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October 21, 2009 Not much going on right now. The Astro Van just left on the tow-truck and I'm feeling a bit sad... had that van for 14 years and it hauled all of our dogs at one time or another, so it was like losing an old friend. On the bright side, the driver was thinking of people he knows that could use it... so hopefully it will help some other family for a bit longer; while bringing some money to Wayside Waifs to help animals in need. I started the search for a plumber this week. We figure that considering how long everything takes in the world of remodeling/contracting... we better find the best company for our needs and get them booked for the spring. I see from my review of past entries that I didn't tell you the reason we want to update the plumbing. It is because the pipes in this house are polybutylene (which is a form of plastic resin that was used extensively between 1978 and 1995). This is not good piping! There were even class action lawsuits brought in the 1980s because of it. We knew we would be updating the plumbing early in the renovation and have decided that it will be the next "big" thing. And, since we'll be needing a plumber, we're finding out which ones can also do the job of turning the cistern into a rainwater catchment/storage system that will feed the water into the house for showers and toilets. It will mean making sure the water doesn't "back-up" into the rural water system and also the ability to switch to rural water if the water in the cistern gets low. Are you wondering what happened to fixing the insulation? Nothing yet. We had hoped to have enough money left after the roof to get it done this fall... but you know how it goes: sometimes funds earmarked for one project end up going to another. I'm hoping that we'll be able to do the insulation next, but the plumbing does worry me more than the insulation at this point. So who knows. We had a pretty good year when it came to our harvest. There were only a few vegetables planted this year, but we ended up with:
and I still need to dig up the sweet potatoes (organic)... hoping to get about 50 lbs (crossing fingers). The eggplants didn't do anything... hardly even got plants. And the radishes bolted ... but I see there are a few plants out there now, maybe they seeded themselves for a fall crop. The peas did SO poorly, I did get a few but had to save them for seed for next year. Such is the life of working the soil. Farming is the hardest job ever! And we don't even have livestock yet. Ah well, we learn as we go. Right now we are storing our harvest in the basement, but it isn't quite as cold down there as I'd like for storing vegetables... so we may be building a wall down there so we can create a "cool room" (like a cellar) that is not part of the conditioned space. October 13, 2009 There is lots to tell you this time, I'm breaking it up in to subsections: Article in KC Star Go to www.kansascity.com to see the article that Gene Meyer did regarding Energy-efficient Mortgages. He came out and interviewed me a few weeks ago and even had a photographer come out to get a picture of our new roof (yesterday). The ROOF WooHoo! The roof is done, finished, complete! And it actually has been for several weeks ... I've just fallen behind on updating the website. And first of all, I have to tell you that the roof has already made a HUGE difference in the interior temperature of the house. Before, with the dark green roof, I had trouble keeping the inside temperature cooler than the outside temperature because the roof heated the attic space and our insulation is adequate but needs to be improved. NOW, the inside temperature is at least 10 degrees cooler WITHOUT turning on the AC. Granted we're getting temps between 75 and 80 these days, but before that meant I still had to use the AC to keep the temp in the house in the low 70s. NOT ANY MORE... YEAH! The crew ended up working over a weekend because it didn't rain those days and finished the rest of the detail stuff that needed doing. There was a problem with getting some of the adhesive off the membrane and so I suggested they put some of the paint they used on the metal flashing on those few spots and it matched beautifully! You'd never guess there was either adhesive or paint there. They also put some pieces of the rails up to slow down any thawing ice so that it won't come down too fast and damage the roof below (from the 2nd story onto the center gable) and the air conditioner. You see these little "stops" on metal roofs alot and I think the crew did a great job putting them up so they don't look odd. Once Jerry gave me the word that everything was done and Gary and I confirmed that it was, I contacted the mortgage company so they could send out the inspector to verify that the work had been performed and was complete. She came out about a week later. I also called the insurance company and all they needed was a copy of the final bill so they could release the money held back until we proved that we had actually replaced the roof. Low and behold the money arrived from both companies on the same day and Jerry came out to pick up the checks and sign the release that said they wouldn't be putting a lien on the property. (Which was required by the mortgage company... aren't they smart!) We asked Jerry if they would do another residential installation of this material considering how much money they lost on our job (being the first one they did... rain delays... material delays... etc.). He said they would and that the experience was invaluable because it really showed them the variables that go along with this kind of installation and that means they can plan them in better next time. Plus, our house is rather complicated with the multiple roof pitches and stuff and such. Most houses won't be this time consuming. One of my suggestions is to plan on starting work on this kind of material