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 »
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
Lowering the Cellar Three Feet Read More »
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
Inserting the Insulation Into the Roof Ceiling Read More »
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
About House Wrap and Tar Paper Read More »
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
Hemp – Stonger and Lighter than Cement Read More »
There are certain inalienable elements that every human needs in their environment in order to stay healthy and happy. These elements are green, timeless, and universal. They are: 1. sunlight by day 2. darkness by night 3. greenery 4. water 5. meaningful sounds 6. fresh gently moving air 7. thermal comfort within thermal variation (not
What We Need, the Basics Read More »
