Foundation Walls

November 20th, 2008 by Conrad in Blogs - Mill Creek Net Zero Home, Energy Conservation, Green Building Blogs, Green Homes

The MCNZH foundation. The rectangle that’s jutting out is the cold room, located under the front steps/landing.

A frequently asked question regarding the Mill Creek NetZero Home (MCNZH) is: “Why didn’t you use Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) for the foundation walls?”.  The short answer is: “using traditional concrete forms and innovative insulating techniques, we can achieve a much higher R-value for less money”.

ICFs are concrete forms made of styrofoam that you set up, pour concrete into, and leave in place to act as insulation. Here’s a picture of someone setting them up:

The advantages of ICFs include decent insulation value, ease of learning for the do-it-yourselfer, and ease of setup (foam is a lot lighter than plywood).

There is a myth that ICFs provide walls with an “equivalent energy loss performance” to an R 50 wall. The argument goes that the mass inside of the concrete walls acts as heat storage, thereby buffering heat as it goes in and out of the building. The counter-argument is quite complex, but suffice to say that I’ve heard very knowledgeable people say that ICFs performing like an R 50 wall is complete bunk. The argument makes sense, too. When it’s minus 20 outside, the relatively small amount of thermal energy stored in a concrete wall will have little effect. R value is R value. ICFs provide about an R 22 wall, with no thermal bridging. That’s pretty decent, but it’s not R50.

The foundation walls for the MCNZH will be insulated to about R 49 - actually R 49, no caveats or stars beside that term. We had the walls poured conventionally - with plywood forms - in August (see picture at the top), and before we poured the basement slab Peter Amerongen’s crew glued 5 inches of ozone-friendly foam against the inside of the foundation walls. That will provide R 22. Then, we had interior walls (called frost walls) framed along the foundation walls, 7 inches away from the foam. When the cavity between the foam and the frost wall is filled with cellulose fiber insulation, at R 3.74 per inch, it will add 26.88, for a total R value of 48.88 for the foundation walls, with no thermal bridging. Not too shabby, considering that conventional builders will insulate to R 12, with a full thermal break at each stud. Here are some pictures:

The door opening in the MCNZH’s basement. The foam is glued directly to the concrete (only 2.5 inches here, we ran out of foam, but we’ll add more later), and the frost wall is framed out 7 inches away from the foam.

The window opening in the MCNZH’s basement bedroom (opening still filled with plywood). Here you can see the full 5 inches of foam, with the frost wall framed 7 inches away.

Another view of the frost wall.

This foundation will provide very high energy-saving performance, and it was fairly economical. It should be a very comfortable place for someone to live.

(cross posted at greenedmonton.ca)


Power to Your Mailbox

November 19th, 2008 by andrea in Community, Energy Conservation

Last week, in my mailbox appeared a brand new fluorescent lightbulb. Watch your mailbox closely this season - you’ll probably be gifted with one too!

So who’s the secret santa? Meet Project Porchlight - an eco-initiative of non-profit Ottawa organization One Change. Back in 2004, One Change founder Stuart Hickox met inspiration in the following statistic:

‘If every household in Canada replaced a single incandescent lightbulb with a fluorescent, the effect would be equal to removing 66,000 cars from the road.’

That’s the power of simple actions orchestrated en masse. And that’s what Project Porchlight is endeavoring to do.

Care to help? Project Porchlight is recruiting volunteers to deliver ‘power savings’ to mailboxes Canada-wide. Volunteer orientations are happening right now, so if you’d like to take a walk and fight climate change at the same time, join the movement! I just did.

Resources

How to recycle a fluorescent lightbulb


Build a 60 Watt Solar Panel for Under $130

November 17th, 2008 by andrea in Dynamic Spaces, Energy Conservation, Projects, Renewable Energy, Solar

You’ve gotta love brilliant people. I have this one friend who designed and set-up a system that uses basic filters and plants to purify the water leftover from his recycled paper-making business.

And then there’s the people who just wake up one morning, scratch their noggins and decide, “I think I’m going to make a solar panel this week.” I just marvel at those people. M. Davis of Arizona did just that.

Ok, so it might have taken him longer than a week, but with some materials scavenged from his garage, some parts sourced through ebay and a touch of brilliance, M. Davis now has solar power.

My first thought when I saw this project was ‘good for him. Too bad I’m not gifted enough to build a schmancy solar panel.’ But M. Davis has taken the time to document how he did it in plain English on his own web site and on Instructables. Plus, you can email him if you have questions!

(Image Source: M. Davis Site)

Based on Davis’ writeup, the skills needed to build a solar panel like this are:

Basic Woodworking Soldering Electronics Wiring

For a seasoned do-it-yourselfer those skills are old hat. But, if you’re just starting out, recruit people you know who have these skills! Building a solar panel like this could save you some good cash. You could either make like M. Davis or hand over $485 CDN to Real Goods for a 62 Watt Solar Module.

Oh, and if this project is to basic for you, try building your own wind turbine. Or better yet, build me a solar panel!


