COASTLINEBUILDING.COM

No Direction Home...

2012-03-25T14:18:25Z

I like a lot of Bob Dylan's music. Thirty some years ago(ish), I bought Bob Dylan At Budokan, his live album released in 1979. Before the Flood, a great live album, Budokan I was certain was going be even better. I listened to it once, and it has sat with my LP's (those are those huge CD looking things made from vinyl, most likely collecting dust) since then. It just didn't ring with me. I know rock and roll shouldn't be so rigid, but for me, it was not what I had commissioned (hey, I paid for the thing).

I use the analogy of music often in describing a home project, weather it be remodeling existing space or building new. You, the homeowner, commission a work, similar to what an art patron would do. The space is professionally designed, all details complete (think not only notes,but staccatos, accolades, codas, note relationships, etc). These are the details essential to play the piece, depending on it's complexity. Perhaps a short, simple blues piece wouldn't need the detail and much could be left to interpretation--although that could be complicated, just not notated. However, a more precise piece (think orchestra) the more essential the need for the composition to be notated. If the composer doesn't also conduct the piece, these details are all the more essential. Then the conductor assembles the musicians, the details are flushed out, then executed. The piece is performed for the patrons.

Similarly, in the homebuilding world, there really isn't much that shouldn't be designed and detailed. Some people cite a roof or a driveway pad as an easy, one step process. But we don't want the roof to leak, we don't want the concrete to crumble (it may crack--that's why good design details will put a control joint in to best direct where the concrete will crack, non-structurally, of course). But take a roof, what will the underlayment be? Traditional tar paper? An EDPM layer--you have to be careful with that. They can become brittle when contacting asphalt based materials (these are the "note relationships" in building). A few things to be aware of just for this "simple" project.

The other part of it is, execution--how will the conductor make it all work? All the details are there, how are they executed? And who verifies it? A rock band can go out and miss half the notes and the crowd cheers. On the other hand, an orchestra plays a piece, I think it sounds good, but the critic lambastes it because they flubbed three notes in the third section of the piece.

In energy efficient homes, the house can look good, but what's behind the walls? Were the details correct on the drawings? Do the relationships work (there should be NO double vapor barriers). Did all the details that were on the drawing to make the house energy efficient get done? Did the trade do it right? Did the builder (conductor) follow through and make sure it was done right?

A sigh of relief for a builder can be a third party energy rater to verify these. If a builder is building for efficiency, this is where the test will come--this is the "critic". They will be involved in the planning phase (to verify the details), before the walls are closed up (to verify the execution of the details) and a final "test". Testing equipment (blower doors, infrared cameras, duct blasters, et el) will verify weather the details were executed properly. The leakiness of the building will be determined, and the building as a whole will be given a score measured against a baseline home. Assurance for you, the homeowner, confirmation for the builder. It's a win, win.

So, unlike that live Dylan album collecting dust, you really can't just throw the house up on the shelf. It may look good (or in the case of the Dylan Album--sound good to some people), but the details may have been improper to begin with (poor composer) or they were not executed properly (poor conductor).

Energy. The new investment in your home.

2011-07-26T15:09:52Z

In case you haven't heard, using your home as an investment for your nest egg is passe'(excuse the absence of the proper accent mark. Not in this font library). Or is it?

Yes, in a conventional sense, from starter homes to McMansions, housing prices have dive bombed 40-65 percent (or more) since 2005. Existing home sales are in the same boat, and in frequent cases, homeowners are underwater. As the building boom that ended nationwide in about 2006 (around 2005 for Michigan), scaled back, it then imploded as the financial markets collapsed in 2008. Any hope for a speedy recovery dissolved. I remember an economist speaking at a national housing conference that I attended in the fall of 2006 predicted that we wouldn't get to 2005 numbers (about 1.6 million homes annually) until 2008. In 2007, the prediction changed to 2009. In 2009, it changed to "late 2010, early 2011." I haven't really paid attention to the 2011 forecast. But I have a hunch what it might say...

If we look at code minimum housing, no, it's not a good investment. If it's shelter, it's not a good investment, if it's our entertainment recluse, it's not a good investment. However, if we look at it as a way to save energy dollars, it's a great investment if it is extremely energy efficient. If we save more per month in energy dollars over a convential house, we are recouping money in excess of our mortgage payment (that is the extra cost of our mortgage over a conventional home).

I think we can all agree that energy costs will keep rising. If you consider what you pay every month for utilities, and then factor in what those cost will be in a decade, an energy upgrade or new energy efficient home begins to be a true investment. Not in the sense that it will increase in value--which it may--but leave that out of consideration. Only consider that as the cost for a unit of energy increases, a home using fewer units of energy will control that cost. It is something tangible, as opposed to hoping that granite countertops will increase in value. Simple, right?

