Thinking of New Windows? Choose Wisely!

If you’ve been following the progress of Sunset Green Home, you have already seen images of the house almost completely framed.  So what comes next?  Energy-efficient and durable windows.  We’re about to place the order for IZ3 low-E Integrity® Wood Ultrex windows by Marvin®.  In plain English?  A coastal window with a set of features that is just perfect for Sunset Green Home.

Integrity Wood-Ultrex Casement Window

Before I describe why we selected that particular window for Sunset Green Home, it might be useful to present a primer of sorts on window characteristics that affect performance.  And understanding these characteristics is critical.  After all, windows comprise the building system with the greatest potential impact on your home’s energy efficiency and comfort.

How a Window’s Energy Efficiency is Described

A window’s energy efficiency is described by two values: the U-Factor and the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient. 

According to the LEED® for Homes Reference Guide, “the U-Factor is a measure of the thermal resistance to heat flow of the overall window.”  The lower the number, the better the window insulates.

The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures how much of the sun’s energy is transmitted in through the window.  The lower the SHGC, the more a window will block the sun’s heat.  In warm climates, homeowners will likely want windows with a low SHGC, while in colder zones, higher SHGC will allow the sun’s rays to warm a room, thereby reducing the load on the home’s heating system.

The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) has developed rating and labeling standards that allow consumers to compare windows across manufacturers, based on their U-Factors and SHGCs. 

NFRC labeling standards allow consumers to compare window qualities across manufacturers

Several variables play a part in determining these important window rating values, and may include:

Window Frame Materials

Windows come in a variety of materials – wood, aluminum, vinyl, fiberglass and combinations of these materials.  Wood offers versatility and can be painted or stained.  Vinyl is a durable, lower cost window material.  Fiberglass is extremely strong, is dimensionally stable – particular with large temperature swings – and requires less maintenance than other materials. Aluminum is strong and rigid and can be configured for very large panes.

The frame material and the ratio of glass to framing will impact a window’s energy efficiency.

Number of Glass Panes

The more panes of glass, the more the window will insulate a home and block the sun’s UV rays.  Modern windows typically consist of two panes of glass (the leaky windows in the turn of the 20th century house where I grew up were single pane windows – now thankfully obsolete). Homes in regions with extremely cold winters or in noisy urban areas may elect to install triple pane windows.  Triple pane windows can be significantly more expensive than double pane windows.

Panes of glass are separated at the edges by a spacer bar.  Specially engineered Warm Edge Spacers can improve a window’s energy efficiency by up to 5%.

Gas Filling Between the Panes

The space between the panes can be filled with air or may be injected with a gas (krypton, xenon or argon) that provides better insulation. 

Low Thermal Emissivity (Low-E) Coating

Manufacturers may apply a thin film to one or more of the glass panes to reduce the amount of ultraviolet light (which may cause furnishings to fade) and infrared light (which heats up a room in the summer) that passes through the glass without compromising the visible light that is transmitted to the interior. 

One More Window Option to Consider – Impact Resistant Technology

Although it doesn’t have a significant effect on energy efficiency, choosing an impact resistant window is critical in certain parts of the country – particularly those in a hurricane zone.  Impact resistant windows are engineered to withstand the forces of flying debris at high wind speeds.  Window modifications may include shatter-proof lamination, heavier frames, and special installation assemblies.  They are generally rated for one of several geographic “impact zones.” 

So Many Options…How to Choose?

With so many options, how does one choose a window? 

ENERGY STAR® labeled windows are a good place to start.  ENERGY STAR window labels are region-specific, so they factor in the most important drivers of energy efficiency by climate zone. 

ENERGY STAR Climate Zone Map

Southern zones will be more concerned with heat gain, as indicated by the SHGC.  Northern zones require better insulation, as described by the U-Factor.  These considerations are reflected in ENERGY STAR's zone-specific qualification criteria.

ENERGY STAR Criteria by Climate Zone

If you’ve read our House Tours articles, you know we’ve written about several extremely energy efficient homes.  James Whittaker, developer of the LEED Gold home we profiled in Grand Cayman tells me that “we now use SIW exclusively.  We vetted their product quality extensively and we are very happy with the results.  We think it's the best value for money for this hot humid hurricane zone. U-Factor doesn't matter much in this climate.  All the windows and doors we use are impact rated to at least 150mph.”  The windows that Whittaker specifies are double pane, impact windows that are either casement style or fixed.  In the hot environment of the Cayman Islands, opening a window to let in the breeze isn’t a requirement.

By contrast, U-Factor was the most important consideration for the LEED Gold home in ski country that we wrote about last winter.  Frank Navarro used triple pane aluminum windows by JELD-WEN with significant insulating properties that make sense for a colder climate.  The aluminum frames made it possible to incorporate very large windows that maximize the home’s views.

View through one of the large JELD-WEN windows in a LEED Gold home in Colorado

For the Passive House in Queens that we profiled more recently, the owners "seriously researched" five window manufacturers, before selecting Schuco triple pane PVC windows both for their insulating properties and because of their ability to block out street noise.  And, according to the owner, Architect Tom Paino, "the PVC with special UV coating stands up better than any other material (aluminum clad, etc.) considering the air pollution" of New York City.

Triple pane Schuco windows provide insulation and muffle street noise in this urban row house built to Passive House standards

It’s important to think about how you’re going to use the windows.  Sunset Green Home is in a breezy coastal location, where temperatures are moderate for more than half of the year.  We enjoy opening the windows and letting the breeze into the home.  So we’ve chosen a double hung configuration for many of the windows.  All of Sunset Green Home’s windows will open and close.

If your region is prone to severe weather, check to see if your building code requires impact resistant windows or if your insurance company will lower your premium if you voluntarily elect to install them.  In some cases, homeowner insurance policies may not pay for damage repairs unless precautions have been taken – so arm yourself with information about your policy before you choose your windows. 

Finally, budget will also drive your choice of window. Purchase the best windows you can afford!

Sunset Green Home’s Windows

So why did we choose IZ3 Low-E Integrity Wood Ultrex windows by Marvin for Sunset Green Home?