Inspection

November 14th, 2008 by ecosense in Blogs - Ann & Gord Eco-Sense, Dynamic Spaces, Green Building Blogs

Inspection

Yes, we passed final electrical inspection, by default because the inspector didn’t show up in the two day window. Apparently a group of inspectors will be coming shortly… this presents yet another educational opportunity. So officially all we need to get final occupancy is the completion of the railing on Merrily and Howie’s deck. We had purchased used fishing net material to fill in under the railing but apparently this does not meet code. So plan B was to use a bit of our left over deer fencing as this is very strong and UV stable…but no go as well as the 1.5 inch toe holds may allow for a child to climb. So once we solve this we can move in…that is after we move a few residents out. With doors being open and all the traffic, our home has had a few guests, which have become long term… perhaps, even a generation or four. There is nothing to eat in the house (clay and sand have no food value) but the squatters like to sleep inside…who could blame them. For months we have been live trapping and releasing outside…they have had peanut butter and oatmeal for months. Read the rest of this entry »


September Eco-Sense Update #2

November 14th, 2008 by ecosense in Blogs - Ann & Gord Eco-Sense, Green Building Blogs

Update

As the house is coming very near completion we continue to discover more things to inspire us, and our passions are expanding if you can believe it. Wow looking back over the past three years it is interesting to see where passion has led. From our first date three years ago, to marriage 6 months later, buying our land with mom and dad joining in the fun, completion of our cob wood working shop, building our sustainable earthen home, education programs, tours, publicity, policy, politics, and gardens. All while weaving much learning into each of these phases. Passions outside of our manufactured culture has provided us more personal reward in such a short period than either of us had known throughout all our previous years. We hear the stories about following your passions, or the importance to choose a job that fulfills your passion, but at every step of our lives we are veered away from them, towards… earning an income.

Even as the rains fell the day of the tour for the Board of Directors of the BCSEA, there was a passion for collecting rain water. In one day, our 2500 ft2 roof collected 1250 gallons of rain water. So despite digging into the damped humanure compost to show off our composted manure, with us soaking wet, we were happy as pigs in “good stuff” knowing that our recently emptied rain cisterns were being filled. One inch (2.5 cm) of rain basically gives us 1300 gallons of water. (For the nerds 2500 ft2 at 1 inch depth translates into 360,000 cubic inches; 1 imperial gallon equals 277.4 in3 thus 1 inch of rain equates to 1297 gallons). Read the rest of this entry »


Yearning For Completion

November 14th, 2008 by andrea in Blogs - Andrea's Green Kitchen Makeover, Green Building Blogs

Looking back on my sporadic blog entries, I feel compelled to explain myself. And at the same time, we really have no excuse as to why we’re not done our kitchen yet. The question ‘are you done yet?’ got old long ago, but the pesky irritation of it is clearly not motivation enough for us to eagerly hack away at the finishing details that remain.

I won’t say we haven’t done anything in the past two months. Chris sealed our chute box with spray foam to prevent major air leaks, and I finished the painting. Yup. That’s about it. I haven’t told Chris yet, but my fastidious taping of the cabinet edges apparently wasn’t good enough. Paint seeped through in a few spots, so I have to figure out how to remove it without damaging the cabinet finish. Read the rest of this entry »


Cold? Put a Sweater On….Your House

November 4th, 2008 by andrea in Dynamic Spaces, Energy Conservation, Products & Materials

Every year as temperatures plunge we return to the age-old feat of staying warm. We unearth our familiar woolies, don knitted slippers, and gradually slip into a 6-8 month hibernation period. This year, why not put extra layers on your house as well?

Insulation Types

Choosing a sweater that brings out your eyes is far easier than selecting and installing one or more layers of insulation in your house. So, let’s start with the basics. Natural Resources Canada has compiled an extensive list of different insulation types, how they work, and what their R-values are. The University of Alaska also has an informative at-a-glance chart (pdf) to easily compare your options, while HGTV’s Ecologue’s snappy insulation overview video is sure to warm you up to the idea.

Read the rest of this entry »


MCNZH - The Look

November 4th, 2008 by Conrad in Blogs - Mill Creek Net Zero Home, Green Building Blogs, Green Homes, Uncategorized

MCNZH - from the street (the house faces north)

This is the current color scheme/look of the Mill Creek NetZero Home (MCNZH). The supports for the porch roof will be made of recycled gluelam beams. And of course, we’ll have bicycle parking out front. Eco-travellers are welcome here. Read the rest of this entry »


Multi-purpose Toilet

November 3rd, 2008 by andrea in Dynamic Spaces, Products & Materials, Water

Wondering what other function your toilet could possibly perform? Hand-washing, of course. Not in the bowl, silly! On the lid!

With this Real Goods Toilet Lid Sink, you can cut water consumption by washing your hands in this nifty add-on sink. When you flush, this gadget directs clean water to a sink on the lid of your toilet for hand-washing. Once you’ve washed your hands, the water drains into the toilet tank to complete the flush.

Think of it as a mini-greywater recycling modification to your toilet. According to Real Goods, it installs easily without tools. Each unit is made from porcelain-like plastic and retails for $89 USD.

(Image Source: RealGoods.com)


Isulated Basement Slab

November 3rd, 2008 by Conrad in Blogs - Mill Creek Net Zero Home, Energy Conservation, Green Building Blogs, Living Spaces

The best two things a home builder/renovator can do in the name of energy efficiency is to insulate and seal a house. It’s almost too bad, what with our culture’s obsession with everything high tech. When people ask me about the Mill Creek NetZero Home (MCNZH), they’re often expecting to hear about technology’s magic answers. When I start talking about insulation levels, eyes start to glaze over, but the truth is that 75% of the difference between this house and a conventional one is that it’s sealed as tight as a plastic bag and it’s super-insulated. Read the rest of this entry »