Casa Verde Bela Vista - Building Green on a Budget

A Near Net-zero Month!

2010-11-15T06:45:00.000-08:00

We just got our electric bill for November and it was $39.00, approximately 22.50 of which is a service availability charge. We only used 181 KWH!. We think that since our highest bill so far was for 783 KWH, we could probably achieve net-zero with another solar array or wind generator. We have the pre-wiring required for a wind generator, but it would probably cost about 10K, with installation. When we get our tax rebates for the solar, we'll have to decide whether the payback is worth it.

The service availability charge from our local power cooperative is really annoying. Basically, we pay .75 per day just to be hooked up, whether we use electricity or not. I wasn't aware of this charge before because I never looked at the bill details.

Tour

2010-10-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that September and half of October have slipped away since I last posted. We are enjoying the new house tremendously. With the cooler nights, the morning view of the lake is quite lovely:

Now that we are settled, here is a tour of the house. (I took some movies, but with my new camera, I've not figured out how to download them. Maybe I'll be able to post them later.)

Welcome!

The entry:

The living area as you enter (The color in the photo is off because of the light, the walls are more brown than orange, sort of a medium amber maple syrup.):

Looking toward the kitchen:

My office:

The guest bath upstairs:

The kitchen:

The master bedroom:

Master bath vanity:

Stairway:

Music/future billiard room:

Guest bedroom #1:

Guest bedroom #2:

Guest bath downstairs:

And, since we decided to leave the landscaping as natural as possible, we got a wonderful surprise, this shot is from our top-level deck as the sun is setting:

I also have some news to share about our green features, but will save them for the next few posts.

Electric Results!

2010-08-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

Moving has kept us pretty busy. We've been in the house for almost a month now and are really enjoying it. When I get all unpacked and organized, I will post pictures of the interior. I will also be reporting on the green elements of the house and how they impacted the budget and our living conditions. This first one is about the photovoltaic panels and solar hot water system.

The budget allowance for the PV panels was $15,700 which included 3KW worth of Sharp panels, a ground mount system, an inverter, and the hookup to the local utility. We had previously gotten an estimate of over 20K for a roof-mounted system. The PV was installed on budget. We will get a 30% tax rebate, making our net cost $10,990. The inverter has a display that shows how much electricity we are generating and even on cloudy days we've been getting around 2KW.

Here is a picture of the panels and ground mount:

The solar hot water is a Rheem passive 80 gallon system, which was budgeted at $4500. When the installer checked out the roof, he realized that the system wouldn't be angled in the best direction. We approved a different bracket that added $898 to the budget. We are hoping the optimal angle will result in the ability to heat water without electrical backup all year long. So, the net cost will be $3778.60 after the Federal Rebate.

But, the best news is that we got our first electric bill -- $72. Let me put this number in perspective for those who are not familiar with Texas summers. In our previous 1400 square foot home, with a 600 square foot guest house on the same meter, a summer electric bill could range from $280 to $360, depending on the temperature. The hot water and cooking range were electric.

So needless to say, we are very pleased. Assuming that our previous electric expenses averaged $240/month, we should save the $14768.00 net cost in 7.3 years -- a pretty good payback!

The only thing I would mention to parents considering solar hot water is that the water is very hot in the summer. You can start your shower with the water half cold and half hot, but by the end, you only need a little bit of hot. You can compensate for this by buying anti-scald mixing fixtures.

Almost Finished!

2010-07-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, a lot has happened over the last month. Unfortunately, we were not able to keep up with our posts due to family illness that required two trips out of state and a traumatic lay off at work (not me, but half of my team), which left me with a number of deliverables to finish up. Enough about that, we decided to skip all of the intermediate stuff and show you the state of things now.

All of the major systems are hooked up except for the solar PV, which should be finished early next week. The rain barrels are hooked to the gutters and supply. In just one thunderstorm, we collected 800 gallons! We had not anticipated so much rain and had bought 4,000 gallons of water from a delivery service. However, it was very reasonably priced -- under $200 including delivery, so we won't complain. The solar hot water heater is installed on the roof. This photo shows the deep box gutters and the solar heater just to the right of the cupola:

The greywater system is operating as well. The shower, tub, washer, and bathroom faucets will drain into a tank where they will be purified enough to reuse for toilet flushing. I'll post a picture later. We have lights and air conditioning in the house, so can finish the final details in comfort!

