recycling

In these lean economic times reusing building components can help save money and the environment but there are a few things to think about first. Has your desire to recycle and reuse caused you to sacrifice some of your end results of the construction? Will any savings of your reuse recycle efforts be offset by having to protect, augment or remove and reset those components. Who will be responsible for warrantying those reused items? Reusing and recycling components is on the face of it a good thing. However if you’re a building owner that is trying to update your building to find higher end tenants, chances are there will be very little that should not be upgraded. If the original components don’t lend themselves to the design then by all means recycle them by donating to Habitat for Humanity or other building material recycling companies. However don’t let your desire to reuse force you to settle for less. Many times when an item is designated in a construction project to be saved and reused that item becomes one of the most expensive pieces of the project. This is usually because the fixture or whatever it may be needs to be taken down during construction, stored, reinstalled and in some cases augmented to work in its new environment. With extra handling comes more opportunities for damage to the item. It always makes sense to look at the costs of reusing something before making that decision. Another pit fall of reuse is that if for example you wish to reuse the toilets in your building, and after they are re installed a leak develops flooding the the bathroom and the causing some damage who’s responsible? Assuming the toilet was installed properly, there is nobody to warranty the problem and the owner is left with cleaning up the mess. In the same example if the plumber had supplied new toilets, the plumber would be responsible for cleaning up the mess and correcting the problem. This is not to say arrangements can’t be worked out to clearly define who warranties what in a situation of reuse but that would of course need to happen at the beginning of the project. I believe reuse to be something everyone should try to do when renovating an existing building. However it’s not as cut and dry as it may sound. Making sure you are not sacrificing your design, paying attention to the possible added costs for reuse and determining the level of warranties for reused items need to be taken into account. If it can’t be reused on your site it surely it will be valuable in another project and can find its way there through the companies that recycle building materials. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyle Keever eats, breathes and blogs about custom general contracting in Seattle, Wa... Seattle, Custom Contractors

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling... RAWHIDE!

Passive home solar design not only enables your home to "work", it allows you to use less to do more.

My green building architect friend Scott Kyle shared an article last week which embodies this philosophy, and is in line with our own thinking:

You don't need a bunch of systems stuff- if carefully chosen, less is more.

In Vivian Loftness's article Free-Rolling Buildings on GreenSource.com,

"More efficient technologies can help us to achieve a 30-percent reduction, but they will never get us to carbon neutrality. For that we need nature’s renewables—daylight, passive solar heating, natural ventilation, natural cooling. We need mechanical systems that are turned off as long as possible, buildings that “free-roll” through hours, days, months, and seasons."

I push down manufacturer prices to give you volume pricing for the passive solar house kits (homes designed by amazing custom architecture firms!), but everything is a huge investment and when having to make a choice between better but more expensive vs. cheap and poorly-made, your best bet is quality, every time.

This is especially true in systems choices. As our modern off grid house will depend upon energy efficiency, I have been researching the market for appliances that use little or no electricity.

Sometimes the choices I make will not be the most inexpensive, but I believe they will last years longer, even generations, certainly making them the longterm affordable choice. As I consider decisions I think 1. Invest in efficiency and durability but also 2. Do we really *need* all "this" (whatever "this" may be)?

One way we financially achieve systems purchases is by doing it in stages- each year we invest in one more thing, paid for in cash.

For Christmas last year I gave Handsome Hubby a... (drumroll) composting toilet.

Now that composting toilet is much more expensive than just purchasing "a toilet." (And what a wonderful gift, no? I got even with him for the year he gave me car parts.) But when you consider our freedom from having to dig pipes to hook up to a sewer, much less the fact that we won't be contributing to sewage... it's a good, long term, affordable solution.

This year, I will be purchasing the refrigerator and freezer. I have been looking at models that run on propane, and extremely energy efficient electric models that would tie in to solar power.

Regardless which choice I make, I am purchasing the smallest model refrigerator for two reasons:
1. less expensive and
2. our philosophy that really, since we will be buying from our neighbors farms / growing much ourselves seasonally, you really don't need the huge storage- much will be canned, preserved, then the refrigerator supplements/keeps what is used that week.

The freezer will certainly be larger, to hold meat seasonally acquired through friends' free range farms or hunting, but I may hold off on that purchase awhile as technology improves (although there IS a nice solar powered freezer I've had my eye on which could be stored in the shed).

In that same sense of evaluating what we "need" in systems, do we *really need* extreme heating and cooling? Thanks to the passive solar design of our house kit, thanks to the energy efficiency of the structural insulated panels (SIPs), our home will not have extreme fluctuations in temperature, or fast temperature loss/gain.