in the mid to late morning and then work into the evenings, because the roof has to thoroughly dry to work on it... even condensation makes it very slippery. We should be getting the warranty and energy tax credit paperwork from GAF any day now. Visit the Replace Metal Roof on House with TPO Everguard Gallery Page for the pictures. Painting/Pressure Washing/Siding Now that the roof is done and its cooler outside, I've been able to start painting the house. We didn't get around to painting last year what with just getting settled in... so there is ALOT of maintenance painting that needs to be done. Plus I had to paint the exposed side of the OSB on the underside of the porch roof... which reminded me how much I dislike painting ceilings! Even with my handy-dandy Paint Stick (its a roller that uses the handle to store the paint while you roll it on) -- I used it to paint the living room if you want to know more about that item, check out that page. Needing to paint means needing to clean the surfaces and that meant I got to go out and buy a pressure washer. Now, there are different schools of thought about the sustainability of using a pressure washer. After all, that's alot of water and it does use a fuel (either electricity or gas). From my point of view, it is a mixed blessing. I'm not too keen about using all the water and fuel, but I am THRILLED to shorten the amount of prep work and also not having to spend so much time with a scraper and broom. My aching back had the final vote and it said, YO VEY, HECK YES! I bring this up because while using the pressure washer (which is at the low end of the gpm by the way... not rated for stripping paint, but it did a fine job getting the loose chips off) to remove loose paint chips and take off the algae on the north side of the house... I discovered that there is dry rot in several places. Now why should I be surprised? The facia board that is directly below a valley of the roof (oddly enough, its right where we had water in the house as well, are we surprised... not at all) and the siding by it... and the wood below the bumped out windows to the left (east) of the front porch, including the siding. Looks like the money that was intended for insulation this year is going to get spent on repairing the siding. Such is life. More info with pictures on the Gallery Page for Painting. The VAN We finally did it. We finally admitted that the 1992 Chevy Astro Van had to be replaced. We loved that van! It was the perfect dog vehicle for us. Big enough to haul our Newfoundland Dogs (for a while we had four (4) to haul around) and our gear but still rated as a mini-van! It had rear AC at a time when most vans did not. Well, when we took it into our mechanic to have the AC repaired (again... one of those things that was never as good as the original), we found out that Chevy was no longer making parts for it and had sold off the rest of their inventory. We were able to get the part, but only just. Which meant it would be more difficult to get parts the longer we kept it. SO... we bit the bullet and went looking for a replacement. Man, was that depressing research! Found some great websites though! Check out the info on the Gallery Page for Vehicles. September 3, 2009 The roof is 99% finished and the only thing holding it up from being 100% finished is the persistent rain! Seems like they get here, get started working and after about an hour we get rain. Even if its only for a short time, that messes things up because they can't work on the roof again until it has dried. So with the cooler weather and cloud cover, that takes several hours. They are down to 7 minor/detail things that need doing, so crossing fingers and toes that the rain stays away long enough for them to do them. Once Shannon tells me that they are done, I'll be contacting the insurance company and our mortgage company to have them come out and inspect the roof so that all the money that is being held can be released to pay Kansas City Roofing Servies LLC. Visit the Replace Metal Roof on House with TPO Everguard Gallery Page for the pictures. FYI - if you decide to put this roof on your house and like the Light Gray color... be sure to tell them you want the Energy Star Light Gray that qualifes as a cool roof and for the energy tax credit. The reason I mention this, is because when the roofers ran out of material and we waited for it to come in... it arrived and they put the first length on and realized that they had gotten the wrong color... it was Light Gray, but not the Energy Star qualifying one and was slightly darker than what was already on the house. So, a quick call to GAF and the correct color arrived at light speed (well, not REALLY "light speed"--but pretty darn fast!) a couple days later. Go take a look at the progress at the Replace Metal Roof on House with TPO Everguard Gallery Page. You know I've referred to the house as the 'Iceberg House' because its all white now. And we are planning to paint the fiber cement siding as soon as we can afford it... But I don't think the house looks bad the way it is (thanks goodness)! We've already had a neighbor stop by and ask about the new roof. Such fun! I better get a move on and put some literature together to have as a handout. If you have any questions about it, feel free to contact me and check out the links to GAF on the Previously page for product specification information. More to come soon, visit again and bring your friends! P.S. I just learned about Google's new search engine option: www.Blackle.com. Have you heard about it? Its the same search engine but the screen is black with white text and its supposed to help save energy. So, I've change my 'home page' from Google to Blackle... you might want to do the same... check it out: www.Blackle.com. P.P.S. Watch for the next post, when I'll tell you about the lady who helps me to keep my house clean --- using green products! AND, about our new vehicle: its