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A Green Reno Can be Easier Than You Think

April 30th, 2012

Family room -- FSC cabinets in background.

There are a lot of decisions to make when you renovate.  From the design of the space to the finishing materials, you want a house that works for you and your family.  Working with an architect or a designer can help, but ultimately you have to decide what goes where.

I finally found an easy way to make those decisions.   Using sustainability as the deciding factor.   It’s not that I am “granola green”.   My love affair with green has come slowly and selfishly as I learn how important indoor air quality is.  Modern homes have become air tight for energy efficiency, but modern building practices and materials bring in a staggering number of chemicals that off-gas into our airtight homes.

Labor costs make it impractical for us to re-use much of what we tear out of an existing home, but in Canada we have the luxury of craigslist, kijiji, freecycle and Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore that help to reduce consumption and waste.   The old appliances in my house in Toronto found a new home at my daughter’s school, my basement laundry area has sliding doors reclaimed from ReStore (at only $20 each vs. $35 for new!), and I re-used the mirror from my upstairs master bath in the downstairs powder room.

PaperStone countertops.

The colours in my Toronto house are bright and beautiful…and they didn’t smell when they went up on the wall.  These days, it is simple to find non-toxic paints at your local Rona or paint store.  That ‘freshly painted smell’ is not something you want to drift into the (tightly sealed) air in your home.  Why buy toxic paint?  Yet go to your home improvement shop and the shelves are full of it.  Yes, cost is a factor.  But the $1-2 per gallon difference is worth it in my book.

The warm fuzzy feeling of carpeting under your feet is cozy and inviting.  But that eerie ‘new carpet smell’ can be eliminated if your carpeting and underlay are made of natural fibers like wool or cotton.  My builder recommended cork flooring for the basement and I love it.  It has the same sound absorbing qualities of carpeting, is soft and comfortable even in bare feet, and made of naturally re-growing cork.  Real wood floors (FSC certified of course) are gorgeous as well and you can ask for water-based sealants to keep them that way.

Formaldehyde has found its way into many of the building materials that are common in new builds and furniture.  MDF, plywood, particle board and drywall, sealants and glues all have it.  I heard a recent CBC radio report that there is even formaldehyde in consumer branded baby shampoo.   Some formaldehyde is naturally occurring, but a lot of is actually added to these products.  It reminds me of hormones in meat…I’m fine with hormones that are naturally occurring, but keep the added stuff away, please.  I eat less meat these days, but I buy the good stuff and as demand for the good stuff increases, prices will come down.   These days building materials can all be bought in versions without the added formaldehyde (it’s called “NAUF” – no added urea formaldehyde).   Just like the health benefits of non-GMO beef are worth the added price, for me, the health benefits of NAUF products rate high on my list.

Cabinets made from FSC wood, with no added urea formaldehyde interior MDF.

I didn’t know about these things before I moved to Canada last year.  I had renovated before using conventional building materials and furnishings.  It wasn’t always so easy, but these days there are ‘green’ products everywhere because most commercial construction buildings adhere to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards.  You may work in a LEED office building and not even know it – but the materials and energy efficiency in your office mean the air quality is better at work than in your house.  Thanks to the LEED standards, the construction industry has come up with new materials to meet the standards.  LEED isn’t perfect – but it has created demand for (and lowered prices of) sustainable and healthy building materials.  This means they are also becoming more available (and affordable) for consumers.  Many of us just don’t know we should ask for them.

So how did ‘doing a green renovation’ make my reno easier?  It gave me a common denominator.  Something upon which I could base all of my decisions.  Rather than “this year’s colour” or “what’s in fashion”, I based my decisions on “what’s the healthiest and best option for my family”.  When deciding which architect and contractor to use – I went for ones that had truly green credentials.  Turns out they were also incredibly honest and conscientious people to work with.

Close up of PaperStone countertop

When choosing appliances, I only chose Energy Star rated appliances.  I thought all appliances were Energy Star, but they aren’t.    That helped narrow the choice, and then the rest was up to size and shape and cost.  When deciding which countertops to use, I experimented with one of the newer materials: Paperstone.  It’s made entirely of recycled paper.  Mine’s jet black and cut into a tear-drop shape to fit my breakfast nook perfectly.  It’s stunning and I don’t have to worry about whether or not it might be leaking radon like my old granite countertop did.

 

Stainless steel countertop in kitchen, cork tile backsplash

And yes, I do feel good about my reno.  The builder minimized the waste created rather than just ‘tearing it all out’ and responsibly managed what could be re-used or re-cycled.  My old cabinets went to ReStore instead of landfill.  The crew came to work on public trans or bikes and brought their coffee in re-useable containers.  Did I do a green reno to help the planet?  Nope.  I was entirely selfish about doing it for my family.  It turned out it that making every decision based on sustainability was actually easier (less is more) and I am happy I did my part for my kids’ future on this planet.

A green reno can be easier.

Bettina Hoar has become so passionate about sustainable design that she has partnered up with Amanda Levey to create Toronto-based studio called Sage, specializing in helping others integrate sustainable design, architecture and living into their homes and offices (www.sageideastudio.com).

 

 

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Nexterra LivingHome Revisited

April 17th, 2012

Nexterra LivingHome -- Kitchen

Two years ago I attended the press party for Nexterra LivingHomes. I was pretty excited about the concept of a green prefab home that achieved the goals of being lighter on the planet, but was still functional and gorgeous. The house is now ready and, since I was in Toronto to attend the GreenLiving Show,  Gary Lands of Nexterra, took me on a tour of the nearly completed and furnished model home. There are three other homes that will be built at 20 Senlac, blue prints and property positions are available on the Nexterra website.

Exterior Rainscreen cladding be Externit

 

Side view of house -- double garage under scaffolding

The Nexterra LivingHome consists of 6 prefab boxes: four large boxes and two smaller ones.  The finished home is a spacious three plus one bedroom, meaning three bedrooms on the second floor with a fourth in the basement. Ceilings are 10′ tall on each level so there is a real feeling of space — even the basement ceilings are 10′. The home has wonderful flow, with windows used both strategically and liberally so that there is plenty of natural light.

Laura Felstiner, involved with establishing Nexterra’s partners, told me they are targeting LEED Platinum certification, but won’t know until the house is completed and running, in order to monitor energy consumption.

Some of the features of the home:

 

Geosmart furnace

Waterfurnace HRV

Third floor tower leading to roof deck (also works as a heat stack)

Building envelope and HVAC system: The building is tightly sealed, with R35 insulation in the exposed walls, and R30 insulation in the basement walls.Insulation is Heatlok Soya, a sprayfoam insulation made from recycled water bottles and soy. It’s an excellent insulation with an R-value of 6 per inch. The key to Heatlok is that it doesn’t lose its R-value over time. Many sprayfoams lose a little of their insulation value due to natural shrinkage of the material.

