Preparing for Winter

It's been a while since either of us has had time to discuss the flurry of activity that we are currently involved in. In fact, Sensei has been working for 19 days straight on the house to manage the plumbing and electrical issues so that the insulation could be installed. (pictures of that later). It went in on October 14th and the last big push for a while is the HVAC.
Lots of research on the most energy efficient unit and the appropriate size for our 2400 square feet on 2 floors. We have utilized every square inch to its fullest and Sensei's research on bringing in fresh air AND filtering the air has paid off with a wonderful set of units that will help the environment while keeping us comfy.
Time to slow down and give thanx for all that we've accomplished!!

Some green perspectives

I found this link and thought I would pass it on.

http://realestate.msn.com/HomeAndGarden/GreenLiving.aspx

It has lots of info and places to look. More later on that.

Shady Respite

Stopping by the renovation to empty the dehumidfier (it really helps keep the house from sweating!!), while helping Sensei as he recuperates, has meant a lot less time spent at the project site. I share much of the water that collects with the plants since they are newly rooting and the rain has been sporadic. The really hot weather we had for a spell was great for their chlorophyll but not so good for their flowers and leaves, so I have been dumping 2-3 gallons of water at various spots and treating them for slugs and such.

With that hot weather and just running in and out, I have come to appreciate the huge buckeye tree that shades at least half of the side yard that I walk down to approach the house from the street level. There are various mystery plants that we have inherited spread throughout that garden, which have sprouted and bloomed since the spring (including many weed varieties that are still unidentified). They give a sense of green, especially to the sunny part at the top which has gone quite wild (many dinosaur plants) while waiting for a caring gardener's touch. (Won't be this year!!)

The previous tenant planted plenty of hostas in the shady area below the butterfly bushes and roses that tenaciously thrive despite any tender loving care. These shade lovers are quite content with the umbrella provided by the spreading arms of the buckeye and even though they are covered in leaf detritus rather than mulch, they seem to be flourishing, also.

So, even though my time is spent running while I pass through, the sense of coming into a loving space that the shade provides continues to encourage me about really settling into our new space and loving it. . .even while we're in the process.

The Number Crunch

Well, I have finished my first round of Residential Manual J calculations for Heat Gain and Heat loss. It really isn't too difficult of a task if you are willing to learn and read between the lines. One good thing is that once you have all of your data together (areas, volumes, infiltration factors, thermal values, thermal coefficients, shading coefficients, etc, etc.) it is easier to perform several calculations for different design scenarios expeditiously. What I discovered is that the scenarios I thought would work better did not provide the better results. Small changes to the construction systems could yield improved performance for the HVAC (Heating Venting Air Conditioning) system.

The HVAC system we are planning to use is a two stage high performance heat pump with an ERV (energy recovery ventilator) and a HEPA filter. The house will be broken into two zones one for the grade level and the other for the lower level which yields side hill exposures. The attic will be insulated at the roof deck and unvented. We are in a moderate hot humid location. This means that the heating and cooling requirements are about equal. In our current home, which is much larger, we used a geothermal system for heating and cooling and the performance has been phenomenal. The renovation is located on a smaller site and the floor plan is about 1/2 the size. The return on investment for geothermal would be much longer and an overkill on our renovation.

So far, our work is paying off. We recycled the existing 3 ton single stage heat pump and based on the calculations installing no more then a high performance 2 ton heat pump. This calculation includes adding about twice as much glass as the old house had to increase daylight conditions and improvements to the thermal envelope through out.

The photograph is a picture of David Williamson and Jonathon (?) . David and Jonathon were two HVAC students at Asheville Buncombe Community College who began their own company, Asheville Heat Pump Service. In the photograph, they are in the process of removing the 3 ton unit. David was great because he also helped to find another home for the unit. We remain optimistic about our final results.

How to structure a day

It's been quite interesting to spend time with my recuperating husband and still manage to be "accomplishing" something. As someone who is used to having the summer "off", and her partner away from home, I didn't realize how much I structure my own time or choose to do things in the flow of the day.
With Sensei unable to work on our renovation (or go to his "real" job, either), we are finding what it might be like to be "retired" together and it's pretty easy as long as I don't let him do all of the time decisions. If we start our day with a "How do you see the day unfolding?" conversation, I think things develop even easier. That way, we are aligned on big goals and can float around some of the smaller ones. An afternoon update is always a good idea, so that we can regroup and see where we really are.
Altho', with Sensei, it's usually wise to not commit to too much because once he hears it as a possibility, then reality is the only option available!! Commitment is a big thing with him. . which is how we managed to get the house built so far. He decides and then it happens!! I'm more likely to see how things are going and decide in the moment. Ach, well. Tiny growth spurts are expected 10 years into a marriage AND this time of year.

