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December 3, 2011 I just posted my very first blog. This is a new experience for me, so don't expect TOO much. I welcome your comments and constructive suggestions. (Be nice to me please.) The links to the PHGBP blog are now live! I'll be posting at least weekly. November 2011
Once again, as I look back of the months when I didn't think there was anything to talk about... I was wrong. I'll give you a quick intro and then you can go follow the link to the specific Project page for more info on the things you find interesting. Preparing for a Fruit Orchard I don't think I've mentioned it before... one of the ways I justifed moving out to the country (having to drive further for hubby to get to work, me to get groceries, etc.) is by turning the acreage into a self-sustaining farm. We haven't gotten very far yet, but I've been taking classes and attending workshops, seminars, conferences, etc. about organic farming methods for the last 5 years. You can learn more about the steps we've taken to get moving toward self-sufficiency by clicking here. This year we started preparing the soil in the location where we will plant the fruit orchard. It needed roto-tilling because the previous owner ran horses on the pasture and the ground is thoroughly compacted... really not good for growing crops. We then planted organic sweet potato slips in the cleared strips to help break up the soil even further (as they grow and are dug up at harvest time). Check out more details on the Farming project page. Ceiling Fan with Heater We actually put this in during the Winter of 2010, but I kept forgetting to add it to the website. So here you go. The north bedroom on the 2nd floor stays pretty cool, which is great during the summer; but not so great during the winter. Since we don't want to increase the heat in the rest of the house just to accomodate that one room... we opted for a room heater. There are lots of options out there, but one that is relatively unknown: a ceiling fan with a heating unit. I've known about them for years because of my insane obsession with this sustainable building stuff. I was SO excited to be able to buy one!! Click here for more info about the ceiling fan. Wood Storage Another subject I was supposed to remember to post and forgot all about... good thing I'm adding the blog!! Anyway, I researched how to store wood for the fireplace and found out that it should 1) be off the ground and 2) NOT covered. This way, it doesn't rot because it can dry out... if you cover your wood lot, you can get mold growing in the darkness. Stack it so air can move through it and the outside of the trunk up (if possible) to repel water. We purchased two wood cribs from Kotula's and used treated lumber set on top of some bricks to keep it off the ground. We are very happy with our $60 investment. We have so many Osage Orange trees to cut back, we have not had to purchase any wood. Plus the Spring storms have added a few unexpected loads to our crib. South Porch Flooring This is probably our slowest project at the moment. It is very time consuming and pretty tough on the hubby's knees and back; so he works on it a little at a time. As of November 11, 2011, half of the floor has been replaced, and another quarter has been removed, but the new boards are not screwed down yet. This means that while it may be completely replaced before winter sets in, it won't be protected until next Spring. I found an eco-friendly product that claims to do a great job cleaning weathered wood before you seal it and am talking with them about being part of the project. I also checked in with Synta and they are still happy to provide the Deck Restore for the job in the Spring. Click here for more info on the Porch Floor replacement. Updating our Heating and Cooling System Home ownership... if it's not one thing, it's another. This summer (late June), we discovered water on the floor of the basement around/under the hot water heater and furnace. The water heater is pretty old and we have figured we'd need to be replacing it sooner than later, so we assumed that was the reason for the water on the floor. I called the plumber and, luckily for us, they had another job out our way, so they sent their man to our place the same day I called. He agreed that the water heater was nearing the end... but, lo and behold, it wasn't the reason for the water. Nope, instead it was the Air Conditioning. Due to low freon, our coil froze and the water was the result of it thawing out. That means we must have a leak somewhere. Unfortunately, we were not in a position to replace the AC or even spend the money to find the leak and have it repaired. So, while it pained me to do it, we had him recharge the system and just had to live with a leak for the time being. OK, we knew the next BIG project to tackle would be the Heating and Cooling. We were simply hoping to have another couple of years to find the money and/or sponsors. The Project had other plans... find out all about our new Geothermal Heating and Cooling System, click here. The propane company (Magruders Propane in Odessa, MO) came and picked up the propane tank. We are officially all-electric now... just a matter of time before we can harvest our electricity from the sun and wind. Water in the Crawlspace Under the Master Bedroom Once again, water informs us of a problem. We discovered the water during Eric's visit; it was by the shut-off valve to the water line that feeds