One technology I have my eyes on is developed by Isomax. They build homes that require basically no heating or cooling at all, regardless of where the house it. How do they do it? They use a series of air and water tubes and ducts to pass heat and cold around. They have tubes in […]
Zero Energy Houses Read More »
A “new” construction style coming out of Germany creates houses that barely need energy to run. They don’t even have heating systems. In the dead of winter they might need a little space heater but that is is. What is the secret? Insane amounts of insulation, triple pane windows, fanatic air sealing, smart solar design,
Passiv Haus (Passive House) Read More »
We have a cellar half of the ceiling on the south side being open so that large amounts of light stream in and make a very nice living area. First we dug out the cellar 3 1/2 feet: While digging we found a giant stone which I decided to keep and put under the stairs,
Installing the concrete slab Read More »
I have a moto that I live by when building: Fanatic Insulation. I’m not sure if I coined the phrase but I think I did :). We use weather barrier, caulk, insulation, foam, flashing etc like there we’re building an antarctic deep sea submarine. How do we Insultation a House ? Considering some European standards,
Fanatic Insulation Read More »
As seen from the stoop of the green show house. Nice!
Brooklyn on a Crisp Winter Day! Read More »
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
Laying the foundation for the concrete slab Read More »
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!
Wood Flooring courtesy of Corcoran Read More »
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
The Cost of Recycling Read More »
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
Soundproofing Between Floors By Using Tires Read More »
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
Fiberglass Windows Read More »