It's not only the dollars. An energy efficient home is almost always more comfortable. In the past few years of energy upgrades that we have completed, our number one compliment is how much warmer in the winter (and cooler in the summer). Of course, the financial side is a very close second.

A builder in Washington has taken the time to attach spreadsheet in this article.

Drink What You Like

2010-12-20T16:04:00Z

A few weeks ago, we attended the Wine and Food Show in Grand Rapids, MI. One of the sessions was on how to taste wine and what wines are bargins. We tasted a variety--from darks to Rieslings to sparkling wines. Much was wasted on me, but I do enjoy a good dessert wine. But the main point of the sessions were, "drink what you like." If you want to pair a pinot noir with Wheaties, by all means do so, if it tastes good to you (expect acceptance at your own risk). Hey, It's your taste.

Much of that same wisdom goes into finishes for your home. More often than not, homeowners are cajoled into thinking that they must "plan for resale"--i.e., neutral colors, along with stainless appliances and granite counters. But if your intent is to live in the home for say, more than 5 years, make it your home. Actually, if your intent is to stay there more than a few months, make it your home. You're living there, not visiting. Why would you put off painting your bedroom bright orange (if that's what you really want)? For the next house?

We're not talking about structural decisions here. They're finishes that are in the eye of the beholder. Certainly , a little restraint sometimes and some professional guidance. But, the bottom line is, a five year old kitchen is going to look like a five year old kitchen in five years. Who knows what the current trend will be at that time. Make it the place you want to live in, today.

There's A New Myth in Town

2010-05-02T17:26:00Z

There's a new myth in town, and it's name is spray foam insulation. Actually, that's not fair. Spray foam insulation has many benefits--air sealing at the top of the list. But there is a myth being propagated by some in the home performance industry that it is the silver bullet that some have been looking for.

Many proponents of the product would like you to ignore r-values. But R Value is still R Value, that is, it is still a measure of resistance to energy flows. The leading Building Scientists propose an R-60 or above for our region. The energy code for our area is R-49. But many selling spray foam in our region claim that an attic only needs 4 or 5 inches of spray foam, that anything more is just a waste. Even with a high r-value claim of R-7 per inch, 5 inches of spray foam will only yield an R value of approximately R-35, well below the code mandated R-49. Especially for those foams that are only R-5 per inch, that yields about an R-25 for the attic, about 50% below code, and also meaning that heat losses are about 50% below code mandates.

The argument will come back that spray foam "performs better" than an R-49 attic with fiberglass or cellulose insulation. Partly true. But it's like the weather man saying "partly sunny". That also means it's partly cloudy. And for our attic, it's only half the story. The spray foam will "perform better" than attic of higher R Value that is not air sealed. Remember that one of the biggest benefits of spray foam is its air-sealing ability. But a properly air-sealed attic with cellulose at R-49 will perform better than the spray foamed attic at R-25.

Don't misunderstand me. I love what spray foam does. It air seals well. The closed cell variety has a high R Value. But it is substantially more expensive than cellulose insulation. And it's not the only way to air seal. I've used spray foam in attics as air barrier followed by a blow over of cellulose to attain an R Value to 60-70.

So y'all be cool (and warm).

Privacy Policy

2009-12-29T14:51:27Z

Though you may see photos of projects on our Website, flickr or our
Facebook Page, we go to great lengths to protect the privacy of those
homes location. It is our most sincere belief that a home is first and
foremost shelter and should always be the place it's occupants feel most
secure.

Often it is with great restraint that we don't post exterior photos of
our projects because of some identifying characteristic of the home that
may make the home identifiable from the roadside. If we do post an exterior

photo that can easily be identified, It is by homeowner request and permission.

Most photos we post are interior details or exterior shots that cannot be easily

identified from casual observation.

While we are proud of what we create and would love nothing more than to
make the home available for general viewing, we have a loyalty and
responsibility to our homeowners to do everything we can to keep their
identity private. That is why we don't participate in parade of homes or
give out names for references until we have contacted the owners prior
to releasing private information and have established a relationship with the asking party.

At that stage, we are more than excited to share our previous work.

While it may not be the industry standard, we feel it is an obligation worth

honoring.

Commisioning a Work

2009-10-17T18:24:00Z

Assemble the Musicians, the Composition is complete.

On October 2, 2009, our Michigan Society of the American Institute of Building Design held a reception at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. I was co-chair with two other designers, Marla Bruemmer of Design Evolutions, and Richard White of RDW Design. Not only did we have the privilege of hosting the event at an outstanding venue, we were also honered to have the Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra (aka, KMGO) perform for us. In addition to exposing Kalamazoo to what we as residential designers do, we were surrounded by a stimulating atmosphere of the visual and performing arts. (Please don't be overwhelmed by having four links in one, short paragraphs. It was also Art Hop night, which is coordinated by the Art Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Which now gives us six links in one paragraph). This was a perfect meeting ground for artists, musicians and designers. Many thanks to the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and the Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra.

