New Project, New Systems (part 2)…

As discussed in my previous post, some of our new projects will start using some different assemblies at the exterior sheathing areas.  The intent is to increase the performance of the building systems over the life of the structure.  Ceiling assemblies are (relatively) easy as you just pay attention to air leakage (foam, caulk, seal all ceiling penetrations) and add more insulation.  The walls, however, prove to be a little more difficult.  Below are some pictures of the progress and showing how the framing phase is coming together.  Exterior trims start next.

Above you can see the foundation (FDN) insulation meeting up with the wall sheathing.  Both were spec’ed at 1 1/2″ in thickness.  All seams are taped (from the exterior) and foamed (from the interior) to stop air infiltration & create a drainage plane behind the siding.  In this pic you can also see the 1x blocking around the window for the trims that will be installed in the coming days.

Here you can see that we went back to our favorite – ZIP Wall - for the garage area.  The garage isn’t conditioned space so we didn’t see a need to spend the time and money on the foam sheathing and furring strips at this area.

The rear elevation of the home really opens up.  Above you can see all the insulated sheathing installed (although not quite completed at one area), the 24″ deep overhangs and all the windows that capture the beautiful views of the backyard.  The deck is being constructed (the large beam that is visible) and the exterior trims will begin next.

The front elevation of the home is 100% completed and ready for exterior trims to begin.  That process and application will be a bit different due to the foam, but will offer superior performance to ReDev“standard” installations and will blow “code” constructions completely out of the water.  I will make sure to post the final energy audit numbers on this job so I back up my statements, but these assemblies will definitely perform well, over time. 

New Project, New Systems…

Our company just recently started another project that is using more advanced energy efficiency techniques in the construction.  See below for some pictures and detail.

This is the front elevation of the home.  The lot falls away to the back yard area making it idea for a walk out style basement (see below).  Beautiful trees and setting, don’t you think?  The design has some updated craftsman/prairie styling, uses some natural stone and should fit in nicely with the surroundings.  

Here is a picture of the rear elevation.  You can see the basement frame walls with the main floor above.  Note the sheathing is going on and it is not our typical ZIP wall application that we have used (and liked) so much in the past.  On this project we are using 1 1/2 XPS boardfor additional insulation.  We should still get excellent reduction in air infiltration as we still tape the seams and all penetrations.  The major difference is that this sheathing has an R-value of 7.5 (compared to almost nothing with the ZIP wall).  So we are drastically improving the performance of the wall system by helping reduce thermal bridging while pushing the dew point for that wall assembly outside of the cavity.  If you want to understand this further, read a couple links here… and here.  Please note this idea or assembly isn’t new – but it isn’t seen much here in Indiana and I’m excited to incorporate into many of our projects.  The home will be rated and tested at the end of construction and I fully expect it to perform twice as well when compared to a normal (code built) home.

 Above you can see where the 1 1/2″ XPS from the wall will come down and sit on top of the foundation wall, that has the same 1 1/2″ board installed (just a different manufacturer, thus, the different color).  This joint will be covered with the stone veneer for the home, so it isn’t important that the connection is perfect.  Thus, the carpenters can still adjust the walls for square as needed. 

 Here is another look at the wall area above the insulated foundation.  These wall cavities will still be filled with cellulose insulation and insulating foam as we always do.  Together with the foam sheathing system, we should be able to achieve a very tight home with a wall assembly of around R-22.  Couple that with an insulated foundation, R-50 in the attic and and ACH50 of around 2.0 (projected from previous projects) – this home will be an energy miser. 

The payback on this different type of sheathing/installation is only about four years a current energy prices.   A wise investment, if you ask me.  I’ll be posting on this job at different times as it progresses, specifically about the energy efficient features of the home.

Finish Pics (part 4…)

I am continuing to post some pictures of my own personal home as we get it all put together and organized (construction just occured from November 09 through March of 2010).  If you are new to reading this – my hope was that I can use my own home for clients to show them my company’s process and how we approach our construction projects.  Click here for all the posts on this topic.

Below are some pictures of the master bedroom and some reasoning behind the design and finish work.  I already posted on the Master Bath, click here for that info.

Our bedroom areas (master or otherwise) are meant to be just “sleeping rooms”.  No TV’s, no space for large arm chairs, no bookshelves for display.  Not that there is anything wrong with that type of “master suite” it just was not what we had in mind for our personal home.  So, the bedroom sizes are minimal without feeling too small.  We also made sure to get large window openings into each of them for plenty of light and a feeling of space.  Above you can see that we positioned the window openings to capture views to the back of our wooded lot.  Very private, with a natural feeling and sense of calm…  all things we wanted for the master bedroom space.  As you can see, my dog Oliver enjoys this room too!

The bed was positioned against the wall so it could look out into the backyard views (seen above).  We also accented the bed wall with a bit of color and some wall decals for interest.   Click here for the decal store - and there are many others out there with similar designs.  The decals are pretty easy to install, once you get the hang of it, and impart a unique look to the room.  The colors are muted, as we wanted to continue that calm/natural look, and the decals are in white to match the trims.  This gives it an affect of negative space on the darker wall.  Almost like the branches are growing out of the door trims. 

Above you can see the other corner of the bedroom, along with our closets.  We decided not to use a typical “walk in closet” style, and instead, used some wardrobe units to house our clothes, shoes & accessories.  We used a white door and white hardware on these units so they would not visually intrude on the room.

Here is another shot of the bed and the decal wall.

