Finally, after months of rain delays, the birth of our second baby, a worldwide financial crisis, misscommunication with the inspectors office, another visit from our engineer, and $3000 + of rebar...we have a foundation in the ground!!!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Energy Efficiency III
For a hot water heater we will be using a Marathon water heater. Again, there are more efficient options; such as a heat pump water heater. Heat pump water heaters are not in widespread use although they use very standard heat pump technology and cost much less than traditional systems to heat water. The kicker is...they look funny. A potential buyer not aware of what they are looking at is going to wonder what the heck it is and could potentially be put off by it. The marathon water heater uses a traditional element, but uses a plastic tank. It also has the highest energy factor of any "traditional" water heater. So...it may not be as cutting edge as a heat pump water heater or a solar water heater, but it is the best of what traditional water heaters offer.
Our appliances will be Energy Star where available. The Energy Star program for instance doesn't rate dryers. We will have a Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer. This is a front load pair that is CEE Tier III certified. It uses a fraction of the water and energy of a traditional top load washer and dryer. Moisture sensor strips inside the dryer allow the software to know when the clothes are dry. This feature combined with the 1200+ spin speed of the washer means that heating element in the dryer will be sucking less energy and our clothes will not be baking in a hot dryer as is normal with timed drying. Another thing about the Whirlpool dryers is their software controls temperature variations within tighter tolerances than most on the market. That means if you are drying on low heat...it really is low heat...not a spike of really hot air and then no heat for a while...it's easier on your clothes.
After the HVAC equipment the next biggest energy hog in most homes is the refrigerator. If you are going to get only one appliance that is Energy Star rated make sure it is your refrigerator! We really haven't decided on a brand or model at this point. Ranges do not carry an energy star rating, but there are still ways to be more energy efficient when you cook. More and more manufacturers are building larger and larger oven cavities. These larger spaces require larger elements in order to heat the space and cook evenly. We will try to find a smaller cavity range with smaller elements AND fan convection. Convection typically comes in two formats. The first is simply a fan at the back of the oven cavity. The second has another heating element around the fan.
Most Dishwashers really don't use a tremendous amount of water and energy, but some are downright miserly. We will probably be looking to Whirlpool again (or possibly KitchenAid). Whirlpool has a new "resouce saver" system they recently brought over from Europe. My mom has one and it is very, very quiet, get's the dishes clean, and doesn't use much water or energy.
Low flow shower heads, areators on all faucets, and low water usage toilets will also be installed to curb water consumption. This is nothing really cutting edge. Most toilets and faucets sold in the last few years already comply with what we are looking for. Shower heads vary a little bit, but not a tremendous amount.
We are also budgeting for compact flourescent light bulbs. Outfitting a whole house at once with these bulbs will cost a little more, but given all we are spending on the house...it really shouldn't be that noticeable. In addition when we were chosing floor plans we tried to maximize natural light as much as possible.
Our appliances will be Energy Star where available. The Energy Star program for instance doesn't rate dryers. We will have a Whirlpool Duet Washer and Dryer. This is a front load pair that is CEE Tier III certified. It uses a fraction of the water and energy of a traditional top load washer and dryer. Moisture sensor strips inside the dryer allow the software to know when the clothes are dry. This feature combined with the 1200+ spin speed of the washer means that heating element in the dryer will be sucking less energy and our clothes will not be baking in a hot dryer as is normal with timed drying. Another thing about the Whirlpool dryers is their software controls temperature variations within tighter tolerances than most on the market. That means if you are drying on low heat...it really is low heat...not a spike of really hot air and then no heat for a while...it's easier on your clothes.
After the HVAC equipment the next biggest energy hog in most homes is the refrigerator. If you are going to get only one appliance that is Energy Star rated make sure it is your refrigerator! We really haven't decided on a brand or model at this point. Ranges do not carry an energy star rating, but there are still ways to be more energy efficient when you cook. More and more manufacturers are building larger and larger oven cavities. These larger spaces require larger elements in order to heat the space and cook evenly. We will try to find a smaller cavity range with smaller elements AND fan convection. Convection typically comes in two formats. The first is simply a fan at the back of the oven cavity. The second has another heating element around the fan.