Finding Your Comfort Zone

While doing the research to size the heating/cooling units in our remodel, I have found that the heating and cooling load software programs available to the residential owner are mostly unsuitable for a customized home. They can also be expensive and for a one time user rather limited in their format for calculations. In green or sustainable construction, it becomes a bit more obvious that standard equations based on builder construction systems do not allow for improvements such as thermal conduction slabs, solar green houses, or energy recovery ventilation just to name a few items. The only options available to the home owner involve a lot of techinical research and computing. Imagine your local heating, ventilation, air conditioning person going through all of the effort required when it is easier to make a sale based on rules-of- thumb, which by the way typically overheat and overcool your home.

Looking at the software programs available on-line that are based on Manual J, I discovered that the built-in thermal values cannot be changed and there are set system standards in order to keep the price for a one time user low (unless you want to spend over $1,000.00 and spend time learning to manage the calculations.) So if a homeowner wants to figure the size of the heating and cooling unit so that it is not oversized, the options are really limited. You might try using one of these programs or hire an engineer (since few of the HVAC guys actually know how to figure the perfect balance). Usually, what happens is a unit is installed that is oversized (and, therefore, inefficient or does not remove enough humidity from the air making you uncomfortable).

While trying to get an accurate figure with a passive solar or highly insulated home, your best bet is to purchase the Residential Manual J latest edition (It can cost around $140.00) and self-study or take a course at a local community college. Your other option may be to pay a professional HVAC engineer or a HERS (Home Energy Rating Sytem) engineer capable of expanding on those Manual J calculations.

RECYCLING REVELATIONS

Since we started the renovation there have been trials and tribulations with recycling as much construction debris as possible. When we measure what was recycled for re-utilization the tally is rather amazing. Looking back at our journal serves as a reminder of just how much material is involved in residential construction and how much can be saved from landfill while being placed into new use. We are still reaping the benefits of past civilizations even to this day because of this concept. To be a bit more humble, here is a short list of what we have managed to recycle.

• Brick Masonry from interior (fake)fireplaces
• Sliding Glass windows
• Operable windows
• Interior and Exterior Doors and frames
• Door Hardware
• Ceiling Fans
• Light Fixtures
• Water Closets
• BathTubs
• Lavatories
• Laminate Flooring
• Carpeting
• Dimesional Lumber
• Interior Trim
• Kitchen Appliances
• Propane Room Heaters and Fireplace Fixtures
• Sheet Metal
• Copper Water Piping
• Aluminum Gutters and Trim
• Overhead Garage Door
• Electrical Wiring
• Steel Posts
• Landscaping
• 3 Ton Heat Pump
• 50 Gallon Hot Water Heater
• Condensation Pumps
• Ductwork
• Concrete Rubble
• Left Over Paints and Stains (from previous Owners)
• We even managed to relocate thousands of honey bees

Despite these efforts we still had a considerable amount of waste. That waste totaled to close to three full 40 cubic yard dumpsters plus 21 pickup truck loads. Items such as molded fiberglass insulation, carpet pad, drywall, rotted or poorly used lumber , roofing etc. Recycling is not yet perfected but every ounce of saved materials is one less on our conscience.

Towering Trumpet

As we finish the lower level bathroom and tile the utility room (my first time!!), it feels as though we could actually live in the house if we had to (if our current home sold, for example). We decided to pay some attention to the entrance of the house on the ground, this time, rather than the cedar posts and roof. I planted some evening primrose, blanket flowers, balloon plants and pink nancy to establish a few perennials this year. We also wanted to find a plant to grow up the outside column and add color and shade to the front porch overhang.

At our current house, we have a two year established wisteria that we considered splitting and moving. When Sensei nixed that idea, I tried to find some local nurseries with wisteria for sale. Wrong time of year. (Guess it's a spring/fall thing.). Then, as we really considered the solidity of the portico, we began to rethink the wispiness of the wisteria.

Our neighbors have a wonderful patio with what looked like a thin twisted trunk tree that had beautiful green oval leaves and big orange flowers. We suspected it was a trumpet vine of some tree-like variety but could not find anything online to confirm our suspicions. Finally, I stopped by when our neighbor was outside and asked her. Sure enough, it's a trumpet vine. Pure and simple.

She claimed that it just grew up that way all by itself, mentioning that it is messy, since the big flowers plop down on her deck, but are easily swept away due to their size. When she added that hummingbirds love them, I was hooked. Sensei had found a plant at the Asheville farmer's market, so he brought it home and we planted it next to the post so that it could begin to settle in this year. Since he is recovering from foot surgery, the plant will have 3-4 weeks of peace before we return to disturb the quiet of our new space.