an E85 Flexfuel Dodge Grand Caravan. August 17, 2009 I can't believe it's been almost a month since the last post. So, you are probably wondering about the roof, yes? Kansas City Roofing Services started on Tuesday, July 28th and we've had a mixture of great weather and rain and wind. We figured the project would take longer than you would expect since the application is on steeper pitch than normal. And we were correct in that thinking. Plus, the rain has made it even longer. I always forget how much time it takes to set up and do the prep work. And since our house has three different pitches on the different gables and one of them is two-stories up, there are harnesses and extra gear to think about. But things are moving along and what with the rain and wind and needing additional material, I can't complain. Visit the Replace Metal Roof on House with TPO Everguard Gallery Page for the in-process pictures. We didn't get ANY coverage from the media and I was SO disappointed! The representatives from GAF and ABC Supply did come out and we spent some time shooting some video of us all talking about using the single-ply TPO on residential applications and stuff and such. Once I get it trimmed down and it goes to GAF for their stamp of approval, I'l be posting it. The GAF guys have also been here to quality control the installation and instruct the guys on how to apply the "rails" that give the roof the appearance of a standing seam metal. Go take a look at the progress at the Replace Metal Roof on House with TPO Everguard Gallery Page. And you will understand why we are currently calling this our 'Iceberg House'. Really looks like white on white --- great for the Polar Bears and fighting Climate Change --- but just a bit TOO white. So I'm looking at paint colors that will blend with the red barn. More to come soon, visit again and bring your friends! July 22, 2009 Kansas City Roofing Services LLC contacted us the end of last week to say that the roofing material is here! (See the info on the Previously page for more on that.) SO, they are scheduled to start Monday, July 27; barring any bad weather delays, of course. YEAH! It has been SUCH a wet summer and soon I won't have to race around the house checking for water leaks any more. YEAH! The "Media Blitz" is scheduled for THURSDAY, July 30, starting at 10:00 am. I've again contacted the TV News stations in the Kansas City area and invited them to cover the installation. I've also contacted West Central Electric Coop and State Farm Insurance and Hathmore Technologies, LLC and Mother Earth News and everyone else I can think of who would get some benefit from being here for the media blitz. Crossing fingers and toes that we get good coverage and DRY WEATHER (for the next 2 weeks). I'll have photos and such soon - promise! July 1, 2009 We received the check from State Farm on Saturday, June 27 to replace the roof on the house. And, we were surprised to find that it was made out to us AND our mortgage company... I suppose we shouldn't have been surprised, but since we haven't had this big of a claim before, we didn't know that the mortgage company would be involved. For any of you who haven't been through this money game, here's the deal. Since the mortgage company owns the house with us, all the owners are listed on the check for large amounts of money... I imagine there is a standard threshold, but don't know what that is. So, the mortgage company takes the check (we sign the back) and deposits it into the Escrow Account of our loan. Then they issue a check for part of that amount (in this case it was $10,000) made out to us AND the roofing contractor. We then sign the back of that check and include a personal check (since the $10,000 doesn't quite cover the 50% due initially at the signing of the contract) and send it off to Kansas City Roofing Services LLC. (Who, by the way, knows all about this game.) Now, once the new roof is on the house, we have to contact not only the insurance company but also the mortgage company so that they can all come out to see the house and do an inspection to be sure that we DID have the roof replaced with equal (or greater) quality to what was there. Once they have confirmed that all is well, the mortgage company will provide the balance of insurance companies check to us (we aren't sure if they will make it out to us and the roofing company or just us -- I'll let you know). The insurance company will also be cutting another check for the balance that was withheld until we proved that we did, in fact, replace the roof (because we have 'Replacement' insurance). SO, its a very good thing that we have the funds necessary to cover what needs to be paid for before those final checks come to us. We signed the contract on June 29, 2009 with Kansas City Roofing Services LLC to replace the dark green metal roof on the house with the TPO 'cool' roof. It will take 2 to 4 weeks to get the materials in and schedule the installation. GAF Materials Corporation is the supplier of the TPO product (www.gaf.com). When you visit their website, you'll notice that the TPO product doesn't show up as a choice for residential roofing yet... it is THAT new to the residential market. Just type "TPO" into the Search field to find a bunch of information including this PDF. GAF is overseeing the installation by Kansas City Roofing Services LLC because its different than their normal commercial installation on low and no-slope roofs. Residential buildings generally have quite a bit more slope to their roofs and that will require some adjustment. GAF is also going to be getting aerial pictures in addition to ground-level photos of the house so they can use it for their marketing. We're also hoping to get some good video of the installation to share with everyone. I've contacted the 4 TV News stations in the Kansas City area and invited them to cover the installation. So far, one of them has said they are definitely