[Greenbuilding] asking for advice

[Ted Inoue]

Hi Wayne,
Sounds like you've done your research and have a good background.

I personally would create a spreadsheet with a cost-benefit analysis for the
main items so that everything is right there in front of you.
For example, you might have (values made up):
Wall system:
system   R-value   cost
8" SIPs   30         $x/sf
2x6 stick w/poly  35   $y/sf
2x6 stick w/cellulose 19   $z/sf

Heating system:
system    cost    operational cost/year
forced air, heat pump, gas backup  $, $x
forced air ground source heat pump,  $, $y
mini-split heat pump, $, $z

Windows:
type    cost   U-value   SHGC  cost/year


etc. etc.

As for specifics, from what I've heard, if you go with SIPs, go with a
company that will come and install them on your foundation. Joe Lstiburek
said that there have been serious issues with improper installation. In
particular, if the seams aren't perfectly tight, then the
infiltrating/exfiltrating air can lead to condensation issues and rot. If
that happens, you're hosed. But the benefits, as you know, are great. no
worries (aside the aforementioned) of shoddy framing and air leaking in.

OTOH, a conventionally framed envelope (2x6, 24 OC) filled with
polyurethane, should be very tight and the insulation will be excellent and
you can get normal crews to put it together. If that too breaks the budget,
then properly installed dense packed cellulose is a great option, but from
what I've personally seen, it's hard to find anybody who really installs
dense pack properly.

Windows - see www.loewen.com. ALL the sustainable builders in my area
independently found and selected them. They are incredibly beautiful windows
and sell for the same (or less) as the other high quality windows like
Pella's. They put all others (that I've seen) to shame. The simulated
divided lights are so convincing that even on close inspection I thought
that the windows were true divided lights. I cannot recommend them highly
enough.

In my own home, I selected their HP3 (triple glazed, low-e, argon filled)
for the north facing windows and the HP1 (double glazed, low-e argon filled)
for the south facing. As another poster replied, if you can, get high SHGC
for the south facing windows. I would have rather gotten non-low-e windows
for the south windows to get more solar gain, but my supplier couldn't get
them. To keep costs down, you'd probably want to go with the standard double
glazed windows, but look into the triples. they're truly awesome.

Also look into the Superior Wall system. The sustainable builders in this
area really like these. They're more expensive than block walls, but the
benefits are supposed to be excellent.

Seriously look into geothermal. The up-front cost is high, but the
operational cost savings can often offset the additional mortgage payments.
And, it's more 'green' in that you're not burning fossil fuels (assuming
that you buy green electricity...). In my own home, I used an ECR
Technologies direct exchange geothermal system, which I felt was the most
efficient unit out there. However, it all depends on your installer. my
installer was a bozo and they botched the install. If you have the chance,
the best way to go might be to go open loop. You'll need a well that can
produce several gallons/minute per ton of capacity.

Depending on your buyers, solar hot water can be a tough sell because of
aesthetics. Definitely something to consider.

Obvious things I'm sure you know about - avoid big expanses of glass
anywhere but south facing. Proper overhangs on south facing windows. Thermal
mass to collect/buffer solar heat.

Another item - beware of attached garages. I've experienced several houses
recently where people are trying to rectify the problem of living spaces
above garages. Even with full up polyurethane underneath!  Besides the
problem of exhaust toxicity, the heat loss is really hard to control. From
what I've seen, I'd never build a house with a garage under the living
space.

Another thing - never assume that the builders are doing what you tell them
to! If they aren't familiar with optimum value engineered framing, you'll
have to get out there and show them exactly what needs to be done and make
sure that the details are in the drawings. Double check everything, early on
in the process so the builders don't have to rip things up!!!

Did I already say "don't trust the builders"?  :-)

More details to go along with the above caveat. Be there when they set the
forms for the foundation walls. Make sure that they insulate the outside of
the walls properly. Make sure they insulate under the slab properly. The
devil's in the details.
The details will really get you. The builders will fight you, stand your
ground. They'll tell you "I've been building for 30 years and what you're
telling me to do won't work!" Or won't make a difference. whatever. Just be
prepared. Print out information from buildingscience.com or whatever. Back
up everything with information from reputable sources. If they fight you too
much, fire them and get another builder. Hopefully, you'll find a builder
who is green friendly.

