HAVC manufacturing companies throw a lot of info around without consumers really knowing what is true. As an energy efficient HVAC installer we are very interested in the real energy efficiency of a unit. Is it really a SEER 25? How did they do the test? Does it retain that rating when the temperature drops […]
There are several glues on the market now for attaching wood flooring to the sub floor, considered green glues because they have very low VOC’s compared to typical flooring glues. They tend to be water based instead of chemical based. We have experimented with them but haven’t had good results. Firstly, using anything water based
Here is a funny video. I like it because it takes the piss out of people who take themselves too seriously. It isn’t exactly about green building but it has that tree huger feel. As a tree huger myself I appreciate the self deprecating humor. Also notice the guy charging money for hugs actually gets
Here is a sobering documentary on what is called Global Dimming, the effect of pollution particles blocking the sunshine on the planet. Ironically global dimming helps block the sun’s rays and thus REDUCES Global Warming. But the moral of the story is not very positive. This documentary apart from being fascinating is also a very
The way Brooklyn brownstones are currently renovated does not work. It does not work for the environment nor for the inhabitants’ comfort and utility bills. Eco Brooklyn is focused on redefining how a brownstone gets renovated. We use the Brooklyn Green Show House as an example of a renovation template that works for the triple
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This is probably my farewell post to what I think is one of the stupidest building I’ve seen in a long time. I say it is a farewell post because I don’t have much hope for rectifying the problem and am moving on. I’m referring to the 2009 installation of window grilles onto the PS
PS 58 Window Grille Stupidity Read More »
Green building means a lot of things to many people. As a green builder I think long and hard about the definition of green building for our company. I’ve boiled it down to four key concepts: good for the planet long lasting energy efficient holistic Any green building practice has the basic tenet that it
Green Building Defined Read More »
If you have a well sealed house like the Brooklyn Green Show House you need to add an air ventilator. The best kind is one that recoups the heat and cold that leaves the house. That would be called a Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV). But another thing is humidity. You want it to stay within
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I just had a contractor come visit our Brooklyn Green Show House. He was up from Virginia visiting family and decided to check it out. He isn’t a green builder but wants to move in that direction. Where he’s from he says there is very little green building interest and he is very frustrated with
Hitting Eco Brick Walls With Clients and how to Overcome Them Read More »
I just go a call from Joel Frank, one of the three members of the Rebuilder Source cooperative in the Bronx. They accept donations of building materials and resell them at good prices. The drive behind them is mostly idealistic: one of making the world a greener place by reusing materials. He was just reaching
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