WHEN
Friday, October 10, 1-7 pm
Saturday, October 11, 12-6 pm
Sunday, October 12, 12-6 pm
WHERE
2605 40th Avenue S.
Minneapolis, MN 55406
MN GreenStar is a consortium of builders, non-profits, regulatory agencies and trade organizations that offers third party green building certification for new home construction and remodeling projects.
This project is a 299 point, Bronze-level, Type Three remodel.
What!? Come again?
Green-building certification can seem a little intimidating with its wash of jargon and statistics, but our goals are simple. Greenstar rates projects along five key concepts, each of which emerges from basic questions about how we live and build.
Energy Efficiency (EE)—Do we use too much? How can we reduce our energy demands in ways that make sense?
Resource Efficiency (RE)—Are we making good use of building supplies? Are we throwing away supplies we don’t need or finding ways to reuse them? Are we using building products that will stand the test of time?
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)—Are we heating, cooling, venting, and operating our homes in ways that make us sick or healthy?
Water Conservation (WC)—Do we use too much water? How much water does our property absorb and how much does it dump in the river, dragging nastiness with it?
Site and Community Impact (SC)—Does our building process damage the land and disturb our neighbors, or does it consider and esteem both?
Scroll through the following photo tour to catch a glimpse of how these principles come to life on a job site, or visit the addition in person during the PARADE OF HOMES REMODELER'S SHOWCASE , October 10-12.
Enjoy!
Buck Brothers
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DEMOLITION, FRAMING, AND MECHANICALS OH MY!
Off with the Roof!
Inside: Neil, Louise, and the girls have anticipated this day with dread and excitement. Neil describes tearing off the roof as a leap of faith. “No more protective covering--below zero temperatures on the horizon--we’ve talked a lot about winter camping lately to mentally prepare ourselves." Family dog Coal is freaking out!
In retrospect, Neil is surprised at how well the house has held up in its heightened state vulnerability. The existing construction is pretty tight, and the occasional use of a space heater and efficient burning fireplace insert has more than compensated for heat loss...
...which speaks to an important point of building green as a "whole systems approach" in which a single so-called "green" improvement cannot stand on its own, but must act in chorus with other house systems. The implied advantage is that many components in a well-built house are already green.
Ron built this storage rack for salvaged framing materials. These roof rafters are old but straight. They may be used in future projects or during the course of this one. Even a used piece of lumber has a life-cycle on-site, and can serve as (a) a weight for lumber tarps, (b) a brace for securing perimeter beams (LVLs), (c) a minor framing element (blocking)...
(d) a finished stair rail...
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TRUSSES
The floor trusses arrive, but...
...due to a snafu with scheduling a crane, we have to haul them up ourselves.
Greenstar restricts use of dimensional lumber larger than 2x8, so trusses lay out as the greener option. In this case, they are also the better structural option as well, given their required span.
The cost of using trusses instead of dimensional lumber was more up front, but the labor savings was considerable. It took a crew of four of us only a few hours to hoist these babies and set them into place. Not only did we save labor on installing floor joists. If we had gone with conventional framing, we would have had to replace the center beam and install new footings and posts.
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SITE PLAN
We have been operating with two cut stations, one in front and one on the second story deck. We’ve laid an old tarp on the ground to keep sawdust from leeching into the soil. We will maintain similar workspace restrictions throughout the job, which will tighten our efficiency and reduce our site impact.
The floor trusses are set and decked, interior and exterior walls laid out.
Neil had trouble sleeping this weekend with the ruffling of tarps. "The wind’s been crazy. I don’t know how you guys do it up there." The impact down here as been minimal (so far), power tools aside. Surprisingly, the house isn't losing a ton of heat.
In setting up the jobsite, we've had to shift a number of the girls’ outdoor things (including forlorn sculptures below).
We sort through plywood deck scraps for parts we might be able to re-use. We make a pile of unuseable scrap for the girls to add to their sculpture menagerie. Hopefully this will earn us a spot back in their good graces.
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COMMUNITY IMPACT
A neighbor stops by and asks if he can buy a piece of Tyvek (house wrap) if we were taking any off the house (a rhetorical "if" given the huge flap of it fluttering noisily behind us). I tell him to come back in a week and take it for free. Maintaining rapport with neighbors is a key “site impact” consideration. P.S. You can't get any greener than riding your bike when it's ten below!
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PANELIZED WALLS
Up go the walls, which come in pre-built panels from Glenbrook Lumber —EdgeBuilder Panelized walls.
Facts...
Panelized walls offer durability and easy installation...
Finger jointed stud assembly reuses dimensional material that has already been cut down.
Precise factory assembly to the letter of our plans minimizes waste and maximizes quality.
Walls arrive with door and window openings in place.
Lumber doesn’t sit around warping in the elements before becoming walls.