For heat, we installed radiant heat in the concrete thermal mass.

What about summer? I discussed this with Ron, our contractor... who, like I, wasn't concerned. I have never been a fan of air conditioning- heck, our air conditioning has been set to 80 for years, I just like to "take the edge off" of summer. I've always felt that when it's summer, you should be wearing summer clothes- light dresses, sandals... and often wondered about the health effects of working in companies where you must bring a wool sweater with you in August to work because the dial is set to "frigid."

By using a sun shade on the south side, overhangs in the architecture, and letting the cool air in at night while the hot air escapes through the clerestory windows... we expect to be plenty comfortable.

When evaluating systems, my constant question is "how low can we go?"

It will be interesting look back five years from now and whether our systems choices were indeed, too much or little. (I'm expecting them to be appropriate, as I've done much research, but I'm just saying...)

When I initially envisioned our own house kit, I had dreams of cooking over a wood-fueled kitchen stove which would also heat the house... I dreamed of masonry heaters and evenings spent huddled about its warmth with our children...

Instead, I realized I could be zero energy / more carbon neutral by giving up that nostalgic flickering flame, and achieving better, more evenly-distributed heat with solar powered radiant heat. Our solar cooker will help us supplement many tasks that would otherwise be done via baking / cooking. (You can see some of my early solar cooking experiments here. : ) )

How low WILL we go?

Here are some of the choices I've made: I have decided I really am not passionate about laundry. ; ) Why consume energy in a clothes dryer when you can air dry your clothes outside? (Heck, in winter I'll just hang them in the bathroom, actually, I could hang them anywhere as the floor is concrete! ; ) )

For washing clothes, I have decided to go waaaaaaaaaaaaay low tech, and low water (don't forget, we have no hook up to water, and the rainwater collection and filtration system has not yet been purchased):

Initially we will use (and then maybe not replace?) the Pressure Handwasher, because the Home Queen Wringer Washer is something I can purchase down the road but don't want to pay cash for now. It will encourage us all to not let laundry pile up, thus needing less clothes.

Handsome Husband makes a great point: In the army, they had to "clean" their clothes with a brush, without water. Now, I'm not going to get that rustic, but it certainly inspires me to make sure the "muck" is off the dirty clothes before washing them, therefore needing less water, cleaning better!

Handsome Husband: "I think frugality is fun in this life exercise. I don't see it as a limitation but as an adventure. It's about being conscious, and realizing you really don't 'need' much."

It's also reflected in our interior design.

Unlike a lotta "prototype" homes you see, we are reusing (mostly) thangs we already have and not asking for design handouts in exchange for "publicity." Like you, we have accumulated carefully over time our favorite things, that make a house a "home," that really reflects our family.

Because, like everything, we have carefully considered the future, over years of thrifting and reuse... we dream, we plan, we scavenge. : )

And make it fabulous.

The Photovoltaic roof consists of a set of solar panels assembled to cover the surface of the roof of a house or a building. Don't confuse it with the pool solar heaters, they are used to hot water and not to generate electricity.

There are no moving parts, maintenance requirements are reduced to the minimum terms and consist, mostly in periodic checks of the accumulator battery.

The photovoltaic modules that make up the solar panels, transform the energy received from the sun into electricity used for domestic use in partial or total replacement of conventional supply.

This solar system is feasible even on complex already built but is considerably cheaper, obviously, if already part of the plan for a new building.

Of course, the main advantage of these systems is in the use of an inexhaustible energy source, free and clean. The energy produced by photovoltaic panels is included in the existing electrical system and connected to the supplier of electricity.

Therefore, a practical example is that when it produced more energy than required, the system can assign an energy surplus to the electricity distributor.

The market is increasing its penetration, the experts for the magazine "World Renewable Energy" have estimated a change of 1000 kW in 1990, 2000 in 1993, 7000 in 1996, 36,000 in 1999, 60 thousand in 2000, 800 thousand in 2010.

The lack of education around recycling continues to amaze me. As a life-long, self-righteous Californian, I was hardly shocked when I needed to give my recent new fraternity-brother roommates from Nebraska constant pointers and many reminders about what can and can't be recycled. "Junk mail - yes. Greasy pizza boxes - no. Soda bottles full of chewing tobacco spit - rinse them out first... but not in our kitchen sink!"

But, when I was out with Kevin last week helping a friend of his, a seemingly conscious, educated guy, clear out his garage, I was consistently surprised by what was showing up in (and then getting promptly removed from) the recycling bin. Packing peanuts, the broken tube from a vacuum cleaner, cellophane. Yikes! What was going on here? "Somebody told me that's all recyclable" was his simple answer.