• IZ3 denotes impact resistant glass for Impact Zone 3, represented by coastal areas in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states.  Sunset Green Home is on a waterfront lot whose previous home was damaged by two hurricanes, two years in a row.  Flying debris is a real consideration, so the old house that Sunset Green Home replaces was boarded up in preparation for both storms.  Attaching plywood meant drilling holes around the windows – which has the potential to undermine the airtightness and water tightness of the building envelope – not an option for Sunset Green Home, whose LEED certification hinges on having a very tight building envelope.  By choosing an impact resistant window, Sunset Green Home will always be storm-ready
• Sunset Green Home’s principal façade faces south to take advantage of a water view and to provide for a large south-oriented roof to accommodate solar panels.  We selected Integrity’s LowE2 glass – with two layers of silver oxide – that minimizes solar heat gain from the summer sun while allowing light to pass into the house
• Integrity from Marvin’s Ultrex pultruded fiberglass construction has several features that make sense for Sunset Green Home.  Unlike aluminum, which may “chalk,” and wood, which requires considerable maintenance under salt air conditions, Integrity’s patented Ultrex material resists corrosion and is the ideal material for a coastal area.  Ultrex also makes sense in Sunset Green Home’s northeast climate, which experiences hot summers and cold winters.  Because Ultrex expands and contracts at nearly the same rate as glass, the windows are more resistant to leaks and seal failures. 
• ENERGY STAR considers Suffolk County, New York, where Sunset Green Home is located, to be in the “North-Central Climate Zone” (use ENERGY STAR’s Zone Finder to find your zone).  With U-Factors of 0.31 and 0.32, Sunset Green Home’s windows are ENERGY STAR compliant and considered “Exceptional” according to LEED for Homes.

Windows represent an extremely important building system.  They account for the greatest opportunity for heat gain and loss through a building’s envelope.  So, whether you’re renovating or building a new home, it’s important to select windows that meet your project’s specific needs.  There are many windows to choose from, and many window manufacturers that make high quality products.  So, get educated.  And pick the best window for your project and your pocketbook.

Sunset Green Home Progress Update: Reaching New Heights!

This was another week of visible progress on the Sunset Green Home project.

If you've been following our updates, you'll notice that the pool house sheathing is now taped with ZIP System flashing tape, an acrylic adhesive tape that creates a weather tight (airtight and watertight) seal between the individual ZIP System sheathing panels. 

Pool House Roof with ZIP System Flashing Tape Installed

The tape is applied with a pressure roller and forms a permanent seal within 30 minutes of application.  Using the ZIP System panels and tape eliminates the need to apply an additional layer of house wrap around the structure.  Mike Machernis, Huber Engineered Woods’ Business Development Manager demonstrated the strength of the bond to builder Chris Mensch of Coastal Management LLC.

Mike Machernis (Right) Demonstrating ZIP System Tape Strength

Another big change from last week is the addition of Sunset Green Home's second floor framing, and the start of the first floor sheathing.  The views from the top are glorious!  The roof system will come next, and the placement of the home's gables will allow builder Chris Mensch to use cathedral and tray ceilings in the upstairs bedrooms to create a greater sense of volume in the rooms.  We've been discussing the features that will make each of the bedrooms unique.

Builder Chris Mensch on the Second Floor of Sunset Green Home

Note that the framers continue to use scrap pieces of wood to form the ladder blocking where interior and exterior walls intersect.  This saves lumber, reduces waste and enables the house to have additional insulation in the walls.  This is an advanced framing technique that helps the project to earn credit toward its LEED certification.

Framing Crew Working on Ladder Blocking

The pool construction team from Tortorella Group is busy creating the framing for the elevated gunite swimming pool.  All that remains visible from last week's grade beam work are rebar connections that stick up out of the ground.  Everything else has been filled in.  We've been discussing where the pool equipment will be located to keep it protected and sufficiently distant from the pool house septic system.     

Pool Builders Starting to Frame the Pool

Toward the end of the week, our homeowner's insurance company sent an appraiser to review our progress.  She was traveling with a team of summer interns.  All four were happy to have a chance to learn about a LEED registered home and the green features and technologies we're including.  She remarked that some of the measures we're incorporating - like impact resistant windows - will reduce the home's insurance premium when the project is completed.

Insurance Appraiser with Summer Interns

Check back next week for another update!

Sunset Green Home Progress Update: Concrete Retaining Walls

This was another week of site work activities at the Sunset Green Home site.  

The pool house septic system was completed.  As with the sanitary system for the main house, the pool house septic tanks were raised above grade and set on top of clean sand, which was brought on site to ensure that we would have adequate drainage and that the entire system would be far enough away from ground water.  

Elevating the system meant that there would be grade changes around it.  Sunset Green Home's finished grade would be several feet higher around the septic system than elsewhere..  In order to accommodate the grade changes, architect Bill Heine oversaw the design of retaining walls to contain the fill for the new septic systems. 

According to Sunset Green Home's builder, Chris Mensch of Coastal Management LLC, the retaining walls consist of a 12" deep three-foot footing, with an 8" poured concrete wall above.  The wall and footing have an internal structure of #5 (5/8") rebar (short for "reinforcing bar," also known as reinforcing steel), 12" on center.  The interior side of the retaining wall will be tarred for waterproofing.  This graphic shows a typical concrete retaining wall structure:

Source: Wikipedia "Retaining Wall"

The retaining wall for the pool house sanitary system is a simple structure that runs just beneath the pool house structure, approximately 20 feet from the sanitary system.  

The main house sanitary system retaining walls comprise a much larger structure and are necessary because Sunset Green Home's septic system is so close to the road and driveway.  This is the only location that would satisfy the Code requirement of keeping the septic system at least 100 feet away from wetlands on an adjacent lot.

Sunset Green Home's concrete retaining wall footings are visible on the righthand side of the photo below.  Footings were poured last week.  When the footings had cured, the masons erected forms into which concrete would be poured to create the retaining wall above.  Reinforcing steel rebar is sandwiched within the forms.

As the concrete mixer truck pumped wet concrete (sometimes also called green concrete) into the forms that make up the walls, the crew shoveled the mixture along the interior of the forms and made sure that there were no air holes or other imperfections. 

When the wall had cured, the forms were removed for reuse on another job...

...leaving Sunset Green Home with a completed sanitary system retaining wall.

Sunset Green Home Progress Update: Pool House Framing is Complete and Pool Construction is Underway

Sunset Green Home is at a stage where things seem to be moving very quickly and the progress is visible from day to day.  The pool house framing is nearly complete.

Sunset Green Home pool house on pilings

Inside, the framers have divided the structure into distinct spaces.

Pool house has been divided into a loft above and changing rooms at the far end

And the framers have done their job using material efficient framing techniques such as the ladder blocking shown here, which saves materials and allows Sunset Green Home's builder, Coastal Management, to get more insulation into the building envelope.

Ladder blocking is used where interior walls connect to exterior walls

Hurricane strapping is in place, using several types of metal connectors from Simpson Strong Tie that create a continuous load path and anchor the house to the foundation.  Roof and walls are strapped together and to the foundation pilings to help the structure withstand high winds.

Metal connectors from Simpson Strong Tie help strap the roof to the walls

Meanwhile, as the framers were completing their work on the pool house, the pool contractors from Tortorella Group were just starting theirs.  They measured, marked and cut Sunset Green Home's pool pilings to the right height for the pool's grade beams, and then installed fill around the pilings.

Pool pilings at various heights - deep end in the foreground and shallow end at the back

They began to build a series of forms that will hold the concrete and rebar of the pool's grade beams.