Write everything into the building contract. Go over every important detail
with the builders. Trust me on this. Everybody in my area who has tried to
build a green house has been unintentionally screwed by the builders. Even
when the details were in the plans, carpenters would use conventional
framing or do other details incorrectly. You cannot micromanage these guys
too much at the start of the project. These guys are experts at what they do
but (most likely) novices at green building. Once they get the hang of
things, back off. Just check periodically and make sure they continue to do
things correctly.

Be nice to them. Buy them pizza and sandwiches. Be friendly. Treat this as
an educational opportunity for both you and the builder. Tell them that more
and more people want houses built this way, and if they can train their crew
in these techniques, they'll be ahead of their competition. Warn the builder
up-front that your specifications may seem "different", but they are
necessary for the proper completion of the project. Reassure them that the
construction methods are being used around the world and are fully code
approved. You might have to educate the code officer too. And, you might
have to spend extra money on engineering fees proving that the building is
structurally sound.

details, details...



On 2/25/07, Wayne Mueller <wayne at mueller1.com > wrote:
>
> Thank you for your comments Ted and Ronald.
> My answers appear below in CAPS.
>
> Wayne
>
> _______
>
> The economics may depend quite a bit on where you are located as that will
> determine building costs and selling income.
>
> Where are you located?
> NEW HAMPSHIRE
>
>
> Are you a developer or is this a first time effort at building a spec
> house?
>
>   THIS WOULD BE MY FIRST TIME BUILDING A SPEC HOUSE.  HOWEVER, I DESIGNED
> MY
> HOUSE BACK IN THE EARLY NINETIES, AND IT TURNED OUT WELL.  REALTORS HAVE
> CONFIRMED THAT I MADE GOOD CHOICES IN THE DESIGN.  IT IS WELL BUILT AND
> HAS
> VERY FEW PROBLEMS, BUT IT IS NOT ENERGY CONSERVING.
>   I HAVE ALSO WORKED FOR A LAND DEVELOPER AND SO I UNDERSTAND THE
> ECONOMICS
> AND RISKS OF LAND DEVELOPMENT.
>   I DO NOT HAVE ANY SPECIFIC BUILDING TRADE EXPERIENCE, BUT I HAVE A
> TECHNICAL BACKGROUND (EE) AND AM ABLE TO EVALUATE THE QUALITY OF THE WORK
> PERFORMED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF A HOUSE.  THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME
> WILL BE IN THE MATERIALS AND LABOR COSTING AND FINDING GOOD SUBS (ALTHOUGH
> THAT SHOULDN'T BE TOO DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW GIVEN THE SOFTNESS IN THE
> MARKET).
>
>
> The list's answers will vary greatly depending on your level of
> experience.
> Do you already have the property, or are you in the process of selecting
> that? That too makes a big difference.
>   I HAVE A PROPERTY IN MIND WHICH COULD CLEARLY SUPPORT THIS TYPE OF HOUSE
> (EVEN A LARGER ONE).  LOW PRICE IN A REASONABLE NEIGHBORHOOD IS THE MOST
> IMPORTANT ISSUE HERE.
>
> It would also be useful to know more of your constraints, so as to help
> shape the project. You've clearly got some flexibility if you're
> considering
> SIPs. What about other building materials, siding, roofing, etc.?
>   I AM FLEXIBLE BUT WANT TO STAY WITHIN THE REALM OF EASY TO SELL. I'M
> CONSIDERING METAL ROODING, ICF FOUNDATION, LOCAL CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS,
> IN-LINE HOT WATER HEATERS, WOOD STOVE (BACK-UP), RAIN WATER COLLECTION.
> DURABILITY (100 YEARS?) IS IMPORTANT.
>
> What about "must haves"?
>   SUPER INSULATION. GOOD SUN USAGE (SOME PASSIVE SOLAR ATTRIBUTES). SHOULD