The Kalamazoo Guitar and Mandolin Orchestra Performing at the Michigan Society of American Institute of Building Design October 2, 2009 at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.

The Orchestra played many works from traditional to popular to classics. They also played for the first time in entirety the complete suite of five pieces called "Passages Through Mexico" by composer Victor Garcia. It was a piece commissioned by the Orchestra which was completed in 2008.

The process of the orchestra commissioning a composition and a client engaging a Residential Designer to design a home are strikingly similar. I asked the co-founder of the Orchestra, Jacquelyn Zito, about the process:

"We knew Victor's composition style from previous pieces that he has done (but not for the KMGO). He came in to rehearsal to hear the group and get ideas for sound and capability.

We played for him the instruments and their ranges.

We worked together to edit and refine the scores.

We wanted a new piece for the mandolin orchestra repertoire. As for the process, Victor would finish a movement and then bring it to us to play and get input about any possible changes that needed to be made.

A very similar dynamic happens in the designing and building of a home. A client will approach a designer and commission a home to be designed. Input from the Patron (the client) will be sought. Time and effort will be required of the Designer to get the details right. The designer's expertise and experience will flush out details that perhaps may have bypassed the casual observer, or the client themselves. This is what the client is paying for when they seek a designer.

The legalities of the composition is remarkably the same as is a home design. This is what the Orchestra has licensed by agreement with the composer, Victor Garcia: Victor retains all of the rights, we have performance exclusivity for a while.

This is an important point. One of the conversations that we as designers had that night was regarding plans being copied, and built without contacting the designer (and there by infringing on the designers rights). This has happened to one of the designers at least two times. Worse yet, one the designs was copied by a local lumberyard and passed off as an original design. This is without a doubt a violation of copyright law. The courts have ruled that the designers retain the rights to their designs, unless they have in fact signed them away.

The protection in the copyright law is the intellectual property of the designer or the composer. Just as the orchestra was granted an exclusive performance even though they paid for the composition, the composer retained the rights. It was his intellectual property that he created, using his experience, expertise as well as input from the orchestra. That is what we as Residential Designers do as well.

How to Select a Builder

2009-09-28T00:56:00Z

Choosing a Team

Choosing a Design/Build team can be an anxious, dreaded process. You definitely want to choose a team you can live with for the next year or so. You will be in the planning process for months before you begin, the build itself, then after move in care.

A designer/builder that I've corresponded with has summed up much of what I've been trying to get to. Everett Pollard of Northcape Design/Build of Sunapee, N.H. has graciously agreed to lend an article from his site. What I've always tried to instill when meeting with clients is that there are hundreds of line items that make up an estimate of a home. This will involve contacting trade contractors and suppliers for most of these items. A quick estimate is nearly an oxymoron. However, if we know what the budget is, we can design to that. Revealing that budget isn't about trying to make absurd profits for us, but providing value for you.

He concludes that the building industry is getting more sophisticated. I would add to that it is also getting more complicated. We are being bombarded with new products on an almost daily basis, most claiming to be "Green". It is our responsibility as steward of your project to be aware of how all products involved integrate as a whole. Building and Remodeling are no longer about hammers and nails, but good and proper design, science and communication.

Below is the content from Everett's original article.

Why ‘Low Bidder Syndrome’ Always Backfires

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

(This article was written by Everett Pollard for the 2009 HBRANH Remodelers Guide, a supplement in the 2/27/09 issue of the New Hampshire Business Review.)

What is the first rule of construction that every homeowner knows? “We need to get three competitive bids.”

Most homeowners are not well educated in the homebuilding or remodeling process and may only do one or two such projects in their entire lifetime. Often they make a poor choice in selecting a contractor when it is based on price alone. The assumption with competitive bidding is that the plans and specifications are so clear and unambiguous that any randomly selected, reasonably competent contractor will be able to do the job exactly as envisioned. While more and more clients are aware that they can’t just hire the lowest bidder, few do a lot of research about which contractors to ask for proposals beyond getting some referrals or references from friends, Realtors or architects.

Some homeowners rationalize that any bids that are over their budget are not due to different interpretations of the plans and specs – which are, after all, perfectly clear – but are the result of sloppy estimating, high overhead or huge profit margins. The fact is that the more thought and research that goes into a bid, the higher it becomes. When checking an estimate, contractors more often find omissions rather than waste and inefficiency that can be taken out. The irony is that estimates that are carelessly prepared tend to be more reasonable (lower) and those that are thoughtfully and carefully researched tend to be less reasonable (higher). Guess which one will result in a better project?