Two of the forms in place for the pool's grade beams

Here's what the forms look like inside, with rebar cages that will provide strength and structural integrity to the pool's grade beams.

Rebar caging for the pool's grade beams

As I left the site, the framing crew was delivering and starting to install floor joists for the main house.  If the construction crew keeps up their pace, I should have a lot more to report in next week's progress update!

Floor joists being hoisted onto Sunset Green Home's pilings

Get to Know LEED®: Material Efficient Framing

In our July monthly newsletter (if you missed it, you can subscribe for our monthly update here) we wrote about capturing LEED credits for carefully documenting the project’s framing lumber requirements and then ordering only what is needed.    

Bill Heine, our architect, created detailed framing documents for the project and then Chris Mensch, our builder, translated the framing plans into a exact cut list and lumber order for the project's framing.  LEED for Homes awards two points toward our certification for including these elements. 

A sample section of Sunset Green Home's Pool House Framing Plan

Why are these important?  

According to the LEED for Homes Reference Guide, "a major challenge in new home construction is determining the amount of framing materials needed for a project.  Often, the amount of lumber ordered greatly exceeds what is actually needed."  In order to discourage such waste, which typically ends up in a landfill or needlessly incorporated into a building's framing, LEED for Homes rewards projects that carefully specify a framing plan and then order lumber to meet the precise needs of the project.  Not only do we earn two points toward our LEED certification, but we will also save on the cost of framing materials ordered for the project.  That's a double win for Sunset Green Home!

But ordering the right quantity of lumber is only one way that Sunset Green Home will earn LEED credits for framing.  Before we even arrived at a lumber order, Bill Heine incorporated several “Efficient Framing Measures” into the home’s framing design.  Not only do these measures save in terms of framing material required, but according to LEED for Homes, “reduced framing can reduce the number and size of thermal breaks and increase the amount of insulation installed, leading to better energy performance.” 

So what is meant by Efficient Framing Measures?  LEED for Homes identifies the following:

• Precut framing packages
• Open-web floor trusses
• Structural insulated panel (SIP) walls
• SIP roof, SIP floors
• Stud spacing greater than 16” o.c.
• Floor joist spacing greater than 16” o.c.
• Roof rafter spacing greater than 16” o.c.
• Implement 2 of the following: 
  • Size headers for actual loads
  • Use ladder blocking or drywall clips
  • Use 2-stud corners

The U.S. Department of Energy has published an Advanced Wall Framing Technology Fact Sheet, which provides illustrations and detailed descriptions of several of the advanced framing techniques that are eligible for LEED for Homes credits.

Because of hurricane considerations (the topic of an upcoming article), Sunset Green Home will not pursue some of the more material efficient framing measures (such as wider stud spacing) that might be appropriate for an inland project.  However, Sunset Green Home will earn credit toward our certification by “sizing headers for actual loads” and using “ladder blocking” where interior walls intersect the exterior walls of the house. 

In fact, the framing crew has already included both measures in the framing of the pool house.  Here’s a photo of ladder blocking in the pool house.  You can see that there is a space behind the “ladder” to which the stud is attached – and that space will be filled with insulation, giving Sunset Green Home a tighter building envelope and providing for greater energy efficiency.

Ladder blocking where an interior wall intersects the exterior wall saves materials and preserves space for insulation to be installed

And here is a photo showing headers above the pool house door and two windows.  Header sizes depend on how great a load they must bear. This door header is constructed from two 11 7/8” LVL (laminated veneer lumber) beams to carry the load of the flitch plate ridge above (a flitch plate is a steel plate sandwiched between two wooden beams to give the beam greater strength).  The window headers, which carry a lower load, are built from two pieces of 2x8 Douglas fir lumber. 

Window and door headers of varying sizes in Sunset Green Home's pool house framing

Together with the credits we’ll earn for creating detailed framing documents and a corresponding lumber cut list, we can add 2.5 points toward Sunset Green Home’s LEED certification.  And, having created a detailed lumber order based only on what we needed, we’re happy to be reducing the project’s waste at the same time.  

Many LEED strategies make good financial sense while they also result in greater energy efficiency and less impact on the environment.  Material Efficient Framing is a perfect example!

Sunset Green Home Progress Update: Sanitary System is Installed and Inspected!

I visited the site on Friday with Sunset Green Home's builder, Chris Mensch of Coastal Management LLC .  He gave me a tour of the week's progress, which included the installation and inspection of Sunset Green Home's sanitary system.             

Image courtesy of artur84 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Most of us never think about where our wastewater, laundry water, dishwater, or bathwater goes when it leaves the house.  But if it's not being taken away by a municipal waste system, it has to go somewhere...and that somewhere is just beneath our feet. 

Nearly one-quarter of American households are served by septic systems.  Properly functioning sanitary systems pose little risk to human health.  However, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), "when improperly used or operated, septic systems can be a significant source of ground water contamination."  In fact, failed septic systems may release contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, phosphorous, and nitrogen into drinking water supplies and recreational water bodies.  These contaminants are responsible for making people sick and damaging delicate animal and plant habitats.

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“Over 75% of the nitrogen pollution coming into Shinnecock Bay comes from waste water (meaning septic tanks).”

— Christine Santora, Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program

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At Sunset Green Home, we are particularly concerned about building a robust sanitary system, as the project is located on the shores of the Shinnecock Bay - an important recreational waterway and habitat for eel grasses and shellfish beds.  As we wrote in a previous post, failed septic systems may account for harmful brown tides that our bays have seen in recent years. In fact, according to Christine Santora, Program Coordinator for the Shinnecock Bay Restoration Program, "over 75% of the nitrogen pollution coming into Shinnecock Bay comes from waste water (meaning septic tanks).”

So what is a septic system anyway?

A septic system is a highly localized waste treatment facility with three components: a septic tank, a leaching field, and the soil beneath the leaching field.

Sunset Green Home's septic field, tank and leaching pools, ready to be installed

The septic tank, a watertight box generally made of cast concrete, receives wastewater as it leaves the home.  Solid waste settles to the bottom of the tank and forms a "sludge" layer, where bacteria set to work breaking it down. Liquids form a middle layer, and are directed out of the tank via piping to the leaching field.  Oils and other substances that are lighter than water form a layer of "scum" that rises above the liquid in the tank.

Sunset Green Home's septic tank set into place

As new waste enters the septic tank, the liquid effluent already in the tank is displaced out to the leaching field.

Leaching pools control the release of effluent into the leaching field, where the effluent is filtered as it percolates through the soil and where soil-borne bacteria further break down any organic material within it.  Eventually, some of the effluent reaches groundwater. 

Sunset Green Home's septic tank and leaching pools

Sunset Green Home's leaching field comprises several cast concrete leaching pools, each of which is set atop a layer of pure sand and is kept a minimum of three feet above ground water. 

