Egress and Home Safety

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERAEgress is a means of emergency escape. Not surprisingly, all houses need egress for events such as a fire, and emergency egress is required by the International Residential Code for residential buildings. The IRC requires a form of egress in basements and rooms where people sleep. Each bedroom must have its own emergency exit.

While egress could be a door opening to the outside, it is most commonly a window, and the IRC specifies minimum requirements for egress windows. For one, an egress window needs to open to a public street, alley, yard or court. Also, the window must meet minimum size requirements so people can exit. The minimum size is 5.7 square feet, unless the windowsill is on the floor, in which case the minimum is 5 square feet. The window must be at least 2 feet tall and 20 inches wide. Meeting the minimum height and width requirements doesn’t guarantee meeting the minimum area, so the window will have to be larger in at least one of those dimensions.

Finally, the window cannot be more than 44 inches from the floor, and people must be able to open the window without any special tools or knowledge. Window coverings, such as a screen or bars, are OK, but people need to be able to remove them without any special force, tools or knowledge.

Basements are often located below grade, or below the typical ground level. Since egress windows in basements wouldn’t do much good opening to soil, a window well is required outside the window. The window well should be large enough for the window to open fully, and also should contain a ladder if the well is more than 44 inches deep. Of course, the IRC specifies well and ladder dimensions if this situation applies to your home.

Does your house have emergency egress? Some older homes built before the IRC requirements do not. A means of egress is sometimes overlooked during remodels — for example, converting a space to a bedroom that was not initially planned for that use. If you have a room that does not meet the minimum egress requirements, there are many reasons to correct the problem, the most important being providing a way to exit a house safely in an emergency.

Adding egress windows in required rooms will allow your house to pass inspection should you decide to sell it and will add value to the home as well. Sometimes, adding or replacing windows can become a major project, and it must be done correctly to avoid air leakage and drainage problems later. If you need to install egress windows, find a contractor familiar with the building code and who will take the time to properly install energy efficient windows that meet the requirements.

Valuing energy efficiency in the housing market

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The Alaska Housing Finance Corporation recently released a tool that could boost the appraised value of energy efficient homes.

The AK Appraisal Tool, developed by AHFC, the Cold Climate Housing Research Center and Alaska Craftsman Home Program, allows appraisers to add value to a home that performs better than comparable homes. The tool could promote energy efficient housing through making efficient homes more affordable and increasing their resale value.

Appraisers typically look at factors like square footage, number of bedrooms and aesthetic features like granite counter tops. If a house was super-insulated or used alternative energy sources, there was no accepted way to factor that into the appraised value. This tool provides a way to value energy efficiency based on the energy bills of a house compared to other similar houses in the area.

Here’s how it works

You log onto the site  and enter basic information about a house, including the community, the energy bills and at least two of the five following pieces: street name, number of bedrooms, square feet, rating points and year built. Our 1,800-square-foot test house was located in Fairbanks and had $6,000 in annual energy costs, including heating oil and electricity. The program then searches AHFC’s database of 105,000 housing units to find all comparable homes in the same area — in this case 85 — and calculate their average utility bills — $8,150. You can enter up to 10 other comparable houses (based on other appraisals). The program crunches all this information into the “net present value,” or the energy savings of the test house versus an average house during a 5-year period — $9,058. The appraiser can add up to that amount to the value of a home (all appraisals must be reviewed and accepted by the lending institution).

The program also provides the impact to the mortgage payment. In this example, if $9,058 were added to the home’s appraised value, it would increase the monthly payment by $44 (based on a 30-year mortgage at 4.25 percent). But remember, the homeowner is saving $2,100 per year, or $180 per month, in energy compared to an average house, so the overall savings far outweighs the bump in the mortgage payment. Plus, the resale value of the energy efficient house is higher.

There are benefits to the lending institutions as well. The fact that homeowners are spending less on energy every month increases their chance of making their mortgage payments. This reduces the lender’s risk of default and foreclosure.

How will it be used?

AHFC is already training lending institutions, builders and realtors to use the tool.  Builders could also use it to show clients the potential energy savings and increased appraised value of an energy efficient house.

Thermal mass and passive solar design

In construction, thermal mass refers to heavy, dense building components with a high capacity to absorb, store and release heat, for example—logs, masonry, concrete and adobe.  These materials are used in the building envelope to provide structure, but their thermal properties mean that they can also provide other benefits. In this first article of a two-part series on thermal mass, we’ll address how thermal mass can be combined with passive solar design to reduce building heat and cooling load.  Next week we’ll examine the effect of thermal mass for more conventionally designed homes in three different locations.