Unfortunately, homeowners often have unrealistic expectations of what their project is really going to cost and in my experience sometimes underestimate the actual final cost by as much as half! This expectation is often set up by the designer and even the contractors themselves with off the cuff and faulty upfront “ball-park” estimates.

There is no such thing as “apples-to-apples” competitive bidding. First, I have never seen 100% completely prepared plans and specifications that are not wide open to interpretation and substitution of products, techniques and materials. Most sets of construction documents that have been given to me over the years are no more than 80% complete and I’m being kind. As a competitive bidder, the understandable tendency would be to use the least expensive products and processes possible to return the lowest bid. Second, every builder and remodeler brings a different set of professional skills to the process, and analyzes a project and its associated costs differently. The differences can be subtle, but they exist and result in an unequal playing field creating confusion and misunderstanding. The competitive bidding process reduces each builder to a number rather than considering his or her skills, professionalism, personality and ability to complete the project on schedule and within budget. The competitive bid process is like dangling a project in front of three or four contractors to see who is the most desperate to get it.

As the housing industry continues to become more sophisticated, the level of professionalism among builders and remodelers continues to reach new heights. Many of the best contractors are now refusing to bid competitively, opting instead for a different approach; the negotiated contract. In this scenario, a homebuilder is selected based on his or her abilities and personality, and how they fit with the client and their project. These are critical considerations considering how closely the builder and client will need to interact with each other during a fairly long and involved construction process. Savvy clients, those that have been through the homebuilding or remodeling process more than once, will usually spend much more time to find a contractor, interviewing as many contractors as it takes to find one that they are really comfortable with.

The clients will then engage the contractor much earlier in the process and negotiate a contract with them. The negotiated contract also takes the guesswork out of the project cost. The owner’s budget is shared upfront with each of the builders being considered based on what the owner can afford not what the builder and his subcontractors think (or guess) it will cost. Sharing the budget not only removes assumptions based on cost alone, it builds trust and enables better communication about what actual costs will be. If necessary (and it usually is) choices can be made to realign the project scope with the amount that the owners are comfortable investing in their project. That’s the negotiated part!

A huge benefit of this process is that the contractor is brought in much earlier and not after the entire design and specifications have been completed. This allows the contractor to review the plans early on and suggest changes that might help to avoid budget and schedule issues. A complete team of architect or designer, owner and contractor makes for a much more efficient process and a successful outcome. The project becomes a collaborative effort, not a competitive one, and saves time, money and ensures a better project. Make no mistake, owners that choose the negotiated contract method don’t always get the ”lowest price”, but they always get the best value and really benefit from the contractor’s full attention throughout the entire process. By sidestepping the bidding process, the contractor is able to spend his or her time exclusively on activities that will be of real service to the owner.

As homebuilding and renovation continue to evolve with ever higher levels of sophistication and professionalism, new and more effective business models are needed. The negotiated contract model has many advantages over the old “low bid” rule and will benefit homeowners in this new era of construction.

Education

2009-08-29T22:35:00Z

Continuing Education

Here's a Compilation of various Education taken by me. I will edit this as needed and link back to the Continuing Education Page on Coastline Building.com

CONTINUING EDUCATION AND TRAINING SESSIONS:
     American Institute of Building Design, Fall Conference, September 2008
     National Association of Home Builders,   Project Management Course
     National Association of Home Builders,   Sales Training
     * American Institute of Building Design, Spring Conference, April 2008
    * Green Building for Building Professionals, January, 2008
    * Builder Assesment Review, October, 2007
    * Insurance and Legal for Building Professionals, September, 2007
    * Communicating Green Building, August, 2007
    * American Institute of Building Design, Michigan Fall/Spring Conferences,September/ April, 2007
          o Green Building Review
          o Reviewed Building Code Changes for New Code.
          o Reviewed Manufacture Products

    * Green Plumbing Design, April, 2007
    * Importance of Green Homes, April, 2007
    * Landscape Design, April, 2007
    * Radon-FreeBuilding Techniques Update, April, 2007
    * Insulating For High Performance Homes, March, 2007
    * Worksite Safety, March, 2007
    * TREX PRO Training, March, 2007
    * Business Management (CAPS Training) February, 2007
    * Aging in Place Design (CAPS Training) February, 2007
    * Design Trends, February, 2007
    * EEBA Building Climate Specific Homes, December, 2006
    * GreenBuilt Michigan, Builder Training, November, 2006
    * Remodelor's Conference, October, 2006
          o 2-day conference sessions on Current Design Trends
    * American Institute of Building Design, Michigan Fall Conference, September, 2006
          o 2-day conference, Universal Design
    * American Housing Conference, September, 2006
    * Best in American Living Awards/NAHB Design Institute, June, 2006
          o 3-day conference for Residential Design
    * Designing with Stained Concrete, May, 2006
    * NAHB Design/Build Training, March, 2006
    * International Builder's Show, January, 2006
          o Sessions included Green Building, Residential Design Customer Satisifaction, Aging in Place, Quality Building Practices
    * Custom Builder's Symposium, November, 2005
          o Sessions included Quality Building Practices, Residenitial Design Trends,Green Building, Improving Build Processes

What's the Payback

2009-08-29T15:10:00Z

How much does it cost? What is my return on investment?