Completed septic system, back-filled and trenched for retaining walls

Sunset Green Home's compact septic system was designed with rectangular leaching pools and located as far away from the Shinnecock Bay as possible.  Because our water table is so high, our septic system had to be elevated above the property's current grade, and then covered with sand and clean fill.  Now that the septic system has been inspected and approved by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, we can build the retaining walls that will surround the system.

Shinnecock Bay in front of the Sunset Green Home project

We look forward to canoeing and kayaking with the confidence that our sanitary system is doing its job of keeping harmful contaminants out of the bay!

Sunset Green Home: Site Work is Underway!

Site work for the Sunset Green Home project is underway.  So what is site work anyway?  

I met Tom Freund, the owner of TKF Excavating and Demolition, at the site on Friday.  Tom explained that this initial phase of site work for Sunset Green Home includes scraping and protecting topsoil for later reuse (a LEED for Homes prerequisite), driving piles that will support the new house, excavating for retaining wall footings, setting septic system components in place, importing clean "fill" to regrade the property and enclose the septic system, constructing retaining walls, and installing piping from the municipal water meter to the home.

Tom Freund of TKF Excavating and Demolition

Our site work began with Stout Construction driving over 100 pilings that will support the house, decks, stairs and other structures that make up the site. Bob Brandt, one of Stout's principals, sourced the 10 - 12" diameter pilings from a forest in Maryland, which helps us earn 1/2 point toward our LEED certification for using materials that were grown and harvested within 500 miles of the project site.  

To ensure the piles would be driven straight, Bob used a Vibratory Hammer attached to a crane.  The hammer vibrates a piling, causing the soil beneath it to liquify, and allowing the piling to slip into the ground.

Once the piles were in place, Stout's crew tied them together with power beams as cross-bracing.  The house will be built on top of this structure.  

Pilings with power beam cross bracing

As an aside, another contractor who was on site with me commented on how straight the piles had been driven, by contrast to other projects he has seen.  Thanks to Bob and his crew for starting the project off right!

Pilings with power beam cross bracing

Using the site plan that was approved by the Town of Southampton, our builder, Chris Mensch (Coastal Management LLC), marked the piles at the level where fill will be deposited to regrade the site.

Pilings marked at the level where fill will be deposited

While I was at the site, TKF Excavating and Demolition delivered a number of truckloads of clean fill, which was spread under and around the house in the areas where our grade is scheduled to be elevated.

Clean fill being delivered to the site

Tom and his crew were busy moving septic system components into place when I left the site.  

Septic components being moved into place

I'll provide another update when the site work is finished.  Meanwhile, framing begins this week, so there will be lots to report over the coming weeks.

Tom Freund (left) and Chris Mensch (right) at the Sunset Green Home project site

Induction Cooking: Functional AND Energy-Efficient. What's not to Love?

Are you contemplating a kitchen renovation?  From both a functional and an environmental standpoint it’s time to consider induction cooking as an alternative to both conventional electric and gas cooking.

Thermador 36-inch Masterpiece Series Freedom Induction Cooktop (model CIT36XKB).  Photo: thermador.com blog

My mother-in-law died recently after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.  She was an extraordinary cook, and we often traded recipes and menus.  Here’s what I wrote in my tribute for her Memorial Service:

Four years ago, when we purchased a weekend cottage with an antiquated kitchen that we didn’t plan to renovate, Joan took me to Zabar’s and bought me a set of pots and pans as a housewarming gift.  She also bought me a plug-in induction burner to supplement what the old electric stove could do.  By the time Joan bought this gift for me, she was already showing symptoms of the cognitive impairment that would take a greater toll on her more recently.  But back then it manifest itself in odd ways – and one of those ways was her frequent and dogged questioning of me about that burner.  In truth, I only used it twice.  My kitchen was small and the burner lived in its box inside a cabinet above my fridge.  Most of the time I forgot it was there.  And, frankly, I didn’t really know much about induction cooking. 

Many of you know that our home was made uninhabitable by Hurricane Sandy…and that now we’re getting ready to break ground on our new house.  I only wish Joan were here so I could tell her that two weeks ago, when I finally settled on my kitchen appliances, I decided to forego gas altogether…in favor of induction.  Joan was a pioneer.  And truly a woman before her time.  When I use my induction cooktop for the first time, I’ll think of her.

And it’s true.  I WILL think of her.  And she WAS a woman before her time.  And now that time has come.  Time to think about induction not only as the cutting edge in cooking technology, but as the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly choice as well. 

With an induction cooktop, as much as 90% of the energy used goes directly to heating the pan.  Contrast that to a gas stove, where up to 50% of the heat produced dissipates into the air around the stove.  Even though - regardless of your heat source - cooktop energy consumption is relatively low compared to other home appliance energy hogs like your refrigerator, water heater and clothes dryer, the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas generation of all major appliances should still be considered - particularly if you are undertaking an upgrade or major renovation. 

However, for something as personal and important as the cooktop, energy efficiency can’t be the only decision factor.  I’m convinced that induction makes great functional sense as well.

I attended a cooking demonstration last week at the Bosch showroom in Manhattan.  The in-house chef took the Bosch 36” Benchmark cooktop with Flex-induction (model NITP666UC) through its paces.  I watched a pot of water at a rolling boil instantaneously come to a simmer at the push of a button.  That level of responsiveness just isn’t possible with gas or conventional electric cook tops.

Searing scallops on a teppanyaki pan and steak using the grill accessory on the Bosch model NITP666UC induction cook top

And, when the chef removed the pot from the stove, he placed his hand directly onto the cooktop, which was already cool enough to touch.  For those of us who have children or grandchildren in our homes, it’s wonderful to have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that there won’t be any hot surfaces in the kitchen to burn little fingers.

We entertain A LOT!  It isn’t unusual for us to have 12 or 14 people around our dinner table on the weekends.  Since I generally cook everything myself, I’m often in the kitchen when my guests are socializing.  Which is why we’ve designed our home with an open floor plan – perfect for casual entertaining.  One of the nicest features of an induction cooktop is that it doesn’t heat up the kitchen.  I won’t be “wilting” while standing at my stove after my guests have arrived.  And, since the ambient air in my kitchen will stay cooler if I'm using induction cooking, I'll also save on my air conditioning and ventilation usage and costs. 

Speaking of entertaining…when I cook for a large group, I often need a large cooking surface.  Many induction cooktops have “bridging” features or cooking areas that adapt to a pot’s size and shape.  Thermador’s Freedom™ Induction Cooktop (pictured at the top of this post) is the most flexible induction cooktop I’ve seen, and it provides for up to four pieces of cookware – from as small as 3” to as large as 13” x 21” – to be placed anywhere on its surface.  This is the unit we're planning to install in the Sunset Green Home kitchen.