There is easy accessibility to the roof via the third floor stairway, which also acts as a heat stack. When days are hot in the summer and (hopefully) nights are cooler, opening the door to the roof, while opening lower floor windows prompts cool air to be drawn into the lower floors while the hot air escapes through the open top floor door. There is also space for a whole house fan in the roof which would accomplish the same thing if the lower level windows are open. The roof is also solar PV panel ready, and there will be a roof deck as well.

Geothermal heating system by Geosmart provides both heating and cooling for the home. In addition, because the building is tightly sealed, there is a Heat Recovery Ventilator and air purification system by Water Furnace, that keeps the air clean and circulating through the house.

Windows have fiberglass frames, made by local Toronto business, Inline Fiberglass, and are double-glazed, low-emissivity, filled with argon gas. These windows are some of the best insulating windows on the market today. You can read more about the advantages of fiberglass windows in this article.

Appliance Bank: AEG microwave, oven and steamer oven

Franke Sink with culinary work prep sink and built-in compost bin

Recycling bins built into kitchen cabinets -- by Scavolini

Kitchen: The cabinets were done by Scavolini, an Italian company that takes sustainability very seriously. Not only are the cabinets NAUF (no added urea formaldehyde), but there are thoughtful additions such as a recycling centre built into the island. The company itself also practices sustainability during the manufacturing process. The two manufacturing plants run almost entirely on electricity derived from the rooftop solar panels on their factories, waste is minimized as is the amount of water used in manufacturing. While the cupboards are manufactured in Europe, they are shipped by boat and flat-packed, and are assembled on site. Flat packing items allows companies the opportunity to ship more items in one container, lessening the number of cargo holders needed.

Countertop by Caesarstone, Faucet by Franke

Countertop: Caesarstone “Quartz Reflections” with up to 42% reclaimed quartz and with particles of recycled mirror and glass which adds a very nice sparkle.

Euro-Line Appliances provided all the appliances and the stainless steel sink. The sink is by Franke and includes a prep bowl and strainer, as well as a built-in compost bin. Appliances are by AEG and include an induction cooktop, and a wall of ovens consisting of a microwave, convection oven and steamer oven. The dishwasher is also AEG. European appliances use significantly less electricity than standard North American models and will lighten the electricity load for the house, Faucet is by Franke.

 

Barnboard in mudroom

Mudroom: Between the garage and the kitchen is a mudroom to which barnboard has been added for a great rustic touch. Barnboard comes from Muskoka Timber Mills, and was installed by Andrew Reesor, a local artist.

Dual flush Aquia II by Toto

Powder room: Just off the mudroom is a smart little powder room containing a dual flush (3/6 litres) toilet by Toto Aquia II, and a vanity and sink by WETSTYLE, featuring a proprietary WETMAR material for the sink basin.  It is completely recyclable at end of life and can be made into new WETSTYLE products.

Inlaid cork flooring by Jelinek at entry way.

Other features of the main floor: The welcome mat at the front door is actually an inlaid cork flooring provided by Jelinek. Wood flooring through the rest of the house is Kentwood, FSC engineered oak. Engineered flooring is often used because it behaves more consistently than solid wood, not being susceptible to expansion and contraction.

 

Halo LED lighting in basement

LED pot lights throughout the house are 4″ Halo, 5Watt lights. When Gary was showing me around the house he asked me what was my favourite feature. I told him the LED potlights (he might have been a little disappointed with my answer). I thought they were 50W halogens because of their light temperature (colour) and brightness. I had no idea they were LEDs. Not only will these lights use 10 times less electricity than their halogen counterparts, they will likely not need to be replaced for 15 to 20 years. Now that’s great lighting.

The pendant lighting in the kitchen and over the dining room table is provided by Eurolite.

Living Room -- furniture by Gus* modern, art by AGO

Furniture in living room is provided by Gus* Modern. Pillows are provided by Bev Hisey and are Goodweave certified. Goodweave is a not-for-profit group with the aim of ending child labour in the carpet industry while providing education opportunities for children in South Asia. Second life rugs were provided by Elte.

 

Cast-iron fireplace by Jotul

The fireplace is provided by Jotul, model GF 370 DV. Jotul manufactures this fireplace from recycled iron in one of the cleanest foundries in Europe.

 

Home office

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The desk in the home office was constructed by JM & Sons out of recycled metal and reclaimed wood. Gary explained that the home’s interior is set up so that if someone has a home office, any clients they might receive can stay in the main part of the house. This eastern-facing wall has large windows so that lots of natural daylight can stream in.

All art throughout the house is provided by the Art Gallery of Ontario’s  Rental and Sales department.

 

Master bathroom, bath tub, sinks and vanities by Wetstyle

The second floor consists of a Master-ensuite with floor to ceiling closets on the end walls providing lots of storage space. The washroom has been outfitted with Wetstyle tub and sinks and vanity. Other storage cupboards also come from Wetstyle.

Faucets and showerheads throughout the house are low-flow from Aquabrass. I should also mention that while all toilets and faucets are low-flow, they’ve also built the house to be grey-water ready. Grey water, water that comes from the shower drains, can be used to feed all toilets in the house, literally helping to reduce your water use in half.

 

Bunkbed in bedroom #2 by Kolan

 

Bedroom #3, crib by Oeuf

The two other rooms on the second floor are set up as kids’ rooms, one with a crib, the other a set of bunk beds. These rooms are bright and spacious and putting furniture in the rooms shows that they are big too — there is plenty of play area in both rooms. The kids’ bunk beds  and bookshelf are made by Oeuf out of Baltic birch and eco-MDF and low VOC water-based finishes. The table in this room was made by Heidi Earnshaw, a local artist.

The crib and dresser are made by Kalon from FSC domestic maple and low VOC food grade dyes and stains.

The paint throughout the house is white, zero VOC provided by PARA paints.

What you notice when you walk through this house is not only is it a great example of a green-designed beautiful contemporary house, but also there is an absense of “new home smell” — ie., no smell of chemicals off-gassing into the air. Neither the products that were used to construct the house nor the furniture installed for modelling the home contain toxic chemicals providing a comfortable healthy indoor air environment.

If you’re at all interested in modern, low impact homes, take a look at this one. It will be available for sale at some point, right now it serves as the model home for three others to be built down the same laneway.

For more information on the home, visit the Nexterra website.

For more pictures of the home, visit BEC Green’s Facebook page.