Most Dishwashers really don't use a tremendous amount of water and energy, but some are downright miserly. We will probably be looking to Whirlpool again (or possibly KitchenAid). Whirlpool has a new "resouce saver" system they recently brought over from Europe. My mom has one and it is very, very quiet, get's the dishes clean, and doesn't use much water or energy.
Low flow shower heads, areators on all faucets, and low water usage toilets will also be installed to curb water consumption. This is nothing really cutting edge. Most toilets and faucets sold in the last few years already comply with what we are looking for. Shower heads vary a little bit, but not a tremendous amount.
We are also budgeting for compact flourescent light bulbs. Outfitting a whole house at once with these bulbs will cost a little more, but given all we are spending on the house...it really shouldn't be that noticeable. In addition when we were chosing floor plans we tried to maximize natural light as much as possible.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Energy Efficiency II
In addition to using Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) we will be paying close attention to our choices for HVAC, hot water heater, appliances, plumbing fixtures, and lighting.
HVAC - Did you know that your homes HVAC system can be up to 57% of your household energy consumption? Well...that's what Whirlpool Corporations HVAC website states. We will be using a 16 or 18 SEER heat pump system. There are many systems that are actually more efficient, but given that the technology they use is foreign to many potential buyers we don't want to limit our market if we have to resell. For instance Geothermal heatpumps have been around for years. However, our fear is that the general public simply isn't aware that these are good, durable, and super energy efficient. You can educate buyers as you can, but that doesn't mean they will adopt the technology with their next home purchase. We also looked at a super efficient 22 SEER heat pump system, but the cost/payback just didn't seem to be there. Again, with an eye towards resell we didn't feel that a 22 vs a 16 or 18 was a key selling lever.
If we were further north in a colder climate area we probably would have gone with a gas pack for heat. Given our fairly mild winters the heat pump is a much lower install cost and lower cost to run as well. They key reason at the end of the day was really just cost. That foundation put a dent in our budget!
Images above were copied from Whirlpoolhvac.com. The top image is a cutaway of an 18 SEER heatpump. The bottom image is a graph showing a 8 SEER heatpump on the far left taking $100 to do the same work the 18 SEER unit does for $39...less than half the cost!
Energy Efficiency
As the "about me" section indicates we are trying to do some things with the design of the house around energy efficiency and generally being "green." The neighborhood restrictions keep us from doing a modular home (not a trailer...modular...two entirely different things) so we have to site build. However, there is more than one way to site build. The most popular way is technically called "balloon framing" and is the standard 2x4 construction we are all used to seeing.
It turns out that there is more than one way to do balloon framing however. Most builders use 2x4 construction as I mentioned before and fill in between the framing members with fiberglass insulation. For extra insulation you can go up to a 2x6 wall and get a thicker fiberglass bat. However, now matter how well you place that fiberglass in there will always be voids and gaps. Additionally, every framing member functions as a thermal bridge. This means your framing is working against your insulation! Another technique is to use a 2x6 sill plate and alternate 2x4 framing members one against the inside edge and the next against the outside edge. Then when placing insulation you weave it in between your studs and have fewer gaps.
In the end we decided that traditional stick framing simply wasn't very efficient. We are using structural insulated panels (SIPS). These panels are made by taking two sheets of OSB (oriented strand board) plywood and layering EPS (expanded polystyrene) insulation in between. Most manufacturers use a high pressure glueing system to join the EPS to the OSB. A 2x4 SIPS wall is actually more thermally efficient than a 2x6 stick framed wall with fiberglass bats. The panels are generally four feet wide and the EPS is recessed to recieve a spline that is glued into the recess. The panel is then nailed to the sill plate and the spline. The spline is simply a 2x4 or 2x6 depending on the thickness of panel you choose.
These panels help create a very tight housing envelope. Because it also performs very close to its "R" rating (a rating for insulation level) generally you can use a smaller HVAC system than a traditional stick frame house. So you hold in your heat and cold better and you use less energy getting the temperature where you want it to begin with!