interested and I'm waiting to hear back from the others. I've also contacted West Central Electric Coop (our electricity supplier) and they are definitely interested in seeing the project and getting in on the media coverage. State Farm Insurance has been contacted as well as the Kansas City Chapter of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) and Hathmore Technologies, LLC (the energy rating company that did our energy audit). The intention is to have as many as we can get of the people/businesses connected with this project available to be interviewed by the media. Ok, that should do it for now... updates should be coming along fairly often during the next couple of months! June 2009 (more) I promised to keep you informed on the progress of the roof and there IS PROGRESS! (For those of you who are jumping in on this after the fact, check out the 'June 2009' report on Previously at the Play Haven Green Building Project...) So, a quick recap: leaking roof, roofing company chosen, great energy efficient product found, insurance called: covered for hail or not? And the good news is (drum roll, please): YES, WE ARE COVERED for hail damage AND since we chose 100% replacement coverage... we will have enough money to install the TPO (single-ply membrane) roof AND get the Energy Tax Credit AND qualify for discount on our home owners insurance! And most of all, I won't have to worry about rain leaking into the house anymore! WOO HOO! Kansas City Roofing Services, LLC (once again) has been great -- they've been working directly with State Farm to be sure that all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed. We'll be signing the contract on Monday and then in the next 2 to 4 weeks, we'll be getting the new roof installed on the house. Which means that the "cool" roof will be a reality and you'll be seeing a couple of new Sponsors listed on this website that you can contact for your next project. There will also be pictures (and hopefully video) of the installation. We are inviting the local News companies to cover the installation so that more people can learn about what they can do to help reduce their energy consumption and save money doing it. We are also inviting West Central Electric to come out and participate in spreading the word. I'll post the links to whatever coverage we get here so you can check it out. I will also be keeping track of our electricity consumption over this cooling season and will report later this year a comparison from the season of 2008 to the season of 2009 (without and with the cool roof). AND (I'm a little afraid to mention this -- don't want to jinx it) if all goes well, there may even be enough money left (from what we had budgeted) to fix the insulation this year after all. Crossing fingers and toes, sending out the intention that there IS enough money for the insulation as well. Once Again --- WOO HOO and YIPPEE and HALLELUIA! One step closer to a net-zero house... they may be baby-steps, but it means we're moving in the right direction. June 2009 Where do I start? We received the quote for the roof and here's the deal... We had hoped that just the area where the leakage has occurred could be repaired/replaced. BUT (and this is what everyone who is looking into a metal roof or buying a house with a metal roof should be very attentive to), it turns out that the metal sheeting on OUR roof is -- first of all -- not a standard pattern and, therefore, it is not possible to repair/replace that one little area that is so problematic and makes me anxious every time it rains. Secondly, because we have NO DOCUMENTATION from the previous owner about the roof, we have no way of finding out what the warranty should be or to talk to the manufacturer. Thirdly, the quality of the metal sheeting on the roof is pretty poor. SO, even if we COULD find the pattern and the manufacturer, we probably wouldn't want to. With all that being known, we asked the roofing company we will be using (Shamless Plug Alert), Kansas City Roofing Services, LLC, to give us pricing on replacing the entire roof in the most energy efficient, sustainable way possible (at least a "cool" roof). Like most businesses, they have had limited experience with this requirement and have spent an admirable amount of effort (THANKS, JERRY!) to come up with the most cost-effective products that meet our request. We particularly want to get the energy tax credit by using an Energy Star qualified roofing product. What? you didn't know there is such a thing? Yes Indeed There Is! Follow this link to get more info on Energy Star Qualified Roofing Products. Jerry came back with two options, DaVinci recycled shingles and a single-ply membrane product that is well known for commercial applications and that is now available for the residential market. I had looked into the DaVinci product before and while it is a fine product, it doesn't qualify as a "cool" roof because it is designed to mimic wood or slate which are darker colors. I was suprised that Jerry didn't include a metal roof in the options, but was very intrigued with the single-ply membrane and went out and did some research on it myself. It is a single-ply membrane (TPO) that is adhered to the substrate and mechanically attached at the edges as well. As an aesthetic application for residences, they attach an extrusion at intervals to give the appearance of a standing seam roof. This product has normally been used for low-profile commercial applications. It is amazingly light-weight and yet extremely durable. It "thumbs its nose" at hail! There are several different material versions out there (some of which are less desirable from an environmental point of view), but it boils down to putting a rubber-like layer on the roof (similar to the liner in a swimming pool). It comes in a huge variety of colors, including white and light gray which have a high reflectivity and low emissivity -- this is essential for the tax