Passive solar design uses a combination of building features along with the sun’s energy to provide heating in a home.  Typically, a home’s orientation combined with south-facing windows and a large thermal mass are designed to collect, store and distribute solar energy during the heating season. During the summer, features such as deciduous trees or awnings can block solar energy from entering a house and causing overheating. Many homes in Alaska use passive solar design to provide part of their heating needs during the year.

In passive solar design, there is no control system that dictates the movement of heat energy, as with a boiler or furnace.  To understand how this might work, picture a house with a concrete floor in a south-facing room on a sunny spring day in Fairbanks.  As sun’s radiation enters the room through the windows, it warms up the room and the thermal mass of the concrete floor absorbs this energy throughout the day.

ThermalMass_graphic

At night, the situation reverses.  With no incoming solar radiation, the heating system will need to work to keep the temperature of the room at the set point. However, as the room’s ambient temperature drops below the temperature of the thermal mass, the stored heat energy in the massive floor radiates back into the room, stabilizing the temperature and delaying when the heating system needs to switch on. In effect, the thermal mass acts as a heat battery, storing solar radiation until the sun disappears and then releasing it back into the room. A properly designed passive solar system can result in energy savings for a home because the thermal mass can store excess heat during the day and allow it to offset nighttime heating loads.

Although thermal mass is often in the form of a concrete floor, there are other ways to incorporate it into a home—such as a wall that receives lots of sun or a masonry bench or shelves in the sun’s path.

As the days lengthen during the spring and summer, the large south-facing windows in the above example can allow too much solar radiation to enter a room and cause it to overheat. Some people install awnings or curtains, or plant deciduous trees to shade the windows. Thermal mass also helps prevent overheating, especially in early spring before deciduous trees have leafed out.  A room that might have become uncomfortably warm during the day instead experiences less rise in temperature as the solar radiation is absorbed by the thermal mass. This energy is released later in the evening when outdoor temperatures are cooler. Overall, the thermal mass acts to smooth out temperature swings in the room, enhancing indoor comfort.

 

 

 

Energy Coordinator Position at Southeast Alaska Conservation Council

The Southeast Alaska Conservation Council seeks a motivated and passionate individual to work on rural energy issues. The Energy Coordinator position is responsible for assisting rural Southeast communities in identifying ways to alleviate high energy costs and reduce their dependency on fossil fuels. The position involves working very closely with local, regional and state partners in developing effective strategies to increase local engagement, provide energy educational opportunities and explore efficiency measures and renewable energy alternatives for heating, electricity and transportation.

Responsibilities:

Work within a broader partnership on efforts and demonstration projects that integrate multiple components of community sustainability including affordable energy, economic development, the environment, social well being and cultural values.
Travel extensively to communities to maintain current relationships and build new relationships with tribal partners, schools, utilities, municipalities and boroughs, conservation organizations and other non-governmental organizations. Coordinate with all partners to keep them informed of efforts, programs and opportunities for energy related involvement
Research and help prioritize individual community energy options, work closely with partners and local leaders to offer recommendations on near and long term efforts
Engage multiple stakeholders in community energy planning and visioning
Facilitate community energy meetings and help develop local energy committees
Facilitate, partner on and provide technical support for energy demonstration projects
Work with local campaign staff in compiling updated energy baseline information for community buildings in order to accurately measure the impact of efficiency and renewable energy efforts
Track performance of demonstration projects through on-line and site monitoring, develop reports on performance and lessons learned in order to strengthen future efforts and help guide policy
Work with community and regional partners on developing resource assessments and feasibility studies to prepare for future project level funding
Provide direct support, guidance and training opportunities for community-based program staff in Kake, Hoonah and Wrangell
Conduct outreach to SEACC members and the public through workshops, publications, alerts, blogs, reports and media
Work with SEACC staff and campaign on program development which will include actively reevaluating goals, objectives and strategies based on organizational reflection and community and partner feedback
Assist community partners with the preparation of grant proposals and program budgeting
Participate in local, regional and statewide energy planning meetings and events
Carry out personnel administrative tasks such as communications, reporting and maintain records for convenience of successive members and other staff

Desired Qualifications:

We are seeking a person who is highly motivated, a quick learner and able to work independently with excellent time management and communication skills.  Experience working in rural Alaska communities is preferred. Familiarity with the regional energy framework of Southeast Alaska, as well as knowledge about energy efficiency and/or small scale renewable energy applications is highly desired.