The dishwasher and refrigerator are in. The kitchen wall (white areas) will be painted and then the stove will be installed:

Here is a closeup of the kitchen:

And, a shot looking from the kitchen toward the living room:

This is the current state of my Venetian Plaster wall in the bedroom. My teacher, Jim was kind enough to work on it while I was away caring for my family. It will have one or two more coats to finish, and it should look like a wall in Tuscany that has been painted and replastered for hundreds of years. I will then paint the walls and ceiling a more complementary shade:

In the master bath, I--with a little help--made the vanity top from concrete. I really love the way it turned out:

We are waiting for our Lower Colorado River Authority permit to operate our septic system, the final town inspection for an occupancy permit, and an appraisal. Then, we should be able to start moving in!

Septic System

2010-05-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

I wasn't going to post about the septic system, but then we saw it. In addition to the main storage tank, we have yards and yards of pipe for the leach field. The pipe is rigid, maybe made out of metal or really strong plastic. It snakes back and forth on the north slope of the yard:

Then, it crosses the west side of the house and ends:

We had not seen anything like this before. Don said that it allows for a leach field on a slope and avoids the need to backfill with gravel. We are just glad we saw it and took pictures so we will know where not to dig to plant a tree!

Slowly, the finishing details are coming together. The marmoleum has been installed in the downstairs bedrooms. It goes nicely with the stained concrete floor in the billiards room.

The chandeliers have been hung over the dining area:

The office is about 7X9--it will be the largest cube I've worked in :-) I'm really pleased with the fan. It is just the right size for the tiny space:

The door on the left goes to command central. It is a large closet that will hold the modem, router, and home theater equipment. The door on the right is a small powder room. The doors opening from living area to the office are french doors so that I can enjoy the view while I'm working.

Getting Close!

2010-05-22T16:23:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay in posting. I dropped my camera and the lens cracked. :-( These pictures were taken with a borrowed camera, so I only have a few. Almost all of the upper level is bamboo flooring from US Floors. They were installed by Eliasib Pena, and they are beautiful. However, I didn't get pictures before they were covered with construction paper to protect them. We had him use eco-friendly adhesive from Taylor. The majority was MS plus because it was recommended by the bamboo manufacturer for use over both concrete and plywood. We had to special order it because no one around here carries it. He ran out and we got another Taylor adhesive, maybe CrossLink? from Eco-Wise here in Austin. Elias liked the MS plus better because it was easy to apply without sticking to everything--like his hands and shoes.

Yesterday, the cabinets and some pulls were installed. The manufacturer is Bertch and they are made of Birch. Bertch has an environmental stewardship certification from the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturer's Association. The finishes are not no-VOC but they were lower than some other manufacturers. To get no-VOC, we would have had to pay about twice the amount. We love the look:

Of course the back wall will be painted and the face of the island will be covered. The range goes under the vent pipe for the hood.

I also got a shot of the bathroom tile:

The only flooring remaining is the Marmoleum downstairs, I'll get a picture of that soon. The big project, for which I am responsible, is casting concrete countertops for two of the bathroom vanities. If they come out looking OK, I'll post pictures. So, it is going to be a busy weekend, I'll sign off now.

Painted Walls

2010-05-08T08:09:00.000-07:00

The main interior painting is finished. The contractor will come back and touch up after everything else is finished. The main living area is a caramel color:

The billiard and music room downstairs is a cool blue:

A friend, Jim Mundy, is going to help me apply Venetian plaster in the Master Bath and one wall of the Master Bedroom. Surprisingly, this ancient wall treatment is eco-friendly. It is made of crushed marble and lime and hardens with age. You can use it in wet places, it is water and mold resistant. It is expensive and labor intensive to apply, which is why we are only doing a small area. I'll be sure to post pictures when we finish.

Next step is the flooring!

Ready for Paint!

2010-04-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

The taping is done,

and the texture has been applied.

So, we went over the colors today with Lupe, the painter. He will be using Pittsburg Paints Pure Performance, a no-VOC low-odor paint. In the context of the whole house, painting is a small task with no structural impact, but it will bring us that much closer to completion and will start adding the feeling of a home.

As we were leaving, Tom noticed this visitor:

We think that it is a Texas Brown Tarantula. It wasn't as large as tarantulas that I've seen in pet shops, but you can see from it's proximity to the door hinge that it is large enough! The specs on the picture are overspray from the texture.

