Guelph builder Gatto Homes Inc. has started construction of Net Zero Ready townhomes as part of the Canadian Home Builder Associations’ (CHBA) Net Zero/Net Zero Ready labeling program.
“The CHBA would like to congratulate the team at Gatto Homes for being among the first to achieve this milestone under our new program,” says Sonja Winkelmann, CHBA director of Net Zero Energy Housing. “We would also like to thank the CHBA’s NZE qualified experts that supported the project, EnerQuality and Building Knowledge, for the third party testing and inspections. Together, the builders, their teams, and CHBA have reached a monumental point in Canadian housing.”
Gatto Homes Net Zero Ready Towns are being built in collaboration with Owens Corning. A news release says the enhanced comfort enclosure system incorporates the Owens Corning air barrier system which addresses the three principals of building science; heat flow, air flow and moisture flow; all in one application. “This system delivers an exceptional indoor living environment that provides Gatto Homes’ customers a comfortable, quiet and durable home that is 77 per cent more energy efficient than code built homes today,” says the announcement.
“We are very excited to be working alongside of CHBA and Owens Corning Canada,” said Gatto Homes president Oscar Gatto. “Gatto Homes Inc. and the Gatto family personally is honoured to be recognized as the first builder in Ontario to construct and offer Net Zero Ready Townhomes to our customers. Allowing their homeowners the ability to disconnect from the “grid” and live in a home that is able to produce its own energy on an annual basis is something that this small custom builder from Guelph, Ontario could only dream of being able to do.
“The technology today has come a long way since our father began building homes in 1969. R4 walls, single pane windows and 130,000+ BTU furnaces use to be the standard then. Today we are constructing homes using insulation up to R34 on the walls, triple pane glass windows and 30,000 BTU furnaces which we believe is fantastic. But to have the ability to offer our homeowners a home that can sustain its own needs and have the possibility of returning unused energy back to local providers, well we think that is just truly amazing,” he said.
“Every Gatto home is built with the solid foundation of quality and commitment. With our proven success over the past 47 years, and having the support of our dedicated team, our small family business can and will continue to provide our homeowners with exceptional craftsmanship and superior comfort in their homes; homes that are extremely energy efficient and located in some of the most desirable areas of Ontario; including our hometown of Guelph and the Town of Ingersoll.”