European Advantage

The Ottawa Chapter of the Canadian Green Building Council is hosting a presentation today on the origins and technical requirements of the European Passive House approach to construction. This approach promotes the design of residential and commercial buildings with such a low heat demand that conventional heating systems can be eliminated, even in the central Canadian climate zone.

The presentation looks at tools, building components and details developed over the past 15 years which allow architects and designers to reduce the heating and cooling energy demand of any building by up to 90% over conventional Code construction, at a price which can be affordable to all.

The Passive House approach is contrasted with conventional and 'green' building practices in Canada, and it is argued that not only does this approach offer the cheapest lifecycle cost for all new construction, but the inherent improvements in Passive House building quality and IAQ represent a critical element in any truly sustainable solution to the multiple problems facing our built environment.

Malcolm Isaacs is a civil engineering graduate of the University of Ottawa, and has worked as a specialist in residential energy analysis and low-energy construction since 1987. In 2005/6 he designed and built the first house in Canada to Passive House specifications, and he is now a consultant, advocate and trainer in Passive House construction techniques, thermal analysis and
energy modeling.

I don't have a link to offer for more information but google might provide a good start.

New Edinburgh Committee on the Environment Presents

The New Edinburgh Committee on the Environment will be hosting an information session on how to:

- reduce your home energy use
- cut down on emissions
- improve the environmental quality of your home, and
- save money


The event is on Saturday, Feb 7th starting at 3pm at the Crichton Cultural Community Centre, 2nd floor (200 Crichton St at Dufferin). I can't go as I will be enjoying my stress relieving hobby of cross country skiing at a loppet but I thought that I would post this event to see if anyone else was interested.


For more information, visit http://www.newedinburgh.ca/.

Neighbourhood Welcome

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank our neighbours. Last night we attended our first "progressive dinner." We joined over 30 neighbours in a multi-house dinner party. With an Italian theme, the first house served appetizers. The second house had the soup and salad course where we helped to co-host. Below is the recipe for our contribution. In the future when our house is ready, we will try and fit everyone in and open up our home.

Thanks to Blair's time keeping, we made it to the third house for the main course followed by dessert at the final house. The party was another great way to be introduced to the neighbourhood.

*****

INSALATA Di PATATE II Recipe
1-2 lbs. of red bliss or new potatoes; the smaller the better
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2-4 hard boiled eggs sliced about 1/4 inch thick or coarsely chopped
small handful of chopped fresh flat parsley
small handful of chopped fresh basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Some extra virgin olive oil
A splash of white balsamic vinegar

Directions:
Cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling salted water until al dente; tender but not mushy so don't kill them. If you choose to, peel them warm and let them cool to room temperature. I happen to like them skin on. Slice them about 1/4 inch thick and arrange slightly overlapping on a serving plate with the egg slices alternated in between. If you chopped the egg, sprinkle on top. Season with S&P to taste and pour some olive oil over the top. Drizzle with a little balsamic and toss slightly so you don't mush it up. Mix the garlic, parsley and basil then sprinkle over the potatoes. Let the potatoes absorb the flavors for about 20 minutes or so. Serve at room temp or chilled.

Blog Hierarchy

Rob found a great blog to use as a resource: www.360winnett.com/ This blog is definitely an example of the different types of renovation blogs out there. This person has postings by subject type, a webcam and what looks like sponsors. We used the blog to learn more about drain heat recovery and the realities of the eco-energy rebate program.

I added this photo to illustrate the moat we now have constructed around our house - drawbridge and all.

A Transcript of a Kitchen Conversation

We need to cut costs for the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. It is the usual game - keep the look you want and your principles in mind in terms of good materials but get the cost down.

Here goes:

Maple and Birch cost the same but are less than Cherry which holds the stain better. Therefore, go with Maple (not a big saving but it will help).

Not painting the bottom cabinets is an option but then you are back to square one on the look of the room. Low VOC paint is in.

Self-closing, full pull-out drawers cost more than regular drawers but they have the same lifespan and warranty so it is not an issue of durability, only of daily use. Therefore, regular drawers it is (got to trade off somewhere).

The Nu-Green product is the "green" option available but it is only for the material inside the cabinet sandwich therefore any benefit from less off-gassing is limited to the meat in the sandwich. This is a significant mark-up. If the product were more advanced then it might be worth it but the cost difference is about the same as the all-off switch option for the entire house.
Also, we are dealing with off-gassing by the paint type and not going with laminate countertops. Therefore, "green" money allocated elsewhere.

Stone countertops are more expensive (see other blog about their virtues). Corion is more expensive (and less desirable) so the debate is between quartz and laminate. As this has indoor air quality issues AND overall kitchen look issues (including resale god forbid), the quartz is in. The company 'Siltstone' has some good enviro policies on their website if you are interested. As for cost, there are three types of quartz: A, B and C. As A is less expensive, the winner is quartz from the A category.