Stone and Sheetrock

2010-04-20T19:07:00.000-07:00

We were thrilled to see that the stone is almost finished. We love the color. Hopefully it makes our choice of trim color make more sense. I took this at about 7 PM, so the color is subdued because it was in the shade:

The drywall is all hung. Taping will come next. The kitchen cabinets could go in as early as this weekend! The kitchen is almost ready:

Roof Finished, Insulation Sprayed, Sheetrock Arrives

2010-04-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

Things are moving so quickly now that I've fallen behind in my posts. Here is a shot of the finished roof:

The spray foam insulation is in. Don used a closed cell product. This wiki page describes the advantages of closed cell spray insulation. When you walk in the house now, the sounds from outside are almost totally cut off. We were on the deck and a neighbor was practicing on his drums. It was quite loud on the deck, but when we went in the house and closed the door, you couldn't hear it unless you stood right next to the door. Here is the living room after they sprayed and rasped the walls down to be flush with the studs:

We happened to stop by while they were bringing the sheetrock in (you might want to lower the volume before playing) :

The workers were carrying two of the 4X12 sheets--I guess a common occurrence for them, but it looked difficult to us:

The rock for the front of the house was also delivered. The picture colors are a little off because the photo was taken in low light. The facade will be creamy colored overall, with some gray, orange, and rust patches to match the roof and trim. The majority is limestone, with another type (forget the name) mixed in. The limestone is quarried locally, which mimizes the impact of transportation.

I've mentioned the wildflowers and birds before, I have a few pictures to post this time. Here is Kuma, enjoying the bluebonnets:

And, here are a few visitors to the bird feeder:

Yard Work

2010-04-08T06:26:00.000-07:00

Pedro's crew has done some grading and stonework. This short wall will help retain the slope and tree above the rainwater tanks:

Because the area in front of the decks is so steep, we requested a set of steps to provide access:

Don has provided a bed alongside the garage that we hope to use for flowers, herbs, and vegetables:

Speaking of flowers, we've had an unusually good year for wildflowers. The Bluebonnets have been beautiful:

Metal Roof

2010-04-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

The garage roof is almost finished and the house is getting started:

We chose a metal roof for several reasons:

It reflects the heat in the summer
It is much more durable than shingles -- especially for weathering hail storms, which we experience a lot
It is the best surface to catch rainwater from

Don had prepared us for a screw down application, which isn't as nice looking as the standing seam. But, when he got the bid back, the standing seam was in our budget. And, for that we are grateful!

We put up a bird feeder a little over a week ago and have started attracting some of the locals:

We've also seen Cardinals, Chipping Sparrows, Chickadees, and Titmice in the feeder. But, the smaller birds are so fast, I wasn't able to get a good picture.

Bobcat Work for Rainwater Tanks

2010-04-02T12:30:00.000-07:00

Tom got this video of the Bobcat. It is just amazing what this little machine can do. A load of crushed stone was delivered and dumped up on the street. They have been moving it bucket by bucket down the hill. You might want to lower your volume before playing it!

Decks and Railings

2010-03-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

The deck and railings were completed last week, but I'm just now posting the pictures. The wood will be stained later.

The railings are made of a framed wire grid called "bull panel." I didn't want conventional railings because code requires them to be so close together that you lose your view when you are sitting down. And, I didn't want to have to clean the Texas dust off plexiglass. As you can see, they almost disappear:

Stained Concrete Floors

2010-03-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

We are putting a few drops of sweat equity into the house. Our first major project was to stain the concrete floors in the entry and downstairs billiards room. The biggest effort was cleaning up. We had help from Jim and Dave on that.

The staining itself was not that much different from painting, but it took a few trials and errors to get the technique right. We used a paint roller to apply the stain and went over it with a paint pad to spread it out evenly. We used a soy-based stain and sealer. They had no smell at all and the rollers and pads cleaned up with water.

This picture shows the entry. You can see the raw concrete in front of it, which will be covered up with bamboo flooring.

This is the billiards room with a coat of sealer on it:

Waste Management

2010-03-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

The National Home Builder's Association estimates that the typical 2,000 square foot home results in 8,000 pounds of waste being added to the landfill. Don was happy to tell us that he still has not had to rent a dumpster. The wood used for concrete forms has been saved to use on other jobs. Some of the waste has been and will be chipped up to use for mulch. A friend of ours is picking up the leftover nails and metal pieces to take to the salvage center. A pile of remnants remains in our drive, and the workers pick from there to do small jobs.

I haven't posted pictures in a while, so here are some you might find interesting...

