Archive for Green Construction Ideas
The making of a high performance green home on a budget – Framing, Rough-Ins, Insulation
For this home, concrete block was chosen for exterior walls. The materials and manufacturing are local and the cost is effective. SIPS (Structural Insulated Panel Systems) claim faster building times, less material waste, higher “R” values, and easier construction but I have not found this to be true. Concrete block is readily available, strong, can be fitted with insulation superior to most SIPS, can be completely recycled locally, and can be installed in just a few days. It is also about 15% cheaper than most SIPS. In some instances certain SIPS systems are superior but this was not such an application. The walls took just four days to install including the concrete beam work. All concrete and steel was recycled locally.
Engineered, open webbed roof trusses were installed. These trusses are designed to be as strong as possible while keeping material use at a minimum. Our trusses are treated at the plant with a proprietary boric acid product known as Frame Guard. The plant is local. Frame Guard is easily recognized by its green color. It is designed as a moldicide to prevent the growth of mold during the construction process and beyond. Boric acid also deters wood boring insects and is completely harmless to people. In fact, it is often used as a wash agent in the eyes of newborn babies.
The roof deck is constructed of a product called ZIP-Ply. It is made from wood chips much like OSB. However, this product uses glues that are far superior to ordinary OSB. It is rated for direct exterior exposure. This is due in part to the pre-applied exterior membrane. This product is Miami-Dade rated as an approved secondary moisture barrier. If the primary roof ever blew off in a storm, this product would protect the home from moisture damage. Most homes utilize a nail down felt sheet that will blow off in a storm. This extra protection adds to the durability of the home and allows for a reduced home owner’s insurance rate. It also reduces materials and labor.
For interior framing, we utilized a locally sourced white pine framing, and treated with Borate where necessary for moisture exposure in wet walls and in contact with concrete. Low waste factors were used to ensure that nothing was wasted. Also, we used stacked wall construction to reduce the length requirements in the lumber. This saves money and materials without affecting quality.
High efficiency vinyl windows with LOW-E, insulated, impact resistant glass were installed. The doors were of the same variety. All of these were sourced locally. Impact resistant glass is superior to protective coverings (shutters) for several reasons. Impact glass provides for an insurance discount, offers constant security, and protects your home without fail. Shutters only work if you’re there to install them and offer no insurance savings. I will only build with impact glass. The investment into these superior performing windows is quickly recovered through energy savings and insurance discounts. Not to mention piece of mind and comfort!
Electrical rough-in included pre-wire for fluorescent lighting in all closet and utility applications. Switched circuits were used for LED rope light to provide ambiance without using much energy. All other lighting will be CFL or LED. There will be no incandescent or halogen lighting in this home. Bath fans were wired for timers to ensure that they are not left on longer than necessary. This home also includes a full structured wiring package and alarm pre-wire. The panel is ready to accept an inverter for a future installed solar PV system.
A solar hot water system is installed on the lighter colored roof shingle. This will provide all of the hot water to the 80 gallon tank located in the garage. A single valve shut-off for the washer supply is used to ensure easy shut-off in case of a flood. The utility room is located adjacent to the garage to control washer flooding if it ever occurs. Access to all in-wall valves has been framed for future service.
The HVAC system was sized by a mechanical engineer. In spite of this home’s size, only a 1.42 ton air conditioner is required to service this home. A 2 ton, 2 speed system using 2 zones is installed. It is a 20 SEER, Puron system by Bryant Evolution. All duct runs are centralized with remote returns. The entire system was sealed at install to ensure no construction debris enters the ducts. The air handler is located in a serviceable attic that is completely sealed and insulated. This will allow the system to operate at its peak efficiency. This system is tested by a third party using the ‘smoke test ‘ standard. It is a prerequisite to the Energy Star certification.
The exterior walls use to separate insulating systems. The primary is a Tri-polymer, urea-formaldehyde free, non-expanding foam. This will provide an R-10 factor. The second is perforated radiant barrier providing R-4.1. These systems are healthy, effective insulators that do not create a vapor barrier. Vapor barriers in FL create prime opportunity for mold growth. Foil-faced rigid insulation is such a vapor barrier and it only provides R-5.
