I was discussing with somebody about straw bale homes and how they don’t actually last as long as other well built homes. It made me think that you basically get what you build with. Hold a peice of the material in your hand and it will give you a very good indication of how long […]
You get what you build with Read More »
One of the cool things about being a Brooklyn green contractor with my very own green show house is that I get to have all sorts of visitors to talk shop with. It is like a mechanic showing off his custom hot rod or a farmer with his fields. I get lots of green minded
Visitor of the Day – One Nature LLC Read More »
The green show house is an experiment in building. Sometimes we really get it right, sometimes we totally don’t. This kind of experimentation can’t be done on a clients house. But since this is a show house we want to show the process, both good and bad. The hope is that we find better ways
Try Something New Despite What they Say Read More »
A couple weeks ago somebody called me up asking if Eco Brooklyn wanted free interns. I said no because nothing is free and didn’t want the extra responsibility. But then I found it it was the International Center for the Disabled , an almost one hundred year old institution that does some wonderful work helping
Eco Brooklyn to Partner With ICD Read More »
I just passed the LEED AP test. LEED certification has some benefits. If everyone built along the LEED standards I do think that the world would be a greener place, not so much because LEED is amazing but because people build really badly. I also have my reservations. The LEED AP certification process is a
Gennaro Brooks-Church is a LEED AP Read More »
Ever wondered what size riser you need to put for your water supply? Green builders do. Here is a good list of pipe sizes, lengths and resulting pressure. Water pressure in Brooklyn is pretty good. The idea is to pick a pipe size that will give you good pressure even if a couple faucets are
Calculating Green Flow Rates Read More »
Here is somebody I know from chat lists etc. I Googled them and came across an article they wrote that is informative. Here it is verbatim: The Many Shades of Green: Moving from Building Science to Sustainability Joyce Coppinger, Executive Director/Member of the Board, The Green Prairie Foundation for Sustainability, PO Box 22706, Lincoln, Nebraska
Person of the Day: Joyce Coppinger Read More »
Green East had a trade show in partnership with the Architectural Digest Trade Show at Pier 92 this week here in New York. Green East had a small section in the back with about 20 “green” companies hocking their wares. Mildly interesting. But nothing to write home about. You had your salvaged wood companies who
Green East Trade Show and other Sorry Occasions Read More »
One of my plumbers is telling me I need to run a one inch copper pipe for both hot and cold supply lines as risers up the house. Then they would have half inch pipes coming off to each fixture. A one inch pipe creates a huge waste of water and heat. But they claim
Pulled directly from Brownstoner forum: I attended a seminar at National Grid’s offices yesterday that detailed some of the rebates and incentives currently being offered. Of particular interest (to me anyway) is the oil-to-natural gas conversion boiler being given for $699 up to 245,000 BTUs. A steam boiler of this size normally costs about $2,700
NY Boiler and Heater Rebates Read More »