The Japanese soaking tub and shower pan have been fitted in the Master bath:

This shot shows the electrical wiring terminating on the outside of the building where the two main boxes will be installed. In Texas it is seems to be typical to put the box on the outside of the building, however, that is strange to us. If you did this in NY, you might need to go out in some rather nasty weather to reset a circuit breaker. Apparently, it isn't such a big deal here. One real upside is the emf's(electro-magnetic frequencies) from these circuit breaker boxes are outside the house with the backside of it to an exterior wall. The other side of this wall is inside a closet in the foyer. So hopefully, less emf's transferred into the house into a main living area. Also, if you notice the picture here, there is a two foot overhang. (Hopefully soon we will have pictures of the main electric cable going into the ground with cable and phone in a separate conduit in the same trench...)

In spite of the unusually cool spring we are having, the trees are starting to leaf out:

This is from the top deck:

And, the mountain laurel is beginning to bloom. It smells like grape candy:

We took a walk out on the property today and enjoyed hearing the birds singing--even though the North wind was blowing like crazy.

Saving Electricity

2010-03-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

We met with the electrician Monday and went over details. We requested switches for wall outlets in a number of places. It is common to have one side of an outlet on a switch for a lamp. But, we wanted switches also for electronics that consume electricity even when they are off, such as the TV and computer. In our current house, we've put these on surge protectors so that we can switch them off at night and have seen significant savings in our electric bill. We plan to use CFL or LED bulbs in most of the lights. They now sell dimmable CFLs, so Tom requested a number of dimmers throughout the house. Unless we are reading, we find that a low light in the evening makes us feel cozy.

Electric and plumbing are continuing this week, with low voltage (cable, audio, phone, and security) to follow. Time Warner wants to charge us $750 to bring cable service to the house. We don't understand why because the neighbors surrounding us already have service, and we're not that far from our nearest neighboor. We will probably put the electric line underground from the street to the house to save a tree and we can have a cable put in the trench. We're hoping this will convince them to lower the price.

Venting Rough-in

2010-03-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

A lot has been going on inside. The HVAC has been roughed in. We requested rigid venting for the exhaust fans (bathroom, kitchen, and laundry) because they are more energy efficient and easier to clean than flexible vent pipes. This picture shows the vent housing for the master bath and some of the HVAC vent and return ducts:

Can't remember whether we mentioned this before or not. We had planned for a ventless propane fireplace i the living room. But health agencies warn against their use, especially in a well-insulated space.

We investigated options and decided to go with an ethanol-burning fireplace. The ethanol, alcohol, and gel burning fireplaces only give off carbon dioxide (like we do when breathing) and steam. They have been approved by the EPA and Canadian health departments. We purchased ours from Laguna Waterworks. The living room has been framed in to accomodate it:

I was finally able to get a decent picture of the south-facing living room wall and sliding door to the deck:

We also brought Kuma with us on our last visit. She had some trouble walking down the stairs. Since our current home is all on one level, she has only navigated a few steps at a time. She walked down the stairs correctly with her front feet, but hopped two steps a time with her rear legs. I'm sure she will get the hang of it. Afterwards, she looked quite comfortable:

The soaking tub finally arrived! The rest of this week will probably be more plumbing and the start of electrical rough-in.

Dried In!

2010-02-22T16:56:00.000-08:00

Things have been happening so quickly, we haven't had time to post anything. The frame is dried in now, with tarpaper on the roof and Hardiboard siding around the side and back:

The Hardiboard will be painted later on. This shot shows the south side:

On the upper deck, the plans had stairs from the top deck to the bottom. When I noticed how close the ground was to the top deck, I asked Don about having a ramp to that upper level near the garage instead of stairs. He not only delivered the ramp, but a nice roof over it. We expect to be using it when we let Kuma out.

This shot shows the front wall of the living room:

The fireplace will be in the middle and the TV will be under the right set of windows. The video didn't come out the best, but it scans from this front wall to the kitchen.

Advanced Framing Techniques

2010-02-14T14:29:00.000-08:00

Don, our builder, had done his research and proposed using the National Association of Home Builder's 7 green framing principles. Unfortunately, the building inspector required an engineering letter to verify the feasibility of these principles in our case. Such a letter would have cost more than the what we would have saved.

The inspector was willing to accept the 2 stud corner, which allows better insulation and saves lumber, and 24" spacing for studs on the top non-load bearing walls. So, we were able to use just 2 of the 7 principles.

I appreciate that inspectors and building codes provide a safety net to ensure the quality of our home. But, it is disconcerting that it takes years for the industry to accept practices that are safe, better for the comfort of the home, less expensive, and last but not least--better for the environment. I was curious as to how long these practices had been available, and I found this document, with a publication from October 2000. Then, this page on the Austin Green Building website states optimum value engineering principles have been available for 20 years.