The Swarm Part 2

About 21 days AFTER the Swarm Part 1, Sensei was, once again working on the house. This was about 10 days after we had decomissioned the heat pump along the side of the house, next to the infamous camilia (which is supposed to be hard to grow in the mountains, so we preserved it through every bit of painting, window installation, metal bending, etc. cursing each time we had to hold it away from the house and climb around and through its scratchy branches. It's thriving though!!). We sold the pump and the furnace to a guy working on affordable housing, so they found good homes.
The reason the timing is important is because during those 10 days, approximately 10,000 honeybees gathered near that spot and began to create a cone/hive. This humming was equally loud (but less threatening, since he wasn't staying there at the time). The swarm inside the house occurred the same way with the same number of casualities.
I called Extension Services for help. They gave me 4 numbers of local beekeepers who often assisted people like us with bee swarms. This was on a Friday afternoon and I left messages or spoke to each person and none of them was in a position to help us. They wished us well and we swept up more bees.
On Monday, we received a call from a local pastor who was one of the people who was sorry not to be of help on Friday. His hives had all been full at the time. Over the weekend, some cold weather had killed one of his colonies and he had room for ours!! We were sorry for his loss but anxious to find a good home for our collection!!
We'll post a slide show of that event (soon) when the bees were swept off their feet (all together in a clump) and moved to a happy hive. Ah, the natural world is so fascinating!! I so enjoy it when it stays outside!!

The Swarm Part 1

Around Easter, Sensei was camping out at the house for a few days. On his last day there, he heard this loud humming in the room he'd used for sleeping. When he lifted the tarp flap, (no walls, it was cold, it kept the heat from the propane fireplace in) and discovered 1,000 bees swarming against the door wall. Even when he managed to open one side, he could not get them to leave. These Kamikaze bees were bent on self-distruction, to the point that they didn't even notice him when he entered the room.
He called Terminex for their opinion and they said they were endangered honeybees and they couldn't do anything to them. It didn't matter, they all died in a sad pile on the floor and we swept them up later. So strange!

Insect Insight

This renovation has brought even greater appreciation for the natural world since we have only had windows/doors for a short time and we don't bother with screens yet. We never know what might flutter or float into our space so the surprises are many. Most of them have been interesting; a few dangerous but the dragonfly was my favorite.
One day, Sensei noticed this large creature poised on the french door, inside the house. It rested there as if it were home and I took pictures quickly, assuming that it would run for safety outside. It did not. Then I started to worry that it was going to get sick inside but I couldn't get it to budge. Finally, Sensei took his hand and brushed this gentle giant out into the sun once again. I was tickled by the experience and the size!! I'll include pictures soon.

What will make the house sing?

Now that the cedar is backed by the black cement board and the brick red windows are adding another touch of brickishness (like the original, common brick foundation), I am forced to consider that maybe blue inside will not be the color that pulls the outdoors in.

We have collected blue in many incarnations: couch/chair, art clock, throws, vases, flower pots. In other words, our lives have been joyously expressing blue for the last 6 years. Sensei has resisted my monochromatic obsession, but it brings me joy, so he has let me go with it.

Now, the flooring issue (wood?, cork?, tile? marble?) has brought up his penchant for connecting the natural world to our unnatural interior in an attempt to merge them. This means that, unlike the bright blue red accents we've connected with our blue furnishings, we are now looking at more of a rust color which is way out of my color palette!! To further confuse the issue, we both love a marble we've found (called "Rain Forest" = some green = uh oh!!) which we would use on one or two accent walls. It would definitely connect with some rusty tile we've found that has the look of wood, but then how do we move into blue from there??????

Any suggestions??

Green is not such a clear color

As we consider how to heat/cool and create hot water for the house, we do daily research regarding the energy savings and the expenditures. Sometimes, as in the case of the solar hot water, it becomes clear that the capital outlay is not worth the return for the two of us. ($12,000) Plus, the energy expenditure and equipment upkeep is not so sustainable, either. Further drawback, we would have to cut down some of our wonderful trees to get enought sun on the roof. That's not negotiable for us.

We have just found a wonderful unit that looks like it might be IT but, once again, my wonderful husband is ahead of the curve and it is not available until MAYBE fall of this year. It is a heat pump unit that is attached to the hot water heater and actually creates dehumidifying and air conditioning while it heats the water. Coo --ell. It's called a "hybrid electric hot water heater." What we will probably end up with is a unit that fits on a regular hot water heater. The GE one is all one slick unit. . .oh, well.

