While our design-build team does a wonderful job at creating beautiful spaces, our general contractors in KC are happy to complete projects that have already been designed by a third party.
What Is Building Science?
General Contractors in KC
The Foundational Science of Building Better
Of all the general contractors in KC, our team is particularly well-versed in building science. Your house is a system of performance elements that impact the energy efficiency of your home. All of these elements work together as a system.
Each and every change to an existing home over the years impacts all other parts of the home and its overall performance. Yes, even seemingly unrelated parts of a home can be affected. This is why it’s important to choose a contractor who has the education and experience to understand your home as a total system.
The fundamentals of building science are air, heat and moisture flow. These fundamentals are impacted by the construction materials and methods employed during the initial build of your home and later during a remodel. During the remodeling process, we look at the house as a system to find the most cost-effective strategies for implementing energy efficiency and green technology so that your home is more efficient, durable, healthy, safe and comfortable.
Building Science Solutions
Insulation & Air Sealing
This is all about attaining optimal insulation effectiveness and creating a high performance thermal barrier between the interior and exterior of your home. There are many types of insulation and we strive to balance cost while maximizing performance. Wisely chosen and properly installed insulation ensures you’re getting the full R-Value and best return on your investment. We’re not just talking attics and exterior walls, it’s also important to consider air leakage around your foundation, behind tubs, around fireplaces and where your home transitions to the garage.
Indoor Air Quality
In short, this refers to pollutants inside your home. The most common sources that create a negative impact on your indoor air quality are building materials (like the VOCs in smelly paint), cleaning supplies and household chemicals, your heating/cooling system, inadequate ventilation (think of a humid bathroom or a hot kitchen) and the presence of mold.
Of course, smoking indoors and having indoor pets can also impact air quality. Outdoor air pollutants and allergens can enter your home through doors, windows or even on shoes and clothing. As your general contractor in KC, we’ll present strategies for improving indoor air quality including removing, sealing, ventilating and filtering against pollutants.
Moisture Management
The goal is to keep your home dry. Water intrusion is incredibly important with huge impacts on your home’s durability and sustainability. While water in liquid form, like a flood in your bathroom or basement, can cause obvious damage, water in solid (i.e. frozen) or vapor form should not be underestimated.
When we talk about exterior moisture management, we look at drainage issues that include water flow from the roof, exterior walls, windows and foundation.
Interior moisture considerations include humidity, surface moisture or condensation, and mold. Keeping interior surfaces dry or ensuring they’re able to dry after getting wet are the primary goals when we look at ventilation, air conditioning, dehumidification, moisture resistant materials and best practices for managing interior moisture as the homeowner.
Mechanical Systems
These systems include ventilation, heating and cooling, hot water heating, radon mitigation and electronic home control. One of the most substantial factors creating poor performance in residential HVAC systems in the U.S. today is simply poor installation. Poor installation wastes energy and can increase peak load while proper installation can lower your energy bills, increase comfort and extend the life of your mechanical systems.
A competent, highly trained and educated general contractor in KC will ensure your mechanical systems are the proper size, that the equipment itself is appropriate for your climate and the conditions of your home, and that it’s properly installed so that it performs at its advertised capacity and efficiency.
Whether your goal is to implement one or two energy saving measures or to pursue a deep energy retrofit to radically improve the performance of your home, you can trust we’ll apply sound building science principles and a house-as-a-system approach to make sure you get the best bang for your buck.
Our Services
Design-Build Services
Designing your project is the first step in creating your ideal space. Our design experts have the experience to integrate your unique style into your build. Not only that, but having your design team and build team working together can ensure your project is of the highest quality and keep it cost-efficient.
Design Build Services
General Contractor Services
If you already have designs for your project then the Shack Built team can ensure quality in every step of the building process. Our team is knowledgeable and experienced, and can produce a build of precision and excellence.
General Contractor Services
Energy Efficiency Improvement Services
At Shack built, we are always discovering innovative ways to create spaces that maximize both comfort and luxury. With the latest energy-efficient technology and building methods, we can ensure your build is both beautiful and comfortable.
Energy Efficiency Improvement Services
Get Started
Meet with our general contractors in KC to learn the science behind your build.
No. Unlike some other general contractors in KC, we’ve found that using licensed professionals adds a layer of assurance that work performed on your home is completed per local and national codes.
Yes, all projects come with a 1-year warranty that is built into the price of the project. Customers cannot opt out of this warranty, but our team reaches out twice during the warranty period to inquire about projects before it expires.