The green building website states:
"A study conducted by the National Association of Home Builders Research Center (NAHBRC) found that OVE methods saved $0.24 to $1.20 per square foot in framing wood compared with conventionally built houses (NRDC, "Efficient Wood Use in Residential Construction," 1998)".

Sigh.

Framing and Sheathing

2010-02-13T17:47:00.000-08:00

Last week was cold and rainy. We stopped by the house Saturday at about 5, and the crew was still working.

Here is a still shot of the front:

This is the north side of the house. It will have a few windows for natural light (they look like doors at this point, but there is only one door on the lower level).

This is the south side of the house, which will have most of the windows.

And finally, the west side.

The windows should arrive next week.

Garage and Lower Floor Framed

2010-02-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

Monday it rained, but Don told us that Jose, the framing contractor covered the lumber. Thanks Jose! Today is Wednesday and we got our first chance to check on progress. The garage was framed!

And, so was the lower floor. The open area is for the stairway.

And, here is a video 180.

Sidewalk

2010-02-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

This video shows the sidewalk and approach to the front porch:

While we were checking out the property, Don stopped by. He said that the framing lumber will be delivered tomorrow.

Slabs Finished!

2010-02-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

In spite of rainy weather, the top slab got poured Monday:

And the top of the driveway too!

Green Ratings

2010-01-30T10:53:00.000-08:00

Several organizations provide third-party inspections and verification of a home's energy efficiency and green features. LEED certification is the comprehensive in scope, but is quite costly. For our home, it would have probably been over $3,000. We just couldn't justify the cost.

Don, our builder, commissioned an Energy Star verification. Based on the plans and specifications, the inspector rated our home at 60. It requires a maximum “HERS” of 85 or less to qualify a home under EPA-Energy Star. The lower the number, the better. Don asked the inspector to compare our home to the last 200 energy star homes he has rated. He stated that we belong in the top 5 out of 200 other homes that he has rated at this level. Energy Star does not account for use of gray water or rain water collection.

Austin Energy also rates homes from one to five stars, but the home has to be within Austin Energy service area. The inspector entered our data in the Austin Energy rating calculator and told Don that we would have a five star home if we were building in Austin.

We are thrilled with this information and can't wait to see how it translates to our utility bills!

360 View

2010-01-30T10:36:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, we got a chance to walk out on the lower slab.

During the week, we had several days of rain. But, they managed to put a French drain in on the outside of the slab wall drop, filled it in, and got the forms ready for the short slab that will be on the upper level.

Wall Slab

2010-01-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the wall that drops down from the short top slab to the bottom was poured.

We also went to the French Homes Model and Don's wife Cher helped us choose colors and finishes. We're excited to see the framing go up!

After the Pour, it Poured!

2010-01-18T08:08:00.000-08:00

The pour occurred on an auspicious day. The next few days were warmer and rainy. So over the weekend, we went back to check out the results.

Vinyl Versus Metal Windows

2010-01-15T09:20:00.000-08:00

The insulation and reflective values of windows make a huge impact on the overall performance of a home. Don had gotten a really good quote on metal frame windows (around 3300), and he has had good success with them because they have a 1" flange around the perimeter that makes it easy to seal them up properly. The more expensive vinyl windows don't.

We had gone to Direct Buy, hoping to get a quote on vinyl windows that would at least come close to the metal. However, the guy giving us the price didn't check on different Direct Buy vendors, only on one with a very prominent name. We can't reveal the quote because that's part of the deal when you join DB, you agree not to reveal the prices. Let's just say it was orders of magnitude higher.

So, we had given up on vinyl windows. However, Don contacted me yesterday because one of his other clients put him in touch with American Window Systems, a supplier for Energy Star windows. They quoted 4600 for the windows. So, for 1300 more, we get vinyl windows with Argon instead of air as a filling. And, the performance ratings (lower is better) are UV Value of .53 and SHGC of .32 for the metal windows compare with a UV Value of .30 and SHGC of .25 for the vinyl. This link explains UV and SHGC. We decided to go with the vinyl, even though it adds to the budget. The energy savings should make up for the difference over the life of the home. The energy star site estimates somewhere between 90 and 300 dollars per year. The higher savings is for energy star compared to a single pain window the lower is compared to a clear double pane.

First Pour

2010-01-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

They poured the lower support posts, lower slab, and garage slab today. The cement trucks emptied into a pumper on the street. The pumper had a long boom that reached down the hill.

Pedro and crew are busy smoothing out 70 yards of concrete. Pedro said it was a good day for the pour, at about 50 degrees--not too cold, not too hot. And, the weather calls for rain, which will help it cure slowly.

