The 50,000 Green Homes Initiative: Project List

  The Universal Design Living Laboratory is a national demonstration home in Columbus, Ohio that will showcase universal design and green building construction practices. The mission is to bring about awareness of the quality of indoor and outdoor lifestyle through universal design, green building, safety, and healthy home construction practices to the public, construction and design industries. The web site includes photos of the home, articles, and resources.

I purchased an older home that ended up being a disaster. The subfloors and hardwood floors were rotton. The floors had been painted yellow and the discoveries were not found until we tried to re-finish the floors.

Since the house required way more than just the cosmetics we were thinking it needed, I decided to try and make it as environmentally friendly as possible.

We first had to tear out the old maple flooring (it was beyond saving). We saved much of this wood to use for trim around the house. Then the subflooring had to go. We replaced some joyces and installed a new subfloor and oak flooring. All of the nailing was done by hand along with the sanding of the new floor. To minimize waste, we used boards that may have been discarded and performed the manual work to make them useable. The wood was disposed of at a site that uses it for energy. All of the lighting was purchased from Thrift stores (recycled) and energy saving bulbs are used. The living/dining room remodel cost us $2700.00

Secondly, the floors had to be ripped out upstairs also (and replaced)...we purchased utility grade maple that stated there would be a 30% unusable product. Instead of purchasing 30% extra, we went with what we needed. Only about 30% was good and we put in many hours of additional manual labor to utilize all of the product (to minimize waste). The floors were then polyed w/ waterbase and no stain was used. We built inset bookshelving with recycled wood from the old floors. There had been an old partical board cabinet that was junk in the house, so I took that and refurbished it into a storage chest for sweaters w/seating and lined it with cedar for moth control. I also took an old metal tv stand (along with some old wood from the floors) and converted it into a frame holder. This remodel cost us $500.00.

We built inset shelving with recycled wood from the old floors throughout the house.

Then, we remodeled the down stairs bathroom. The old partical board cabinet was water damaged and there was mold behind it on the wall. We took used drywall from an area that we had built a shelf, and replaced the damaged drywall with that. We disposed of the cabinet. I purchased an old cabinet for 99 cents from the salvation army and refinished it with a watercolor and waterbase poly. I used the hinges from the old cabinet and bought an antique pull for a handle. I also purchase a light from the thrift store (1.50) and a mirror (7.00). We took out the bad vinyl flooring and replaced the subfloor that was also waterdamaged. We put in Porcelin tiles, and replaced the toilet tank hardware to use less water. The entire remodel was 150.00.

The upstairs bathroom also needed work. I refinished the vanity with a nice india ink and waterbase poly, re-furbished the light and installed a ventilation fan. Took out the partical board cabinet and purchased an old sewing cabinet from the 50's. I refinished the sewing cabinet and cut a bigger hole in the top to set the sink into. The vinyl floors were replaced with eco-friendly rubber flooring. It is absoulutely great and all cost less than 350.00.

We still have the kitchen to start, which we plan on restoring the cabinets and replacing the vinyl flooring with cork. All carpet has been removed and replaced with natural wood. We also furnished our entire home by purchasing old beat-up furniture from thrift stores and refinishing them. It cost us less than 400.00 to furnish our entire home (minus a bed). One great thing I did for storage and to maximize space was the purchase of many old chests/suitcases that I relined, which is great because they look cool and can be in any room (not like the plastic tubs that are ugly and typically go into basements or closets.

Our house did not have gutters, so I improved the grade around the house and planted rain gardens.

I also have rain collectors that I water other gardens with when it hasn't mysteriously dissapeared(my neighbors are always emptying it after a rain when I am at work?????????). I planted many varieties of native plants including raspberries, blackberries and strawberries - which the birds love. This spring I plan to plant trees that will save energy by diverting wind contact from the house.

This is a project in the works, but I think we are moving in the right direction.

Remodel. We are beginning a remodel on a modern style 1980\'s house. we will be raising the house to meet current codes. (flood plain elevations), adding ICFs (insulated concrete forms) at the base level, and insulating the entire exterior of the upper levels with SIPs (structurally insulated panels). we will be changing the windows to more energy efficient ones, adding energy efficient appliances, 'all-green' materials, bamboo flooring, etc. Costs allowing, we are planning to add solar panels and a green roof deck.

Estimated Cost: $200,000 +/-

Start Date: March / April 2008
End Date: December 2008?

Certification: Florida Green Building Coalition (we would like for this project to be LEED, but costs may prohibit us from obtaining the certification. We will, at a minimum be seeking Florida's Green Building Coalition certification.)