The laundry countertop causes an extra problem as the counter is small and expensive. The solution is to not include any countertop in the quote at all for this space. Instead, we get to try and find a salvaged piece of small countertop or a butcher block from IKEA. The cost benefit analysis here said no quartz for the laundry room (which makes sense). The added benefit of this is that I get to find something to use in line with the adjacent upstairs bathroom meaning I can say we used salvaged material! Fun.

Whew. Now if only we could do this to the rest of the house.

All Part of the Process

We had a big Thursday/Friday – I don’t want to go into the details of it now but since this blog is a diary I wanted to at least write something to represent the experience.

In any renovation project there is the issue of cost. Throughout this process, we have been trying to not only keep a handle on it but to understand where the money is being allocated. The focus for us has been energy efficiency and not being wasteful. We would rather put money into insulation, windows and systems that will pay off over time instead of cheaper options that will not last. This of course is a challenge and has its trade-offs. Also, there are some things in an old house that are unavoidable and simply must be dealt with. I am happy to report that at no point have we discussed walking away from this project. You definitely need a strong stomach for a renovation project though and the ability to keep things in perspective. Not only has this been like a second job but it takes a lot of emotional commitment. Rob – thank you for everything.

Basement Destruction and Ottawa Freecycle

Rob has been dedicating his time to stripping the basement. A while ago he tore down a lot of the wood paneling but this weekend was all about the “cold storage room” in the basement (very dark and creepy but full of old xmas decorations). We also salvaged the old cupboard near the laundry sink which might get a face lift in the spring.

The concept is a clean slate in the basement. While we are not planning on digging it out or constructing anything down there, we want it to be cleaner and without the old wood holding in moisture. We are also interested in centralizing the utilities. Our goal here is not to refinish the basement now but to set it up to be able to in the future (hence enlarge one of the windows being replaced so that it can act as the required egress for a future living space).

I wanted to take this opportunity to post information on Ottawa Freecycle again. This is a website where people post things they want to give away for free. There is an amazing amount of stuff posted on this site. I posted the wood paneling just in case someone wanted it in order to try to avoid sending it to a landfill but I don’t know how likely it is that someone will take it (maybe it would be good for a tree house). The website is: http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/OttawaON-Freecycle/ if you are interested.

Asking the Good Questions

This is why I love the blog. PC – the comment you posted about the slate debate got me going again. We had been focusing our efforts regarding tile selection in the typical fashion. We were concerned about the look, the cost and maintenance – the more typical three questions. Our goal is “thinking green” is not necessarily to have everything qualify under the green heading but to ask the questions and to make the effort to think about it. Almost every other store we have remembered to ask about sourcing, materials and specifics of the company (followed with some internet research). With the tile, we had forgotten to ask those questions.

I am not going to go into a long speech about tile and countertop options at this time. In part because I am waiting for information from the sales people we have met with (this should be part of their pitch anyway).

I will share a bit of what I learned thus far:

Yes, quarried stone has high embodied energy. Things to think about then are: whether or not it is locally fabricated (sent to local retailers and cut and sold there to local consumers); use of no harsh chemicals; company practice to try and use every scrap; and, options for low VOC adhesives and sealants or to set tile in Portland cement. The man-made product versus natural debate also comes down to durability. A long lifecycle means that it is less likely to end up in a landfill in just a few years.

In terms of suggestions, stone can help reduce energy costs (dark stones work well with under floor radiant heating or light stones with passive solar applications). Stone also doesn’t collect allergens or off-gas VOCs as compared with carpet or synthetics. Other suggestions include considering not throwing out cracked stone as it can be used for smaller countertop applications. One way to help reduce the impacts is to consider using salvaged or reclaimed stone products.

A Tile Story

On Saturday we stopped in at a tile store on Wellington St (near the Loeb on Richmond) that we had been meaning to go in for a long time. It was really on a whim as we were just wasting time before meeting someone at the house to sell some more doors. We have been really happy with the store we had been going to thus far but this place had some really awesome, different stuff. The store is called ‘Interscapes Tile & Stone Gallery.”

Rob and I were at different parts of the store and both picked up the same tile. It is a metallic glass subway tile - picture glass clear tile with a wavy surface and little bubbles in the back (obviously hard to explain). The one I liked best is almost a chocolate brown. So, after driving slate samples around with us over the holidays to show our families, we started to think about a new look for our main bath upstairs. We had a fun experience speaking with Doug and the designer (sorry – I missed your name) and came up with a new bathroom concept. A final decision has not been made but we are getting a quote to at least be able to compare. Also, the floor tile is made from 40% recycled material.

The morale of the story is the challenge of finishings selections. We have been going hard for two months trying to pick materials for our entire house – entry ways, 2 bathrooms, kitchen, etc, etc. So much energy is spent deciding on a look and then looking for the actual materials. Adding in other players is a good thing but also much more work. I wish we had gone into this store earlier but at the same time I am not second guessing the decisions we made thus far (or how these decisions have been made).