credit and "cool" roof feature. The drawback at this point is the price: it is comparable to slate (ouch!). The company that makes this particular product (in conjunction with KC Roofing Svc.) is so interested in being associated with our PlayHaven Green Building Project that they are offering a huge discount AND have offered to oversee the installation at no additional cost. Our project would be the first installation in this area and be used as a showcase for the product. That wonderful offer brings the price-tag in line with a quality metal roof and the DaVinci product. (If we can make this happen, the name and info of the company will be all over this website so you can check them out.) The big "snaffoo" is that we had budgeted $12,000 for the roof. Which is about half what it will cost to put the TPO on the house. Remember, we thought we were going to REPAIR the roof, not have to replace it. If we can't come up with the rest, we will have to (and I shutter to even type this) put asphalt shingles on the roof. The thought of a setback like putting asphalt shingles on the roof is SO abhorrent to me that I've been desparately searching for funds. I found a Federal Grant and Loan Guarantee program through www.dsireusa.org that I hoped we would qualify for... but alas, no. In talking with people about our dilemma, everyone said "Call the insurance company, for goodness sake! Your roof leaks!" So I did and the adjustor came out yesterday. Oddly enough, we had HUGE storms the night before and that included marble sized hail and straight-line winds. So, yes, its very clear that the roof has hail damage. And yes, they are willing to pay for damage to the interior of the house due to the leak. You'd think we would be all set, yes? Well, not so much... at least, not yet. The insurance company isn't sure that our policy covers "Cosmetic Loss" on metal roofs. So there is some investigating going on by them to see if we ever signed an endorsement called "Exclusion of Cosmetic Loss to Metal Roof Covering Caused by Hail". It seems that having a metal roof that has the correct UL rating qualifies for a discount on home owners insurance -- but you have to sign the aforementioned endorsement. We don't recall signing that document, nor do we think we are gettng a discount on our insurance. SO, I contacted our agent and have requested a copy of it -- if it exists. I'll let you know what the outcome is. I've also looked into a home improvement loan... we've only been in this house a year and what with the housing market the way it is, we're not sure there is any equity in it. Plus, we'd have to have a new appraisal et al and that would cost about $1,000. So, lets call that our last resort. The things we are learning! Please learn from our experiences!! I would not wish the worry/anxiety I have been going through on my worst enemy. If you have any suggestions on where we can raise the money needed --- or if you can help us out, please email us at phgbp__at__id-cgid__dot__com (the words surrounded by underscores are there to deter spam -- just replace them with the correct symbols to email us). April 2009 Happy Earth Day! ... of course, to me, every day is Earth Day. It still amazes me how so many people just don't seem to get that pollution and deforestation and heavy metal poisoning and nuclear radiation and, and, and... is not a "those bleeding heart environmentalists" problem so much as it is a "life as we know it" problem. This planet will still be around after humanity as screwed up the air, water, vegetation, food source, etc. to the point of annihilation. Saving the Environment of the Earth is ALL about giving humanity (and all the other life forms that live here) a place to live. Not saving the Environment of the Earth is a Death Sentence. Anyway, now I'm getting off my tallest soap box to share what's been happening around here for the last --- can that be true??? --- 6 months. Wow, time flies. Visit the Gallery to see the waterproofing sealant going on top of the chimney. (We'll be putting the chimney sealant on in the heat of the summer - so watch for that.) The Holidays brought us Eco-Friendly Cookware and LED Decorative Lights. Other than that, things have been pretty quiet here. Did I share with
you my new love-affair with craigslist?
I hear that there are people who have had problems (to say the least),
but my experiences so far have been very enjoyable! Because we moved
to a larger house than we were in, we have needed some additional furniture
and I like to save money and get nice things, too. So, in the last
year, I've been hitting auctions, estate sales, secondhand furniture
stores, antique markets, etc. And I've found some great things... mostly
through craigslist! My favorite is a Mission-style dining room set
with an extendable table and six chairs (2 with arms) for the tiny
price of $300. Looking back over the last couple of entries, I see that I neglected to share that not only were we getting water in the basement last fall, we were getting water in through the roof as well. And this with an 8-year old standing seam metal roof. How could it be? Well, it seems the previous owner neglected to mention in the disclosure information that while the metal roof is intact, it has been caulked many times on the north side of the first level. When my handy-hubby went up on the roof to install the TV antennae (yes, we still use a TV antennae - now with a digital converter) and the Cell antennae (boosts the signal to our cell phones way out here in the country), etc. he inadvertently caused the caulk to loose its seal. So, I wasn't just mopping up the basement with towels during the "Ike" storms, I was also figuring out how to capture the rain that was pouring into wall cavities and coming out the millwork on the north side of the house. Therefore, we have had to push the roof to the top of the priorities list. We've had two companies come out to give us estimates so far.