Panelized walls reduce contruction waste on-site. Crane delivery eliminates the need for added lumber storage, which makes for a clearer jobsite, fewer obstacles, and fewer eyesores for neighbors.
Carpenters save their backs while someone else does the lifting this time.
POTENTIAL SAVINGS
16% cost savings by using components
26% less wood fiber use, saving valuable lumber
37% less construction time, enclosing the building sooner and saving interest costs
Fun!
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BIG BOX?
Neil is stunned at how huge and square his new house looks with its second story walls. His daughter adds that the house is"ugly," and looks like the house from her SIMS computer game. One of Neils workmates soon reassures him that the house will look less monolithic with a roof.
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ROOF TRUSSES
The crane arrives early and puts on a dramatic show!
Another cold one. Ice crystals eke into Willie's beard. He looks like Yukon Cornelius.
Set...
Brace...
Tie.
Nailed it!
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ROOF SHEATHING
Our plywood roof sheathing is manufactured with minimal formaldehyde added.
Formaldehyde is a binding agent for resins in pressed and laminate wood products, as well as a preservative for wood and non-living humans. It is not the best preservative for living humans, however, as it's been linked to health problems ranging from eye irritation to asthma.
Indoor products containing formaldehyde (hardwood cabinet paneling, medium density fiberboard, oriented strand board--OSB--subfloor) tend have urea added as well, creating a chemical volatility that leads to higher levels of off gasing
Outdoor softwood plywood generally contains a phenol-formaldehyde compound that is far less irritating than the urea-based stuff.
There are several ways to fight formaldehyde pollution and improve Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in your home...
1. Buy products with lower levels of formaldehyde.
2. Seal cabinetry and furniture with polyurethane sealant.
3. Use plants to absorb pollution that you would otherwise breathe.
4. Regulate the temperature and humidity of your house (off-gassing is more active in warm, moist conditions).
5. Keep spaces ventilated.
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WINDOWS
Willie and Ron prepare the openings for Marvin Integrity Ultrex casement (crank) windows. Ultrex is a durable, high performing, fiberglass material made with recycled glass and sand. It's production demands far less energy than a typical vinyl cladding, and it does not offgas.
Because Ultrex is glass-based, its rate of expansion and contraction is similar to the window it encloses, which makes for a tighter seal throughout the elements...
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INDOORS AT LAST...
Hey ho! The jobsite now enters the living room!
Sheetrock noodlin' !
A stair is born!
Ron disassembles the existing rail around the basement staircase.
Why pile this trash on a legitimate pile of salvage scrap? Here's why. Drywall construction debris is recyclable, and can live again as
New drywall
A concrete additive
Agricultural fertilizer
A composting agent.
To release its hidden potential, you can grind it onsite (using a portable grinder with a dust filter).
Left in a landfill, decomposing drywall does little but crank out a stench like rotten eggs. Ufta!
For more information on recycling drywall, go to http://gypsumrecycling.com.
Although wood-burning appliances are not considered green, re-lining and re-sealing the flue is vital to Energy Efficiency (EE) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ).
Fiber cement siding installation.
A livable workspace.
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MECHANICALS
Greenstar awards points for sealing ductwork with this Mastic product. Mastic sealing ductwork can save up to 30% in heating and cooling costs.
Check out Joe's pex! Pex is an incredibly durable alternative to copper pipe that is easier to install and much quieter. Pex is also lighter and stores more compactly, and thereby leaves a smaller carbon footprint in transport than copper.
A little sheetrock and you'll never know it's there!
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SITE IMPACT CHECK-IN
We used scaffolding for compact lumber storage on the deck, which reduced jobsite clutter and site impact.
Countless tons of nails and other fasteners each year get wasted on the jobsite. A few minutes dragging a magnet now and then can make a huge difference.
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INTERMISSION: KIDS AND GREEN BUILDING
Building green is a special opportunity to educate kids to evaluate their own spaces, consider their environmental impact, and begin taking early action to live green.
Hey Kids,
Check out this game on the MN Department of Commerce website--learn about conserving energy within the home and avoid becoming an ENERGY HOG!
Neil and Louise's girls and friends had a lot of fun "tagging" exposed framing...
Stair...
graffiti...
...and converting our scrap pile..
...into fabulous works of art!
Turtles arrive at the menagerie (late, as always).
Community arts programs such as Leonardo's Basement collect building scraps and turn them into creating scientific wonders.
Working on this green remodel has so inspired yours truly that I've begun writing a children's book to guide kids through the green building process. Here's my latest draft of HOUSE PAINTED GREEN.
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FIXTURES AND FINISHES...
Jobsite Office
Neil made this entire closet out of reclaimed doors. A reclaimed door also redefined the front entry...
Reese installs fiber cement siding. Fiber cement siding is often cheaper than wood, requires fewer nails (and hours) to install, and is much greener than vinyl.
Tile style...
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