 

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A Guide to Energy Efficient and Green Housing Certifications

April 3rd, 2012

In 2007 we moved into a brand new house with the naive view that new was always better than old. My husband’s and my belief was that a new house would involve less time in maintenance, lower running costs, higher energy efficiency and overall fewer headaches. What happened over the course of the four years that we lived in that house was that I began to realize that new isn’t always better than old, particularly when you’re buying a builder’s home on spec as we did. While we did have lower running costs than in the previous house, a lot of it was due to the more efficient appliances, and slightly better insulation. We had more issues in this house in the first 3 years than we’d had in all our other 60+ year old homes previously. By the time we moved out four years later, I had come to a different conclusion: if I were to buy a new house again — and that was a big IF — I would only buy one that had been certified and in my case LEED certified, preferably Platinum.

I’m not saying there aren’t excellent builders out there who go above and beyond their duty, making sure a new home will withstand the myriad of weather it’s exposed to — but there are also builders who will build to minimum code or less, and take shortcuts because not all shortcuts will be caught by building inspectors. Case in point: down the street from our house was another one going up by a different builder who didn’t bother to put tar paper down before adding the shingles. Will the building inspector find that? Only if he climbs up a ladder and lifts a shingle. Inaccessible areas such as behind walls, difficult to reach roofs, etc., hide a lot — there are many a poor electrical wiring jobs out there that are concealed behind walls (as we found out), many shoddy dry-walling jobs (as we found out), and some homes that are built before receiving the city’s approval for the water drainage system….as we also found out (sigh). We were fortunate because most of these things were fixed over time after a lot of threats, heated phone calls and emails, but I’ve also heard of cases where homeowners are out of luck — especially after the Tarion Warranty runs out.

I know there are builders out there who complain about the extra paper work and activity involved in certifying a home, and I understand, but I can also tell you that a certified home forces a builder to do it right, to not cut corners and to identify any mistakes before the walls are up and critical parts are covered. It likely saves a builder work in the long run. Maintenance costs tend to be lower and call backs from owners are much rarer. So really, if everyone puts the time, effort and money up front, it saves money, time and effort down the road and gives the buyer reassurance in the long-run.

Having said that, there are a lot of green building certifications out there from the ones we’ve all heard about like R-2000 to the lesser known ones like the Living Building Challenge. I thought I’d put a list of green building certifications available for homes and the priorities on which they focus. That way, if you’re looking for a new home, you can be sure to ask the builder which one of these his/her building company follows. If a builder doesn’t use any certification it doesn’t mean they aren’t building well, they may prefer to put their time and money into the structure instead of the paperwork. Ask for the names of former customers and check with them as to whether they’re satisfied with the end result. Doing your research up front may save you a lot of headaches down the road.

R-2000: The energy crisis in the 1970s prompted a re-examination of our previously cheap supply of fossil fuels. At that time a project by the Saskatchewan government featuring an energy efficient home was translated into a nationwide program by the Canadian government, called R-2000. Certain energy efficiency standards need to be met in order to qualify to be certified as an R-2000 home. All builders receive training and certification in order to build R-2000 homes. The criteria for an R-2000 home are revamped as new building techniques and technologies become available but the standard incorporates the latest in energy efficiency, building techniques and standards available.

The focus of the R-2000 home certification is about reaching a high level of energy efficiency through tight building envelopes. A qualifying home must pass a blower door test after it’s built by an independent R-2000 certifier and achieve at least a rating of 1.5 ACH (air changes per hour) at a pressure of 50 pascals depressurization. Further, it must address issues with indoor air quality such as even ventilation, circulation, moisture and air distribution throughout the house (however, there is no mention of off-gassing from adhesives, paints, stains, and other materials used in construction). The homes also contain such features as water conserving fixtures and building materials with recycled content. There also isn’t any mention of location as being an important factor in the home’s construction. In some of the other certifications, using previously used land, as well as land with easy access to shops, services and public transportation holds equal weight to how a home is constructed.

R-2000 homes are easier to find than some of the other certifications across Canada.  Homes are verified by certified R-2000 building inspectors during the building process. While a conventionally built home emits approximately  5 tonnes of CO2 emissions yearly, an R-2000 home emits 30% less than that.

The Office of Energy and Efficiency of the Government of Canada provides a search page to find R-2000 home builders in every province.

For more information on R-2000 homes, see this page.

EnerGuide Rating System: This certification system is strictly about measuring your home’s energy performance using a scale rating of 1-100.  Most older homes measure between 65-72. A conventional new home with no energy efficient upgrades measures 73-79, New homes with some energy efficiency features measure 80-90, while a home with little to no extra energy needs measures 91-100. A score of 80 or more is excellent.

An Energy auditor measures your home’s EnerGuide rating and the work can be performed on any home, built or not yet built. When constructing a new home, an energy auditor should be brought in early in the process as he/she can run the proposed design through energy modelling software to see how the proposed home should rate once constructed. He can also make suggestions about how to increase the home’s energy efficiency.

Energy Star Certified Homes: This certification is entirely about energy efficiency. The bottom line is that a home must score at least 80 on the EnerGuide scale in order to qualify. Other requirements are that, depending on where the home is located, it have between 2-2.5 air changes per hour at 50 pascals depressurization. Note that this is one half to one air changes more than an R-2000 home, meaning it is not quite as energy efficient as an R-2000 home (fewer air changes mean less air is leaking in and out of the home). Energy Star certified homes also need to be certified by an independent energy auditor who will do inspections while the home is being built in addition to the one final blower door test after the home is built. A new home will also contain Energy Star rated appliances and light fixtures. Basements will be insulated to the same degree as attic spaces. There is no requirement for the type of materials used or location of the home vis a vis services, amenities or public transportation.

For more information on Energy Star home requirements, see this information package (it is for Ontario requirements).

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for Homes:The United States Green Building Council was established in 1998 with the intention of developing a system to encourage the building industry to build better buildings. The development and operating of buildings uses up to 40% of all energy consumed in North America, so reducing buildings’ energy demands is in everyone’s best interest. With that in mind, the USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design designation — a standard which first came on the scene as a pilot project in 2000. In 2003 the Canada Green Building Council introduced a version of LEED more suited to the Canadian climate. The program has since undergone two revisions in the US and one in Canada. It is a constantly changing certification, as it should be, to both keep up with changes in technology and building techniques.

LEED is a more encompassing designation than either Energy Star or even R-2000 and it is available for every kind of building from large renovations of existing buildings to new buildings and homes, and now neighbourhoods. In fact, energy efficiency, while important, is only one category of a sustainably designed home. There are four levels of LEED, and each level can be reached by attaining a certain number of points in each of the eight categories.

The eight categories addressed by LEED are:

  • Innovation and Design, 
  • Sustainable Sites, 
  • Location and Linkages, 
  • Water Efficiency, 
  • Energy and Atmosphere, 
  • Indoor Air Quality, 
  • Material Use, and 
  • Awareness and Education.

