Tag Archives: Green Building

Perhaps energy efficiency needs sex appeal

From The Anchorage Daily News, Friday, July 23, 2010:

Thanks to clever marketers, if I said I had a problem with ED, you might immediately have an idea what I’m talking about. But I have a problem with EE. It’s no cause for embarrassment — EE is a great thing. EE can save you money, create jobs, help protect our environment and safeguard our children’s future. Unfortunately, many people just don’t find EE that exciting.

EE is energy efficiency, and if you’re a building or business owner you needed EE yesterday. It’s the cheapest way to boost your profit margin, and in these tough times who doesn’t want that?

Oil spewing in the Gulf presents yet another reminder of our unsustainable addiction to fossil fuels, amplifying calls to move toward “clean” energy systems. Energy costs in Alaska can stifle economic development, especially in rural areas. Renewable energy generation — wind, solar, hydro, geothermal — is crucial to Alaska’s clean energy future, and this is what most people think of first when looking for truly sustainable energy solutions.

Continue reading: Perhaps energy efficiency needs sex appeal

An unlevel house can cause a number of problems in the home

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff

The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.

Q: My home is starting to settle a little bit. What advice can you give on leveling a house?

What is an acceptable amount of settling is a relative question, but if windows and doors start to bind that is a good sign that things have gone too far. Plumbing systems can also be at risk for damage and are often overlooked until it is too late.

One option to level a home is to use hydraulic bottle jacks.

If you can get under the beams that support the house and raise them with bottle jacks, that is a fairly inexpensive route to take.

Some home moving companies and contractors will have airbags that they gradually inflate under the home. As the building comes to level, they will add more structural support to the structure. This approach works well on soft soils. One older method involves a railroad jack, which relies on a mechanical ratcheting system instead of hydraulics.

This device can fit into a four-inch space, making it very handy. A few of the rental stores in town still have this jack.

The act of raising a house involves potentially lethal amounts of force and weight that can react in unpredictable ways. Relying on a jack to support the structure while working in danger zones is extremely risky. There should always be some fixed means of support, such as cribbing in place to support the structure, should the jack fail. Alaska home owners are renowned for their “do it yourself” attitude.

However, sometimes house leveling should be left to a professional.

Q: I have some foam board insulation I want to put on the outside of my house. Is it a problem that it’s wet?

Be cautious with wet foam board insulation. The more water in the foam, the less insulating value it has. If you have a piece of foam that is so saturated it weighs a lot more than a dry piece, it will not have the same insulative value as the new, dry piece of foam.

Also, since the water got in, there is a good chance it will get out.

If you have a wall that is susceptible to moisture damage, it is not a good idea to put wet foam on your structure.

Alaska HomeWise articles promote home awareness for the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC). If you have a question, e-mail us at akhomewise@cchrc.org.You can also call the CCHRC at (907) 457-3454.

What's Old Is New Again: Traditional Knowledge Inventory Informs Innovation

From treehugger.com:

Low-tech Magazine, consistently highlighting how age-old low-tech solutions are thoroughly applicable in creating a more eco-friendly world, serves as a useful antidote to the usual high-tech hubris that infects much of the new green deal talk. A recent post on the newly established Traditional Knowledge Inventory is no exception.

Though not fully fleshed out yet, all of the topics are fascinating for lovers of human culture, and many offer great practical promise today and for the future. Here are just three examples that caught my eye; there are plenty more at the link above which are worth perusing for a while.

Continue reading: What’s Old Is New Again: Traditional Knowledge Inventory Informs Innovation

Driftwood cabins the next government housing in Emmonak?

From The Tundra Drums, Wednesday, July 7, 2010:

The “river loggers” who float driftwood down the Yukon River for heating have a new use for their big bundles: a seafood company that hopes to show housing agencies it can build low-cost homes with local materials.

The Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association buys the logs and last year turned some into a supply store where fishermen can buy nets and other gear.

Now it’s building a demonstration cabin down the road in Emmonak, a Yup’ik village of 800 that sees logs float past regularly, many uprooted by ice boulders and floods that scour the banks each spring.

Continue reading: Driftwood cabins the next government housing in Emmonak?

Energy rating program still available for Alaska homeowners

ASK A BUILDER
By CCHRC Staff

The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.