That was earlier this month and we are waiting for the quote from the roofing company. Its taking a while because the pattern of the standing seam roof panels was hard to find. We asked him to include what it would cost to not just replace the bad area but to do the entire roof... considering how much trouble finding the pattern was, it might be about the same cost. And since metal roofs are part of the energy efficiency tax credits... we might as well go all the way if its cost effective. I'll let you know. We also had two insulation companies come out since that was what were were expecting to do this Spring. The previous owner had done a very odd attic insulation installation. There is fiberglass batt above the ceiling then drywall panels installed on top of the ceiling joists and blown-in fiberglass on top of that. The problem with it is that it makes the area between the two layers of drywall a prime environment for mold due to condensation.
Both insulation companies recommended dense-pack cellulose (which we also agree with). We've got one estimate so far and are waiting on the other one... also needing to decide if we can take out the drywall or if there is another way to eliminate the possibility of mold. So, as soon as we know how much the roof is going to cost us (it has to come first, as much as I'd like to tackle that insulation) we'll find out if the insulation can also be fixed this Spring/Summer or if we'll have to live with it for a while. As far as farming goes, we've put in five 2x10 ft. beds with early spring plantings of potatoes and peas. Now that the weather has warmed up, we'll be adding more veggie beds. There are also four pumpkin mounds. And (thanks to craigslist) our compost area has been expanded (photos to come soon). I'm investigating nut, fruit and berry tree/shrubs for an orchard and learning about livestock. I promise it won't be six months before you see more news. October 2008 The chimney liner is now in place and the company comes back mid-October to apply the waterproofing sealant to the crown. They are waiting to do that so that everything will be good and "cured" to avoid dampness being trapped in the chimney. We certainly don't want to have freezing and thawing of water to ruin all the hard work of the past month! The liner et al is guaranteed for the life of the chimney so long as we have it inspected and cleaned each year (which we will be doing anyway). Now all we need is a load of wood and a place to put it... will keep you posted. We've also added a fenced area to the east of the "backyard". We'll use it for the dogs to do training, to put in a kennel building with dog runs, etc. But it could also be used for livestock. We've taken a walking tour of the area north of the house so as to get measurements for the placement of planting beds, livestock buildings and fencing. Over the winter, we'll work out how to phase in these improvements. I'm also looking into raising rabbits for meat in addition to deciding what kind of chickens to keep and what other livestock to phase in to our self-sufficient, sustainable, organic farm. September 2008 The mason (George Shull Masonry of Kingsville MO) and his assistant were out this week and the new exterior of the chimney is beautiful! They spent 2-1/2 days working on it and so we are all set for the new liner ( which will happen later this month). I was very impressed with the efficiency and skills of these two men. Not to mention how they carried all that stone and mortar and such up and down the scaffold with what appeared to be no trouble at all. They did a great job cleaning up after themselves also. (Of course, our youngest Newf was a BIG help when he decided that the plastic on the back deck needed to be torn into shreds - thereby spreading the chunks of chiseled stone and mortar all over the deck and yard. Thank goodness for the shop vac!.) We spread the mortar and small pieces of stone on the gravel driveway and Mr. Shull's assistant took the bucket of flaked brick home to use in his landscaping. So NOTHING went into a landfill! YEAH. We decided to purchase the excess stone and use it as an accent on the front of the house -- which will probably happen next year during Mr. Shull's slow times and when we've put a bit of money aside for that purpose. See pictures on the Gallery page for the exterior chimney repair. Another unexpected upgrade happened the weekend that "Ike" hit Texas. (Which was just before the repairs were made to the chimney.) We had five (5) inches of rain the day before Ike from a different storm and so had several soaked towels from the basements seepage. I put them in the Equator washer/dryer and when I went back to take them out; I discovered that the Equator had broken again... doing the same thing it had done previously which was repaired by salvaging a computer part from another Equator washer/dryer. We already knew that there were no more replacement parts to be found for this machine so we had to upgrade to a new washer and dryer (much sooner than we had expected to). I went on-line to do my research to find the most energy efficient washer I could within our price range and we decided upon the Frigidaire Affinity 3.5 cu ft I.E.C. King Size Capacity ENERGY STAR® Washer. Rated at 179 kwh per year which is quite good. Then, since there are no ENERGY STAR rated dryers, we opted to get the matching Frigidaire Affinity 5.8 cu ft Super Capacity Electric Dryer and added the matching 15 in. pedestal drawers for both. We purchased these from Sears on-line (they were having a great sale and there was an additional mail-in rebate on both appliances) and picked them up at the retail store closest to us (about 15 miles away)... it only took one trip because they all fit into our van. However, we had to make a second trip into town to get the correct electrical plug and venting for the dryer. Didn't realize the plug wouldn't be included - imagine that. So, now I have to get used to doing large loads of laundry but still using very little water, electricity and soap. What a problem to have! Both appliances are MUCH more quiet than the Equator was and I am VERY happy with them. You can see a picture of the set on the Gallery Page. August 2008 PlayHaven East is proving to be an excellent resource to showcase remodeling the green way. Which is a nice way of saying that we have discovered some problems that we were either not expecting, or not expecting to have to deal with right away. We had planned to utilize an existing water well and put a ground-source heating/cooling system (which would also replace the current propane water heater) in before the next heating season. However, the cost of that system has increased substantially since I last investigated them and the well alone will not be enough for the loop, so we find that we are unable to do that at this time. We are investigating alternatives and will use the current propane system this winter (2008/2009). The sump pump quit working less than two weeks after we took possession.
