This is more a technical point but something worth considering when using materials. For example the “problem” with recycled cellulose is that it is degraded. There is a green term for this but I forgot it. Basically you are taking a higher purpose material – newspaper that is used to transport knowledge – and degrading […]
What is Degradation of Recycling? Read More »
Spray foam insulation is good because it creates very good seals. You don’t have to worry about air leaks. The one thing it has against it is that it is petroleum based. There is a company that sells itself as a green alternative because it uses soy based oils instead. Biobased is one such company.
Soy Based Spray Foam Read More »
We needed some slate to repair an existing slate wall on the top of the green show house. One consideration was using a slate look alike that is made from recycled materials. But then I discovered there is a thriving community of people who salvage old slate from homes. They have merged into the “green”
I’ve put pex tubes between joists under the subfloor. that is how my radiant guy designed it. The whole theory that as long as you contain the heat it will get to the room eventually etc. I also couldn’t put them above the floor due to a low ceiling. Since then I have realized the
Adding a Concrete Sub Floor Heat Collector Read More »
Before: After: In the renovation of the green show house we are exposing as much brick as possible instead of building walls over it since the greenest building is no building. But the walls were not intended to be seen and a lot of them are in bad shape. The normal thing to do is
Avoiding Chemicals Read More »
“High End Apartments”, “Luxury Condos”, “Exclusive Properties” These are terms that have been thrown around a lot over the past couple years as developers and buyers got more and more caught up in the real estate frenzy, constantly looking to make fancier buildings. What Luxury Really Mean? But what did “luxury” really mean? More than
Redefining construction Management “High End” Read More »
When we went into contract for the property that is currently being built as a green show house it was during the “normal” financial times of March 2006. No storms were on the horizon and everyone was still giddy from the constant rise of funding and property prices. Our plan was to do what we
The process of building green is different than normal building. There are new considerations to include in the mix. Here is an example. Solar PV is a smart choice in NY I think. NY gets a lot of sun and although a Californian electrician might scoff at it, most NY professionals think it is a
Solar Panels, An Example in Green Considerations Read More »
Finding an architect who can draw up plans to your liking is not easy. A good architect has a combination of the following things: Can draw to meet DOB code Can draw in a timely manner Understands spacial relations and how they effect people Understands passive solar gain and cooling Is creative Designs around your
22 2nd Street Plans Read More »
We have a floor with a high ceiling which means we can lay the pex tubing on top of the subfloor instead of hanging the tubing beneath. The pex tubing takes up valuable space and you can only lay it on top of the subfloor if you have the ceiling height. Having the tubing on
Sound Proofing and Heat Transfer Subfloor Read More »