Innovation and Design awards points not covered in any of the other categories and promotes new ideas, technologies and local variables that come into play in any home construction.

Location and linkages, and Sustainable Sites take into account where a home is built, whether on previously unused greenspace or infill, or “brown land”  (previously industrial, now unused land). The closer you are to services, amenities and public transportation the more points you earn.

Material use emphasizes responsible material use by awarding more points for material that is sourced from rapidly renewable sources (grasses, fast-growing wood, grains), sourcing locally-based materials and products earns more points, as does sourcing recycled and reused materials. Energy and Atmosphere focuses on building a tight building envelope with significant levels of insulation. Indoor Air Quality is also addressed, awarding points for using low VOC producing adhesives, glues, primers, paints and stains. Not only is it better for the homeowner it’s also better for the people applying the products who aren’t exposed to harmful chemicals. Water Efficiency ensures that the fixtures will be low-flow, possibly solar-heated and using an on-demand tank, and if budget permits, a grey water system. Education  and Awareness is about teaching homeowners about their new home and how it best functions.

Depending on the number of points a home achieves in each area will designate it as Certified (45-59 points), Silver (60-74), Gold (75-89) or Platinum (90-136).

A LEED Rater, like an energy auditor, will visit a property twice, once during construction and once when it is complete, in order to assess and make sure construction is following its intended construction path.

For more information on LEED for Homes, visit the Canada Green Building Council’s website.

Passive House: The passive house certification is another one that focuses strictly on energy efficiency. It was developed in Germany more than 20 years ago, and is used as a common standard for home building in Germany today. Homes must use a maximum of 15 kWh/m2 energy for heating, and 120 kWh/month for electrical plug load, including lighting. Fifteen kWh/m2 was chosen as the threshold because it is at this point that a traditional central heating system is no longer necessary. To achieve passive house standard, especially here in Canada, can be a particular challenge and involves a lot of insulation, superior windows and doors, and a conscientious effort to minimize plug load.

Energy modelling software is used during the design process to determine whether or not a building will achieve the passive house standard. It might be difficult to achieve in an urban environment depending on whether or not a house is situated so that it can take advantage of passive solar heat in the winter, and be shaded in the summer.

For more information visit Passive Buildings Canada.

Living Building Challenge: One of the newest certifications available, it’s also by far the toughest to achieve. At this point, I would say that it is a goal to which the entire building industry should aspire, but it will be done in baby steps. In comparison to the Living Building Challenge, achieving LEED Platinum is basically a cake walk. LBC is divided into 7 performance areas and goals are performance based, not prescriptive. The seven areas are:

  • Site
  • Energy
  • Water
  • Health
  • Materials
  • Equity and
  • Beauty

The categories are further divided into a total of 20 requirements. The purpose of the LBC is to address such issues as inequity in international development (fair trade and encouraging better working conditions) and reducing the amount of energy used both to build a home as well as to run it. In fact, a home must be net-zero energy annually. An LBC home is only certified after one year of energy data has been collected to make sure it’s operating as intended. Materials chosen must be the lowest possible embodied energy and still provide superior insulation, although locally manufactured cement and steel qualify as noted in some of the case studies. A building must be built on previously used land, so no new building in a previous wilderness setting will qualify.

To find out more about the Living Building Challenge, visit the website. One really useful component of the website is the case study section where several buildings which are built to the standard are showcased along with what they achieved in each of the seven categories. In addition, the standard highlights “red” materials, as in, those materials which are to be avoided, such as PVC because of its detrimental effect on the environment. Alternatives are given for each of these materials in the case study section under the Materials category.

Net Zero Energy: The concept of a Net Zero Energy home is simple: produce as much energy as your house consumes over the course of one year. There will be times when you use more energy than your home can produce on its own, and there will be times when you will have excess energy. The concept also means that your home is grid-tied, as in, you draw power from the electrical grid, but you also feed into the grid when you generate excess power. While the concept is easy to understand, implementing it can be a challenge. Not only do you have to create a home that uses as little energy as possible to heat and cool it, a Net Zero Home, takes into account plug load; ie., how many appliances, stereos, computers, game consoles, etc., you have plugged in and drawing power. So, occupant behaviour in a Net Zero home is as important as how well-insulated a home is. It also means that renewable energy sources must be used, such as solar panels, wind turbines, etc., in order for a home to generate a certain amount of electricity — and, naturally, the more people you have living in the home, the more challenging designing a home it will be.

For more information on Net Zero Energy Homes, visit the Net Zero Energy Home Coaltion’s website.

 

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Canada’s Greenest Home to be Built in Peterborough

March 22nd, 2012

Endeavour Centre's next sustainable house, Peterborough, ON

The Endeavour Centre located in Peterborough, ON is a not-for-profit hands-on education centre that teaches students how to build and renovate homes using more sustainable methods and materials than are currently in use. Students learn about building science in the classroom, then take their knowledge onto a building site to apply it.

The people at the Endeavour Centre will build, starting in April, 2012, what they consider to be “Canada’s Greenest Home.” It is being built to surpass LEED Platinum standards, striving instead for the Living Building Challenge certification. This is a recent green designation that is by far the toughest green building standard to achieve. The Living Building Challenge strives for buildings to be, among other things, net zero water and net zero energy use, as well as being constructed using materials with the least embodied energy possible that are healthy, ethical, accessible, sourced as locally as possible and beautiful. The Living Building Challenge certification makes achieving LEED Platinum look like a walk in the park!

To achieve Living Building Challenge certification Chris Magwood, Director of the Endeavour Centre, and his crew are already hard at work sourcing local materials with low embodied energy. Part of this will include prefab walls that consist of straw bales for insulation. While straw bale homes aren’t new, even if they’re not that common, assembling them as a pre-fab structure certainly is. These straw bale walls are built near Peterborough, so not only do they provide excellent insulation levels, they are also of very low embodied energy and don’t have to travel a long distance to get to the site. According to the information on the Endeavour Centre’s website, straw bale prefab walls provide an R value between 30 and 40 and are inexpensive to make, mould and mildew resistant, strong, and surprisingly (to me, anyway) are quite resistant to fire. To learn more about straw bale prefab walls, see this presentation.

In addition to pre-fab straw bale walls, the house will include grid-tied solar electricity, composting toilets, an underground rainwater cistern for rainwater harvesting, solar hot water, and natural paints and finishes.

The house will be put up for sale, and the proceeds help off-set tuition costs. The home will be priced affordably, demonstrating that an energy-efficient, state of the art home doesn’t have to be expensive. The house will be built over the course of five months, and at the end, the students completing the program will receive a certificate for their efforts. The point of the program is to give student hands-on green building experience and technical knowledge.

