built green - insulation

Many of the points we received for Built Green are for items not seen now that the house is finished. One of the big things that makes this house energy efficient and comfortable is the extra insulation we used as well as the air sealing. We used BIBS (Blown-In-Blanket-System) which is much more effective than push-in batt insulation in the walls and provides for a higher level of insulation (R23). It is far superior to batt in the walls because it fills in all around the electrical wiring and plumbing pipes. "Tests show that a mere 4% void area from a poorly installed batt causes a 50% increase in heat loss. The Blow-In-Blanket® System eliminates voids and does not settle." It also provides better sound control. Looking at this picture you can see how Neil used some advanced framing techniques. Simple things like insulated headers and ladder framing at interior to exterior wall intersections, increases the insulation area of the wall. The blocking to the right of the window is for the convection heater and there is insulation behind it. Also if you look closely you will see caulking along the plates and wood intersections. This seals the wall cavity from air leaks from the exterior to the interior of the house and is one reason we did so well on our blower door test.

We used scissor trusses for the roof structure and because of this had extra depth to increase the roof insulation up to R-49. Here we used EcoBatts. Since the cavities were not filled with mechanical items like the walls, it was fairly straight forward to use Batts. We had Chris of the O'Brien Company out to inspect before we put the gypsum wallboard.

home office

I have a bit of commute to work (a little over an hour including a ferry crossing), but what helps is working from home 2 days a week. I am using the 3rd bedroom which is on the main floor as my office. Having a laptop helps keep it neat and portable. I need to clarify that the bookcases here were designed and made by me BEFORE I met Neil. On close inspection, they are not quite up to his standards...I've been told my carpentry skills are a bit "sketchy". Having this main floor bedroom with a full bathroom downstairs, gives one the flexibility of having one story living or using it as TV room, guest room or as I am, an office.

a crawl space to show off

My first 7 years in Seattle I worked at Geise Architects and we did mostly remodeling work. The one part of my job I always dreaded was going into crawl spaces or attics to find out what the existing structure was. Mostly it was my fear of the spiders lurking in the corners, but typically they are not places one wants to be. One of the best extra $1000 we spent on the Karina was to pour a slab in the crawl space. The increased height (about 3'-6" to bottom of joists) also helps. This is the place we are keeping the screens for the summer, extra bathroom tiles for the future, and plenty of space for storing sporting gear. We have 2 access panels to get down there. One in the back room closet and one under the stairs behind the secret door.

spring + fence

Here in the Pacific Northwest, it's spring time. Lots of trees are blooming and people are inspired to get out in their gardens. I was driving between our two homes yesterday and drove past this guy and did a double take. I had to back up and take some pictures...I have never noticed this before and hope it was just recently done.

And then I was about to leave and I noticed his friend.


Each weekend I've been taking a stab at our own garden. I picked up some more Nandina-Heavenly Bamboo and a bunch of grasses.
Our fence was installed recently and it really transformed our side yard. We are thinking of putting a trellis along the top. That is why the posts have been left long.

sunday open house 12-4pm

We are having an open house every Sunday in March, so if you are in the area, stop by and see the house in person.

selling

I love night shots. I really need to use a tripod, but these didn't turn out too bad. I was taking a ton of photos throughout the day yesterday in different light, trying to get 15 to use to market the house. We are putting it up for sale at the end of the week...for many reasons, but the main being simply financial. It's been a long year and we have really enjoyed creating the house. Even though we would be happy living in it longer, we hope to find someone who will love it just as much.

soaking up the sun

We had a big push on the landscaping at the end of last week through the weekend. To deal with the grade change at the front, we had Matt Collins and his crew of Weigh Bones put in a rock wall. They also put in a gravel path from the front to the back patio and they put in the patio.

There were about a dozen large rocks left over, so on Saturday I placed them around the patio to help with the grade change there. We only wanted 2 risers from the back deck down to the patio, so they had to build the area up with gravel. Originally we were going to put a step, but after using it this weekend when friends were over, we liked how it created seating.

We had a few friends over to celebrate the completion of the house and before we put it on the market. What a beautiful day it was! The south facing back deck and patio worked just how I had envisioned it and many of us ended up gathering there to soak up the sun. Inside, the house was filled with light and the raised counter in the kitchen was perfect for the buffet of cinnamon buns.

It was fun to have kids running around, exploring and finding their own spots to sit.