Thank goodness there is a Home Warranty policy in place! A B May came
out very quickly and replaced it the day after we called. They had
to come out again in August to repair a leak in a joint of one of the
water lines. (And we asked for quote to have the plumbing updated.)
I highly recommend having a Home Warranty policy when you buy a house.
Unfortunately, the policy does not cover structural problems and so, please learn from my experience... if there is a fireplace and/or wood stove in a home you are wanting to purchase, pay the extra money to have a professional chimney inspection done! The company that did our building inspection did not inspect the chimney and told us the flaking of the brick on the exterior was cosmetic and while it needed to be watched, was not a problem. We have had water in our basement, coming in next to the brickwork around the wood stove, every time it rains. We now wish we had paid to have the chimney inspected separately because our first renovation will be the chimney. The source of the water in the basement is the chimney. We had both a mason and a chimney sweep company come out and inspect the outside and inside (respectively) of the chimney. It turns out that the stone cap of the chimney is cracked and separated from the brickwork. Also, there is SO much water damage to the brick veneer (the outside of the chimney) that it will be less costly to remove it all and start fresh than replace individual bricks. AND, the lining of the fireplace chimney is cracked in two places, making that chimney unsafe. Which means it also needs to be replaced or repaired. (The lining for the wood stove in the basement is not damaged.) Our options for repairing the chimney include:
NOTE: Adding the man-made stone veneer is not a "quick-fix" nor is repairing the lining by adding the tube. Either option will create a chimney that will stand the test of time. Either option will require the exterior to be sealed (something that was never done to the current chimney... the mason told us that if they had sealed it even up to five years after it was built, we would not be having water damage problems). I investigated ways to avoid having to send the removed brick to a landfill and discovered that no one in the Kansas City area will take it unless the brick can be reused as brick. Since that is not the case here, I looked for someone to take the brick and crush it for use as an aggregate; again no luck. I considered crushing it myself and using it for landscaping until I read the Materials Data Sheet for brick and discovered that due to the silica in it the dust is as damaging as asbestos to our lungs. Another suggestion was to use it as rip-rap in the pond; but, since we will not ready to work on the pond for another year, that would mean storing the rubble on-site. Luckily, the cost to either 1) rebuild the interior and exterior of the chimney is about the same as 2) adding the man-made stone exterior and inserting the repair tube liner. So, the deciding factor for us was to do this in the most environmentally friendly way possible which is number 2): adding the man-made stone exterior and repair liner. There will still be some brick that has to go to a landfill, but it will be a fraction of what it would have been otherwise. Work should start on the chimney in late August or early September. Visit the Gallery for pictures of the progress. July 2008 It's official and we've moved... right next door to where we will build PlayHaven Green. When you look at the pictures of our building site, notice to the right (east) the house with the green roof that has the red barn with the white roof. That is our new home and our new project. We are lovingly/laughingly referring to it as "PlayHaven East" and the original acreage as "PlayHaven West". You know the old saying: "when God closes a door, she opens a window"? Well, our window opened on the east side of the land when our neighbor decided to retire to a bigger acreage in Kansas and raise more horses. So, this being a buyer's market, we found out what the market was in the area for that "package" and made an offer and after some negotiations - viola! its ours. So we now have double the acreage and a standard construction home to rehab into a net-zero home. We also have a big garage (the red gambrel barn building) that we can store those materials we will accumulate to build the new home on PlayHaven West. It will probably be several years before we can do that, but there is PLENTY to do in the meantime and I'll keep updating our progress here. I'll be adding images of the house and grounds soon so you can see what we've started with. I'll be adding video as well of the changes. The first step toward net-zero was to get an Energy Audit of the existing home. Hathmore Technologies, LLC provided us with two separate reports that first showed us the problems/issues with the house and second showed the results of the Energy Rating. Go to the Description Page to view those reports. February 2008 Well, they say change is good... but that is sometimes hard to believe. Unfortunately, we are having to change the time frame of construction for the PlayHaven Green Building (new residential construction) project. Because we have not had enough response to getting sponsors and because the systems we want to put in the house are high quality (translation: high dollar), we are not currently able to build the house within the construction loan amount for which we qualify. We also discovered an issue that was quite