the master bathroom. Coudn't tell how much, but was hoping it was just condensation due to the hot exterior air and cool basement air coming through the opening to the crawlspace. Alas, no. We had standing water over about half of the crawlspace area (mainly at the north end where the garage had ended and the foundation had been extended. For more on how we cleaned it up, go to the Project page for Plumbing (click here). We have had a busy couple of months! PlayHaven Green Building Project BLOG (coming very very soon!) Since money is tight... EVERYWHERE! ...and since we are not immune to that condition (what with paying for an HVAC system all of a sudden, ouch)... it forced me to figure out how to keep this website worth visiting until the next BIG project. Here's the deal: I get about $40 a week 'allowance' to play with. Some weeks it goes in with the grocery money, other weeks it's all mine. I'll be posting at least weekly, 'green' tips and projects that anyone can do for little or no money. Some will be projects I do here, others will be things others are doing... but one way or another, I'll be giving you something to think about or do during the long winter days! AND, it will be as a a Blog so that you can interact with these postings. I welcome your tips, suggestions, projects. (Please be respectful and don't "troll" it. Any trolling will be removed at my discretion.) May 31, 2011 Whole House Painted A quick update... It took me a couple weeks (fitting it in mainly) to paint the porch; but, the whole house is now repainted (in addition to the north being re-sided)! We are no longer the Iceberg House! I don't usually put photos on this page, but this is a big change, so here are the before and after images. Check out the Project List and see the details of all we've been able to accomplish in the last 3 years. Of course, there is more to do (isn't there always?)...
May 10, 2011 I didn't think anything had happened since September, so I haven't worried about updating the website... until I uploaded the photos from the BIG project in April and discovered several small things that we had done over the winter. So after I tell you the BIG news, I'll list the other small things to catch up with. North Side Repaired and Re-Sided The economy affects everyone and we are no exception. I had hoped to re-side the entire house, but when I found out how much it would cost (CHA-CHING!$$$!)... had to settle for just the north side (excluding the porch area). At least, that meant removing the damaged siding in and around the bump out, insulating the bump out and putting up cementatious fiber siding. Visit the Siding Project page to see this project by clicking here. Whole House Painted Because we couldn't afford to re-side the whole house, we had to paint the rest. Not just for the look of it, but for basic house maintenance to protect the old siding. Check out the pictures on the Painting Project page here. South Porch Let's see, when last I wrote, I was preparing to remove the elevated screws so as to sand the floor in preparation for Synta's Deck ReStore product. That has changed a bit. Last fall I was searching craigslist for lumber to make into raised beds for my vegetable (etc.) garden. I found 16 ft long, weathered 2x10s at an amazing price! I was able to get 48 of them delivered to us. And, as we were loading them from the trailer into our storage area, we realized they are a much better quality wood than what is currently on our south porch. We decided to replace the flooring with the new wood and use the old floor wood to make the raised beds. You can see the pictures of the progress on South Porch Project page. Chimney Sealed I have added the pictures to the Chimney Project page. Cookware Cuisinart stood by its warranty when I found a flaw in my frying pan. More info on the Cookware Project page. Plumbing We had a leak, more info on the Plumbing Project page. Yard Equipment No (darn it!), we don't have a new electric-riding-mower. But there is an update on the WORX trimmer. For more, visit the Yard Equipment Project Page. Sponsors We've added a couple more sponsors! Please check them out and consider them for your next project! September 21, 2010 We have had another intense weather season this summer! Luckily, we were able to get the chimney treated during the hottest week of the summer... it is recommended to put a water repellant coating on the architectural stone and we had intended to do that last year, but the weather did not cooperate. So now the chimney is treated and that should last for 10 to 15 years. ** UPDATE (5-11-11): I just added the photos of the Brandon putting the sealant on the chiminey. Here is the link to the Chimney Project page. ** Getting the yard mowed and trimmed, etc. has been really tough because when the hubby had time it rained and when I tried to do it, equipment stopped working or was so hard to use, I could barely get anything done before zonking out. So, the latest addition to the Project is a Lithium-battery operated Grass Edger/Trimmer. Check out more on its Project page. (Cross your fingers and toes that we can get an electric riding mower next spring.) The other thing I've been trying to spending my time on is the south deck. While it was still hot and dry, I planned to sand and repaint the floor... since the previous owner had already painted it. There's lots more to this story at the Deck/Porch Project page, click here to get to it. Check back to find out the progress of our