Houston House and Home - Index

Houston House and Home - houstonhouseandhome - Index

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The low-E windows are manufactured locally by Ram Industries in
Stafford, Texas, making them more sustainable because fuel does not
have to be spent shipping them cross-country.
SAVING ENERGY, SURVIVING IKE
The Steitzes’ energy bills are significantly less than their previous house,
Sandy reports. In addition to the passive green-building techniques, such
as open living areas with no hallways and high ceilings to reduce radiant
heat, the lofts make use of active green strategies as well, like wood frame
construction with R-19 wall and R-30 roof insulation and heat pumps
house& home | February 2009 | house andhomeonline.com
as backup energy for air conditioning and heating. Ceiling fans in
every room encourage air circulation, all water heaters are on-demand
tankless heaters and all showers and toilets are low-water, energyefficient
models.
Landscaping outdoors is low-maintenance using indigenous or welladapted
species and porous paving materials that minimize rain runoff.
Sandy and Dave weathered Hurricane Ike well in their loft built with
balloon framing and double 2-by-6s for extra strength. “Wind loads are
a big consideration in Houston,” says Eagleton, who factors the possibility
of tropical storms and hurricanes into the engineering plans for her
ABOVE: The loft’s living room, kitchen and dining room form one long
room unimpeded by walls so cross breezes can filter through the space.
Fully operable casement windows in the dining and bar area help pull
air through the house and bring daylight to the interior, minimizing the
need for electric light.
LEFT: Callie the cat likes to play with string in the master bedroom,
which catches the breeze via windows that overlook the loft’s screened
porch.