It turns out that there is more than one way to do balloon framing however. Most builders use 2x4 construction as I mentioned before and fill in between the framing members with fiberglass insulation. For extra insulation you can go up to a 2x6 wall and get a thicker fiberglass bat. However, now matter how well you place that fiberglass in there will always be voids and gaps. Additionally, every framing member functions as a thermal bridge. This means your framing is working against your insulation! Another technique is to use a 2x6 sill plate and alternate 2x4 framing members one against the inside edge and the next against the outside edge. Then when placing insulation you weave it in between your studs and have fewer gaps.
In the end we decided that traditional stick framing simply wasn't very efficient. We are using structural insulated panels (SIPS). These panels are made by taking two sheets of OSB (oriented strand board) plywood and layering EPS (expanded polystyrene) insulation in between. Most manufacturers use a high pressure glueing system to join the EPS to the OSB. A 2x4 SIPS wall is actually more thermally efficient than a 2x6 stick framed wall with fiberglass bats. The panels are generally four feet wide and the EPS is recessed to recieve a spline that is glued into the recess. The panel is then nailed to the sill plate and the spline. The spline is simply a 2x4 or 2x6 depending on the thickness of panel you choose.
These panels help create a very tight housing envelope. Because it also performs very close to its "R" rating (a rating for insulation level) generally you can use a smaller HVAC system than a traditional stick frame house. So you hold in your heat and cold better and you use less energy getting the temperature where you want it to begin with!
House Plan
We had several criteria for a house plan.
- Minimize the number of corners. Corners increase the complexity of most every structural aspect of construction. From your footers to your framing to your roofing...every corner adds cost. If you look at a lot of house plans and count both interior and exterior corners you will find yourself counting over 20 and 30 corners quite regularly. Our final plan has 12 corners.
- Scale: We are building right next to our current home which isn't large (1300 +/- sf). Plus our current home is a single level with only a one car garage. We settled on a narrow lot house plan with a two car garage. We are digging down to set the house as low as possible to keep it from towering over the current house (our crawl space will be recessed...not at ground level). So we got narrow and low as possible.
- Floor Plan: We wanted a master suite on the main floor with a walk in closet and a nursery/study attached. We really wanted a walk in shower and a tub in the Master bath, but had to compromise and we will go with a cast iron tub with a curved shower rod to maximize shower space. Two bedrooms, a bath, and a playroom over the garage are on the second floor.
- Shape: Our lot is a backfilled lot and there is a culvert running under it. We needed a house that would not be situated over the culvert. The house plan we chose could be visualized as three connected rectangles oriented North to South. We moved the rectangles on the left side (the garage and kitchen/dining area respectively) as far forward as possible so as not to be over the culvert. We set the house on the lot as far to the right (when you are facing the front of the house) as possible. We then moved it forward to be just even with the current house. Unfortunately, part of the garage was still over the culvert and we had to dig the old culvert out, reroute it, and backfill.
- Access: With an aging population access to certain parts of a home can be an issue for some people. With an eye on that we are designing the garage to have a zero degree entry into the house (i.e. there are no steps). We will also have a half bath that is wheelchair accessible.
Drawing below is not to scale...we will work on getting a better depiction of the floorplan.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Ground Work
Well, It's late April 2009 and the groundwork has recommenced. We have been stalled since the beginning of December with a bit of weather, holidays, and a new baby thrown in, but we are moving ahead once again. I'm still looking for stimulus dollars to help us along, but short of that I think we've got all we are going to get.
view of footer from left front corner
Now let me tell you about our first big mistake. As you will see on other posts...I can't quite get in chronological order...we had to have some previous groundwork and testing done as the lot had been backfilled. The engineer we had do the testing also gave us specifications for the footer. Now, I thought I was being smart by using his calculations. However, at this point I'm pretty much convinced that he doesn't do a lot of footer calculations...a point which he in fact did make clear. Naturally, I figured that using him would be less expensive than going to yet another engineering firm so...now we have a huge amount of rebar in the ground and will need approximately 45 yards of concrete!!! Wow...this footer will cost in excess of $8000 (my estimate).
view of footer from slope on right front corner
view of footer from right rear corner
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