I was curious about how this house would be built and the challenges it will face, so I contacted Chris and asked him a few questions about it.

Cathy:  What will the heating method be?

Chris: We have been intending to use the Mitsubishi Zuba air source heat pump. It is rated to -30C and I’ve heard good things about it from those who have been using it. With the Living Building Challenge, we are basically limited to solar heating and/or heat pumps, as they disqualify any kind of combustion heating, including biomass (which would have been one of our options).

Cathy: What do you envision the overall kWh/sq foot will be? (similar or less than passive house)?

Chris: The PHPP (Passive House’s modeling software) has us at 80% more efficient than code, and their target is 90%. However, we modeled the building in a few different configurations, and found that we needed to nearly double the insulation levels everywhere to move from the 80% to the 90% figure. So we will not be pursuing Passive House certification, as we just can’t justify the additional costs and material use to get to PH levels. We’re very happy with the performance level the model is showing, and feel that we’re in the “sweet spot” where affordable, sustainable materials can be used to make extremely energy efficient buildings.

Cathy: Given the criteria of LBC [Living Building Challenge], how do you anticipate selling it to a buyer who will have to live by strict electricity use? How do you size a solar system to meet that use when you’re not sure what it will be?

Chris: There was a really interesting article in Green Building Advisor recently that looked at the whole notion of designing for net zero, and used two case studies… one in which the occupants used only 36% of the expected energy and another where they were 200+%. The truth is, we don’t know how the owners will behave and we can only design according to accepted averages and see what happens. I’m really not that concerned about getting certified with the LBC. I think it’s a wonderful standard and we’re going to work hard and do our best to meet it, but we can’t control things like the owner’s behaviour or the weather. It would have been easy to hit net zero if this past winter had been our “trial year” but that won’t necessarily be the case next year!
This isn’t the same article, but same message… http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2011/8/30/Want-a-Net-Zero-Home-Be-a-Net-Zero-Family/

Cathy: What will the overall R value be? R 30-40 for the walls, however roofing and basement will be what?

Chris: We’re rating the bale walls at R-30. I believe we’ll see better performance in real life, but that’s at the low end of the test results and that’s what the energy modeler wanted to use. However, because there are no thermal bridges at all (which PHPP calculates in every case), the results were good. We are doing some frame wall sections (to show the students two kinds of wall construction) and they are R-40. We’re doing R-28 Durisol block in the basement and R-80 cellulose in the attic.

Cathy: What kind of landscaping do you plan on including? An edible garden? Shading for summer heat? Green roof of some kind?

Chris: Definitely an edible garden (or the space to make one, since we won’t be planting it during the building season!), fruit trees (learning lots about the service berry tree lately) and all native and drought resistant plantings. There is passive solar shading for both stories on the south side (the skirt roof will hold the thermal collectors). No green roof… I’m not convinced they are a worthwhile investment for single family residences.

Cathy: When do you anticipate it will be ready for market?

Chris: October [2012].

For more information on the Endeavour Centre and sustainable building programs, visit its website.

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Watch Construction of the Nexterra Prefab Home in 3 minutes

March 1st, 2012

Here’s one of the other great things about modular homes — because believe me, there are a lot of great things about them. The majority of the construction can be done inside a warehouse protected from the elements, then shipped to the site (foundation already prepared) and assembled in about 2 days to a week, depending on the home’s complexity. There is less waste of materials since leftovers can be used on the next job in the warehouse. Further, more and more modular homes have a green bent to them and are constructed using zero and low-VOC emitting materials, include materials made from renewable resources and are highly energy efficient.
Nexterra filmed the assembly process of their first home being built in North York. If you’re interested in reading about all the green features, you can read this earlier post about Nexterra and LivingHomes here.
If you want to watch a building go up in three minutes, watch the short video below:

Nexterra Module Installation from Nexterra Green Homes on Vimeo.

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Aerecura Rammed Earth Home Revisited

December 19th, 2011

Completed rammed earth house, near Cobourg, ON

In October, 2010, I had the very fortunate opportunity to visit with Sylvia Cook, owner of Aerecura Rammed Earth Builders and owner of Ontario’s first rammed earth home, just after the beautiful walls had been finished. The roof, windows and main floor had yet to be installed, so it was a bit difficult to visualize the finished product. Just over a year later, Sylvia and her husband held a housewarming party so all of us interested parties could come and take a look at the finished product.

Sylvia Cook (left) Builder, Terrell Wong (right), Architect

To recap: Sylvia, a retired physics teacher, and her husband, a retired English teacher, were determined to build one of the lowest possible embodied energy homes they could. When researching materials and styles of homes, she wanted to find a material that was local, abundantly available, durable, and contained a low-embodied energy. A rammed earth fit home all of her criteria. You can read my full interview with Sylvia here, and read about the goals of the rammed earth home here.

The house itself is on two and a half levels (an open office area above the kitchen looks down onto the living room). It has a beautiful view of the hollow the house sits beside. Terrell Wong, the architect designed it to take advantage of as many passive heating and cooling features it could, so it is oriented to face southwest with large windows on the south side and smaller ones on the north side. The upper clerestory windows can be opened in summer to let the heat escape while lower floor windows will open to draw in cooler evening air.

Now that the house is completel, I asked Sylvia a few follow-up questions:

1. If you were to build again, is there anything you would do differently? ie., lessons learned.

 

I’m disappointed with the amount of wood used just on the relatively small section of the house between the top of the rammed earth and the roof. In order to maintain the continuous insulation layer we used a double stud wall construction. Next time I would use SIPS for this part of the house, as well as for the roof.

I would overestimate the heating needed and use a radiant infloor hydronic system for the lower floor. I made the decision not to because it was hard to justify the installation expense for the small amount of heat needed, but am now having to get creative with other methods of supplying that heat. Another time I might even consider putting hydronics inside a rammed earth wall. I think it’s important to remember that any initial expense will be amortised over a very long period of time, even though I won’t personally be around for more than a tiny fraction of that.

ERV system

 

Hot water tank -- used for domestic hotwater and heat pump

part of heating system

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. What in the house is salvaged (I believe the stairs and cross beams are), and where did you source your salvaged material?

 

The stairs originally came from the Belleville CN roundhouse, circa 1840. The wonderfully quirky welder who made the railings onsite happened to have them stored in his barn. A fantastic piece of serendipity as they fit perfectly!

Some of the beams were re-purposed from our formwork, including the open-ventilation roof support on top of the feature wall.

All of the interior doors are salvaged, collected from yard sales, flea markets, roadsides and Habitat for Humanity Restores. I have my eye on one from Legacy Vintage Building Materials in Cobourg to be used between the great room and master suite.

