Can This Home Be Greened: Room To Breathe
(Page 2 of 4)
March/April 2007
By Jacob Sandman
Structural ceiling elements made of parallel strand lumber, called Parallam, were left exposed, which reduced material costs and raised the ceiling height without increasing the addition’s size. (Parallam is made from the wood fiber often wasted during lumber milling.)
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The second floor now houses the master bedroom/bath with an attached work studio—freeing up the couple’s old bedroom for one of the kids.
The Flints also utilized rapidly renewable and thermally efficient materials in the addition, including floor underlayment made from wheatboard ("wood" made from agricultural byproducts). They sided the addition with Hardieboard, a long-lasting, weather-resistant cement board.
COST for the addition: $225 per square foot (2004 prices).
Priority #2: Illuminate the Living Quarters
PROBLEM: The house was dark. Much of the sunlight that struck the back of the structure never made it through the tiny windows. To make things worse, the "subtraction" blocked most light. The Flints also wanted their basement to have as much natural light as possible.
SOLUTIONS: Abrams designed the addition to work optimally with the sun. Instead of the typical rectangular structure, the Flint addition is triangular, with one side facing southwest and the other west. This shape creates abundant solar exposure throughout the day. Also, Abrams installed Sun Tunnels, which bring natural light into the upstairs hall and bathroom. In the basement, oversized window wells allow direct and indirect light to shine into the space.
COST: Two Velux Sun Tunnels: $440 each (installed).
Priority #3: Insulate the House
PROBLEM: Leaky windows and poor insulation made energy bills expensive and rooms drafty.
SOLUTIONS: Because there wasn’t space in the existing exterior walls to add insulation, Abrams shifted his focus to the attic. Icynene spray-foam insulation now fills the walls of the addition and the attics of both the addition and the existing house. Besides having good insulating properties, Icynene seals gaps and cracks in the building envelope, which helps prevent mold growth and energy loss.