Building Green with a Budget

The Final Product....

2008-02-19T09:46:00.000-08:00

Here are a few... we are still buttoning up some details - screened porch, yard, and driveway... but the outside is finished and we moved in on Valentine's day.

From the kitchen towards the den...

From the den towards the loft....

From the side.....

From the front....

Moving Day

2008-02-19T09:40:00.001-08:00

It was actually a weekend but here are some highlights....

My co pilot.....

The Duplex....

Both the boys were a great help....

Relief.....

counter tops and flooring

2008-02-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Well it is getting close and as I am writing this I have already moved in so I am working backwards. After a long discussion and much research about countertops we decided to go with granite. This decision was based more on economics than anything else as the recycled material tops that we found were both beautiful, exciting and a bit more expensive. As for the flooring we went with horizontal bamboo flooring... we have always loved this look and the idea of bamboo. Seeing them down was amazing. Both of these decisions were aided greatly by Mark and his colleages at Build it Naturally in Asheville. They have great knowlege and an amazing showroom in downtown Asheville. It is definetly worth the time to stop....

Kitchen Counter top...

Kids Counter top....

Flooring....

Mantel (using recycled wood from my sister and brother in law's house)

colors -and the amazing creator of cool

2008-01-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

The walls are getting pretty - Molly did an amazing job of picking out the colors for the house with the Creator of Cool - Heidi Ruehl. Molly and Heidi made quick and thoughtful work of the colors on the wall. One of the green lessons we have been constantly reminded of is trying to minimize our impact - this includes using what we have. Molly and Heidi took into account current furniture colors and made fantastic decisions. Ricky Brannon and his crew have been painting away.... We are using some really cool paint products from ICI paints. We are using Dulux paints and here are the types...

On the exterior Fortis - (should be going on this week)

DULUX. FORTIS™ Premium 100% Acrylic Exterior House Paint (6201, 6403, 6407)
Dulux Fortis provides lasting beauty and protection, with exceptional weathering resistance, easy application and quick curing, resulting in long lasting uniform finish, at temperatures as low as 35F.
- High solids for outstanding hiding and coverage
- Thick, rich, high-build coating
- Apply 35?F and higher to extend your painting day and painting system
- Fade and chalk resistant
- Gives a mildew resistant coating
- Early moisture resistant
- Excellent adhesion: resists peeling, blistering, and flaking -

On the interior LifeMaster

Dulux® LifemasterLifemaster 2000 was launched in 1992 as the nation's first VOC-free paint. Initially developed in response to growing concerns about air pollution, the product was quickly embraced as a friendlier paint for indoor environments, especially where concerns about paint vapors and fumes exist. Stain resistance and scrubbability have increased 75%.

As the name suggests, Lifemaster represents longer paint life cycles. Some in the industry have claimed that NO-VOC paints give up durability, negating the VOC-reduction benefits because painting is needed more often. This is definitely not the case with the new Lifemaster. In fact, Dulux Lifemaster will now become ICI Paints' only interior product line made with 100% acrylic resins.

It is so cool to use green products and have wonderful colors. Look below at the first coat.

Bathroom

Master Bath

Kitchen / Corner of Color

Kid's Rooms

Red Sanders - the cabinet man!

2008-01-15T17:39:00.001-08:00

We met Red one day before thanksgiving and gave him out thoughts on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, built in shelves, and some lockers. Red calmly took notes and in about 6 weeks made our ideas reality. see the pictures below. most of them have been primed for painting which explains the colors.

Kitchen

Master Bath

Boys Bath

grindzilla comes to town

2008-01-15T17:34:00.000-08:00

so for the longest time I have struggled with what to do with my left over lumber. A lot was recycled and turned into other things. I built a bike rack, a friend built a compose bin. But there was still a bit left. That's when I learned about Grindzilla. Based out of Atlanta, Grindzilla builds trucks to grind construction and building material. After learning about the truck, I was interested, as both an end to my construction waste, but as a potential business venture as well. Grindzilla came to town and was an impressive machine. Here is what is left of my wood pile....

fast forward to january

2008-01-15T17:24:00.001-08:00

So the last two months were a bit busy. I didn't have much time to blog - but luckily I will bring you up to speed on the work. What you will not see is pictures of the sheet rock going up. Albeit fun, there weren't many pictures.

so here we go with a brief recap. the sheet rock went in sometime after thanksgiving. after that we got the trim going on... Chris Jakubowicz with TrimCo took on the job and made quick work of it. Hanging the doors, shelving in the closets, stair steps, base boards and window boxing... Chris did an amazing job - see some of the pictures for yourself...

Insulation

2007-11-11T16:37:00.000-08:00

Wow! Teddy and Curt Wagner at Foam Insulation Company in Spartanburg have been amazing. They sell a Demilec product and were able to get us SEALection Agribalance foam. It is a vegetable oil based foam - saving petroleum is a great thing! They really know their products and are very helpful. The team of installers are friendly, quick and clean. We decided to do foam for several reasons - one it cuts down on allergies which will be good for everyone in our family - it is amazingly energy efficient - and we liked having a product that cut down on the use of fossil fuels. I don't know all of the science but I know Curt and Teddy do and if you are interested in using foam I suggest you look him up online , give him a call at 864-583-3174, or send him and email.

Check out this video of FIC working their magic with the foam.

pictures

2007-11-11T16:35:00.001-08:00

here are three that show the house in almost panoramic. we are super excited about our metal roof from Eagle Metals. It is nice to be able to get really green products from a local company. Jamie and the whole Eagle Metals team has been very helpful and accomodating. People ask all of the time why we went with a metal roof and I think there are three real reasons - not neccisarily in order.