The supports for the deck (and the sink in the powder room) are logs from the trees removed to make the driveway.

Stairs to Office Loft area (salvaged)

Exterior southeast facing walls

 

Rammed Earth House by Aerecura

To see more photos of the house visit BEC Green’s Facebook page.
For more information about Aerecura Rammed Earth Homes, contact Sylvia Cook at: sylvia@aerecura.ca or 289-251-6684.
Visit Aerecura’s website for more information.

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John Bell’s Green Home — Host of World’s Greenest Homes Greens His Own Home

December 16th, 2011

John Bell's Greenest Home. (photo courtesy of John Bell)

As the host of season 2 of The World’s Greenest Homes, John Bell traveled the world touring the world’s greenest homes, speaking to the owners, builders and designers about the homes and what made them decide to build more sustainable housing. The homeowners had built these homes to lead greener lifestyles and lower their carbon footprint. Clearly his work influenced his next move: after finishing season two of The World’s Greenest Homes, John and his family sold their large three storey home in a beautiful but somewhat isolated Toronto neighbourhood, to a home a little more than a stone’s throw to mid-town Yonge Street with all of its advantages. In the process they cut their home’s footprint in half, and probably their transportation footprint in half too.

The house John and his wife purchased was an old 1970s house on a cul-de-sac with single-paned windows, little insulation and plenty of air leaks. In fact when the energy auditor did the home’s audit pre-renovation, it came it at a leaky 7.7 air changes per hour and an Energuide rating of 33 out of a possible 100. In terms of what those numbers mean, according to the Office of Energy Efficiency, a home’s Energuide rating of 0-5o is an older, unrenovated (uninsulated) home. At the opposite end of the scale, an Energuide rating of 91-100 is an airtight home with proper ventilation that requires no extra heat source. The Air Change measurement measures the number of times the volume of air in the house is being replaced through leaks in the home’s envelope approximately.

 

The Bells added another 800 square feet to the home’s footprint while renovating the house. Even so, when the energy auditor tested the renovated home, the Energuide rating rose to 80, and the air changes per hour dropped to 1.59 ACH.

Given his experience on The World’s Greenest Homes, John noted that every homeowner he interviewed had the goal of decreasing their carbon footprint by building a well-insulated, low carbon footprint home. So like the green homeowners before him, John concentrated his efforts on his building envelope and improving his home’s energy efficiency.

John hired John Godden from Clearsphere to help him achieve his energy efficiency and green building goals. John Godden has been an active member of the green building realm way before it became the place to be in construction. His firm was one of the partners involved in building the EcoLogic Community in Newmarket, ON, the first LEED Platinum community built in Canada.

Power Pipe DWHR system

Building envelope: The ceilings have an R value of 41, the new construction 2×6 walls of the addition have an R value of 26, the older 2×4 walls, an R value of 22. All are insulated with Roxul batt and rigid board insulation. Roxul is a locally produced mineral-wool-based insulation with a high recycled content that is also a good fire retardant and noise damper.  The basement floor and below grade basement walls were insulated with Roxul Drainboard with an R value of 10, and below grade walls have an R value of 32 as they have additional batt insulation inside the house.  Roxul batt and rigid board insulating products were used for most of the insulation work. There were spots in the house, however, where the best insulation was sprayfoam, so he used Icynene, a cellulose-based product.

Ridley Windows and Doors, sliding glass door to backyard

Windows are from Ridley, aluminum-clad wood interior windows, double-glazed with a low-EQ coating that helps block strong sun rays and heat in the summer so the air conditioning unit doesn’t have to work as hard.

Phillips LED lights. 7 Watts each, $12 at Home Depot

HVAC: The system is a 98% efficient boiler-fan coil system combined with duct work provided by Airmax Technologies. The boiler heats water for both domestic hot water, radiant heating. It works in conjunction with a forced air system.  John also had a Power Pipe installed which is a drainwater heat recovery (DWHR) system. DWHR can save you up to $125 per year depending on how much hot water you use (the more hot water used in the morning for showers, the more money it will save you). Radiant heating was installed in the basement to keep the floor warm, in front of the windows on the main floor at the front and back of the house, and in the two second floor bathrooms. A heat recovery ventilator was installed to capture heat from warm stale air, and to ventilate the now very tight house with warmed fresh air coming from outside.

 

Solar Air Panel Operation

Solar Sheat 1500G Air Panel. This is an interesting bit of new technology that John admits was installed more for the concept than for a specific return on investment. The way it works is, the panel sits on a south facing roof top where it can absorb the sun’s rays. Cool air is sucked up from inside the house, next it is warmed by the panel on the roof and blown back into the house via a vent. It has an optional solar PV panel used to operate the fan so that no additional electricity is needed. The single solar air panel provides enough heated air to heat 750 square feet, the approximate size of the second floor of John’s home. John said that with the tight envelope of the home, the heated air will help keep the second floor warmer even after the sun goes down, meaning the boiler. The system costs $16oo plus $2000 to install.

Brac Gray Water Holding tank

Dual flush toilets (tank hidden behind wall)

Water Efficiency: Another area John noted where green home builders were concerned was with water conservation. John became interested in gray water recycling, and in fact is now president  of H2O Water Technologies, a distributor of Brac Gray Water Systems. He installed a Brac gray water tank in his home and says that it provides more than enough water from showers to flush the toilets in his home. He also installed dual-flush toilets.

Green technologies: John figures that during the renovation, he spent an additional $28,000 on green technologies, including $10,000 for solar panels to be part of Ontario’s microFIT program. The energy upgrades John made will save him $4000 per year in energy costs vs. his previous bills, so his payback point comes in at around 7 years and that’s assuming energy prices stay at 2011 levels — which they won’t. The longward trend for energy pricing is definitely upwards.

In the end, John is aiming for Silver certification level of LEED Canada for Homes and will likely achieve it.

 

 

 

 

 

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Earthquake — LEED Platinum Home revisited — A tour with Rolf Baumann of RGB Group

December 9th, 2011

3rd Street Duplex, The Glebe, Ottawa, ON

A few weeks ago, while in Ottawa, I contacted Rolf Baumann, owner of RGB Group and builder of the first Earthquake resiliant/LEED Platinum duplex in Canada. He took me on a tour of the building and explained what he was doing to attain the LEED Canada Platinum for Homes certification.  To achieve Platinum level, the highest level of LEED for Homes Canada awarded, a house must earn between 90 and 136 points in up to 9 categories. LEED for Homes is a designation used for residential dwellings to demonstrate building or renovating with environmental benefits. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” and takes into account all aspects of building a home from minimizing construction waste, protecting the development site, using local Gand recycled materials and indoor air quality. By contrast, EnergyStar certified homes, are only concerned with how energy-efficient the finished home is.There is no account for construction waste, type of materials used, site location, indoor air quality, etc.).