I would agree that figuring out what can or can't be recycled isn't totally straightforward especially when you discover that what is and isn't recycled varies immensely by region and municipality. Still, I think that people aren't realizing that aligning their green, good intentions with practical solutions will take more than relying on hearsay evidence and the latest commercials promoting "eco-everything." Not an easy state of mind to pierce in our current lackadaisical society, but hopefully with enough reminders, separating the curds from the whey protein powder plastic jar will start to become second nature.

Anyone here like puzzles? 'Cause we're gonna be putting together 5,000 square feet o' VMI basketball court soon... think of it: The Challenge! The Fun! This is better than the crossword in Sunday's Herald Tribune!

Or not.

"I got up at 6 am, made coffee and hit the road to approve the foundation preparation and receive the VMI Basketball Floor delivery.

As I was emptying out the shed for the floor the plumbers pulled up and I handed them the PEX tubing I had ordered. I began bush-hogging but Ron, the general contractor, soon arrived and we approved prep work.

(Radiant Heat And Off Grid Foundation Video:)

I returned to the tractor for an hour and the flooring arrived. We have a 20x20 shed and the fork lift was too tall/big so we ended up getting the plumbing crew, which had just finished installing the radiant heat loops, to help and were done within an hour.

(VMI Floorboards Unloading Video 1 of 3)

(VMI Recycled Boards Video 2 of 3)

(VMI Wood Reused In Prefab-ulous House Video 3 of 3) (Copeland's note: Oh. My. Gosh... can you believe we were actually thinking we could just rent a U-Haul and drive to Lexington, load the wood *JUST THE TWO OF US*, drive to the land, and then UNLOAD it?!?!? Soooooooooooo grateful to Bill Miller of ZellerMiller Companies, a VMI alumni who heard of our plight and used his construction connections to help, Bill Miller SAVED US by putting us together with these people to deliver the wood.)

I invited everyone to lunch, and as we left I noticed a flat tyre on my car - upon return to the site the delivery guys hadn't left yet and raised the car with their forklift so that the tire was changed quickly.

When I finally made it to lunch we spoke about alternative energy and it turns out that the plumbing company has done several geo-thermal projects."

Table tops and countertops made from paper are an eco-friendly and very sustainable alternative to stone and linoleum. The product is both processed in a low waste and low/no emission manner and easily recycled back into other products. Recycled paper countertops are a restaurant kitchen favorite, as they remarkably prevent the colonization of bacteria. Stronger than wood, as beautiful as marble, these paper countertops do a good job of mimicking the look of stone. However, paper countertops do add a softer ambiance to the look of your kitchen.

Paperstone is one company that sells the design and is available at $90 to $120 per square foot. www.paperstone.com Paperstone countertops are made from 50 to 100 percent post consumer waste paper. The recycled paper is combined with a non-petroleum resin, (which is 100% water-based!), and the oil of cashews to make the paper countertop product. Rich-lite makes paper countertops that are approved by CO-OP America. They are not from 100% recycled paper, but from managed forests in North America. You can order samples at www.richlite.com

Shetkatstone makes a paper countertop that boasts a 100% sustainable life cycle. Their countertops can be turned into a new product when ready to be changed. They offer sample kits in both a marbelized look or a matte finish. Shetkastone also takes it one step further by offering table tops made from the paper product. Large enough for conference tables these custom designs are great for home or office. Every table top arrives ready to install. www.shetkastone.com

From the second David Day's fabulous casa ti house kit design was laid before me, I have dreamed, imagined myself in my future home. Which bedroom will be whose? Where will the dining table go? How to furnish it?

(Luckily, for myself, an avid thrift-er, I have kept an eye out for good finds and amassed a basement full o' furniture over the years with which to trick out our prefab-ulous house. Here's an example of just a few o' the things I've collected & reused over the years!)

I have imagined all sorts o' frugal, crafty solutions for the interior wall. See, drywall just doesn't "do it" fer me; I like natural, I like patina, and, even the green alternatives for drywall were a little too smooth for me. (Watch out, there's Bryan Adams in them thar link!)

So when a friend on twitter messaged me that a historic college, Virginia Military Institute, had torn up it's maple basketball floorboards and was auctioning them on GovDeals.com, I *jumped.*

Let's just say... those salty builders bidding against each other had no chance. In the last 12 seconds, I swooped in and stormed off with over 5,000 square feet o' solid maple history.

So our casa ti interior will now be lined with beautiful, durable, historic maple boards, reflecting my passion for history yet maintaining a natural, modern design.