All overhead insulation is R-21 Bio-Based sprayed foam insulation in an open-cell configuration. This creates a cool attic allowing for a better climate for your duct-work, and a cleaner indoor air quality. It also makes a really tight home. In fact, it is so tight that we use a ducted fresh air return for the HVAC system to keep the home’s pressure balanced! The insulation barriers are tested to the ‘Thermal By-Pass’ standard as a prerequisite to the Energy Star certification. We also created a barrier to the roof at the garage to prevent possible air contamination from vehicle exhaust.
All interior walls adjacent to common areas are insulated using a formaldehyde-free, healthy batt insulation to control sound. This feature is important to the livability and comfort of the home. All slab penetrations were sealed using a no-VOC sealant.
Interior considerations were made for pest control as well. The bottom three feet of all walls were treated with Bora-care, another boric acid based pest control designed to combat termites. All other lumber in the home is treated with Tim-Bor, a boric acid product designed to combat wood boring insects, and dry-wood and Formosan termites. For ordinary pest control we installed the Taexx system. It is a system of perforated tubes run in the walls. A mounting valve on the exterior of the home allows a pest control service to treat your home using EPE exempt products without even being home. No more baseboard spraying!
Drywall was installed on June 20th! We started digging on April 16th. How is that for efficient? Stay tuned for more. I will be finished by mid-August.
The making of a high performance green home on a budget – Foundation
Once all site conditions were considered, it was time to ‘scalp’ the lot.
Scalping is the act of removing the organic matter (grass in this case) and
debris from the earth’s surface. This is done to ensure a good solid base
for construction. Organic’s will decompose and compromise the foundation if
not removed. The scalping are piled neatly on the lot and covered to prevent
erosion and speed the decomposition process. Rather than hauling them
offsite, they will be reused on site later in the process.
Clean fill was brought in to the appropriate grade. The footers were poured
using a high fly-ash content concrete. Fly-ash is an industrial waste
product. Using it in concrete is a great use for an otherwise useless waste
component. Using fly-ash also reduces the amount of mined aggregate
necessary for the mix. Fly-ash is sourced locally as are the other
aggregates in our concrete. All of our re-bar contains a high recycled
materials content as well.
Once the foundation walls were in and backfilled, it was time to install the
rough plumbing. The wastes are all PVC and the water lines CPVC. The making
of PVC is not an environmentally friendly process. However, the durability
of PVC over other available plumbing materials makes it the best option
available today. The plumbing layout was designed in a loop. This allows for
the use of a re-circulating pump. This will save water that is normally
wasted while waiting for hot water at the point of use. All hot water lines
were wrapped in Armor-Flex. It is in an insulator that protects the pipes
form the naturally cool earth. This will reduce hot water use and save
power.
No soil poison is used on my projects. These poisons are toxic to most
living things and are unnecessary for controlling sub-terranean termites.
Instead, I use a series of pest control measures that work independent of
one another. Below the slab, perforated tubes are installed and a fitting is
attached outside the home. If it any time termites are discovered below the
home, a single specific treatment may be applied without any damage to the
home or environment. Generally, sub-terranean termites are exterminated by
drilling holes throughout the home’s slab, and poison is injected. The
home’s floors are ruined.
Once the slab is prepped it is time to pour concrete. High fly-ash concrete
is used in conjunction with fiber-mesh. Fiber-mesh creates a stronger slab
and is used in place of wire mesh. Steel is a finite substance so we try to
minimize its use in areas with equally strong alternatives. Fly-ash slows
the curing process. Fast curing is the cause of most slab cracks in Florida.
Our slabs are stronger, and crack much less than equivalent slabs containing
no fly-ash.
The making of a high performance green home on a budget – Site Considerations
The Coon project got off to a late start. The site was in an area within 500 feet of a previously known Florida Scrub Jay nest. The portion of the site that we selected for construction was nothing more than pasture grass. There was no brush, bushes, or trees in the area of construction activity. For this reason, quick approval for construction was granted by the state EPA.
The site is a 3.5 acre parcel. The client currently resides in a home on the lot. The house is old with bad bones and a layout that we decided we couldn’t work with. Rather than tearing the current home down, it will be converted to a storage building/workshop. This will minimize landfill impacts.
A portion of the parcel is within the flood zone A12. The new home location was carefully placed outside of this area to reduce the risk of flooding. As a secondary measure, the home’s elevation will still exceed the flood elevation standard.