So, when a builder decides to build a LEED Home, he has a lot of factors to consider. Rolf, however, has already built to LEED Platinum. His Montauk Townhouse Complex (which RGB Group owns and operates) was certified LEED Platinum and is now fully occupied.

When Rolf bought the 3rd Street property, he already had two of the main criteria delivered: “Location and Linkages” and “Sustainable Sites.”  The house is situated fifty feet from Bank St. in the heart of The Glebe in Ottawa.  It’s a great neighbourhood with access to shops and services, restaurants, tons of coffee shops (Bridgehead is my personal favourite), schools, and public transportation to downtown. Further, regarding sustainable sites, he was building where a single-family dwelling was originally built in the late 1800s, and redeveloping the property into a multi-family dwelling. If, like me, you’re wondering if the previous house was salvageable, it wasn’t. It had been an estate sale, and, as Rolf discovered after purchase, it was still running on a septic system — even after all the sewers had been redone by the city a few years ago! The basement had been dirt, and the wood had rotted beyond repair. So, down it came — but not before Rolf sent out word to all his trades that the house was coming down. The plumber came and ripped out the copper plumbing, the electrician took the copper wiring, architectural salvage shops took the millwork. In fact, by the time the demolition company came, there was so little left to take away, they used half the number of haulages originally estimated.

Steel Framing by Bailey Metal Products

 

Electric Start Gas Fireplace -- no pilot light

Energy and Atmosphere: The biggest area for scoring LEED points is in energy efficiency, with a total of 38 points possible. This category encompasses both the building envelope as well as the HVAC system used. Using steel-framed construction gives the home a wider interior than the cinder block alternative. Because the house sits on a 25 foot wide property, the fire code plays a big part in the construction. Building with a steel frame allows for an extra two feet of interior space, allowing 19 ft of interior space instead of 17. Further, while the steel frame consists of 80% recycled steel, it can also be recycled at end of life. Rolf used Baily Metal Products out of Toronto for the frame.  The walls are insulated to R25, using Roxul rigid mineral wool insulation (R13) used externally, and CertainTEED batt insulation (R12) used inside.

To ensure his building envelope is as tight as it can possibly get, Rolf hired Ross Elliot of Homesol as his energy auditor and LEED for Homes rater. Rolf says that when it comes time to check to make sure the building is air tight, Ross Elliot and the insulation installer are both present. As Ross finds leaks, the insulation contractor can either immediately fix the problem, or at least make a note of it and fix later if it needs more attention. Having both the energy auditor and insulation contractor present means that no holes will be missed. Doing an energy audit before the drywall goes up is one of the most essential parts of creating a tight building envelope.

Lifebreath Clean Air Furnace

Each unit has its own HVAC system that is controllable by the tenant. The LifeBreath Clean Air Furnaces were installed by Boon Plumbing. The HVAC system consists of a boiler that is 98% efficient combined with a fancoil ducted system, so it’s a combined hydronic heating, ducted system.

Doors from Lambden Window and Door

Window from Lambden window and Door

Windows and doors come from Lambden Window and Door, a local Ottawa company. The windows are good quality, aluminum-clad, where Rolf says the seal between the glass and the frame is the key to a good window product. Further, the windows are double-glazed and treated with UVA/B coating to prevent sunlight from getting in in the summer. Rolf notes that heating bills are almost nothing compared to air-conditioning bills, so the more you can do to curb air conditioning use, the better. Rolf estimates that each unit’s heating and hot water bills should come in around $50/month.

Appliances and Lighting: One of the surprising features of the home is the fairly extensive use of LED lights. Rolf is using a local company, DelphiTech, to provide all the LED lights. I say “surprising,” because as the building owner, he is not responsible for his tenants’ electric bills, but they will certainly benefit from his investment in these lights and the energy-efficient appliances he’s installing. The LED light fixtures he’s using are manufactured in Ontario, and use either 1W or 1.5W but have the equivalent output of a 50Watt or 75Watt incandescent bulb respectively. All appliances (not installed yet), will be EnergyStar rated and Rolf is planning on installing  induction cooktops in both units. All appliances are sourced through Universal Appliances.

 Water Efficiency: Another area to earn points in LEED certification is through water efficiency. In this case Rolf is installing Caroma dual flush 4 litre toilets. One of the key differences between Caroma and other toilets is the diameter of the drainage hole. In most toilets the drainage hole is 2.8″, but in a Caroma toilet, the diameter is 4″. In other words, it NEVER clogs. The faucets are from Delta, one of the leading companies in low-flow water fixtures. The bathtubs come from MAAX, a Montreal-based company. Instead of using standard 60″ tubs,MAAX makes a smaller 54″ tub that limits the amount of water used. Boon Plumbing supplied all the fixtures.

Indoor Air Quality: One area that is receiving more attention lately is the build-up of toxic chemicals in our homes due to the off-gassing of chemicals from materials used in new home construction, furniture, paints and even household cleaners.  In addition to paint, building materials include caulking, adhesives, polyurethanes, insulation (many kinds contain ureaformaldehyde), cabinetry and millwork, etc. contain many toxic gaseous chemicals that can off-gas for years. Rolf uses zero or low-VOC materials during construction, then airs out the homes before tenants move in. Once occupied, The LifeBreath clean air furnace contains a HEPA filter to continuously clean indoor air.

Paint: Rolf has used Dulux Diamond Interior Paint on past projects and is sold on its performance. When applied in white, as it is in all of his units, it is a low-VOC paint (less than 10 grams/litre of volatile organic compounds). But maybe most surprisingly, it has a lifespan of 30 years. Because it is a ceramic-based acrylic paint, it is completely scrubbable, even the flat version.

Materials and Resources: Rolf sources materials as locally as possible. For example, both rigid and batt insulation, and the steel-frame, come from Toronto; Windows and LED lighting are from the Ottawa area, flooring was milled in Haliburton. The stainless steel kitchen sinks are Novanni (north of Toronto), and bathtubs are from Montreal.

 

For more information on the RGB Group, visit the RGB Group website.

 

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Mythic Paint — Zero VOC, 1200+ Colours, Great Price!

August 15th, 2011

A few weeks ago our family was on holiday near Huntsville, Ontario. While there, I dropped in to visit Jonathan and Celine MacKay, owners of Sustain Eco Store and Pure Green Magazine. When I asked about any new products they were carrying, Celine told me that they’ve brought in the Mythic line of paints.