The Energy Coordinator position will serve as a “technical team” member providing guidance and support to staff living in rural communities, and helping to coordinate efforts and share information among communities.

Compensation: Annual salary DOE; full health benefits

To apply: Email cover letter, resume, writing sample, and references to Todd Bailey at todd@seacc.org. Please put “Energy Coordinator” in the title.

Deadline: March 15, 2014.

Apply now for Fairbanks Nonprofit Retrofit Pilot

The Cold Climate Housing Research Center is initiating a pilot project this month to help Alaska nonprofits save money by making their buildings more energy efficient. The application process is now open at http://cchrc.org/fnrp.

The Fairbanks Nonprofit Retrofit Pilot provides energy audits and low-interest loans to nonprofit organizations and tribal building owners as well as guidance through the entire energy retrofit process including arranging an energy audit, helping to prioritize energy improvements, helping to arrange financing, and coordinating contractors to complete the retrofit.

In recent years, thousands of homeowners, small businesses and public buildings have taken advantage of energy efficiency programs to reduce operating costs. Homeowners have cut fuel use by an average 33% annually through AHFC’s Home Energy Rebate Program.

The goal of the retrofit program is to help the nonprofit sector substantially reduce its energy costs so that organizations can spend more on their mission and explore the cost-savings of retrofitting at a community-scale.

The pilot is made possible by $250,000 from the Denali Commission for technical assistance and energy audits. Financing will be provided by Rural Community Assistance Corporation, a nonprofit development organization serving communities in the western United States, under a $2.5 million loan from the Rasmuson Foundation.

If successful, the pilot project may pave the way for a statewide private financing model for small to medium sized energy efficiency projects.

 

For more info, contact Danny Powers at CCHRC at 907-378.3623 or danny@cchrc.org.

http://cchrc.org/fnrp

Building workshops & classes this spring

While it might seem like summer is far away, the building season is right around the corner, and now is a good time to finalize any plans for upcoming home improvements. If you’re interested in reducing your home’s energy use, there are several opportunities this spring to learn about energy efficient building and retrofit techniques.

The building addition at CCHRC, which opened last year, features passive solar design, radiant floors, a pellet boiler and a super-insulated building envelope. There are efficient technologies in the original building as well, including a masonry heater, ground source heat pump, a sewage treatment plant, solar photovoltaic panels and thermal storage. Tours are offered at 2 p.m. on the second Thursday of every month and feature both the original building and the addition, and include plenty of time for questions and discussion, as well. Spring 2014 tours will take place Feb. 13, March 13, April 10 and May 8. In addition, the Builders Resource Library at CCHRC contains information on many aspects of cold climate construction and heating systems. The library is open Monday-Friday, and a catalogue is available online atcatalog.library.uaf.edu (select CCHRC from the Library menu).

Golden Valley Electric Association offers one-on-one instruction through its Home$ense audit program. Through the $40 program, an energy auditor visits your home to discuss ways to reduce your electrical usage and energy costs. To sign up, call the member services department at GVEA at 458-4555 or visit www.gvea.com.

Classes on more advanced topics are offered by the Alaska Craftsman Home Program (ACHP). Advanced Cold Climate Construction will be held Feb. 12 and 13 in Fairbanks, covering the latest energy efficient construction methods on topics such as insulation, vapor retarders, windows and ventilation. The class includes a construction manual and certificate for continuing education credits. Also, ACHP will

offer a one-day class on the Building Energy Efficiency Standard (BEES) on March 19 and May 22. This class covers the BEES requirements for insulation values, air leakage, moisture protection and ventilation. Fees and registration for these classes and more information can be found at www.achpalaska.com.

For those interested in wood heating, UAF is hosting the Firewood Workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday in the Bunnell Building. The workshop covers how-to tips for cutting and drying wood, operating a wood stove and more.

Finally, the annual Interior Alaska Building Association Home Show will take place March 28-30 at the Carlson Center and will feature topics including financing, remodels and new construction. There also will be seminars and demonstrations on a variety of topics related to homebuilding. The home show kicks off the summer building season in Fairbanks and is an excellent way to gather lots of information about energy efficiency.

What are pellets made of and how to shop for them?