I bought a Gibson Epiphone Les Paul Custom a few years ago. It looks similar to the one below, but it is made by Gibson's subsidiary, Ephiphone. I get a lot of pleasure out of it, but I won't ever play it like this guy nor will I ever have the return on investment as he does. In fact, in a tangible sense, I will always have a negative return on investment. Every time I play it, the thing will cost money (electricity, strings, maintenance, etc), not earn money (no revenue stream).

( Question and Answer: Who is the Band?)

The cost between an Epiphone Les Paul and a Gibson Les Paul is at least tenfold. I am not skilled enough to warrant the additional cost of the Gibson. My audience is me (my family takes no pleasure in listening to me "Jam". For them, it is the opposite of pleasure). But, a few evenings a week, I make some noise, frustrate myself that I can't keep up with the recording I'm playing along with, but generally, enjoy myself. What is that worth? I don't know.

Talkin' 'bout my renovation

I often get asked what the payback/return on investment is on renovating/building energy efficient homes. I could site some statistics from the ENERGY STAR WEBSITE. But a home I renovate or build is typically even more efficient than Energy Star. So what's the comparison? There is something tangible there, but we need to establish a baseline to compare to. However (and the opposite of my guitar) every time the temperature swings above a comfortable setting, or the wind howls, you are saving money. We must also ask, are there intangibles to consider?

What is of Value to You?

It's the value you as a homeowner put on anything. What is the value of a flat screen TV? A vaulted ceiling? Trim details? Is there a tangible way to determine payback on those items? Probably not.

In terms of energy efficiency, do you expect the price of energy to heat and cool your home to decrease or increase? I have some opinions, and we can discuss that. What will future regulations require for the efficiency of homes? How will the efficiency of a home now affect it's value in the future? Most of us aren't soothsayers, so we can only extrapolate that notion. Again, I have opinions on that, and we can discuss it.

What is the value of increased comfort level? How about a healthier home? That's an intangible only you can put a price on.

Building and renovating homes is a complicated process. Sometimes what we can see (like TV's and Countertops) holds more value than what we can feel, (or in the case of comfort levels, not feel), like well detailed air-sealing. As in the case of my guitar, it would have been absurd for me to pay the extra for the Les Paul. There's no value in it for me. If I looked at it from the standpoint of payback or return, I threw money out the window. There is no tangible payback. None.

I will never try to convince you what you should value in your home, only you can do that. I can inform, guide, lead, but only you can choose.

Speaking Event at Great Lakes Green

2009-08-17T00:42:00Z

On Friday, August 21, the 2009 Great Lakes Green 360 Education day begins at DeVos Place, Grand Rapids, MI (registration at 8 a.m.). There will be several presentations on Green Building. Ron Jones of Green Builder Media and one of the pioneers in Green Building will be the Keynote Speaker

I will be giving two presentations, one on advanced framing, one on indoor air quality. If you're in the area, please attend.

Both of my presentations are located in the Grand Gallery E. Below are the descriptions:

Less is the New More: Optimal Value Framing. 11:30 a.m.

Use less lumber to have the homes you build and remodel run on high octane. Whether you plan to certify through Green BuiltTM Michigan or are looking to simply build a better performing home, builders and remodelers should use less lumber, produce less waste, be energy efficient, and environmentally friendly.

Wake up and Smell the Fresh Air 4:15 p.m.

Energy efficiency and indoor air quality go hand in hand.As the home gets tighter, it should breathe properly. It can also be free of mold, volatile organic compounds and reduceddust. The benefit: a healthier home for you and your family.

Come and enjoy a day of learning in one of the epicenters of Green Building, Grand Rapids, MI

Great Lakes Green Complete Schedule

Michigan's Energy Independence

2009-08-13T14:23:00Z

Here is a link to a recent NRDC Report. It describes strategies for Michigan to achieve Energy Independence. It may be a little overly optimistic, but it also does throw in practical realities. There is a huge potential for off-shore wind development (which we've known all along), but it also states practical limits that we're not going to have a wind turbine every half-mile in the Great Lakes.

It Starts with Energy Efficiency
But it also states what many of us in the building industry know (or should know): Start with getting our buildings energy efficient.. Until we do that, our renwables won't power us.