Q: A lot of people are participating in the rebate program to make their home more energy efficient. I was under the impression that program had ended but it seems there are still people doing it. What is the case?

At this point, the rebate program is being sustained by money that was “set aside” for homeowners, but never collected — perhaps they decided not to continue with the program, did not make their 18-month deadlines or only collected $5,000 of the $10,000 the program set aside for them. In these cases, the money goes back into the “pot” and new participants are allowed in.

You can still get on the waiting list for an energy rating and participate in the program. When you sign up, Alaska housing will confirm there is funding available for your rebate. If there is, you will be assigned an energy rater. That person will come to your home and perform a blower door test to determine the efficiency of your home. Once you have the report and required documents, submit that to AHFC (Alaska Housing Finance Corp.) and the money will be set aside in your name.

As soon as you have your energy rating done you can start making improvements.

Those building or buying new homes can also still apply for the 5 Star Plus new construction rebate.

This part of the program gives homeowners a flat $7,500. These folks must call the PORTAL to get on the wait list for an application.

If there is money available, it will be encumbered for you after AHFC receives your application and a preliminary rating from your building plans, along with other required documents.

After you have completed your new home, or home improvements, you will submit a copy of your second energy rating along with the required documents and paperwork in order for AHFC to take that available money and release it to you within 60 business days.

If you want to sign up for the program, or have any questions, the PORTAL is available locally to answer questions about the rebate program. Its office is open at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, Monday through Friday (call 455-HEAT for an appointment). You can also sign up by visiting www.akrebate.com.

Q: I’m building a new home. Can I strategically orient my home in a way that will save me money?

The money-saving benefits from orienting a home center around passive heat gain. “Passive” means no mechanical system is producing the heat. Passive solar is a viable method of heating, as the sun just comes in through the windows and heats the home. Many south-facing lots in the Fairbanks North Star Borough see a decrease in oil usage when the sun comes back in late February and March. The same benefit takes place in the fall, but there is a more noticeable difference in spring because a homeowner can turn down the thermostat rather that up.

Facing a home towards the south and strategically placing windows on the south face of the home will maximize light intake and support passive heating.

Alaska HomeWise articles promote home awareness for the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC). If you have a question, e-mail us at akhomewise@cchrc.org.You can also call the CCHRC at (907) 457-3454.

Housing researchers look for the best way to keep Interior Alaska walls dry

From The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Monday, June 5, 2010:

Everyone in Fairbanks knows summer is when the ground thaws and your bones warm. But it’s also the season when your walls dry by shedding moisture deposited in the wall cavity during the winter. When walls warm in the sun, built-up water vapor wants to go back outside where there’s less moisture.

“The way we build walls controls how much that happens,” said Colin Craven, product testing director at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center. “You want your walls to be able to breathe one way or the other.”

Today, many homeowners add outer foam-board insulation to their houses to save energy, but the extra layer can trap moisture inside the walls, causing mold and decay.

“We always thought, ‘Should we really do this?’ It seems to be working, but there’s no real data besides ‘We haven’t seen houses fall down yet,’” said Terry Duszynski, a Fairbanks energy rater who helped jump start the project.

This summer, the research center is completing a yearlong test of how various wall systems handle moisture in Alaska climates to avoid this type of problem.

Time to get all decked out

ASK A BUILDER

By CCHRC Staff

The “Ask a Builder” series is dedicated to answering some of the many questions Fairbanks residents have about building, energy and the many other parts of home life.

Q: What are my options for eco-friendly decking?

In today’s market, the selection of decking materials is vast and can be overwhelming.

Other than wood or treated wood — which have been traditional materials for years — there now exists a wide variety of composites which may contain a combination of synthetic materials.

Composite decking is typically comprised of some type of plastic or vinyl, and in addition, some brands also will also use ingredients derived from wood products. When it comes to treated woods, the chemicals used in the treatment process have gotten more eco-friendly than the chromium copper arsenate (CCA) which dominated the industry for many years. Be aware that the new treatments tend to be more corrosive to metal fasteners, so today’s treated woods may require a specific type of treated connector in order to insure that the deck will hold together safely in the long term.

Composite decking may contain recycled plastic and/or recycled wood fragments. Some brands may even be composed almost entirely of reclaimed products. Common recycled ingredients include old pallets, mill waste, plastic shopping bags, bottles, and other discarded plastics. One of the primary advantages of composite decking is it requires little or no maintenance. Not all composites can span the same distances between joists as wood decking, and so may require additional framing for support.

