Brooklyn on a Crisp Winter Day!
As seen from the stoop of the green show house. Nice!
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Laying the foundation for the concrete slab
We have completely dug down the cellar by 3 and 1/2 feet. Then we put a vapour barrier and 3 inch insulation which we taped at the seams. Then we put down the salvaged fencing from the back yard to act as strengthener for the cement. On the fence we tied the pex tubing for
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Wood Flooring courtesy of Corcoran
Only in USA are dumpsters so full of wonderful stuff. And you can’t get fancier than a Corcoran dumpster. There is one in front of the Corcoran condos on President St in Carroll Gardens. I had the good luck to check them out today and found 1000 sq.ft. of once used wide plank wood flooring!
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The Cost of Recycling
Above Pic: “ugly” wood that I use for everything from studs to window frames. Way to Savings Money Recycling is a great way to reuse materials and save money. It is important to keep in mind the extra costs of recycling. If you get the materials for free, say from a salvage, that is a
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Soundproofing Between Floors By Using Tires
After some research we noticed that one of the most effective ways to reduce impact noise between floors was to put a recycled tyre product between the floor and sub floor. It creates a vibrating cushion that absorbs the impact, thus deadening the sound. The only problem is that this product is costly. And costly
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Fiberglass Windows
I paid a lot of money for fiberglass windows for the Brooklyn Green Show House. Despite the cost, the fiberglass frame part I LOVE. I think this is the way to go. I really love them and once they are nicely painted and repaired I will be very happy with them. When it is cold
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Lowering the Cellar Three Feet
In order to maximize the living space we decided to turn the cellar into a useable space. To do this we cut a 10×10 foot hole into the floor of the basement, which is only technically called the basement since it is a foot below grade. Practically it is the garden level. Once a hole
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Inserting the Insulation Into the Roof Ceiling
We are inserting the salvaged poly iso insulation board into the top floor ceiling of the house between the joists. All the joists have been sistered with “new” salvaged joists. You can see the bolts holding them together. We are packing four layers of poly iso board, making it an air tight R 36. The
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About House Wrap and Tar Paper
Here is an interesting article. It describes all the kinds of house wraps and vapor barriers in detail. It also concludes that despite all the fancy new products the good old tar paper is still the preferred product for the author. I like building that sticks to the basics and avoids as much as possible
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Hemp – Stonger and Lighter than Cement
I subscribe to some very scholarly journals on green building. I also subscribe to some radical journals on politics and conspiracies. I like to check out the pulse from various sources. And when I start seeing trends overlapping I know it is something worth paying attention to. Use of Mixed Hemp Fiber This week I
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