Other highlights:
Some of the highlights, besides off-shore wind power include how much more scalable renewable energy is. A coal or nuclear plant must run at design capacity. Renewables can be modular.

Renewables will keep more money in our state.

Germany has about the same cloudy days as we do and is a leader in using solar power. We (Michigan) just have to get our per watt costs down for solar.

It's a 60 page report. I read all of it, but that's fun for me. But read the conclusion, if nothing else. We can start our energy independence today.

A Matter of Convenience

2009-05-06T16:13:00Z

STOP GIVING BACK TO MOTHER NATURE (OUR TRASH)

I remember sitting in High School Spanish class trying to stay awake one afternoon when our teacher came in and started a rant on recycling. Actually it was on littering, because this predated what we would call "recycling" (imagine Dr Evil doing the finger quotes). He was an avid photographer, was the instructor for the yearbook, and somewhat of a naturalist--though he was quite upset that Jimmy Carter was elected president that year. Anyway, he had just developed on film(an ancient recording medium for images) pictures from a trip to the Rocky Mountains. In one of the pictures at 10,000 feet was an empty beer can. "Why can somebody hike up here with a full can, drink it and not bring it back down? It's lighter." An aha moment for me. Thanks Juan Sterner.

Two years later, Michigan passed a bottle bill that required a 10-cent deposit on all carbonated beverages in bottles and cans (except for brown bottles, which were 5-cent deposits for a number of years). The incredible thing about it was it really cleaned up our roadsides. Monetize it and people change their habits.

I remember talking with Ron Jones of GreenBuilder Media a few years ago and he it explained it like this: "What if everybody had to take care of their trash, to think beyond the end of the driveway where the trash can goes. What if whatever waste you generated, you were responsible for it. You create it, you take care of it." That puts it in a bit of a different perspective. It wouldn't take long to fill the backyard.

And recycling isn't the cure-all by any means, but it is a start. Reducing our consumption, maybe buying gallon jugs of water instead of individual bottles, would be another step. And then of course, reusing some of what we consume. Do we really need a new cup from Starbucks or McDonalds every morning? If you like the paper cups, rinse it out and have them re-use it on your next visit. Just take a quick look in the trash receptacles at these places, then multiply that by the number of franchises, then the number of days a year. It's a big number. It would fill up my back yard pretty quickly.

Earth Day, 2009

2009-04-22T15:01:00Z

Earth Day is here again. Last year there seemed to be a buzz for a few weeks, then it faded away. There was a bit of a resurgence when oil prices spiked, causing gasoline to skyrocket passed $4/gallon. SUV and truck sales did a nosedive and dealers couldn't keep smaller, more efficient cars on the lot. Then..., gas prices dipped, below $1.50/gallon in the Kalamazoo area. Then we hit a financial crisis and that's about where we stand.

Our environmentally challenged existence is still here. The economic crisis is an immediate concern. But we can't ignore what we've started. Climate change, bulging landfills, contaminated waters. What is in our waters is uncertain, even the experts are unsure what is safe and what is unsafe. Read this excerpt from the PBS FRONTLINE "Poisoned Waters" discussion. You can view the entire program HERE .

The economic cost is staggering when you look at all factors such as increased health care and clean-up costs. What legacy will we leave for our children? I would like to think we can leave the triple bottom line: economic, environmental and social well being.

Green Building: A low tech approach

2009-04-17T01:51:00Z

I've always liked to keep it simple, to take a common sense approach. Sometimes one person's common sense makes no sense to another. For instance, an old baseball saying is "see ball, hit ball". Works for Manny Ramierez, not so well for me . I can gang cut rafters, but can't use a sewing machine. Some people understand computational physics but can't balance their checkbook. You get the idea.

For me, energy conservation is as innate as breathing. PPV photovoltaic seems like something Trekkies play with. Energy conservation in a home is like a fuel efficient car--the ones that were developed in the 70's after the first energy crisis in 1973. Lighten the car, put in a small engine, walla, 40 mpg (our Chevette in 1976 did this--who made that car?). Now to get that, you have to buy a Hybrid. My '82 Civic got 46mpg on the highway and it was a run of the mill box. They certainly didn't get the press that Prius gets now. How did it get to 46 mpg? Lightweight, small engine. Small energy consumer (engine) powering a small load (weight of car).

To use less energy in a home, it's roughly the same comparison. In a home scenario, we lighten the load by allowing the engine (the heating/cooling system of the home) to power a small load (the Btu consumption of the home). A bigger home is a bigger load. More windows yields a bigger load. Poor insulation (or poorly installed insulation) is a bigger load. Read this from Buildingscience.com for more.

