior air quality and reducing the propagation of mold is a priority.
Toxic paints, glues, carpeting, and other building materials continually off-gas into the air you breath. Choosing the correct materials, controlling the humidity, and air flow in the living space, is paramount in creating the healthy home.
In an air-tight structure, it important to exchange old stale air with fresh air from the outdoors. We use an ERV (energy recovery ventilator) in every home to achieve this. An ERV will periodically pull fresh air into the home from the outdoors, push stale air out, and provide fresh air to the occupants on a regular basis.
In addition, to keep the building envelope as tight as possible, we duct the ERV into every bathroom in the home, preventing the need to penetrate the roof. This highly increases the efficiency of the home. The bath fan is wired to a timer switch, which will activate the ERV to exhaust bathroom air.