A drainage swale is located across the road frontage. The swale will remain open in keeping with the neighborhood. A culvert was placed for driveway access. Once the culvert was set, silt fence was placed in the front of the site to control erosion during construction. We also used grass seed to control erosion on the swale banks. A boundary for access was set to reduce soil compaction outside of the immediate construction zone.
Asbestos in the Home – Guest Article
Constructing a home is a journey that is regarded as an old American Tradition. It will bring about many happy moments for you and your family. It is an investment of a lifetime but one that brings additional responsibilities. Many older homes may require structural repairs or renovations, especially for those who live near areas where natural disasters may occur. If your home was constructed before 1980, there is a chance it may still feature obsolete construction applications such as asbestos.
A fibrous mineral utilized for a greater part of the 20th century, it is still regarded as one of the more toxic building materials. If you are purchasing, remodeling or foreclosing an older home, you should be aware that many green Eco-friendly green options exist that replace the need for asbestos. By taking simple precautions, you can ensure that asbestos exposure will not occur in your home.
If any asbestos or hazardous materials are located, the best thing to do is leave it alone. Disturbing it can potentially damage and release its fibers airborne. Asbestos was used as prominent form of insulation for piping, flooring and roofing. It can appear in dry wall, attic insulation, popcorn ceilings, electrical wires and roof shingles. A Professional home inspector can identify the materials and provide an expert consultation for you. If the materials are deemed dangerous, removal may be necessary.
Consistent exposure to asbestos can potentially lead to the development of asbestos lung cancers such as asbestosis and mesothelioma. Due to the fact many mesothelioma symptoms are similar to less serious ailments, Diagnosis of mesothelioma is one of the more difficult tasks physicians encounter. The asbestos scandal was perpetuated by the asbestos industry and various corporate sectors in the country who buried any evidence that suggested the health concerns associated with asbestos. The high amount of asbestos-related incidents has lead to Mesothelioma lawyer firms advocating for victim rights.
Licensed abatement contractors who remove asbestos, will be familiar with the regulations in protecting you and themselves from exposure to asbestos. They must wear protective equipment such as masks and gloves to avoid any exposure. Once the removal is completed, it will be time to replace asbestos with healthy, green alternatives.
Recycled building materials that are viable options to asbestos include: cellulose, cotton fiber and lcynene foam. Cotton fiber is quickly becoming a favorite for home builders and renovators. Made from recycled batted material, it is also treated to be fireproof.
On February 17, 2009, President Barack Obama signed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law. Included in this act were extensions of the Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives first enacted in 2005 as well as some new tax credits for people building or remodeling their homes using Eco-friendly or “green” materials.
The United Nations Environmental Program states that usage of recycled materials such as green insulation methods and lighting can reduce energy use by 25 percent. With a lackluster economy, these kinds of figures have attracted those who were unaware of Eco-friendly construction. The move to a greener lifestyle will build on the change to healthier methods of building products, home remodeling and renovation.
Installing Bio Based sprayed foam soybean insulation in a LEED Platinum Home
This video shows the installation technique used while installing sprayed
foam insulation. This video was shot at the Codding Cottage, one of the
highest scoring LEED Platinum homes in America. This house is located in
Sarasota Florida and was built by Josh Wynne Construction. The foam was
supplied by EcoTechnologies.
Garden Roof
This photo was taken 2/21/09 on Isla Mujeres, a small island located just off of the coast of Cancun. The home faces Northeast with a spectacular view of the Caribbean Sea. Of course, the rear face of the home is left exposed to the brutal sun on the southern and western exposure. The builders of this home were wise to utilize a garden roof here. The roof is an extensive system over a concrete roof deck. A simple garden consisting of local grasses and wildflowers was used.
This method requires almost no maintenance. These plants are accustomed to harsh climates and adapt well to the temperatures and drought conditions associated with garden roofs. Garden roofs do not actually provide an ‘R’ value but still manage to create much more comfortable interior spaces in hot and cold environments. This is due to the evaporative effect of this type of roof.
The homes on Isla Mujeres use little to no HVAC or heat. They instead take advantage of trade winds, site selection, passive heating, passive lighting, passive ventilation, and time tested design solutions (like garden roofs). Often the best innovation is born from necessity. We as Americans could stand to learn from the simple techniques used in these homes.