In the spirit of sharing information, I want to write something about slate in bathrooms. We have been getting lots of contradictory information. Some people say slate in showers can’t be cleaned (white scum from soap) and others say it is not an issue at all. The one I am going with from the professionals is that as long as you use a quality sealer it is not a problem. The issue is when you use cheap sealers that soap scrum wins. Since the “clean slate” problem now solved, the debate is a more natural bathroom (i.e., slate look) versus a more unique bathroom with this chocolate glass shower!

A Lesson in Fireplaces

Having never had a conversation about gas fireplace inserts before we went a learned about fireplaces at the Fireplace Centre on Carling. Apparently for a house our size, the main issue is BTUs. It is recommended that we go with a unit with less than 30,000.

First of all, the reason we need a gas insert is that our existing chimney needs to be fixed or needs to come down (nice and twisted). If we wanted to fix the existing fireplace, we would need to fix the chimney. The best approach is to take the chimney down and put in a gas insert with a direct vent to the outside. I have not done my research but no one prompts wood burning fireplaces anymore.

At the store we learned about three companies – all who sell very energy efficient units. Napoleon is a Canadian company. Valor is also Canadian and would be considered more of a high end brand. It is apparently a BC company and very “green.” The thing about Valor is that you can to turn them down 50% while the normally you can only turn the heat down to 75%. The third is a US company called Martin. All have about a 2 year guarantee and 4-6 year warranty options.

If you made this far in the blog posting then you are interested in gas inserts so I am going to keep writing. I am also doing this to record what I learned for later.

In terms of decisions, we have to pick a company and the accessories. As is the theme for everything, we really just want clean lines (i.e., no mesh screen or louvers). I never thought about the inside of one of things but you get to pick between a fake log, little glass stones (very modern) or rocks. You can also have a plain back or a brick pattern.

One suggestion is that we go with a gas insert that works when the power is out. This is achieved by not having an electric ignition for the pilot light (or a remote). The disadvantage of this is that it will cost $5 a month in gas charges for the standing pilot light. You can’t shut it off in the winter because then cold air will get in (hopefully I represented this right). The other thing affecting whether or not you go with an electric ignition is the fan. This is not an issue for us as the room is too small for a fan to be needed (too hot) and it would add $250 plus requires maintenance.

Finally, if you want a gas insert on sale you need to buy it at the end of the season in April or in August.

Site Status Report

We no longer have a boardwalk around the house or a side door canopy. You can still gain access to the house but it is a bit more of a challenge. This is the work associated with digging around the foundation (yes, digging around the foundation with tons of snow).

Also as an update, after over a month of waiting the pebble glass doors were picked up last night. They are going to a 100 year house in Hudson Quebec. The person that picked them up had emailed me in early December. He is renovating an old house too and is really making an effort to use reused materials. His enthusiasm is contagious.

The Finals

It is down to two. Two perfectly awesome colour schemes for the exterior of the house.

Candidate No. 1 – Evening Blue Siding

Candidate No. 2 – Woodstock Brown Siding

The trim and window combination is (works with either siding colour):

A) Monterey Taupe for the Trim with matching window aluminum cladding
B) Cobble Stone for the trim with matching window aluminum cladding*

* This is important because the look can have two different colours for the trim around the windows compared with the actual windows.

Visit this website if you want to look at the colours:
http://www.jameshardiecolorplus.com/color_palette.cfm

When I visited the website, I see a clear winner but then the next minute I wonder…. I can write out the debate but at this point I don’t want to taint things if people feel like posting a comment.

HeatLok Soya Spray Foam Insulation

We have been asked to review a product so I thought "why not post it on our blog?"

The product is a medium density closed cell polyurethane spray form insulation (plus air and vapour barrier if I have it right). The product is HeatLok and is made by a Quebec-based company called Demilec. It meets all National Building Code standards and provides a long-term thermal value of R-6 per 1 inch. If you search it on the web, all sites make reference to it "not hurting the ozone layer" (the more serious references include an indication that it meets the Montreal Protocol requirements). The product is also made of renewable vegetable oil (I like the use of the word renewable here) and recycled plastic bottles. It isn't as extreme as trying to use old jeans to insulate your walls but it looks like a good start toward a green product. What do you think?

The website is: http://www.heatlok-soya.com/index.php

P.S. Cost comparison?

Selections, Selections

We are still in the selections game. Today it was banisters. Yes, banisters. Something that you don't go pick out too often in your lifetime.

At lunch today we drove out to Frank's Building Supplies in the Nepean Business Park. Grahame helped us pick posts, handrails (both made on site) and spindles (made by Mennonites in Kitchener). It was a quick decision. I think that it helps that our theme is simple lines and not too ornate (can't you see us with big pillars with vines or decorative patterns). The goal is to knock as many things off our "finishings" list before the renovation contract is finalized with Amsted (rumor has it that the draft will be available for review by the end of next week).

On Saturday we visited the Minto EcoHome again to learn more about all off switches. This is where you have a switch near the front door that turns off all non-essential plugs in the house that normally draw "phantom" power when left on (10% of energy used). At the Eco Home these switches and plugs are green in colour to make them identifiable. We are still waiting for a quote to see if this option is viable. Meanwhile, we are spending some time figuring out where such plugs and switches should go.