The concrete contains fly ash, which makes it more environmentally friendly. http://www.toolbase.org/Technology-Inventory/Foundations/fly-ash-concrete. Don says that after it cures a while, they will tighten up the tension posts and it will make a really strong slab.

Here are Don and Pedro, checking the plans.

After this concrete sets up, Pedro will remove the forms and reuse them for the upper slab.

Driveway Turnaround and Pre-pour Progress

2010-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

We had record-breaking cold here over the weekend, with the airport registering 12 degrees. On Sunday, the sun was shining and a bit warmer, so we ventured out to check the progress. The drive has been graded some more and we have a turn-around:

The garage and part of the house will sit on post tension engineered slabs. Here is a picture of the cables that are used instead of traditional rebar:

They are covered to avoid corrosion and sit on little black cups that hold them at the correct height. The HGTV website has a nice article on this type of slab: http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/bp_foundation/article/0,2617,HPRO_20146_3745450,00.html.

Before pouring, this prep work was inspected by both the town and an engineer. Don has called us a couple of times to change the ETA of the first pour because small things came up. We expect it to be tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8.

Mystery Solved!

2010-01-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

We've not been able to get to the site while they were working, so were imagining what type of equipment would navigate the steep terrain. Even with the driveway cut in some, there are few places you can stand without leaning to balance your weight.

Today, we finally saw the mysterious Bobcat. We hope to get out someday to see it in motion. You have to respect the brave operator!

They've cut further into the hillside and staked out the perimeter of the garage.

Here are the forms for the retaining wall that will keep the rainwater tanks from sliding down the hill:

Hopefully, the winter rain will hold off a bit.

Last week of 2009

2009-12-31T09:44:00.000-08:00

Cold weather and rain again this week. We even saw snowflakes in our back yard! More forms have been constructed, but I didn't get any new pictures.

We're thinking about colors and finishes. I had my eye on a simple Delta faucet for the master bath, but the lowest price I could find was near $200. So, when I came across these sink and faucet sets on Amazon, I thought I would give them a try. For $145 a set, they include the faucet, sink, and all of the hardware. I wasn't expecting a lot because of the price. But, when they arrived, they are much bigger than I expected and they are beautiful!

We got 2 of these for the Master Bath:

And, one of these for the powder room:

The bowls and faucets appear to be of excellent quality, so I ordered another for the downstairs bath:

I'm thinking of buying a sewing machine for draperies and pillows. I haven't sewn in years, but drapes are super expensive and it is hard to get them in fabrics that are natural and won't give off VOCs. I found a website that describes how to remove VOCs by soaking fabrics in baking soda and/or Borax and rinsing them in vinegar: http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/02/removing_odors_.html.

Guess that's all for today.

Rain Slowdowns

2009-12-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

We have had a couple of rains and it takes a long time for the soil to dry out. So, this week, progress was slow. The concrete will be poured in three stages, with the lower one first. The plumbing has been roughed in for the lower slab.

The driveway also got a load of fill so we can walk down in from the road now.

We were fortunate while walking around to hear and see this little guy (photo from http://www.laspilitas.com/California_birds/Kinglets/Ruby_crowned_kinglet.html).

We don't expect that a lot will happen until the holidays are over, but now that we can more easily walk onto the site, we will probably be spending some time there. With the area cleared, we can plan for the landscaping and future pool.

First Two Weeks

2009-12-14T07:02:00.000-08:00

A lot has happened and it is exciting to see the lot take shape!

First, the trees and shrubs that would be in the way were removed. The picture makes it look much flatter than it really is. You can see three lines and changes in color, they indicate sharp drop-offs in elevation. This shot is looking west from the street.

Next, the equipment came in, sorry we don't have any pictures of that. Don's plan made the best use of the land with the least amount of excavation. This picture shows the driveway looking south, toward the area where the garage will be.

And this one is looking north, up toward the road.

Now, a step further down the hill, an area has been leveled for the slab that supports the entry and part of the living room. Then a drop and the area for the billiard room and lower deck.

And, finally, we believe these are the forms for the piers that will support the west end.

You can get a better idea of the size from this one. He is standing somewhere near the east wall of the billiard room.

And, with some of the trees gone, we can get a better idea of the view. The other basin of the lake, to the south west, is quite visible now, even from the lower level.