Mythic was developed at the University of Southern Mississippi. It is non-toxic and zero VOC (volatile organic compounds), even when tinted. One of the dirty little secrets of some paint companies, is that their paints are  zero-VOC, only until they are tinted.

Volatile organic compounds are bad for our health — in addition to the immediate paint smell you get when you breathe in, paints can off-gas for another 6 years, putting all kinds of toxic, carcinogenic chemicals into our indoor air ready for us to breathe. VOCs are also bad for the environment, and the paint industry estimates that VOCs from paint manufacturing may be contributing up to 10% of chemicals responsible for ozone depletion and climate change.

Mythic paints are different than traditionally manufactured paints because they avoid using the toxic solvents usually needed to dissolve paint and colour tints (hence the absence of VOCs). However, performance and coverage are considered as good if not better than traditionally made paint. It has performed very well in scrub tests too.

But maybe what I like best about this paint is the price. Mythic Classic sells for $42.99-$54.99 per gallon. That is an incredible bargain, considering I just spent $85+ on one gallon of a competitor’s zero VOC paint.

Mythic sells three different lines through Sustain:

Mythic Classic: Homeowner, do it yourself paint for anyone to apply. Coverage is approximately 400 sq. feet. Available in three different sheens: flat, eggshell and semi gloss. Sustain Eco Store Prices: Flat $44.99, Eggshell $46.99, and Semi-gloss $54.99. All prices are per gallon.

Mythic Pro: excellent coverage, made for professional painters. Available in flat, eggshell and semi gloss. Price $32.99 – $42.99. All prices are per gallon.

Mythic Black Label: an all-in-one paint and primer. Made for drywall and first time applications on new material. Available finishes are matte, satin and semi-gloss. Price: $58.99-$60.99 per gallon.

Note: all prices quoted are current prices (2011) at Sustain Eco Store. Prices vary by vendor.

Mythic is available in more than 1200 colours and the palettes are divided into different categories and available on their website (although I’d recommend seeing the real thing because digital colour and real colour will vary by computer). Finally, Mythic has a “room visualizer” where you can “paint” a ceiling, trim and wall from the colours available in their palette. It’s kind of fun. You get to put all kinds of colours together you wouldn’t do in real life; for instance I paired “plenty of sunshine” (orange) as a ceiling colour with a trim of “island magic” (turquoise) and “Sunburst Nose” (deep pink). Let’s just say if you walked into a room like that you’d wonder if I was colour blind!

For more information on Mythic, contact Celine and Jonathan McKay at Sustain at info@sustainmuskoka.ca or  705-787-0362.

Sustain Eco Store

8 Crescent Road

Huntsville, ON

For dealers in other areas, visit Mythic’s website: http://www.mythicpaint.com/searchDealer.aspx

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3 Bedroom “Green” Chicago Home for sale: $129,900 (and you thought a green home had to be expensive)

June 27th, 2011

Green House For Sale in Chicago, $129,900

Chris McAuliffe is the owner of CM Real Estate Developments, a Chicago-based company. I had the opportunity to speak with him about an interesting project he’s just finished: Instead of demolishing this home in Cicero IL, a suburb of Chicago, and starting from scratch, Chris not only renovated it, but did it in such a fashion that it qualified for the NAHB (National Association of  Home Builders) “bronze” level green home. Best of all, he’s able to sell it and still make a profit, for $129,900 (US) — blowing away the myth that “green” is expensive.

We talked about two different aspects of the home: 1. What features it had that made it “green” and 2. How he is able to sell it for such an affordable price.

The house is a 1928 bungalow that’s been completely renovated and consists of about 3300 square feet of living space and includes three bedrooms, one bathroom, a brand new garage, and is fully detached.

The green features of this home include:

  • Reuse of most wood doors, trim, floors and windows. The exterior back door had to be replaced, and it was replaced with an Energy Star-rated door. The attic windows were replaced with Energy Star-rated windows.
  • Soy-based all natural paint-removers were used to strip the floors, windows and trim,
  • Zero VOC paints (Eco Spec by Benjamin Moore),
  • Low VOC floor varnish,
  • Insulation to R-30 in attic, additional insulation in walls, improved caulking and sealing of air leaks,
  • Tankless Hot Water System is used for both hot water and heating the home,
  • New Kitchen uses FSC-certified Wood kitchen cabinets, Energy-Star rated appliances,
  • Bathroom uses low-flow Kohler faucets, and tub is made from 93% recycled material, also by Kohler,
  • New garage uses roofing shingles containing recycled material and siding containing recycled material,
  • Dimmable lighting and CFL bulbs were used throughout the home,
  • Materials were sourced locally when possible.

All of these features add up to a low-maintenance, low-energy consuming home that not only is it affordable, but on-going utility costs will also be low.

Exterior, "before"

Exterior "before"

view to dining room "work in progress"

View to Living Room "work in progress"

bedroom "before"

Attic. Note old windows.

Basement "work in progress"

So what were the secrets to being able to renovate and resell this home affordably? Chris told me that there were a few key decisions to making the home affordable.

1. Heating: like many older homes, this one is heated with radiators. The plumbing system was in good condition when Chris bought the home so it remains intact. The boiler, on the other hand, has been replaced by a gas-powered tankless hot water system. That means it only fires up when necessary and it was a lot cheaper to buy and install than a new boiler. Although a tankless system isn’t a practical method for heating larger homes, for something as modest as this bungalow, it works well and kept Chris’ renovating costs down while saving the future homeowners heating costs.

2. Preserving and restoring all wood work: The floors were stripped and refinished, as was all the trim, woodwork, and doors (except for the back exterior door which was had deteriorated too much). Less material used, less material going to landfill, more local labour employed. All of these factors lowered the cost of the renovation.

3. Windows: The windows were stripped and refinished instead of being replaced. This decision also lowered costs. There are trade-offs to this decision of course, while new windows would have offered a tighter building envelope, old windows (if the wood frame is well-preserved), along with additional storm windows for winter, some more caulking and insulation around the frames, not only preserve the historical nature of the home, but also aren’t as leaky as you might think.

4. Caulking: The all important sealing of leaks around door and window frames. This is one of the most effective methods for tightening up a building envelope as well as one of the most cost effective.

"After" Dining Room and view into Living Room

New Kitchen

Living Room

Finished Attic -- "Recreation Room"

Completed Basement

Master Bedroom

Finished Rear Exterior

New Garage

I asked Chris what the feedback had been like on the home so far and he told me there are four interested potential buyers at the moment.

By reusing and restoring as much as possible in the home, it allowed Chris to keep the cost of reselling the house to an affordable price. Think “greening” a home has to be expensive? It’s all about making smart, creative decisions as Chris has done with this home.

To view the complete listing for the house, click here.

For more information on CM Real Estate Development, click here.

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