Details, Details...Careful Planning Makes this Home a great Place to Live

Greg Messer earned his two degrees in civil engineering from N.C. State University, and his engineer's attention to detail is evident in every corner of this 9,330-square-foot North Raleigh Home.

Messer, Owner and President of Palladium Homes, is a stickler for efficiency and for him that means building homes that are durable, functional, livable and as inexpensive to operate as possible. This English country-manor style home is a virtual catalogue of the enduring comfort and cost-savings that can be achieved with careful planning and today's technologies. Concrete masonry construction is a subject that Messer is quite passionate about, so naturally his home is block construction rather than traditional wood-framed construction.

“I really do believe a block home is absolutely the best home for your money,” says Messer. “It is stronger, energy efficient, resistant to fire and wind, and also is a great sound barrier.” Concrete masonry framing uses concrete blocks for the structural exterior walls of the building. Just as with wood framing, walls can then be covered with brick, stucco, stone or siding. “I think people don't realize that a block home can look like any other home,” comments Messer. “There really are few design limitations.” He chose a combination of stucco and stacked stone siding to give his own home an Old World ambience, with its multi-level gabled and turreted roofline.

Inside the home, the benefits of concrete masonry can be felt in the constant temperatures maintained throughout the house. The concrete block acts as a thermal mass, storing and slowly releasing energy and achieving a 40% to 60% reduction in heating and cooling costs. And while the landscape crew busily runs their mowing and blowing equipment outside, the thick concrete walls prove their worth as a sound barrier, maintaining a surprisingly peaceful indoor environment.

State-of-the-art Efficiency

The energy efficiency built into Messer’s home does not stop with its masonry construction. In the attic, state-of-the art Icynene insulation reduces energy demands, especially in hot summer months, by maintaining a more stable temperature in the home's top layer. This water-blown foam insulation expands to 100 times its initial size and hardens to form a complete barrier to minimize air leakage from the building envelope. Icynene adheres easily to most construction materials and does not shrink, tear or sag over time.

The roof is constructed of OSB (oriented strand board) radiant barrier sheathing. Backed with a specially designed aluminum foil laminate, this sheathing reflects as much as 97% of the suns radiant heat away from the attic space. In addition to a high-efficiency HVAC system, Messer installed a Dencor home energy management system. This high-tech computer-controlled device takes advantage of “time of use” rates offered by power companies. This smart system is

programmed to minimize electrical consumption during peak demand periods by timing the appliances’ cycles. This results in a much more even overall electrical demand and significant cost savings for the homeowner.

Smart Systems

Throughout this high-tech five-bedroom home, a Lutron lighting system allows the Messers to control all of their lighting through programmed keypads. One touch operates all of the lighting for a room. Lights receive group, not individual, communication to instantaneously and simultaneously achieve the optimal lighting scheme for the room, the time of day and desired activity. A wireless AMX touchscreen panel is the command center to control lights, audio, video and security throughout the home.

A sophisticated hot water recirculation system ensures that the multiple in-line hot water heaters throughout the home supply abundant, almost instant hot water to the two master suites and jacuzzi garden tub, as well as the upstairs and downstairs laundry rooms and every other tap in the home.

As opposed to standard hot water plumbing, where water that has been sitting and cooling in supply lines and must be flushed before hot water flows, a

re-circulating system incorporates a return line from the last tap on the hot water supply line. A small circulating pump keeps heated water flowing through the supply lines so that hot water flows immediately from the tap, saving hundreds of gallons of water per month, not to mention hours of time spent waiting for the shower to get hot.

But the real water feature of this elegant home is the spectacular pool and spa. This multilevel masterpiece of stacked stone and river-pebbled surface features a built-in hot tub and five waterfalls, infinity edge and shallow tanning beach. But, like the rest of the home, the technology that goes on behind the scenes is what really sets it apart.

This so-called salt-water pool features a chlorine generator that uses electrolysis to produce liquid chlorine from a low concentration of salt. This hypochlorite neutralizes bacteria, oxidizes organic material and kills algae before reverting back to salt. This process results in a silkier feeling water that does not produce the red eyes and dry skin of traditionally treated pools.

Intelligent Design

While technology certainly plays a huge role in the livability of the Messer home, thoughtful design and attention to detail are every bit as important. The house is graced with an incredible abundance of closets including walk-in wardrobes, pantries, coat closets and storage rooms for everything from fine china and crystal to those oversized, hard-to-store items in every household. All are easily accessible and outfitted with built-in storage, from shelving to cabinets to generously proportioned cubbies.

Messer used scraps to trim his closets with the same 12-inch baseboard and crown molding found throughout the home. “You see your closet every day,” he says, “why shouldn't it be the same quality as the rest of your home?” Motion sensor lights mean no fumbling in the dark for light switches, and Messer fitted every closet with three-foot doors, making for easy access and banishing blind corners.

With the precision of an engineer, Messer has built a home that takes the very latest technologies and uses them to create a space that is as cozy, inviting and enduring as the Old English manor it echoes.

Kelly McCall Branson is a Freelance Writer