I will attach pictures of the unit when I find them. In the meantime, here's the website:
http://www.geconsumerproducts.com/pressroom/press_releases/appliances/energy_efficient_products/doetanklesshybrid.htm

Spring in the mountains is beyond description. I've included some photos which don't begin to really capture the magnificence but give you some idea of the glory (and another good reason to stay in the area by renovating!). The weather has finally developed some moisture which is desperately needed (severe drought conditions still exist) which is making everything an even more glorious green. The flowering trees and bushes usher in the season and the annuals take over from there. Mother's Day marks the planting time here, so the gardens of flowers or vegetables are springing up now, too. All-in-all a festival for the senses!!

Our renovation project's garden is a surprise everyday, too, as the bleeding heart by the door (which survived trampling and a post insertion) bursts into its tiny pink charms and the iris (in a color I've never seen before) float by the upper fence. Bright purple blooms of seemingly wildflowers bloom everywhere (which will turn into money plants later) and the trillium in the shady spots have sent up their magnificent white sentinels.

Deciding where to move the path and maintain the garden's integrity in the process is something we need to plan now, while everything is in bloom. In the fall, it's hard to remember where the bulbs are sleeping and we don't want to disturb them and rob next spring of its renewal.

Moods Swings of a House

Be prepared for swings. I wish they were the kind to erect in the backyard but I am talking about delirious highs that lift the spirit and generate confidence that all things are possible . This creative hope place causes such wonderful design inspiration that anything can happen. Enjoy these since they don't last long or occur that frequently.

The low point of the fulcrum often feels terminal. "The project can't continue since we haven't sold the other house." "We need to stop spending until we see if you get rehired for the fall." The banks aren't lending any money now, so even if we wanted to refinance, we couldn't get a loan." (We'd probably need some interior walls, HVAC, electricity, plumbing and flooring before they'd consider it, anyway. Right now, we're paying a mortgage on a place that does not really exist.) (Shhhhhh, don't tell anyone, ok?)

Having a shell of a house with a 60-year-old husband who's doing most of the work himself in these crazy economic times might be a recipe for an ulcer. Aligning on the project and our commitment to completing it as we can, feels like, most of the time, anyway, partnership of a much more interdependent kind. Really working through our fears by expressing them and allowing for that swing set I mentioned keeps us aware of the other's concerns but allows us to offer support to the one on the bottom until he/she can bounce back. So far, so stressed. . .I mean, so good. We just keep plugging along. Mostly weekend warriors. Mostly convinced that this will be a wonderful spot to move to whenever that "year from now" occurs.

Renewable Reality Hits Home

We're discovering that the "green energy initiatives" are not cheap and may not be all that. This has been a painful process of selection since many "incentives" sound really supportive and like they would make the investment worthwhile. . .from a tax viewpoint and an energy saving one. In reality, they are often a come-on in both categories. Realizing that the return may not be realized before the system has to be upgraded or replaced does not really make solar hot water a viable system for a 2 person household. With a $12,000 upfront investment, it may not make financial sense to many people, either. With only a 15%-18% savings on the electric bill, the payback is well over 20 years, even with the paltry tax incentives, without considering the embodied energy required to produce the system or maintain it. The energy company (at least in NC where we live) does not seem to know much about its own program and the "financing" for home energy improvements, they are really supplied by 3rd party financiers (like banks) and the selection of "approved contractors" in our area is quite limited (like one). Banks are not really supporting it as a home "improvement" generating equity but rather than a depreciating issue which limits their willingness to back it as a loan asset.
This is one of the issues that killed the solar industry in the 1970's. Evidently, no lessons were learned back then and the consumer continues to bear the brunt of energy alternative exploration and support. The little guy taking the risks may not be so eager in these difficult financial times and, so, energy remains the purview of the energy companies. Even trying to "sell back" the excess energy only generates about half of what we continue to be required to pay (depending on how progressive your area is). It's discouraging us but we aren't giving up yet. We'll continue to report on our latest research because we're really committed to finding active ways to conserve energy.

When does recycling NOT make sense?

As we continue on our "gutting" process (started in March, 2008), we are confronted with choices about what to salvage and what to toss. Since this project has encompassed removing two ceilings (one was a radiant heating system with burned out wires), a brick propane heater space (and hearth), hundreds of old 2x4's, 10 windows, 2 door walls (and 2 doors with sidelights), bathroom fixtures. . .well, you get the idea, sorting through these "products" becomes a job in itself. Since my husband (Sensei 1) is doing much of the work himself, often the "recycling" becomes my task.

The 2x 4's seem to be a nobrainer in terms of reuse. This is true when the nails can be removed without destroying the integrity of the boards. (With 30 year old wood, that is sometimes impossible.) However, when the nails are twisted and entwined so that it takes me 30 minutes per piece, does the energy expenditure warrant the result? I have other jobs that I am meant to be accomplishing, so how do I decide how much time is appropriate?