Walking the Lot

2009-12-04T08:40:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, we met Pedro and Alex, the foundation contractor and his assistant. With Don they started marking important spots on the lot, in spite of the threat of rain. At about 11:30, when we arrived, it was already drizzling, so we didn't get any pictures. They showed us where the front porch, deck, and garage will be. They were troopers because it was pouring by the time we left!

They had already marked trees that would have to come down. The front porch will be very near one of the trees we want to save. It has three trunks, one of which leans toward the house and would be too close to the roof, so we decided to remove it.

Trees on our second lot will probably have to be removed to clear the view, but Don suggested waiting until the framing goes up so that we can stand at floor level and see what will really be in the way.

We're out of town for a few days, and can't wait to the see the progress when we return. Some are predicting a really wet winter and we're hoping it doesn't slow the project down.

Starting Soon!

2009-11-27T16:01:00.000-08:00

We signed all of the papers earlier this week and will meet Don and the foundation contractor on Monday the 30th. They will be marking off the areas for the driveway, retaining walls, and slabs. A number of trees will be removed, but we are trying to save the hardwoods. So, we drove up today to take some pictures before the clearing gets started. These two were enjoying wildflower nectar. Do you see the well-camouflaged one?

The property is overgrown with Ashe Juniper trees, which are commonly called Cedar. Cedars are considered a nuisance in this area. They take the available water away from other trees and many people are allergic to their pollen. So, we will be removing many cedars and either chipping them up for mulch or saving the trunks for fence posts.

To get an idea of how thick they are, this photo shows the area of the street where the driveway will start. The cedars are the ones with deep green foliage.

It was a grey day. The next two pictures were taken close to the area where the house will sit. The first is the view toward the southwest, the second toward the southeast. Even at this distance, you can see how low Lake Travis is. Even after several recent rains, it is still 16.6 feet below its average November Level.

Framing, Insulation, and Solar

2009-11-26T09:10:00.001-08:00

As mentioned in an earlier post, we had looked at many new alternative materials for framing. ICFs, SIPs, and pre-fab were really interesting and had many advantages. We really wanted steel framing and had looked at companies that provide steel frame kits. A company nearby in Georgetown, Transcon Steel, fabricates steel panel systems. These would have been great to use and we got a bid from them that was very reasonable.

Since we're building on a steep lot, the retaining walls and site prep add significantly to the cost of the home. The local Jonestown ordinance requires a two car garage. As you can imagine, it requires a lot of concrete to support a structure on a 38% grade. And, the driveway can only be 12-15%, so quite a bit of the budget goes toward that as well. We tried to get a variance to avoid having to build the garage, but were turned down. So, with the added cost of the garage itself and the concrete to retain it, it looks like we'll have to go with conventional stick-built construction.

Even stick-built can be "greened." Our builder, Don, has specified finger jointed studs, which are made from shorter pieces of wood glued together. They make use of lumber that might otherwise be wasted and they tend to not warp like conventional studs. The Austin Green Building website has more information. Don also orders carefully to avoid as much waste as possible.

For a tight envelope, the walls will have 3.5" of sprayed foam insulation. The floor will be partly slab and partly on pier and beam, which will also be insulated. The Attic will be completely insulated with 5.5" of foam. This insulation allows the air conditioning to be more efficient with ducts running in air conditioned space instead of in a 140 degree solar oven. The metal roof will reflect heat and provide a good surface for rainwater collection.

We plan for a small solar photo-voltaic installation, a little over 3Kw. And, if the budget allows, we'd like to have a wind turbine as well. More details on these systems later.

Lower Level Floorplan and Rainwater Collection

2009-11-21T16:36:00.001-08:00

This is the lower level. Since you probably can't read the annotations, the largest room is a media room with space for a 7' pool table. The two guest bedrooms are at the top. The outdoor living space is covered by the deck above it, which will also help shade the windows.

The two round circles to the left are for rain water collection. Water is short here in Texas and last year was extremely dry. However, when it rains--it pours. We're estimating that we will be able to collect from approximately 1000 square feet of the roof. That should produce 550 gallons of water for every inch of rain. The average rainfall in our area is about 32 inches, which would yield 17,600 gallons.

The average family of two uses 20,000 gallons a year. However, our fixtures will all be water savers and we are installing a Brac greywater system that reuses the water from the shower and laundry to flush toilets. We could always have water trucked in if necessary, and it is possible to add gutters to the garage in the future.