Most local lumber yards will carry both wood and composite decking. A good resource which compares decking and other products is the website www.healthybuilding.net.

The site has lots of information on a number of different building materials.

Q: I have a heat recovery ventilator in my crawlspace, and it’s starting to make funny noises, what should I do?

HRV systems require routine maintenance, and if the maintenance schedule is ignored it can severely impact performance.

For regular maintenance, examine the filters, outside hoods and screens for cleaning or replacement every one to three months. Filters can become clogged with organic debris including insects, pollen or dust and grass, especially if the fresh air intake is close to the ground.

Most of these filters are washable.

The exchanger core also needs regular maintenance. It should be inspected approximately every six months and cleaned as necessary. The core can be vacuumed or washed with soap and water depending on the situation, so refer to the owner’s manual for specifics. Also, be sure to examine the condensate drain, and if needed, clean it at the same time. The lines can be tested by slowly pouring water into the drains to check for obstructions.

The HRV drains should have a trap or a loop containing water, which will prevent the unit from drawing in air through the line.

Testing the lines is important because the HRV is sometimes tied into a septic line for drainage, or is located in a crawl space with other plumbing. Consequently, if there is a problem with the drain, the HRV system may suffer the ill effects.

Also, fans need to be checked every three to six months. Many fans are designed to function without lubrication, but some HRV fans require it, especially the older models.

Another important point is to make sure the HRV is “balanced.” That means it should be taking in roughly as much air as it is exhausting so as not to create pressure problems in the house. If you are not sure that the system has ever been professionally balanced, this is definitely a step worth taking to insure the system is operating properly.

Most manuals will contain information regarding maintenance specific to that particular brand and model of HRV. If you have lost yours, typically there are only a few different brands in Fairbanks and those manuals are usually available online.

Alaska HomeWise articles promote home awareness for the Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC). If you have a question, e-mail us at akhomewise@cchrc.org.You can also call the CCHRC at (907) 457-3454.

State readies borrowing program for green projects

From The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Thursday, July 1, 2010:

The state is readying a new borrowing program that some municipal governments have shown an interest in tapping to improve energy-efficiency at public buildings.

The Alaska Housing Finance Corp. said the program — an account for governments and the university system to borrow for energy-efficiency remodeling — should open by October. The corporation is collecting public comment through July 7 on regulations behind the plan, a spinoff from a federal stimulus grant that would model broader programs seen around the country.

“We don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” said Bryan Butcher, a spokesman for the housing corporation, citing successful precedent elsewhere. “We think it’s really going to play a substantial role in reducing energy (costs) in the state as well as producing jobs.”

The Lowdown on Bamboo Flooring

From Mother Earth News:

Bamboo flooring is increasingly popular as a green building material. Stalks can be harvested sustainably, and bamboo floors are as tough as they are beautiful.

Bamboo flooring is constructed in two basic ways. Solid bamboo flooring is composed entirely of layers of bamboo. Engineered bamboo flooring consists of a top layer of bamboo with a backing made of wood. There’s nothing necessarily wrong with engineered flooring. In fact, it can be more appropriate for some installations. In addition, bamboo flooring comes in two configurations, which differ in how the bamboo strips are laminated together: either in flat, horizontal strips, or in thin vertical layers set on edge.

Continue reading: The Lowdown on Bamboo Flooring

UAF researchers work on way to ease road-building costs in rural Alaska

From The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Sunday, June 27, 2010:

A possible remedy to rural Alaska’s enormous road construction costs might be sitting in a grimy plastic bin at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Billy Connor sifted through the bin’s contents with his hand, digging through material that looks like it came from a badly abused sandbox. There was lots of silt and sand, some thin plastic fibers and a sticky fluid that smelled like latex paint.

Connor, the director of the Alaska University Transportation Center, thinks this messy combination holds promise as a rural road of the future. It’s roughly three times stronger than silt alone and able to withstand pressures of about 175 pounds per square inch in laboratory tests. It also appears to be resistant to the freeze-thaw cycles that cause roads to buckle in permafrost-laden areas.

“We think we can cut the construction costs at least in half, maybe even more,” Connor said.