Now lissen here, you crafty VMI alumni or lovers of reuse: I am not going to need 5,000 square feet o' boards. Certainly I can find ways to use it all, but if anyone is interested in adoring the history and natural beauty of this maple in their own home, direct message me. : )

There are elements in our modern casa ti SIP house kit that I envision like the old bridal tradition:
"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue."

As much as I appreciate turnkey prefab, there's something in my farming Virginia soul that insists upon reusing items from the past, within our architectual structure.

Using the latest green building technology, merged with timeless passive solar design, I now begin to focus on the interior. In my mind, I meld industrial modern elements with nostalgic reused materials:

• the sophisticated strength of a poured, polished concrete floor (which also collects thermal mass, and with fly ash, reuses local byproducts!)
• juxtaposed with the natural embrace of sustainable pine walls
• deft, no nonsense modern lines of built-ins
• the faded tales told by old wooden doors through whom how many hands and lives passed through?
• And if we're lucky, a special, plain, reused farmhouse sink.

Strolling through research, I came across CoolStuffIsCoolStuff.com and other neat architectural salvage sites. I will be sticking closer to home and shopping locally at Caravati's, but did want to mention a special site, Second Chance.

There, not only do they repurpose materials and give old buildings new life, but they also give people another shot at opportunity and learning valuable skills.

From their web site, here's what they say:

"Job Training Second Chance is working with low-income residents of Baltimore to train them in a wide variety of skill sets, ranging from carpentry to craftsmanship. Our goal is to create skilled workers making a living wage with benefits for themselves and their families.

Through the use of public and private funds, we teach our workers to safely deconstruct a building without damaging its historic elements. They become self-supporting members of the community with new skill sets.

At Second Chance, we believe that second chances are not just for buildings, they are for people, too. "

Like the bridal saying, sometimes "something borrowed" might mean borrowing on the strength of community and pooled skills, and recognition that when community comes together to help others succeed, we all benefit.

Whether it be good friends helping out for a few weekend hours as we work on a house kit project together, helping my family but where the structure and land will be a benefit to all our friends, or craftsmen investing their time in training someone new to later help them on future projects and rely on them as part of their paid, skilled team.

Sometimes, pushing ahead with the advances of cutting-edge technology, what we also need is a good ole fashioned barn-raising.

This is what happens when my husband goes away... he really does keep me sane, you know.

Until recently, I could brag that our office only used *at the most* three reams of paper a year.

And then the children went on a drawing binge.

It's driving me bonkers- on one hand, I cringe, "Don't waste paper!!!" then cringe at myself: "How dare you call their artistic pursuits wasteful?" So I stack the drawings in a corner, guiltily...

Today I was pondering over how to finish our casa ti interior. I've always envisioned it with sleek, organic, simple plywood, which I thought would look really good with the more industrial concrete flooring. But I like to consider all options, and even published a post on how to make SIPs stew.

And then I thought... "Why not recycle those drawings?"

They are mainly scribbly ink drawings on notebook paper left over from college days, or grabbed from our office shelf. So the overall effect would be clean, white, but with scribbles and occasional bursts of color... I could easily attach it directly to the SIPs walls, then maybe minwax / beeswax it once hung... just for... fun!

I still see the end result eventually being plywood... but to in the meantime reuse the paper / childrens "art" for our house? Fantastic!

By the time you read this, it will be my birthday.
I'm ugly and old as dirt.

So, in honor of the sands of time passing, imminent doom and whatnot, I thought I'd show you these *recycled* coffin couches.

You know, I'm still a goth girl at heart, and I'm certain the Addams Family would approve.

Read the hilarious commentary here:
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/04/28/coffincouchescom-rec.html

And the website: http://coffincouches.com/

"We at Coffincouches.com have the mindset of thinking "Green" and we know it is different but we strongly believe in recycling. Our niche happens to be 18 gauge steel coffins which we collected from local funeral homes primarily in Southern California. It is a health and safety law that funeral homes cannot resell used coffins to the general public. We approached funeral directors with the attitude of recycling. These coffins are not used for burial due to slight cosmetic inconsistencies. They are reconfigured and modified resulting in a finished product - a unique one a kind coffin couch. If you notice (although it may be too small) the six cast iron heavy duty legs are embossed with the universal biohazard insignia. The reason we utilized this sign was because safety was our utmost concern. If you are not aware, once a human body is placed in a coffin it is considered biohazard tissue. The legs have the embossed insignia for precautionary reasons in the event body fluids are exchanged on these coffins. Perhaps you would feel safe knowing that you are in designated biohazard scene!
Ha!!"

Ha, I like these guys! There's something... a touch o' goth rockabilly in 'em.