Sealing the Envelope

Echterling’s bigger house reduces energy costs

How do you add more than 2,000 square feet to your house and pay $200 less each month on your energy bill? Bert and Charis Echterling have managed this seemingly unattainable feat with the construction of their new home in Robinson. The home was built in 2009, and the couple and their four children moved in last March. They’ve had nearly a year to see the benefits of their decisions to build in an energy-conscious way.

The Echterlings’ previous home was about 3,000 square feet, with an above-ground pool in the backyard. When they decided it was time for an in-ground pool, it made sense to start fresh and build a new house altogether. As they began planning, one of their main priorities was to remain as environmentally friendly as possible.

“First and foremost, we wanted to do something to be able to conserve,” Echterling said. “Houses and buildings can be large energy hogs, and we just want to sip a little bit of energy. We want to live skinny.”

The new house is around 3,900 square feet, plus Echterling has a shop with heating and air conditioning. That brings the overall area to nearly 5,600 square feet, and the Echterlings have still managed to decrease the amount they pay for energy. As a professional homebuilder, Echterling already had a good idea how they could conserve. The key to their success was keeping a tight building envelope that allowed them to maintain control of the air in the house.

A building envelope consists of the walls, doors, windows and roof of a home. The tighter the envelope is sealed, the more control you have over the elements in your home. However, there are always spots that tend to leak air, making your systems work harder to maintain the temperature. The Echterlings went to special lengths to try to prevent those leaks…

By Heather Garcia
Find the full article on page 62 of the February 2012 Wacoan magazine