Thinking outside the box

An interesting trend here in Portland within the last year, we have converted 3 garages to live / work spaces.

A re-purposed garage can be a great spot to relax or work. Essentially a Man or Woman cave away from the hustle & bustle of the home.


Before




Zoning requirements have been a little challenging but we are finding ways to meet the code and make the inspectors happy.



Portland has been working to increase density in general, so these are becoming easier to push through the system.




AFTER

Our clients have found this to be a great cost effective way to increase the useful space they already own!



If additional space is needed for your home, and would help you write ballads or practice yoga, let us know and we may be able to help.

Improving a contractors old house part II

The attic has had new Icynene insulation for about a month and it has been a tremendous improvement in the way the home feels.

Following are the before and after photos.

BEFORE

Here is the old ceiling insulation: 3"1/2 of loose shredded newspaper cellulose.
This was vacuumed out.


The gable end showing the vent which helped let hot and cold air in when we didn't want it.

AFTER


Now the Icynene Insulation is sprayed directly underneath the roof to provide another layer of air between the elements and the attic. This prevents the attic from getting heated to 120F when the outside air temp is only 90F in the summer.

It also stops cold from entering all the roof vents in the winter.

Already the home is much more comfortable and we can't wait to see what it feels like during the hot days of summer.


When air transfer and moisture problems are dealt with correctly then the typical roof vents are unnecessary.

For more information:

Icynene Inc

Thank you S.C. Phelps Insulation for a great installation!

Essential Infastructure

Recently I have noticed a change of attitudes from clients with respect to infrastructure in their homes.

Now that energy costs are sky high, people are considering what it will cost in the future to operate a home. We are all realizing our homes are still one of the best return on investments and want to make choices that maintain their value.

There may be legislation in the future that requires disclosure of the annual operating costs of every home. This would be similar to the dealer sticker on a car that states the MPG for city and highway.

Previously, folks didn't spend a lot of time thinking about what's behind the walls until there is an untimely problem. We hope to change that and help educate clients about how important the items you don't see can be for their comfort and long term operating cost.

The problem with competitive bidding is that many contractors will not specify the correct product for the job. This explains for example, why so many electric panels recently installed by others are undersized. Yes, it may meet basic safety codes to pass an inspection, but when the house sells an unsuspecting buyer may need another $1400 panel because their electrical contractor wanted to save the client $100.

The following is a short list of items that may be incorporated to greatly improve energy efficiency or resale value of a home. These are just a few of Tim's favorites:

1) Icynene open cell spray foam insulation.
2) Cast iron pipe for waste lines (for sound only).
3) Appropriate sized electric service panel. Unfortunately almost everything needs to be plugged in and we need larger and larger panels to accommodate. New Code requirements also have added the need for additional circuits for safety and to reduce nuisance tripping of breakers. Certain outlets could be operated by a switch to reduce standby power when they are turned off. Many stereos, televisions and computers consume power in standby mode.
4) All water pipes (hot & cold supply) should be insulated.
5) All walls could be insulated and ceilings for sound. This will help with thermal pressure between floors as well.
6) Waste water heat exchanger. This captures heat from shower waste water and uses it to preheat replacement water supplying the hot water heater.
7) Timed recirculating valve for plumbing fixtures that are far from the hot water heater. These cut down the time it takes to get hot water out of a faucet, which reduces the amount of water running down the drain waiting for it to get hot.
8) Solar hot water heater.
9) Foot switch operated or touch-less faucet at main kitchen sink. This eliminates the waste of water every time the faucet is turned on. With typical standard faucets at least a cup minimum is wasted during during the time it takes to turn on the water, grab what needs to get wet ( for example soap for your hands ) and get that object under the water. The same goes for turning the water off. A few precious seconds are wasted between the time it takes to set the item down and turn the water off. A foot switch or touch-less style eliminates this problem. Manufactures include Brizo,Delta & Kohler.
10) Light colored roofing eliminates heat gain.
11) 40+ yr roof.
12) Engineered decking lasts longer than Cedar.
13) Water recovery devices like rain barrels. Or for inside the home: This one I love although, it is not allowed in Oregon at this time due to existing plumbing code: Pontos

Improving a contractors old house pt I

Since the addition of a hairy barking dog and some kids, our home has been feeling a little neglected lately. Finally, it's time to put some love and attention back into it.

Attack plan *A* required removing the squirrels from the attic. Awhile back I started hearing something alive on the roof and one day I realized they were not on the roof but a few inches above my head in the attic.
If anyone has heard the story on NPR about the squirrel, the cop and the guy and his wife in bathrobes, then I know what you're thinking right now.
I didn't actually hear the radio story but my lovely wife retold her version and it convinced me that I should never open the attic door. The consequences might involve more than fire and spilled wine.



I purchased an emitter from the hardware store that allegedly produces a high pitch sound which sends squirrels and other vermin running. It seemed to work for awhile depending where I placed it, so I bought another one. Then it seemed like it wasn't working at all. Somehow the sound changed to a siren call to help their buddies locate our home.

It was time to call a professional. One of my carpenters had a similar problem at his apartment which his landlord called the aptly named "A Wildlife Professional" to evict the squatters. Since I know landlords will do a lot of research to find the best deal in town I thought I would give this company a try. Tim Rickards came to my home the next day and got to work. He installed a one way gate that would allow the rascals to exit and not come back. Tim installed spray foam in the areas that they were getting in and covered unobtrusive metal on the outside.


Tim installing one way gate on the outside of the main entrance. Thanks Tim! They haven't been back.


Next it was time to remove the insulation. Squirrel poop does not enhance the Feng Shui, or indoor air quality. In addition, the loose-fill cellulose insulation didn't do much to reduce air transfer which made the home drafty and inefficient.




The old insulation was only 3.5 inches deep of shredded newspaper which equals a maximum R value of 11.9 in the best of circumstances. On a typical windy day, the air pressure difference combined with all the holes in the attic decreases the R value dramatically.


Here is the amazing thing. In the summer when it is 90 degrees outside, it was probably at least 120 degrees in the attic which is separated by 3.5 inches of loose fill insulation from the family. The rectangle on the wall at the end is one of the two gable end vents that let the wind whip up the dust in the attic and let cold or hot air into the space.

We chose to call upon Rapid Vac to Remove all the attic insulation. ENVI Construction had worked with their team before and were glad to see the same crew show up to our home. I was always impressed in how conscientious and professional the guys are and took the extra time to eliminate any dust in the living areas.



Now is a good time to get the dog out of the house because the noise of the vacuum is going to stress him out.



The crew almost wasn't able to fit into the attic hatch once the hoses were installed.

In a few hours, all the dirty, inefficient insulation will be long gone.

In part II we'll discuss what type of replacement insulation was chosen and why.