Lastly, cleanup is easy with an induction cooktop.  The smooth glass surface is easily wiped clean.  And because the surface doesn’t heat up like the grates of a gas cooktop do, there’s less likelihood that spills and spatters become baked on messes.

Induction cooking is only “nearly perfect” – so it wouldn’t be fair to extol its virtues without discussing its flaws.  First, unless you purchase a special induction wok burner, wok cooking is less satisfying than with gas.  If you like to flip and toss, you may be frustrated when the wok cools down as you lift it off the cooking surface.  Although I love to stir fry, I think I can live with this.  And an induction cooktop won’t function during a power outage.  But – I have a gas grill and we will have a generator, so this is another risk I’m willing to live with.  Lastly, induction cooking requires special cookware with magnetic conductivity.  But since my mother-in-law had the foresight to buy me a set of induction ready pans as a housewarming gift those several years ago, I’m good to go.

Happy cooking!

Building a Durable and Energy Efficient Pool: A Conversation with John Tortorella

I sat down recently with John Tortorella, a designer and builder of custom gunite pools in Southampton NY, and the CEO and founder of the Tortorella Group, to discuss pool durability and energy efficiency, two qualities that are “top of mind” for the Sunset Green Home project. 

John Tortorella (photo courtesy of Tortorella Group)

If you’ve been following our story, you know that the old house on the site of the Sunset Green Home project was made uninhabitable by Hurricane Sandy.  The property didn’t have a swimming pool, but the new Sunset Green Home will have one.  So, just as we have been thinking about durability and energy efficiency for the Sunset Green Home itself – which we hope will earn LEED Platinum certification at completion – we are thinking in parallel about the same issues for the swimming pool.

Like many coastal properties, Sunset Green Home will be built on pilings that are approximately 10 feet above current grade.  The pool will be set into a deck at the level of the ground floor of the house.  On the one hand, this means we won’t have to do any excavation.  On the other hand, it also means that the entire pool structure has to be constructed above the ground…which is somewhat complicated.  

Our pool construction, just like that of the house, starts with pilings that are driven deep enough into the ground that they can support the load of the pool structure with no movement.  The pool contractor will then build steel (rebar) and concrete grade beams that span the piles in order to distribute the pool load over the piling system.  

Durability is critical!  Think of it this way: at 70 degrees, one gallon of water weighs 8.3 pounds.  Multiplying by the volume of the pool, we estimate that the Sunset Green Home pool will hold over 143 TONS of water (we used this pool volume calculator).  That’s a lot of weight.  And now imagine a similar storm surge to that of Hurricane Sandy, which would send a velocity flow of water right into the vertical wall of the deep end of Sunset Green Home’s pool. 

So how does one build a pool to withstand these types of forces?  And, if we’re going to be as energy minded about the pool as we are about a home that is seeking LEED Platinum certification, what should we do about energy efficiency?  These are the questions Kathryn Cannon (Sunset Green Home’s sustainability consultant) and I posed to Mr. Tortorella.

The first thing he did was pull out his mobile phone and show us a photo of a pool he had built just prior to Hurricane Sandy, which the homeowner's insurance adjuster believes may very well have saved the owners’ oceanfront home.  The pool had been built on helical piles just up against a dune.  After the storm, when 100 feet of dune had been washed away, what was left was the exposed underside of the pool structure – which was completely undamaged.  THAT, John Tortorella said, is a durable pool.  And, because the pool withstood and deflected the forces of the storm, the house behind it was undamaged.

Photo of Exposed Pool Structure Following Hurricane Sandy (photo courtesy of Tortorella Group)

So what makes a durable gunite (i.e., pressure sprayed concrete) pool?

Gunite Pool Under Construction (photo courtesy of Tortorella Group)

• The quality of the rebar used for framing of the grade beams and pool walls.  Tortorella uses 1/2”  and 5/8" thick rebar (and thicker rebar in some cases) versus the industry standard 3/8” thick steel on even his standard pools, and his crew takes care to bend – not splice – the pieces where angles are required
• The design of the rebar caging for grade beams and pool structure.  Depending on how high the pool is built above grade, the rebar structure may vary from a single cage of 1/2" rebar at 10" on center, to as much as a double cage of rebar for a pool that one can literally walk beneath.  To avoid cracks, Tortorella reinforces his pool structures with rebar under and around the pool skimmers
• The density of the concrete walls.  It’s not enough to specify a particular thickness of gunite.  Tortorella nozzlemen receive extensive training and are certified for gunite application, which Tortorella says results in a uniform, dense application that contains no “voids” within it.  It’s the uniformity of coverage and proper encapsulation of the steel rebar that gives the gunite its strength
• Sizing the pipes correctly.  The durability of the pool pumps and other equipment depends on smooth flow of water through the system.  Undersizing the pipes or including too many twists and turns will cause the pump to overwork, resulting in  shorter equipment lifetimes and increased - unnecessary - electricity use
• Including pool components that work holistically to deliver a safe and comfortable aquatic environment.  Salt water pools are the state of the art, and their salinity is approximately equal to that of a human tear.  Such pool chemistry, if properly balanced, will feel better on skin and eyes, and provides for more pleasurable swimming.  The salt in the pool is also used to create pure chlorine via a salt generator.  But Tortorella warned that the process of generating chlorine from salt will raise a pool's pH - so using a salt generator alone is not recommended.  He cited a trio of Pentair products – Intellichem (the "brain" that continuously measures and tests chlorine and pH levels), Intellichlor (which produces chlorine from salt) and IntellipH (which balances the pool's pH level) – that work together to adjust and maintain a pool’s chemical balance.  But he warned that using the salt generator alone, which some customers do to control first costs, may be penny wise and pound foolish...doing so may result in rough and unsightly scale buildup on the pool walls and may deteriorate the pool heater's heat exchangers.

And what about energy efficiency?  There are things that pool owners can – and should! – do to reduce a pool’s energy use and environmental impact.  

• Install an ASTM-approved automatic pool safety cover…and then use it!  Not only will this habit result in a safer pool environment, but closing the safety cover when the last swimmer comes out of the pool can save up to 70% in heating costs, and will reduce by as much as 50% a pool’s evaporative water loss and 60% of pool chemical consumption according to the US Department of Energy
• Include an ENERGY STAR certified variable speed pool pump.  According to the US EPA’s ENERGY STAR web site, on average such pumps result in savings of over $300 annually (and potentially even more in warm climates where pools are used throughout the year or when the newest and most efficient models are installed; John cited a savings of as much as $1,800 - $2,000 for local installations using the Pentair model).  In fact, according to the ENERGY STAR web site, “If all pool pumps sold in the United States were ENERGY STAR certified, we would save about $113 million per year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 140,000 cars.”
• As above, design the pool’s plumbing system correctly.  An energy efficient pump is no good if it’s trying to push water through a pipe that is too small!  Getting the plumbing right means that the pool pump won’t have to work so hard to move the water through the system.
• Heat the pool water using solar panels (which work best during the warm sunny months of the year) instead of gas heaters (which burn fossil fuels and contribute to global warming).  And install solar PV panels to generate electricity for supplemental pool heat (check for federal, state and local rebates and tax incentives).  Design the pool with “deep heating” – heat rises, so heat the pool from the bottom rather than at the top to avoid losing the pool heat into the air

If you’re building a new swimming pool, make sure to ask your contractor to incorporate these and other best practices into its construction and operation.   