New construction. Project is registered with LEED therefore we must conform to particular sustainable practices to achieve certification. Tehniques and materials will include: reduction of construction waste, recycle construction waste where possible, developed on existing infill lot, pervious landscaping, low-e windows/doors, radiant flooring, tankless water heaters, low VOCpaint, CFL lghting where possible, bamboo flooring, recycled carpet tile, low flo sanitary fixtures and faucets. Project has been registered for LEED for Homes Pilot program. We are aiming for LEED silver certification minimum.

Steve plans updated photos and comments as soon as construction begins.

Estimated cost: $250,000 CDN

Start date: May 08
End date: September 08

Photos:

Home #1 

Remodel. We built our home in 2000 and used standard construction techniques. We used south facing windows for heat gain in the winter and add additional insulation in the attic. We added 3 kw solar array in 2006 and a 16'x10' solar thermal collector. Our utility bills have averaged 6 per month in the summer and so far this winter have been around 40 per month. We used Anderson low e, argon gas windows throughout. We added a forced air heater system to our thermal array. It heats the air before going into a standard forced air gas system and does most of the work in the spring and fall. Our solar PV system uses an OUTBACK inverter with maximum input flexibility. We can quadruple the battery storage and go off grid if need be. We also invested in an energy star refrigerator in 2007.

Estimated Cost: $31,000

Start Date: June 2005
End Date: October 2007

More info: We will be adding an additional 2-3 kilowatts in the near future and will go off grid with the electric with a gas backup generator.

Home #2

Remodel. We will be moving an existing 5 bedroom 1970 rambler onto a new foundation in a lot we own across the street and turn it into a split level to maximize ground insulation effect and space utilization. We would like to build a platinum leed home out of this existing one that is a similar design as featured on this web site so I am very happy to have found it. We will be recycling everything including fixtures.

The lot is a full acre with protected wetlands and will support two homes.

So one will be recycled and one will be new unless we can find a house to move onto it. The project is still in the planning stages but I've got a pretty good idea about what I want to do. I would like to use a heat pump due to shading issues but am hoping to find a way to add solar later. We will utilized passive solar by material selection and I am very interested in thermal mass. I have a stone/brick building that is super efficient and uses almost no energy during the winter, so I've got some real world experience with that material. 

Estimated Cost: $120,000

Start Date: 5/08
End Date: 10/08

New construction. We're using S.I.P. [structurally insulated panel] construction on the basement (which is a walkout and main level walls and roof). We are off-grid and use solar to charge batteries and a propane gen to back up when needed. The lights are 12 volt cfl's, we run our TV, comp, and any 120 volt through an inverter off the 12 volt system. When the water pump runs it starts the gen. The heat is a propane gas fireplace for the main floor, the basement floor has wirsbo tube which is heated from a wood fired boiler in the unattached garage if we need to. The gen. is air cooled and is in the garage so when it runs it heat the garage with its cooling so that is Co-generation, the cooking will be gas as well as the refg.

Estimated Cost: $300,000

Start Date: 2/2/06
End Date: Fall '08

More Info: We are S.I.P builders and work on our own home in our sparetime. 

New Construction. I am currently building a new cabin that will be quite green. It is 2,500 square feet and will utilize a 5 ton Northern Heat Pump geothermal heating and cooling system, radiant heat floors, and state-of-the-art closed cell insulating foam that blankets the entire roof and wall system. Moreover, when the heat pump is in cooling mode, it will provide the majority of my hot water needs by feeding warm \"waste water\" into the domestic hot water system. In the winter, off-peak electricity will warm the oversized 105-gallon Marathon hot water heater, taking advantage of cheap night-time electricity.

Additionally, I used generous amount of glass on the southern exposure to take advantage of passive solar in the winter while generous 5 foot eaves keep the summer sun out. 

I am landscaping the southern exposure with many "leaved" trees that will provide additional shade to the house in the summer while dropping their leaves in the winter allowing the warm sun to hit the house. Evergreens on the north side will serve as a wind break from frigid winds.

Estimated cost: $320,000

Start date: July 2007
End date: February 2008

Remodel project. The existing home is a 1956 1,120 sf Rambler, with one tuck-under garage, 4.75" of cellulose ceiling insulation, old wood windows, and other energy consumers.

We are replacing the roof with 5/12 Parallel Chord Trusses to create a Great Room and other Vaulted areas, installing 8" of Polyurethane (R-50) in the roof trusses, 3" of Polyurethane (R-19) in the walls, replacing the siding with 3/4" Cedar, replacing the windows with the Anderson 400 Series Casements, and installing a 95% AFUE Furnace and a Heat Pump. Other energy saving devices are also being install. The Home will be register as a LEED home.