> USE LESS THAN HALF THE HEATING ENERGY THAT A TYPICAL HOUSE OF SIMILAR SIZE
>
> WOULD USE.  MUST BE WELL SEALED.  ONLY FLOURESCENT LIGHTS WILL BE USED
> (WELL
> MAYBE A REGULAR CHANELIER, BUT THAT'S ALL).  WINDOWS SHOULD BE VERY LOW
> U-VALUE.  SEEMS LIKE MOST DOUBLE HUNGS CAN'T GO BELOW 0.35 .  I WOULD LIKE
> TO
> USE WINDOWS THAT HAVE U-VALUES AROUND 0.20. IS THAT POSSIBLE WITH A DOUBLE
> HUNG?  IF NOT WHAT CAN I USE IN A COLONIAL THAT WILL LOOK REASONABLE?
>
> TYPICAL CONSTRUCTION AROUND HERE IS 2X6 WITH FIBERGLASS INSULATION, TYVEK
> OVER OSB, VINYL SIDING, STANDARD LOW-E DOUBLE PANE ARGON FILLED DOUBLE
> HUNG
> WINDOWS, ASPHALT SHINGLES.  SOME HOUSES ARE USING 2 INCH RIGID FOAM OVER
> THE
> OSB.
>
> Are you set on a specific type of heating/cooling system?
>   I AM LEANING TOWARDS FORCED HOT AIR HEAT TO ALLOW FOR AIR CONDITIONING.
> IT MAKES THE HOME MUCH MORE MARKETABLE.
>
> Does the home have to be a typical new construction, set in the middle of
> a
> vacant lot or do you have the option of building partially into a
> south-facing hillside, having a walk-out basement, etc.?
> I WILL DEFINITELY FACE THE HOUSE SOUTHWARD ALTHOUGH THE LAND DOES NOT
> SLOPE
> SOUTHWARD. I WILL MINIMIZE THE SIZE OF THE AREA THAT WILL BE CUT AND WILL
> KEEP IT BELOW ABOUT 0.5 ACRE.  SAVING TREES IS IMPORTANT.
>
> How much cost can you pass on to the buyer?
>   I WILL PASS ALL COST AND, HOPEFULLY SOME PROFIT, ON TO THE BUYER.
>
> Do you feel the market will offer a premium if you build a LEED certified
> home? Of is it good enough just to market it as a "Green" home (i.e.
> saving
> you the rigamarole of going through the LEED process).
>   THE MARKET IN NEW ENGLAND IS VERY SOFT RIGHT NOW (12 MONTH SUPPLY OF
> HOUSES ON THE MARKET RIGHT NOW).  HOWEVER, ENERGY EFFICIENT AND GREEN
> BUILDING MATERIALS SEEM TO BE IN DEMAND AND THERE ARE FEW BUILDERS WHO
> KNOW
> HOW TO BUILD AN ENERGY EFFICIENT HOME.  I HAVE READ "GREEN REMODELING"
> (JOHNSTON), "THE NEW ECOLOGICAL HOME" AND "THE SOLAR HOUSE" (CHIRAS),
> "BUILDERS GUIDE TO COLD CLIMATES" (LSTIBUREK), AND HAVE THE "GREEN SPEC"
> AND
> "GREEN BUILDING PRODUCTS" GUIDES.  I USED TO GET EBN.  I THINK I HAVE A
> REASONABLE UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES INVOLVED.   IT IS THE "FIRST TIME
> BUILDER" INEXPERIENCE THAT I NEED TO OVERCOME.
>
> Good luck. Hope you get lots of good guidance.
> On 2/25/07, Wayne Mueller < wayne at mueller1.com> wrote:
> Hello green builders,
>
> This is my first posting and I am looking for some advice about building
> an
> energy efficient home.
>
> Since this would be my first project, I would start out conservatively.
> This may be a spec house and loosing money would be a disaster for me.I
> don't have to make a lot of money, but I really need to avoid loosing
> money
> on the deal.
>
> The house would be a 2 story 4 bedroom colonial probably 32 x 36.I believe
> this is within the LEED-H limit for a 4 bedroom design.
>
> I am considering the use of SIP's, either 8 inch or 10 inch thick. Is this
> a
>
> good idea from a leakage (overall insulation) standpoint?The SIP
> manufacturer around here can design the outer shell, manufacture it and
> assemble it for me on site, which would seem to be very practical.What are
>
> your experiences with SIP's regarding longevity, weather sealing, cost,
> etc.?
>
> Any suggestions on things that are definite must haves and items I should
> stay away from would be most appreciated. I have a hundred other questions
> but I will stop here for now.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Wayne
>
>
>