![]() Air conditioners will work harder in darker colored homes than in lighter ones because dark colors absorb more heat than lighter colors. Another consideration is the color of a home. Homeowners should always consider fans and vents when re-roofing an older home. These devices can reduce the cost of cooling your home. It is a good idea to install an attic fan or ridge vents around the attic access door to help release the hot air because the heat in attics can also cause the wood to dry out. Roofing materials can wear significantly faster in warmer climates than in moderate ones. The sun can cause a home to dry out and prematurely age. The heat from the sun is another natural force that builders consider when choosing building materials that are best suited to the climate. Winters with little snowfall actually result in higher heating costs. Snow piled around foundations and the roof will help hold heat in homes and reduce heating costs. There is a benefit to snow, however, it is a good insulator. Homes are designed to withstand the weight of the snow to eliminate sagging, cracking and collapsing roofs. Building codes in some mountainous areas of the country require roofs to be designed for as much as 400 pounds per square foot which is the equivalent of 6 feet of water on the roof. Heavy, wet snow can weigh up to 40-50 pounds per cubic foot. Light snow weighs about 10-15 pounds per cubic foot. The amount of snowfall is also considered in a home’s design. Home builders construct homes so they stand up to soil conditions in their particular area of the country. ![]() When soil becomes saturated and can no longer absorb and drain the water, leaks can occur in basements and crawl spaces and in extreme cases, cause the foundation to shift. The stability of the house depends on the ability of the soil to absorb rain. The second concern is the home’s foundation. All sealing methods eventually expand, dry out and erode so sealing material must be inspected annually and replaced or repaired to prevent water damage. First, installation of chimneys, skylights and plumbing vents all create “penetrations” in the roof which are sealed with flashing, caulk and roof cement. Rain can damage your home in two main areas. These breaks can be susceptible to water penetration if not properly sealed and maintained. Sometimes the more creative architects are, the more vulnerable a home is to rain damage because there are more design breaks in the walls and roof. It is important all these construction materials are properly installed and maintained to avoid damage to your home. The wind can also create major damage by driving rain up under roof shingles, vertical siding, window frames, doors and roofs. The home’s framing will usually withstand the racking force, but extremely high winds can tear shingles off the roof. Racking can occur when the high wind forces do not hit the house squarely. Homebuilders use special connections to attach the roof to the house in areas that experience extreme conditions such as hurricanes and tornadoes. The home’s inside pressure can push the structural components outward. Up-lift develops when rapidly moving wind creates an area of lower pressure on the leeward roof slope, walls, and inside the house. Wind can cause two conditions: up-lift and racking. Here is how weather conditions take their toll on a home. Home builders are knowledgeable about the weather conditions in their area and build homes with materials that are best suited to the environment. Many builders build with fiber cement siding because wind, rain, snow, cold, drought, heat and sun all affect the condition of your home and extreme weather can have a severe impact on its structure. Thus the state of art review is presented for net-zero buildings in a hot and humid climate.A vital consideration in the home building industry is building with durable, weather-resistant lap siding. The paper also proposes novel wind tower dehumidification design and ventilated attic building design for the hot and humid region. The paper is structured in the following manner which includes basic guidelines, natural ventilation systems, cooling and dehumidification, insulation and construction materials, reviews of several net-zero energy building projects. In this paper, the latest ideas dealing with building performances and net-zero building design projects, are reviewed and an outlook is given including new concepts of combined systems in hot and humid climate regions. ![]() In order to achieve Net-Zero building design in hot and humid climates, efforts must be put to reduce the overall energy use to the maximum extent by integrating appropriate building technologies into the architectural designs. Net Zero building is becoming a global trend as a strategy to reduce the carbon footprint.
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