Happy swimming!

We've Broken Ground! And what a beautiful day it was...

Several dozen of our pilings already in place!

If you’ve been following the progress of Sunset Green Home, you know that we have finally broken ground.  And today we hosted an “official” Groundbreaking Ceremony at the project site to thank the elected officials who made possible the green building tax incentives that we hope to capture.

We had about 40 people in attendance, including neighbors, environmental activists, providers of green building products and technologies, our sponsors from Marvin Windows and Speonk Lumber, representatives from the Town of Southampton, real estate professionals, the Sunset Green Home project team, and others. 

Our guests of honor were Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Greg Blower from Senator Kenneth LaValle’s staff.  At the last minute, Southampton Town Supervisor, Anna Throne-Holst, was unable to join us…but she remains one of my honorees because the tax incentives wouldn’t have been possible without her support. 

L to R: Greg Blower, Office of New York State Senator Kenneth LaValle;  Kathryn Cannon, LEED AP Homes and SGH Project Team Member; New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr.; Kim Erle, SGH Project Team Leader; Chris Mensch, General Contractor and SGH Project Team Member; Bill Heine, Architect and SGH Project Team Member; Richard Manning, LEED Green Rater and SGH Verification Team Member.

So what exactly are these green building tax incentives that I keep talking about?  They’re an embodiment of the concept of “Think global, act local,” often attributed to social activist and city planner Patrick Geddes from his 1915 book “Cities in Evolution.”

In 2012, New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr. and New York State Senator Kenneth LaValle sponsored legislation that would authorize local governments and school districts to provide tax incentives for homes built to LEED® (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) or equivalent standards.  Southampton Town Supervisor, Anna Throne-Holst, shepherded the local effort, which was adopted by the Town of Southampton on August 13, 2013. 

Receiving flowers from our project sponsors at Marvin Windows

And what does all of this mean for us?  If we succeed in our goal of LEED Platinum certification at the completion of our project, we will earn a property tax exemption equivalent to approximately $14,000 over the course of ten years.  This tax incentive more than covers the cost of our Verification Team, and a couple of the green building strategies that we are incorporating into the project.  But what makes this exciting to us is that it’s essentially “free money” in the sense that we are building the house that we had planned all along, and – except for the added cost of verification – we believe the cost of construction will be no higher than if we weren’t aiming for LEED certification.

So, THANK YOU, Senator LaValle, Assemblyman Thiele, and Supervisor Throne-Holst.  I applaud your commitment to sustainable building. 

With Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele, Jr.

Practical Sustainability: Change To Low Flow Shower Heads

One of my subscribers recently commented that she hoped I would post some practical tips for making an older home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.  So today I’m launching the first of a monthly series I’m calling “Practical Sustainability” – things we all can (and should!) do on a limited budget.  This month’s column is all about showers - specifically, changing to low flow shower heads.

Our newly installed low flow shower head

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), showers account for 17% of residential indoor water use.  If your shower heads were installed prior to 1994, their flow rate may be as high as 5 gallons per minute (gpm), or 2.5gpm if they were installed after 1994 (and nobody tampered with their flow restrictors).  Today’s water-saving low flow shower heads that have earned the EPA’s “WaterSense” label have a flow rate of no more than 2gpm.  If each member of your family of four takes an eight minute shower, you could save as much as 16 gallons of water PER DAY if you swap out your old 2.5gpm shower head for a WaterSense shower head.  That’s almost 6,000 gallons of water annually…

Now that I have your attention, what does this really mean in terms of your impact on the environment?  First, if you’re like me, you probably prefer a warm shower to a cold shower!  And that means you’re using energy to heat all of that water.  The EPA estimates that if every household in the US installed WaterSense low flow shower heads, we’d save $2.6 billion in energy costs for heating water alone.

And now think about where that wasted water comes from and where it goes after it heads down your drain.  If your water comes from a municipal source, the water was treated at a water treatment plant and then piped to your home.  By using less water for showers, you’ll reduce the size of your water bill and lower the stress on our treatment and sewer systems.  California and other western states are experiencing a severe drought this year – a continuation of the conditions that earned 2013 the dubious honor of being the “driest year in recorded history for many areas of California.” So, saving water isn’t only about the impact on our wallets – but it’s also about recognizing that water is a scarce resource that we need to conserve.

And yet…haven’t we all encountered a cheap plastic hotel shower head that barely provided enough pressure to rinse the shampoo off a bald person’s head?  And is THAT what we’re signing up for if we switch to WaterSense labeled shower heads?  I recently embarked on a very unscientific search for an answer. 

As it turns out, we had a leak a couple of months ago from our master shower into the apartment below us.  We had to demolish the shower in order to replace its leaky shower pan.  We had renovated our apartment about 10 years earlier and had installed – and were very happy with – 2.5gpm Speakman Anystream shower heads in all of our showers.  Unfortunately, for some inexplicable reason, our shower head started spraying water from the perimeter of its faceplate following the shower stall repair.  Since we need to select shower heads for the Sunset Green Home, I decided to look at this as an opportunity to “test drive” Speakman’s low flow 2.0gpm Anystream shower head (Sunset Green Home will earn one point under the LEED® for Homes rating system by installing shower heads whose average flow rate is 2.0gpm or less).

I’m an Amazon.com junkie (ever since I purchased their Amazon Prime service, which gives me free two-day shipping on nearly everything).  So I turned to Amazon, where I found the S-2252-E2 low flow shower head for $66.48 (a 34% discount from the list price…and as of the date of this article the price has fallen even further, so I'm about to purchase a second one for my children's bathroom).  It came with plumbers’ tape and took about 45 seconds to install.  All I needed was a set of pliers.

And while my trial of a single shower head certainly can’t claim to be representative of an entire product class, I’m happy to report that the low flow Speakman Anystream shower head delivers on its promise.  It provides a stream of water that handily rinsed the shampoo out of my long thick hair.  Did I notice that the water flow is lower than with my old shower head?  Yes.  But did I find it problematic?  Not at all.

So go ahead…change to low flow shower heads.  Do something for the environment that won’t break the bank.  And check back next month for another Practical Sustainability column!

Leave a comment and share which low flow shower head works for you!

Fire Safety Part I: Residential Fire Sprinkler System for the Sunset Green Home?

In planning for the Sunset Green Home, we have done a lot of thinking about durability.  We lost our previous home to flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy, so we have a lot of respect for Mother Nature.  That's why the new house will be nine feet higher than our old home.