1. it looks cool, and will sound awesome when it rains.
2. it is very green and energy efficient.
3. if we ever want to replace it, it goes in the recycling bin not the landfill.

Enjoy the pics.

exciting pictures coming soon

2007-11-07T13:29:00.001-08:00

Well the siding is almost complete and Foothills Exterior has done an amazing job. We are using a cement fiber siding by CertainTeed. This product came from Neely's Building Supply who continues to be a huge help in this process.

We started the roof this past week and we are really excited. We chose a metal roof that from Eagle Metals

The particular roof is a grey but it is a "cool metal roof." Learn more about cool metal roofing here.

Pictures will be coming soon.

Also look for a video of the instillation of the insulation in the coming weeks.

doors and windows on the front

2007-10-28T17:24:00.000-07:00

the house is starting to really take shape on the outside. While the plumbing and electrical work are completed on the inside there isn't any great photos. Here are some of the windows are doors on the front.

sneak peek at the inside

2007-10-02T12:53:00.001-07:00

Kitchen

Fire Place

Loft

Decking

2007-10-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

You can see from the pictures that the house has porches on three sides. We are so excited to have Trex decking on these porches. Trex is a composite lumber and will last for a long time.

Here is what the website says about Trex... "Trex decking and railing products are made from a unique combination of reclaimed wood and plastic, giving you the best qualities of both materials. The plastic shields the wood from moisture and insect damage, so there's no rotting or splintering. The wood protects the plastic from UV damage and gives your deck a solid, natural feel. It looks great year after year. And because there is no need to spend hours staining or repairing, the enjoyment of a Trex deck is truly timeless."

Check out the picture of one of the porches.

Windows

2007-10-02T12:30:00.001-07:00

We have been very fortunate to develop a partnership with Arndt & Herman Windows. We have installed Cladview windows in the house and are very excited about their effiecincy and how they look. We also will be installing Art and home doors and look forward to sharing those pictures. One interesting tidbit about the company is that they recycle about 250,000 pounds of glass a year.

long over due post

2007-10-02T12:27:00.000-07:00

Many of you have mentioned that I have been slack on the blog and I am sorry. Things have moved along nicely and I will try to give you an easy update on the progress. The following pictures outline the final stages of framing up into the "in the dry" phase.

And the work continues...

2007-08-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

Late last week the roof rafters went up. Stay tuned for more information on products like bamboo flooring and cool metal roofing!

Being Green.

2007-08-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

Green has a lot of different meanings. Everyone ask, "so what does building green mean?" This is a complicated question. Building Earth Craft means that it will be certified by a set of standards that range from products used, to efficiency of the HVAC system. Regardless, I have found several things that embody, in my opinion, building green. Over the course of this process I will share those.

1. Recycling materials at the work site. - We have chosen not to have a dumpster on the property, and I will take the recycling off each week. This means drink bottles and cans from the framers. It also means boxes for the nails, caulk, plywood, and other products will be recycled as well. (my truck with week ones recycling)

2. Making choices based on waste. - I learned this one last week when Parker called me about our porch. The plan calls for an 8 foot 6 inch porch. Parker shared that this would mean cutting 18 inches off every piece of lumber used to build the porch. We decided on an 8 foot porch, loosing 6 inches of space but creating no waste.

3. The little things like covering topsoil count for Earth Craft. One of the measures is to make sure you secure the topsoil that you have displaced. For us, this meant covering the pile until we were ready for it.

Curt

It's been a long time...

2007-08-20T06:28:00.000-07:00

It seems like a long time since the last posts because it is... We took some time to get our game plan together and to find a framer. Being one of the first Earth Craft houses in Spartanburg we were very careful and selective. Regardless, we have a great framer and we are moving right along as you can see by the pictures. We are having a great time learning about products and thinking about other ways to be green.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the pictures.

Curt

Partners, Progress, and of course pictures...

2007-05-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

When Molly and I started this journey it was our hope to be able to open the house up to people to show that green building was possible and that you could do it on a budget. And we are excited that Weaver Precast/Superior Wall has come on as a supplier. The walls are made right here in Spartanburg, and is a great start to our house. We are using the walls in the basement that we will leave unfinished for now. I really like the system because of the ease of finishing. You can see in the photos that their are already studs built in, a great asset for the do it yourselfer like me!

Learn more about Superior Walls here.

Curt

other details that might be of interest!

2007-05-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

So here are a couple of the other details that might be of interests -

we are building on a half acre lot on Mustang Drive in Spartanburg
Parker Champion is our Earth Craft Builder
our house plan is from South Living with minimal changes.

We have gotten started and have cleared a spot for the house. It pained us to get rid of any trees but we feel we did a good job of saving the most possible. The following post will include some pictures!

Curt and Molly

the lot, the boys, and the bulldozer

2007-05-25T12:54:00.001-07:00

Welcome!

2007-05-24T11:04:00.001-07:00

So here is the background for this project. My wife and I decided that we wanted to build an earth friendly or green house in Spartanburg, SC. We did a little research and have decided to build an EarthCraft Home. This blog will hopefully outline our progress, our findings both exciting and troubling, and serve as a resource for others.

We hope to use this space to highlight the process from a pictorial standpoint as well as a place to talk about products and company's that we are working with. Check back often and let us know if you have any questions.

Curt and Molly