efforts. June 1, 2010 First things first: I apologize for not updating the website through the Winter and Spring. No excuses, just didn't get around to it and not much to report. Entertainment System We replaced our old Sony TV with the Sony Bravia VE5 1080p Eco LCD HDTV (40 inch)... see the Entertainment Center Project page for more info about that item. It is a very nice TV and among its many wonderful features is something Gary and I can remember from our childhood years: an OFF button. Yes, amazingly, you can turn the thing completely off so it doesn't use any phantom electricity. What will they think of next? Along with the TV, we also updated to a DVR recorder that is also a DVD and VCR player. Plus we added a Sony Sound system... so now it really is an entertainment system. Sealing Ductwork Leaks We had a very cold winter and when we discovered that we had to order more propane to heat the house than we had anticipated, Gary dug out the caulk and mastic to (finally) seal up the ductwork. Visit that Sealing Ductwork Project page here. Plumbing Yes, we did get the polybutylene out of the house this Spring! One less worry. Visit the Plumbing Project page to learn more. Attic Insulation And, YES, the old fiberglass and sheetrock (bad idea) in the attic
is gone and replaced with blown-in cellulose! Visit
the Insulation Project page for more information. We'll be scheduling an new Energy Audit to see what the official difference is between the old and the new soon. 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. Learn more at the Plumbing Project page... click here. 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's a list and more on the Farming Project page. 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! Read more on the Roof Project Page... click here! 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 Paint Project page. For more info (with pictures) including the pros and cons of getting a pressure washer and how I discovered the siding is NOT cementatious fiber...visit the Project 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 Project 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. Visit the Replace Metal Roof on House with TPO Everguard Roof Project 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. 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 Roof Project Page for the in-process pictures. 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! 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! I'll have photos and such soon - promise! See them on the Roof Project page, click here. 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. Learn more about how the insurance company and mortgage companies handle this type of thing... and more... on the Roof Project page. 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! 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! Please visit the Roof Project page for more! 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). There's a whole lot more to the story, click here to learn about an Energy Star "Cool" Roof and a whole lot more! 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. 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 Chimney Project page 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 antenna (yes, we still use a TV antennae - now with a digital converter) and the Cell antenna (boosts the signal to our cell phones and aircards 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. Check out the Roof Project page for more... We also had two insulation companies come out since that was what we 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. More info on the Insulation Project page, click here. 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. Click here for the Farming Project page. 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). Click here for the pictures of the chimney liner repair. 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. For more info about farming, click here. 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. Click here for pictures and more about the exterior chimney repair. Another unexpected upgrade happened the weekend that hurricane "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). Click here for what we chose to replace it with and why. 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. Click here to see the rest of the story and the solution we chose. 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 (click here), 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. 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. Click here to go to the Project page (BUILDING SITE) 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. (Also, we discovered the builder we had chosen was telling us what we wanted to hear... not what we needed to know. He also did not want to provide financial information to the lender and when he was finally forced to... the lender would only work with him in a "contractors checkbook" manner. This means that he would send in the invoices and the lender would write the checks and send them to us for delivery to the sub-contractors. He wouldn't be allowed to handle the money at all. We opted to involve our attorney and end the relationship with that builder.) 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 Projects 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...THEY DID! 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. |
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