I'm not entirely against solar power. I'm a proponent for it. But it's the fluff after you reduce the load. If Solar is going to cost $4-5 or $8 a watt (I've received quotes all over the board), your first investment should be to lighten the load. When it makes sense in our area to use it--i.e. buyback from the utility companies in Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan look better, let's do it. I'm not nearly as enthused about tax credits until some other things are in place. Like more development of the technology for PV to make economic sense (that damn accountant in me). Even the UC Berkeley director of the UC Energy Institute. shares that belief. We're also fighting over 200 hundred cloudy days and under 70 clear days on this NCDC chart for Grand Rapids, MI. A more efficient system will need to be developed for it to overcome the cloudy days we experience. It's being worked on, but the economics of it are lacking right now.

What I do in new constructions homes right now is to run conduit to the attic from near the electric panel. That readies the home for future solar when the technology is economically viable for individual home panels. In the meantime, I'll keep plugging away at reducing the load so when that super-efficient engine (PV Solar) is ready, the light load vehicle (the home) will be ready for it.

BEING SINCERE IN GREEN BUILDING

2009-04-15T16:53:43Z

How Not to "Go Green"

I was recently interviewing a trade contractor for one of our projects.. I was going over one of the requirements for the Green Building aspect, when he interrupted me. "I was talking with (another builder) and he told me what a gimmick this Green Building is. You just do a few of the things and all of a sudden, 'you're Green'. It's a scam, right?"

Aside from eliminating him immediately as a possible trade partner, it struck me that the other builder had done a disservice as well. The other builder may not have made a convert of the individual, but by telling him he doesn't believe in it, it's very unauthentic.

If you don't believe in it, get out of the way so us zealots can do it properly.

Or--do it because ultimately it's better for all of us if you at least try-- but be upfront about it. Tell your trades you don't believe in it, but you're doing it because it's a sale. Tell your client that as well. If you refuse to educate yourself about Green Building at least make sure you let someone know what areas you're going to do only superficially. That way if it's an indoor air quality issue (as this particular trade was), someone can alert the occupants.

But be transparent about it to everyone, not just the trades you think you hold in confidence.

RESOURCES FOR GREENBUILDING IN MICHIGAN (KALAMAZOO, SOUTHWEST)

2009-03-23T16:36:00Z

There are many sources for GreenBuilding. I'll recommend a few here today, with more to follow periodically.

http://greenbuiltmichigan.org/GreenHomes/WhyBuildGreen/tabid/59/Default.aspx

Green Built Michigan is an Organization I belong to. I also serve on the Green Built Michigan Technical Committee.

http://www.buildingscience.com/index_html

BuildingScience.com has a wealth of information. I reference them frequently and can always find a solution. The important thing here is it based on research and science, not intuition.

http://www.nahb.org/search_simple.aspx?txtkeyword=green+building

They also have a wealth of information. Check out their Toolbase.Org, as well.

To save you time, here is my list of designations on Nahb.org . (Certified Green Professional, Certified Graduate Builder, Certified Aging in Place Specialist)

http://www.nahb.org/directory_details.aspx?sectionID=0&directoryID=1415&directoryRecordID=172514&search=pageNumber=48&directoryID=1415&version=1&activeFlag=1&proximityLimit=50&20438=12793&orderBy=20425

These are just a few, with more to follow.

What Are You Wearing For St. Patrick's Day?

2009-03-17T15:36:00Z

Green Builders should be wearing their colors today, right? I hope so. I also hope they're remembering why we do it. In the Kalamazoo area, Green Building should be focused on home performance. Actually, any Green Building anywhere should be focused on the performance of the home. The building scientist have been preaching that for decades. Unfortunately, what gets covered in the press are accessories, the expensive stuff. Solar and wind power, to name a few.

Read this: http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-007-prioritizing-green2014it-s-the-energy-stupid?full_view=1. I make this required reading when discussing a project with clients. I'll highlight the important points if they would like, but this is what we want to achieve, energy conservation.

I also have them read this entry: http://blog.coastlinebuilding.com/2008/02/28/wheres-the-heat.aspx

Prince Charles gets it. From a sidebar in the above link:

"In the foreword to a green supplement in the magazine House & Garden, the Prince wrote: 'Why, I must ask, does being 'green' mean building with glass and steel and concrete and then adding wind turbines, solar panels, water heaters, sedum roofs, glass atria - all the paraphernalia of a new 'green ...' "

If you read the entire article, the author, Joe Lstiburek, comes down on the points system for Green Building. He's right in a lot of ways--why should we get points for doing what a building should do anyway? However, if we don't rate homes, Greenwashing will become epidemic.

So I wear my Green colors proudly today, St Patrick, Patron of High Performance Homes.