Street Level Floorplan

2009-11-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

This is the street level floorplan. We only have a scanned image, so it may be difficult to see the details, but hopefully you can make out the main layout. As you can see from the elevations we posted previously, the house steps down with the hillside. The main living area is over the smaller bottom level. We tried to incorporate all of our needs in a "not-so-big" house, using some of the principles outlined by Susanne Susanka. The total conditioned/heated square footage is about 1380 for the top floor and 863 downstairs. We probably wouldn't have needed the space downstairs, but most of our family and many friends live elsewhere and we hope they will visit often. The downstairs will function as a private suite when we do have guests--sound inviting?

We went with a custom design for our home because we weren't able to find all of the following characteristics in existing houses or in one stock plan:

One entry for us and our guests.
An ample closet in the entry for coats with shelves for shoes, purses, a charging station for electronics, and all of the things that usually end up on the top of a table near the entry. Significant environmental pollutants can enter the home on the bottom of shoes. We plan to have separate footwear for inside and outside.
An open floorplan with lots of windows facing the view.
A small office. After years of working in cubicles, this space is more than ample. It will have double doors with glass to close for privacy, while enabling us to still see the view through the living space.
A powder room that does not open off the main living area. You enter it through the office.
A large pantry.
A kitchen with separate areas (and sinks) for cooking and cleanup. No longer should we be bumping into each other.
A Japanese soaking tub. I've never been able to get comfortable in a normal tub. This one has a seat and requires less water to cover you up to the neck. It's more like a personal jacuzzi than a tub, but without jets. See a description on the Americh site.
A large walk-in shower.
Laundry in the walk-in closet. Why transport dirty and clean clothes back and forth when you can simply throw them in the washer and hang them up when clean?

Side Elevations and Passive Solar

2009-11-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

You might wonder exactly what makes our home green. Just like the color, eco-design has varying shades. We've tried to incorporate all of the green elements that we could afford. One green principle that costs little to nothing is Passive Solar, which includes correct orientation of the home to the sun and the placement of windows.

If the long sides of a home face north and south and the windows are placed correctly, you can significantly reduce cooling bills in the summer and heating bills in the winter. Here in Texas, cooling is much more expensive than heating, but we do get a few months that require heat. While windows gain and lose heat much quicker than an insulated wall or roof, they also provide light to cheer the soul and reduce the need for electricity during the day.

The first elevation of our home shown above faces north. It has only a few windows, which provide daylighting but minimize heat gain and loss. The second elevation is to the south. This side offers a view of Lake Travis and contains the most glazing. To reduce heat gain in the summer, the largest windows are covered by the roof over the deck and patio. The other windows are either covered by a roof overhang or by individual roof awnings. The overhangs and awnings are calculated to provide the most shade in the summer when the sun is high in the sky.

Lake view

2009-10-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken from above our property before we purchased the lot. Due to the thick brush we weren't able to walk to the area where the house will be built. It will face south and have another view of the lake where it winds around.

Welcome!

2009-10-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

This blog is dedicated to all who long for a green, healthy environment. We are building a green home on a budget and hope our experiences will be encouraging and inspiring to others. Here is how the story began...

Although it is sometimes more green to remodel an existing home, we had decided to build because we've accumulated a list of design requirements over the years that are not easily factored into existing floorplans. And, we were moving to the Austin, Texas area from California. Our main living area in California overlooked the San Francisco Bay, and we knew we would miss that terribly. So, we purchased two lots in Jonestown, Texas with great views of Lake Travis and the dream of building a custom home.

Fortunately, the culture of Austin fosters green thinking and we were able to find a number of architects that designed green homes. Unfortunately, when we interviewed several, we were told that we would need to increase our budget substantially to get the home and green features we wanted.

We moved from California to Texas in 2006 and continued to research our options. Since we are nearing retirement age, we really want to limit the cost of the home because it will be the basis for property tax assessment. We researched owner building, modular homes, earth-sheltered homes, kit homes, and more. All had advantages and disadvantages. The biggest challenge we faced was the steep slope of the lots and our desire for a custom floor plan.

Early in 2009 we saw a newly built green home for sale on Craigslist. It was unusually affordable. We inquired but it was under contract already. The agent suggested that we call the builder, Don Groody. What a surprise to find out that he lived only a short distance from our lots and on the same street!

Don does both design and build and has a wealth of experience building on the difficult lots around north side of the lake. What impressed us most was the fact that he didn't flinch when we mentioned our budget. When we enumerated our long wish list of green features, he stated that he'd been using some of these techniques for years because they just made sense. And, when I explained that we wanted to save money by really shopping around and getting bargains if we could beat the prices he could find, he was willing to work with it.

The happy ending to this opening chapter is that we've been working with Don on the design and it's almost final. In my next post, I will include the floorplan and elevations.