Pellets are a biomass fuel that is used in pellet stoves and boilers. Unlike the cordwood burned by woodstoves, pellets are a manufactured fuel source that consists of biomass byproducts such as sawdust, wood chips, waste paper and agricultural waste. Pellet ingredients are bound together by pressure and heat instead of glue, as in a manufacturing plant, then sold in 40-pound bags at local hardware stores or by the ton from a manufacturer.

There are several places in Fairbanks to purchase pellets by the bag. Two types of pellets are manufactured in Oregon by West Oregon Wood Products and are made predominantly from Douglas Fir, a tree found in the Pacific Northwest. The other type is made locally at Superior Pellet Fuels in North Pole, consisting of approximately 90 percent spruce gathered from local businesses, including Windstorm Salvage Timber Sales and Northland Wood Sawmills. The remaining 10 percent consists of cottonwood and aspen sawdust and scraps from timber harvests in the Interior.

All pellets are refined by manufacturers to be uniform in size, density, moisture and energy content. However, pellets made by different manufacturers will have different characteristics because of the variety in raw materials and manufacturing processes. For consumers to compare the basic characteristics of pellets from different sources, the Pellet Fuels Institute (www.pelletheat.org) has developed standards for pellet fuels sold in the United States. Manufacturers send their pellets to a third-party lab for testing and pellets are classified into three categories, depending on the standards that the pellets consistently meet.

 

PFI Utility Pellets

• bulk density of 38-46 lbs. per cubic foot

• ash content 6 percent or below

• moisture content

10 percent or below

 

PFI Standard Pellets

• bulk density of 38-46 lbs. per cubic foot

• ash content 2 percent or below

• moisture content

10 percent or below

 

PFI Premium Pellets

• bulk density of 40-46 lbs. per cubic foot

• ash content 1 percent or below

• moisture content

8 percent or below

 

Both types of pellets available in Fairbanks exceed the PFI Premium Standard. The West Oregon Wood Products lists the specifications for its pellets on its website (www.wowpellets.com/fuel-pellets/wood-fuel-pellets/91-fuel-pellet-specs). They have a density of around 42 pounds per cubic foot, an ash content of 0.3 percent and a moisture content of 6 percent. Superior Pellets also made a testing report available for this article — they send sample pellets from the manufacturing plant each week to Twin Ports Testing in Wisconsin to ensure they continually meet Premium standards. Superior’s pellets have a bulk density of approximately 44 pounds per cubic foot, moisture content of 6.5 percent, and 0.5 percent ash content.

When purchasing pellets, homeowners should consider bags that meet PFI Premium standards as these pellets have a higher Btu content because of their low moisture and higher density. For pellets not labeled as meeting the standard, consumers should research the moisture content, bulk density and ash content when deciding which brand to purchase.

What’s a GFI outlet and where should I use them in the house?

A ground fault interrupter outlet, or GFI outlet, is designed to protect people from electric shock. GFI outlets have three holes in a triangle pattern; there are two vertical slots and a round hole between them The shorter slot is called the “hot,” the longer slot is the “neutral” and the round hole is called the “ground.”

Typically, all electricity will flow from the “hot” slot through an appliance plugged into the outlet, and back into the “neutral” slot. The GFI outlet monitors the current flowing to and from the appliance. If the outlet senses an imbalance in the current flowing from the hot to the neutral slots, it will disconnect electricity flowing to the outlet. Most GFI outlets are very sensitive, and are capable of detecting a current imbalance of just a few milliamps.

Such an imbalance generally means there is a current leak somewhere-the worst case scenario being that the missing current is flowing into a human, instead of back to the neutral outlet. GFI outlets shut off current quickly, in less than one-tenth of a second, so that extra current will not flow where it’s not supposed to.

It can be difficult to know if you have GFI outlets in your home just by looking at them. They are recommended in areas of a building where there is water, because moisture increases the risk of electric shock (picture someone dropping a hairdryer into the sink). A few decades ago, they generally were only installed around pools and boathouses, but now are commonly found (and required by building code in Alaska) in places like bathrooms, garages, kitchens, crawl spaces, unfinished basements and outdoor outlets.

Heat tape should be plugged into a GFI outlet because heat tape is typically protecting water pipes and therefore has the potential to be exposed to moisture.

Some GFI receptacles have test/reset buttons on them. You can check if the GFI protection on these outlets is working by pushing the test button — which should shut off the current to any device plugged into the outlet. Pushing the test button will also cause the reset button to pop out. You can turn the outlet back “on” by pressing the reset button. GFI outlets can fail as power surges from the utility can damage their internal circuits, so testing them occasionally is a good idea.