A New Home for Shingles

2009-03-16T17:15:00Z

Green Innovation

Recycle

It's estimated that between 8-11% of building scrap in our landfills comes from shingles. What can we do about it?

Instead of calling for the dumpster, I've been calling this company, Crutchall Resource Recycling:

http://www.recycleroofs.com/Other_Services.html

For new construction, I just have the roofers put it in my trailer and I take it to their drop off location. For tear offs on existing homes, they will drop off a container and pick it up when the roof is complete. Not to hard, replace one phone call to the dumpster company with a call to Crutchall. If everybody did this, we could save about 10 million tons of shingles in the landfills.

Re-Use

What do they do with it : Roofing can become part of the mix for asphalt paving. Here's an excerpt from an article with a link below the excerpt:

"It lightens the load at the landfill—re-roofing a house with a 2,000-square foot roof lands about four tons of tear-off shingles into landfills.

An added benefit may turn up at the gas pump. Reusing a ton of shingles replaces the equivalent of two barrels of oil, which reduces the need for imported foreign crude.

“It's not like we turn it into oil, but it can be used in place of oil,” Crutchall Administrator Ellie Kane says.

Full Article:

http://www.capitalgainsmedia.com/Print.aspx?FileID=06f85c69-e501-4f37-8c56-b21d1d51f02e

According to the statistic, 1,000 square feet/roof (1 sqaure)=2 tons/roof=(replaces) 4barrels of crude oil. The most recent tear off I did was 4500 square feet of tear-off shingles. The math on that gives me 4.5 square=9 tons of waste shingles=18 barrels of
crude that can be used elsewhere. That's on one house.

Here is another good link on recycling shingles:

http://www.nerc.org/documents/asphalt.pdf

Re-Think
It's as easy for me to replace one phone call with another.
If everybody replacing a roof did this, we can take 10 percent of our waste out of
Landfills. Insist on it. It's not that hard.

Resolutions for a Happy New Year

2009-01-16T15:11:00Z

It's that time of year, time to take off a few pounds. And no matter the diet--low fat, low carb, chocolate for three weeks then tofu--it all comes down to a basic formula: Put in fewer calories, burn off more. And calories are energy.

With a home, we want to do the opposite. We want to conserve calories. Reduce our load. Keep more calories (energy), burn less. The how-to is important. The diet in this case is how we treat the building envelope--from the basement floor, up the walls to the attic. There are many strategies and tactics to make this efficient--just like a diet.

In terms of energy output--the exercise part, the method is secondary to reducing the load. Weather it's forced-air(furnace), radiant, geo-thermal, renewables(solar or wind), they are all dependent on the load. If it takes x btu's of energy to heat a given area, if we reduce that btu load by 50%, our requirements to heat it are less. If we have a more air-tight home--attention paid to air-sealing from the bottom up and at penetrations (windows, doors, pipes, etc), our method to heat it becomes less--the heat machine needs to work less. If the home is comfortably smaller, if it is of a design that is more efficient (think of the energy you burn walking a maze versus walking as a crow flies) we reduce our btu's. And weather we use geo-thermal, solar, forced air or 500 candles (unscented, of course), we use less of that source to overcome our load.

Put your house on a diet. Make it use less calories so it can work less to replace them.

ACH: The Home MPG

2009-01-13T01:30:00Z

ACH: AN MPG FOR HOMES

It's quite possible that someday we will be talking about our homes the way we do cars. One way we can judge a homes relative performance is in it's Air Changes per Hour. This tells you how leaky a home or how tight it is. A blower door test is ran to determine the ACH and it tells us how many times per hour the home changes it's volume of air. There's a standard (ASHRAE 62.2) that says we should have an air exchange of about 1/3 of the home's volume of air per hour. A very leaky home can be in excess of 1 air change per hour.

The important thing to remember here is that we want to control the leakiness through mechanical ventilation. The concept that we want to "Build in Leaks" is just nonsense. When it's 10 F above zero and there's a 20 mph wind, we will have far more air changes than if it's 75 F and calm. In the former we will be getting too much (especially when we don't want it) and the latter won't be enough.

And where do we want it to leak from? The garage? Around the windows, through the ceiling where it can melt snow and cause ice damming? None of these are good choices.

You can compare one home to any other home in the world this way. It's more useful than comparing utility bills. Utility bills can vary depending on energy rates, weather extremes, homeowner lifestyle (thermostat settings, shower habits, etc). The volume of air may be different in comparing homes with similar ACH's, but it's air exchange rate will be constant. Homes with a .15 ACH will be performing the same, weather it's a 2000 square foot home in Kalamazoo or a 7500 square foot home in Dubai.

Build it tight, Ventilate it. Test it for leakage. Ask you Realtor or your builder what the ACH is of their homes. Make sure yours is the Porsche of home performance.