Above you can see the relation of the master bedroom to the other spaces of the home.  On the right is the hallway and stair to above (the main kitchen/hearth room area of the home).  I will post more on the different levels, at another time, but each level is about a 1/2 flight of stairs and follows the topography of the land. On the left side of the room is the door that accesses the master bathroom.

More updates soon.  Also, I have my final LEED-H inspection tomorrow.  My final certification (or score) will not be final at that point but it is the next step in the process.  I believe that we can still obtain the “LEED Gold” rating for my home as I am currently about 10 points above the requirement for that rating.  We will see what my verifier says tomorrow and if all my calculations look to be correct.

Finish Pics (Part 3 of ?)

Below are some more finish pics of my own personal home project along with a some dialogue on why we did some of the things we did.  Enjoy.

From the main entry, the kitchen & hearth room area is up two steps and to the right.  You can see this change in elevation, from the outside, at my previous post.  The floors are a white oak with a unique finish applied to them.  I discuss that material & process in another post as well, if you are interested.

The kitchen area is open and bright with plenty of countertop space.  The cabinets are a cherry material with a slight amount of color (stain) applied in the finish.  At the end of the island is a bookshelf area that helps to separate the other spaces (shown below) and blocks the view on to the countertop, which can get cluttered after meal prep.  We limited the amount of upper cabinets to keep the “feeling” of a kitchen to a minimum and better integrate it with the adjacent living spaces.  Most of our kitchen items are stored in the pantry (see below) or lower cabinets.  It has worked out well and I love the finished look.

Above is another shot of the kitchen island and the bookcase area.  The countertops are a granite material named “White Persia” that has quite a bit of veining and movement.  We wanted the natural feeling of stone, to compliment the natural setting (lot) of our home, and ensure that our modern style also had a warm aesthetic.

Above is a different view of that same space.  Here you can see the lower cabinets, which are all drawers, that are used for most of the kitchen storage.  Also at the other end of the space is the pantry (more on that below).  The pantry was finished out to as minimally as possible so that it was not visually heavy in the space.  Again, the intent was to keep the space from feeling too much like a kitchen.  Also visible is the bulkhead above the island area, whichwas completed to help demarcate the island area.  This entire room is large, so using elements like this at the ceiling assist in defining, and anchoring, certain areas within the home.

Above is a shot of the pantry with one of the doors in an open position.  We intentionally planned these spaces, and how they would function, for most of the items seen here.  The microwave (which we don’t use too often) is tucked in this space.  The coffee maker (used everyday – click here for the best beans you can find) is plugged in and ready for use at this location.  Basically, this pantry serves as a large “appliance garage”.  It has worked well so far and we are very happy with the function of the space, yet the ability to visually close off “the stuff” inside.

This photo is of the kitchen but from a reverse angle.  Here you can see the “hearth area” beyond the kitchen, which is also connected to the dining space (see below).  The hearth area is not yet complete (still need a rug, side table, lamp, etc…) but the intent is that it becomes an informal living area off the kitchen.  We cook every morning and evening, so the kitchen and surrounding spaces are important areas.

Above is a picture looking at the other side of the bookcase area & showing the horizontal lift up door that serves the other (counter) side of that cabinet.  This space was designed for a “drop area” for cell phones, laptop, etc…  So far it has not been used like we thought due to a mistake (I made) on the detailing of the cabinet.  I missed the ability to run an electrical outlet to that location, so that does not work real well for phones & laptops.  But is works nicely to hide things that would otherwise be on the counter (kleenex, cook books, mail, etc…).  I am still happy with the finished product.

Above is the hearth & dining space off the kitchen.  The two chairs face the fireplace and a small TV/built in area.  I will post some more pictures of that later.  The table is the space that we use for everyday dining and it has a bench seat along the back side.  Plenty of space and lots of light…  we really enjoy these couple rooms of the home.

I will continue to post more pictures of the finished product over the next couple weeks.  Check back for updates soon.

Exterior Painting Complete…

Exterior painting at my personal home just was completed last week.  If you are new to this blog, click here to see the whole process of my home.  The idea was to use my own personal home as an example of our process, educate others on our building techniques and provide a real life example of some design solutions. 

Here is the front of the home.  We selected a warm, gray-green color that fits in with the trees and natural feel of the lot.  The trims were painted a soft white color and we used this color sparingly.  Just enough to accent some of the trims with the idea to convey a “modern cottage” aesthetic.  I am really pleased with how it ended up.  The changes in the floor level of this home was due to the lot, and the challenges inherent with the topography.  I think it adds interest and appeal to the elevation.  You?

Above is a detail shot showing all the materials that were used on the home’s exterior.  You can see the lap siding, the different lap exposures (on the upper portion) where we created some “texture” on the elevation.  The door was painted a similar dark color to compliment the window cladding and the “board and batten” areas kept the same grey-green color.  I think it all works nicely together and provides enough interest through the change in material and textures.  Also notable in this picture is the glass fixture (on the light) my painters broke.  Thanks guys…  Like everything these days, it is made overseas.  Now I get to wait 6 weeks for the replacement…

Here is a different perspective where you can see the entrance and the “porch” area that we created with the landscaping.  Read my previous post for more discussion on that, if you are interested.  We hope to get some chairs and a small grille/firepit for this area so we can use it in the spring, summer & fall.  We still have some planting of our annuals (for color) to do but aside from that, the front yard area is largely complete.

More updated photos of the interior coming soon.  I can not just post them all at once, right?