Other outlets have GFI protection at an “upstream” outlet or at the distribution panel and may have no test/reset button. In this case, to test a specific outlet, you will need to push the test/reset buttons on the upstream outlet or at the distribution panel.

Installing GFI outlets

It’s just as easy as installing a regular outlet, though you need to pay attention to ensure the proper terminals are connected to the source. It takes a little extra consideration to wire it up if you are using it to protect outlets downstream.

GFI outlets cost more to install than regular outlets. While a regular outlet can cost as little as a few dollars, GFI outlets can cost more than $20. This adds up when considering every outlet in a home and explains why electricians may install GFI protection at the panel rather than at each individual outlet.

A similar type of outlet is an arc fault circuit interrupters (AFCI). These are required in the living room, bedrooms, hallways, at lighting circuits, and use a special circuit breaker at the distribution panel. While GFIs are designed to protect you from shock, AFCIs are designed to prevent fires when an electrical arc is caused by, for example, driving a nail into the wall and hitting a wire. GFI receptacles cannot be used on an AFCI circuit.

How to prevent mold growth in your home

Mold requires moisture, above-freezing temperatures, oxygen, and nutrients to grow. The nutrients can come from many building materials such as the paper facing on drywall or wood. Mold spores enter a home through open windows and doors, on the clothing and shoes of people, or in the fur of a pet. As mold spores are assumed to be present in most environments, they easily can enter a home. If spores land on a surface with available nutrients and moisture, they can grow into a colony.

Preventing mold growth usually is focused on controlling moisture, since above-freezing temperatures and oxygen also are required by the house’s human occupants. In homes, water leaks and condensation are the primary sources of moisture that lead to most mold growth. Examples of water leaks would be a break in the building envelope, such as a hole in the roof that allows rain to enter, or a plumbing leak. Condensation occurs when humid air encounters a cool surface, such as the windows in an exterior wall. When air containing water vapor cools to the dew point, it can no longer hold as much moisture and that excess moisture is then deposited on the adjacent cool surface in the form of water droplets. Air with high humidity is common in bathrooms and kitchens because cooking and showering expose the surrounding air to substantial amounts of water. However, plants, aquariums and even breathing contribute to the humidity level in a home.

Preventing mold growth

Keeping indoor humidity levels low is a big step towards preventing mold growth. Although indoor humidity that ranges between 40 and 60 percent at room temperature is best for human health, the reality is that in an extreme cold climate with temperatures below -20°F (such as Fairbanks), levels of more than 30 percent can lead to condensation forming on cooler surfaces such as windows, exterior walls behind furniture, and in closets. Indoor humidity levels between 20 and 30 percent are much safer in terms reducing the condensation risk during winters in Fairbanks, especially during very cold periods. However, this will vary depending on the insulation level of your home. Humidity levels lower than 30 percent can be tolerated by humans, however a greater percentage of occupants may experience the physical discomforts associated with drier air. To measure the humidity level in your home, you can buy a hygrometer at a hardware store or online for between $20 and $60. To prevent humidity from reaching damaging levels and maintain healthy indoor air quality, tight houses will require ventilation systems, such as exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens or a whole-house Heat Recovery Ventilator (HRV).

Even homes with a low overall humidity may have damp microclimates where mold can grow. Inspect areas such as crawlspaces periodically. A crawl space can produce large quantities of water vapor if damp soils aren’t covered with an intact and well sealed vapor retarder. In the crawlspace be on the lookout for water leaks, air leaks in ducts, or condensation on pipes, concrete or discolorations on wood surfaces — particularly around the rim joist area. Be sure to address any issues promptly. If there is standing water as a result of a leak, you have 24-48 hours to dry the area before mold spores can settle in and grow, so clean up the water as soon as you can, and then use a dehumidifier or fan to help dry out the area.

Damp areas on walls can be eliminated by making sure there is air an air space and good circulation between the wall and any furniture, clothing, or other objects. Firewood drying indoors also can contribute to moisture loads. A plugged or disconnected dryer vent can introduce large amounts of water vapor into the air and go unnoticed. Inspect all vents to the exterior periodically to ensure they are in good working order. Eliminate any standing water in the home. You can prevent standing water in showers and sinks by keeping drains clear and clean. Keeping a pot or kettle full of water going on the stove should be avoided.

Finally, if you do discover mold growth, it is important to clean it up as soon as possible to stop the mold from spreading and to prevent further occupant exposure.