unforeseen to us and might be to you... So, we are delaying the construction of the new house construction. In the mean time, we have decided to purchase a house near the project site and make "green" improvements to it. Which changes the PlayHaven Green Building Project to two parts: 1) renovation of an existing residence and 2) construction of a new residence. While we are renovating the existing residence, we will also be gathering the re-used materials for the new construction. We are now pursuing sponsors for both parts of the project. This can be in the form of overstock materials in addition to new materials, monetary donation, etc. Details about Sponsorship are available here. The Description page will include the information about renovation once we have established that information. Until then, the new construction information will remain in place by itself. January 2008 Nothing much to report this month. So, I'll just give you a bit advice... building green is still building. Therefore, it is essential to do "due diligence" when deciding on the members of your team.
November 2007 CitiMortgage has been looking for green building projects to finance and we are thrilled that they have decided our project is just what they are looking for. We will soon complete the single closing for the Construction Loan and the Mortgage. September 2007 We are currently in the process of getting the financing in order. Have you ever had to jump through hoops? Well, that seems to be the order of the day. August 2007 It's time to get financing. We've approached the company that has the current loan on the land, but they are very conservative and our project is much too unusual for them to consider. So we've been shopping around and have two substantial leads which I will share with pleasure... Charlie Moberly, National City® Mortgage: 847-946-4130 and Keith Winterhalter, Citi Smith Barney: 816-932-7853. Summer 2007 I contacted the zoning commission in the county where we are building to find out what they require regarding permits and if there are restrictions we need to be aware of (on a 10-acre lot zoned agricultural/residential) and found out that they are not yet on the green building bandwagon. So, I've explained about the project and have offered them a full record of our experience so that they can look at adopting a green building program. The county has been seeing an increasing number of people moving into it and residential building is on the rise. Hopefully, they will take the initiative and either adopt a program already in place (the county next door has one) or put one together themselves. Cross your fingers and toes! Background Many years ago, I discovered the USGBC (United States Green Building Council) and its LEED® Program (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). And, although at that time it was only for commercial construction, I decided that it was a good place to start networking. Surely, one of those members would know some residential architect or contractor or builder who would be interested in working with me on my sustainable house project! And so, I was introduced to Ken Riead (of Hathmore Technologies, LLC). Ken is an Energy Rater and had also just finished building his own home (The Replete Residence) to showcase what energy efficiency options were available at that time to any homeowner. Over the years, I have had the great fortune to become friends with Ken and Sharla Riead. Most recently, we co-authored a green building tool: DYO® Kits: Green Building Decision Kit. (DYO® Kits is a division of Hathmore Technologies, LLC.) I am very proud to be associated with such a fine group of people and comprehensive product. Shameless plug intended... in fact, go to the website and buy the thing! (You'll be glad you did!) Hathmore Technologies, LLC has been engaged to be the Energy Rating company for the PHGB Project. Additionally, they will provide consulting on the HVAC and renewable energy systems AND will oversee the LEED® for Homes certification process. Anyone who has built a home will tell you that there are peaks and valleys in the process... from soaring heights of excitement to deep, dark valleys of despair. We had some trouble when it came to architects (this is putting it mildly - set us back two years all told). But we made it out of the valley and ... Ken introduced my husband and I to Roy Brown. Roy had been designing energy efficient, environmentally-friendly homes since the 1970s. Luckily for us, he was up to the task of taking my years of designing and re-designing the house and providing us with an end product that fits us to a "T". The house is designed in the American Bungalow style (at 2500+ square feet, no one would ever confuse this house for an actual bungalow... but after living in a 900 sq.ft. bungalow for 17 years, I am ready for a bit of space!). So, the plans were finally ready to take to a contractor. |