Start date: 11/15/07
End date: 12/31/07

This remodel project "added 500 sq. ft. to our living space, about a 30% increase. It is heated in our Minnesota winters 100% by solar thermal collectors, both flat plate and evacuated tubes. The pump to circulate the fluid is photovoltaic powered. These collectors also heat all our drinking water. I created a living roof over the new construction and a rainwater catchment system. Most of the building materials were salvaged from other projects or recycled from my own. The doors and windows were all purchased from a local building material salvage yard and meet energystar requirements. The new structure is naturally daylite by strategically placed skylights and windows thus reducing the need for electric lighting."

The estimated cost for the project is $35,000. It was begun in summer 2001 and is ongoing. Richard Venberg adds: "renewable energy systems require careful and ongoing response to the micro-climate. Every year I seem to be able to "tweek" the system to derive a little more energy, a little more creature comfort. A great way to be responsible for your families footprint."

Background and goals; the starting point for this project consisted of two rooms, a 14’x14’ 1970’s era kitchen and a 10’x17’ informal dining area separated by a 7’ partition.  The area was dated, dark and in need of a “space lift”.  The green conceptual design was created by Simply Green Design and called for the removal of the partition, moving a doorway and enlarging the service island.  Our goal was to create a more open, well lit and functional space and we are pleased with the results.  We were able to build this project using green products which were priced at market rates.  Market rate pricing allowed us to create this green kitchen solution without paying a premium for the project and the kitchens reduced carbon imprint will pay financial, human health and climatological dividends for decades.

Work began in mid September with the deconstruction of the existing kitchen and adjacent dining area.  The existing cabinets were removed in excellent condition and donated to the Re-use Center, (a part of The Green Institute), for resale.  All of the lumber generated by the deconstruction of the area was reused in the framing of a new doorway and the closure of a small corner closet.  The only waste from this process was a small pile of drywall which was taken to the Hennepin County Recycling Center and turned into an agricultural fertilization product.

Once the area was cleared, mechanical systems were moved and the area was roughed in and prepped for the installation of cabinets, flooring and appliances.  VOC, (Volatile Organic Compound), free cabinets were installed along with a new ventilation system for the gas cook top.  The parquet wood floor was in decent shape and if new tiles could be found, the useful life of the floor could be doubled.  The floor tiles had not been manufactured for a long time and were not available, so, a Reagan GrenBuilt carpenter, Bill Hunter, made 100, 9’x9’ tiles in his shop.  We were able to at least double the useful life of the floor and save thousands of dollars because we didn’t have to replace the floor.

Next up were the counter tops.  There are two tops at standard height and a 42” hi bar/ service counter.  The two tops at standard height are made of marmoleum, a natural product made from linseed oil and backed with jute.  Marmoleum is ideal for kitchen and bath counter tops and is available in a wide range of colors.  The 42” top is custom made in the Twin Cities by Rust Brothers and is manufactured with ground, recycled industrial glass and concrete.  Our top has two colors of glass, mother of pearl ans tinted concrete.  The top is a green winner; reused materials create a beautiful top which will last for centuries.

The use of CFLs is one of the easiest and most effective of green strategies.  The lights last about ten times longer that their incandesent counterparts and burnonly a fraction of the energy.   All of the appliances used in the project are Energy Star products which have a long history of energy and water use efficiency.  This green kitchen looks great and was competitively priced.

Kitchen remodel in Plymouth, MN by Reagan GreenBuilt and Simply Green Design to be green in every way. Built for $25,000. The remodel began in May, and will be completed in November. This project is certified by Minnesota GreenStar as a green remodel.

Reagan GreenBuilt is a Management General Contractor engaged in building certifiably green; remodeling, renovation and new home projects. All of their projects have as their primary goal the creation of the most resource efficient, healthful and comfortable living space possible. Their systematic approach begins with design, sensitive to products and techniques which make sustainable construction living, attainable and affordable.  Reagan GreenBuilt teams with the most experienced Architects, Designers, Building Sub-Contractors and Product Providers to create or recreate a living space that you will enjoy and that will remind you every day that, “you did the right thing."

Visit their website 

Photos:

This photo was taken pre-construction:

And today the kitchen looks like this:

The first project home in the 50,000 Green Homes Initiative is Live Green, Live Smart's own Sustainable House. Built in the Minneapolis suburbs, The Sustainable House is a total-home green rehab project aiming for the country's highest standard in green building - LEED Platinum. Begun January 2007, the House is expected to be finished in September 2007. Learn more about The Sustainable House.