And in choosing to build to LEED® for Homes green building standards, we have used the LEED framework to devise durability strategies for non-toxic termite control, managing moisture inside, outside and between the walls of the house, and to mitigate the effects of natural disasters such as hurricanes.  All of these important durability measures are designed to protect our home and keep us safe from pests, nature and environmental toxins.

Image courtesy of digitalart/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Naturally, having lost our home due to flood, we've spent a lot of time thinking about water.  But lately, we've also been thinking about fire safety.  While our house was rendered uninhabitable by Hurricane Sandy’s storm-surge induced flood waters, 135 homes in Breezy Point, NY and several in Greenwich, CT were destroyed by fire in the same storm. 

According to the U.S. Fire Administration (a division of FEMA), "More than 3,400 Americans die each year in fires and approximately 17,500 are injured. An overwhelming number of fires occur in the home. There are time-tested ways to prevent and survive a fire. It's not a question of luck. It's a matter of planning ahead."

Building codes mandate the installation of smoke detectors, and the Sunset Green Home is going the extra step of having them tied into our home security system's central monitoring service.  But, for a two-story single family residence, should we be doing more to plan ahead?  Would it make sense to install a residential fire sprinkler system?  How should we evaluate the choice to do so?

We can think about the decision in terms of the Triple Bottom Line, which goes beyond a traditional economic-only bottom line analysis to include an assessment of the value in terms of environmental impact and impact on people (see my earlier post for more of the vocabulary of sustainability). 

 In terms of economics, Newport Partners’ 2013 Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment report examined 51 homes in 17 communities and found that the average system cost was $1.35 per sprinklered square foot (down from $1.61 in 2008).  At just under 5,000 square feet (considering the main residence and an accessory structure on the site of the project), that's somewhere around $6,750 in total for the system (though we received one bid at $2.75 per square foot, which is more than double the report’s findings).  Our insurance agency tells me that insurers look favorably at residential sprinkler systems, and that we might see a reduction in our homeowner's policy premium if we install one.  What is unclear is how much we might save by doing so.  A 2007 NAHB study titled Fire Sprinklers and Homeowner Insurance suggests that the savings are in fact quite small – the best savings was reported in Florida and was only $95 per year.  If this is the case, the payback period could be very substantial.  And our situation is further complicated by our coastal location, where standard insurance carriers do not write policies.  

Should we experience an actual fire, the economics become compelling.  According to the American Fire Sprinkler Association, “most fires are completely controlled with the activation of only one or two sprinklers. Fire hoses, on average, use more than 8 times the water that sprinklers do to contain a fire.”  U.S. Experience with Sprinklers, a 2013 study by John R. Hall, Jr. studied the cost of damage from fires reported during the period 2007 – 2011.  For homes (including apartments) without sprinklers, the average damage per fire was $20,000, which was reduced to $7,000 when Wet Pipe Sprinkler systems were present.

The environmental impact of having a residential fire sprinkler system can be thought of as a combination of the added impact of the system materials themselves and the opportunity cost of not having the system should the home experience a fire.  There's an upfront environmental cost of the PVC pipes and system controllers.  However, according to a 2010 report by FM Global, the environmental benefits of automatic sprinklers are significant.  The report presents the findings of large-scale fire tests where fires were controlled by two methods: fire service intervention vs. a single residential fire sprinkler.  The study found that in the event of a fire, residential sprinklers could reduce water usage by as much as 91% and greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 98%.

Lastly, the human benefits of adding a residential fire sprinkler system are significant.  In the event of a house fire, a home sprinkler system might provide enough fire suppression to allow the home's occupants to exit the building safely.  By treating the blaze before firefighters can arrive on the scene, the system will reduce the risk to the first responders, who often put their lives in danger when they enter a burning home.  In fact, while “more than 8 in 10 fire deaths occur in homes…the likelihood of someone dying in a home fire is cut in half when sprinklers are present,” said Gary Keith, NFPA’s vice president of field operations, in a 2008 press release.

Municipalities are getting on board.  I spoke with a representative from the New York State Division of Building Codes and Standards, who told me that the International Code Council has already mandated residential sprinkler systems in one- and two-family residences regardless of their height.  New York generally follows the International Codes.  So it may just be a matter of time before all new homes in my state are required to install them.  While Sunset Green Home has a choice regarding a home fire sprinkler system, builders of new homes may not as early as next year. 

We haven't made a final decision about a residential fire sprinkler system; we are waiting for additional proposals from licensed installers so that we can understand the costs in greater detail.  And our decision also involves understanding our personal fire risks.  I do a lot of cooking, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cooking is the leading cause of house fires.  However, the CDC also notes that smoking is the leading cause of fire-related deaths, and we do not have any smokers in our family.

Stay tuned.  We'll post an update when we make our final decision.

Deconstruction Part II: Time-Lapse Video - The Unmaking of a House

We have completely removed the old house from the site of the Sunset Green Home project. 

Nothing left but the cinder block foundation.

If you read our earlier blog post, you know that we used whole home deconstruction rather than traditional demolition.  For a typical 2,000 square foot house, demolition sends 127 tons of debris to the landfill.  Deconstruction salvages any reusable building materials and recycles as much as possible.  We’re still awaiting our diversion numbers, but we anticipate that we will have diverted at least 70% of the demolition waste away from the landfill – enough to earn a LEED point for the Sunset Green Home project.

I think of Deconstruction as a perfect example of the “Triple Bottom Line” – which expands the traditional bottom line focus on economic profit to include two additional dimensions – those of environmental benefits and human capital gains. 

• In Deconstruction, the environmental benefit is obvious.  Deconstruction keeps the vast majority of a building’s materials out of our overstressed landfills. 
• The economics can work out favorably as well.  Although Deconstruction costs about twice as much as traditional demolition, the salvaged materials are donated to non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity and Build It Green! NYC.   Tax deductibility of the in-kind donation can offset the added cost.  Having an independent third-party appraisal is critical, and you should check with your tax adviser before relying on any outside information (including what you read here…I am not a tax professional!).
• Finally, Deconstruction builds human capital.  The process is labor intensive and, as such, provides jobs in green building trades. 

The finished product - an empty lot, graded and ready for construction.  Photo courtesy of Chris Mensch

Deconstruction is not just for whole homes; it’s also a great way to remove kitchens and baths in a home that is slated for renovation.  The salvaged building materials will be given a second life when you’re finished with them!

I’m happy to speak with anyone who would like more information...just fill out the Contact Us form on SunsetGreenHome.com and I’ll get back to you.

We’re very proud of our whole home deconstruction.  And while the house was coming down, we documented the process via time-lapse video, including interviews of the crew from Details who deconstructed the house!  Take a look at the “unmaking” of a house.  Enjoy!

LEED for Homes Says to Grow Green. We Agree!

A food garden – and a LEED point – for the Sunset Green Home.  That’s a point we wouldn’t consider leaving “on the table.”  According to the LEED for Homes green building program, the intent of the Food Garden credit is “to provide a functional and sustainable means of supporting the homeowner’s food needs.” LEED for Homes awards one point under the Innovation in Design credit category to projects that install a garden of at least 200 square feet. 

I’m an avid gardener.  And my garden has been organic since we built it shortly after purchasing our home.  We constructed several untreated cedar raised beds (see my earlier blog post to learn how to build your own) and began gardening right away.  My garden, with 12 distinct planting areas (four of which are occupied by perennial asparagus and strawberry crops), tops out at about 200 square feet of productive, easy-to-access raised planting beds. 

Sally Jean Cunningham’s Great Garden Companions has been my gardening bible since Day One – and I’ve given away countless copies of it to friends and family.  With beautiful photographs and useful graphics, Great Garden Companions offers a blueprint for setting up and managing a pesticide-free organic garden. 

What’s the secret?  Planting “neighborhoods” of vegetables, herbs and flowers that either attract beneficial insects or deter and confuse the more harmful insects (the herbs and flowers do double duty by crowding out unwanted weeds as well). Coupled with annual crop rotation (which was my “excuse” for adding more beds during my garden’s second year), the companion planting method has worked well for me. 

Until Hurricane Sandy walloped my garden, I was able to grow nearly all of the produce to feed my family of five from May until October – with an abundance of “extras” that I turn into pickles, chutneys, ketchup and sauce that we can eat through the winter. 

We have asparagus, lettuce, spinach and radishes in May and June; peas and strawberries in early summer; onions, cucumbers and beans throughout the summer; carrots, tomatoes, squash and peppers in late summer…and so much more that I don’t have space to list! 

We even eat nasturtiums and make chamomile tea from our companion flowers!

No fossil fuels are burned to move the food from my garden to my kitchen.  And I know exactly what has gone into producing what we eat – sunshine, water, homemade compost and organic seeds!

That’s what the LEED green building program had in mind when it approved a credit for building a food garden.  And when we move our garden beds to higher ground once the Sunset Green Home is built, we plan to earn the food garden point!

Gardening is easy and healthful.  And you don’t need to build a LEED home to start a garden.  So what are you waiting for?  Find a sunny spot, build a garden bed, and grow local.  Happy gardening!

Leave a comment!  Tell us your best gardening story, or let us know about a special variety that you plant in your own garden...

Deconstruction 101: It’s all in the Details

If breaking ground on the Sunset Green Home project is considered “getting out of the starting gate” then removing the house that was substantially damaged by Hurricane Sandy is akin to getting into the starting gate.  And we’re almost there…

Today was Day Four of our Whole House Deconstruction effort, and the house is about halfway down.  So what is deconstruction and why are we doing it?  Deconstruction is NOT demolition.  A typical demolition job would take a fraction of the time that is required for deconstruction, and would cost about half as much.  But 100% of the house would be bulldozed and dumped into a landfill. 

By contrast, whole house deconstruction refers to the careful dismantling of a structure to preserve materials that can be reused elsewhere and to recycle materials that cannot be reused in their current form.  Deconstruction is done by hand.  Workers trained in deconstruction strip the inside of the house, salvaging any fixtures, fittings and materials that can be reused, and setting them aside to be donated to non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity or Build It Green! NYC.

Once the inside of the house has been disassembled, the house is taken apart shingle-by-shingle and stud-by-stud from the roof to the foundation.  Again, any materials that can be salvaged – such as windows and flooring – are carefully removed and earmarked for donation.  Whatever can’t be salvaged is taken by a waste hauler who is focused on recycling and is able to divert a significant portion of the waste away from the landfill.

The Sunset Green home is being deconstructed by Details, a division of Humanim, a Baltimore-based non-profit organization whose mission includes workforce development programs.  Details teaches green building practices and provides entry level employment to members of its crews. 

And in fulfilling its mission, Details keeps thousands of tons of waste from entering our nation’s over-stressed landfills (one estimate by the Deconstruction Institute, funded by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, estimates a 2,000 square foot house would, if demolished, generate 127 tons of debris). 

The Sunset Green Home project hopes to earn one point toward LEED certification by diverting over 70% of our demolition waste through the deconstruction process.

Our crew is hard at work deconstructing the house on the Sunset Green Home site.  Like I said, it's all in the Details...

Preliminary Rating: We're Going for Platinum!

The Sunset Green Home project is registered under the LEED for Homes green building program, and we're going for Platinum!  If you're interested in learning more about the LEED process, read on...

15 months ago, Hurricane Sandy substantially damaged our home, which stood on the site where the Sunset Green Home will be built.  For the past several months, members of the project team have been working together to design the new house.  We’ve tapped into the expertise of our architect, landscape architect, builder, and other experts in sustainable building practices in what is termed an Integrated Project Planning approach. 

Team members: Architect, Bill Heine: LEED AP Homes, Kathryn Cannon; LEED Green Rater, Rich Manning; and Builder, Chris Mensch

Earlier this month, at our second LEED Design Charrette meeting, the team met to focus on systems and infrastructure considerations, as a previous Design Charrette meeting had addressed site planning, building orientation and landscaping issues.

With most of our “big decisions” behind us, it was time to discuss our Preliminary Rating, or LEED certification level we would seek.  Conducting a Preliminary Rating is a prerequisite of the LEED for Homes green building program.  And it’s the first of three prerequisites in the Innovation in Design Process category.  A project that seeks LEED certification must satisfy 25 prerequisites, after which it may choose which of the 136 optional points it will aim to earn from eight major categories. 

Each project is different, which is why the LEED for Homes program provides a number of paths to certification.  Unlike other LEED rating systems, which have a fixed scale for certification, LEED for Homes makes a home size adjustment; larger homes must earn more points at each certification level than smaller homes.  Based on the Sunset Green Home project’s conditioned area of just under 3,600 square feet, we must earn 94 points for LEED Platinum certification.  It’s ambitious, but we’ve decided to go for it!

Check out our LEED points page, which we’ll update periodically as we finalize our strategies and point targets.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Sunset Green Home project!  Our team has been hard at work planning this project for more than a year now, ever since Hurricane Sandy barreled across coastal New York and New Jersey, leaving a path of destruction in its wake.  The Sunset Green Home project is replacing a home on Long Island that was "Substantially Damaged" and rendered uninhabitable by the storm with a sustainable, more resilient, energy efficient house that will, at its completion, seek LEED Platinum certification under the USGBC's LEED for Homes program.

Sunset Green Home Architect's Rendering (W. Heine, 2014)

Over the course of the coming months, I’ll be writing about the construction of the house, the products and materials that are going into it, and the process of LEED certification.  I’ll also be blogging about practical tips for making all of our lives a little more “green.”