"No Vinyl, That's Final"

Our amazing builder, Henry Souza, was at EcoBuilding Bargains last week and noticed that they had some Hardiplank siding. We were excited, as we had already planned on installing Hardiplank (fiber-cement) siding.


Why, you ask? Well, here is a summary of the environmental attributes of available siding material options: www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/additional-information/pros-and-cons/. If you went to this link you would see that vinyl siding is a no go for the eco-conscious consumer.


If you need more information to be convinced, here's additional  explanation courtesy of Umbra Fisk of Grist Environmental News: "Why do we want to identify and avoid [vinyl]? Because its manufacture, use, and disposal involve dioxin, phthalates, lead, and other nasties that can cause cancer, endocrine disruption, endometriosis, birth defects, respiratory problems, and immune system damage. Because the full range of its effects on human health hasn't been fully determined. And because there are indeed alternatives, including other types of plastic, that are not nearly as damaging to the environment and to our health." Wow, that's quite an indictment. Umbra often urges her readers to remember "No Vinyl, That's Final", and we've done our best to observe that rule during this development project. You can read Umbra's full blog on this topic here: http://www.grist.org/article/pvc1


So, this presented us with a problem, as vinyl is far and away the most widely available (and least expensive) siding material. However, we did our research and decided that it would be best to install Hardiplank fiber-cement siding. We learned that it is a little more difficult to find fiber-cement siding products and even more difficult to find contractors who install them. We selected a color (stay tuned for the big reveal on our color pallette), and we found a builder's supply company in Springfield (Bradco) that keeps some Hardiplank colors in stock (which is necessary for our timeline). Thankfully, they stock the color we want. Whew! But then, Henry noticed the Hardiplank siding at EcoBuilding Bargains, and they happened to have our color! Yay! So, we've now got some siding coming our way! And, we've found a few contractors who install this type of siding to boot! Onward!

Roof, Mechanicals, Plumbing, Windows & Doors, Oh My

Last week, we selected an Energy Star Certified shingle (Certainteed Landmark Silver Birch) and roof replacement work commenced. The rainy weather has slowed progress somewhat, so we still have about two days of work remaining. To qualify as Energy Star, the shingles are a relatively light color that reflects more light and keeps the roof surface cooler, which in turn helps keep the home cool in the summer (less heat is transmitted into the home from the roof). And there's another environmental beneift as well: Lighter colored shingles also help to minimize urban heat island effects. 


We also solicited bids for our mechanical systems and rough plumbing last week. We are installing a combined boiler and domestic hot water system with a combined efficiency of 90% (0.90 AFUE). In addition, we will increase energy efficiency by insulating hot water pipes, reducing the length of hot water pipe runs, installing an outdoor reset control that modulates distribution water temperature based on outdoor air temperature, installing a programmable thermostat, and zoning the house on four zones. Finally, all domestic hot water and boiler equipment will be installed within an insulated basement utility closet.

Work on the mechanical systems and the rough plumbing commenced on Monday and should be completed by the end of the week. Rough-in plumbing is being installed for the kitchen (one sink, dishwasher, and gas stove), one bathroom (clothes washer, sink, toilet, bathtub/shower), and the master bath on the second floor (clawfoot tub, toilet, sink and separate shower).

After the plumbing work, our next step is the electrical wiring. The entire house must be rewired. Fortunately, all of the old knob and tube wiring was removed during demolition. We are getting bids on the electric work and trying to schedule it for next week.

Meanwhile, our windows and doors arrived TODAY at Pella's Greenfield warehouse! These will be picked up tomorrow morning and installed over the next several days.

We've also ordered the siding for the back addition to replace the plywood siding. We'll save that for another post when we reveal the new house color scheme!

Before and Afters Compared, Part 3

The first floor bedroom that was located at the front of the home (facing the street, in the original portion of the home) will continue to be used as a bedroom:


Bedroom at Front of Home Before Gut



Bedroom At Front of Home After Gut

The new bedroom has been widened, and there will be a large bedroom closet located beneath the new staircase (image taken from closet location). Otherwise, the new room will be largely the same. The windows will be repaced with energy efficient upgrades, new lighting will be added, and the existing floors will be refinished.

The picture above also gives a view of some of Henry's excellent structural work!

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Finally, the new addition will be changed significantly, but this was not apparent after demolition was completed because we decided to keep the walls, which were in good shape. Where these exterior walls have been kept, we will have to come in from the outside to insulate the walls, replacing the current batt insulation with spray foam insulation. This will be done when the siding for the new addition is replaced.

New Addition Before Deconstruction

New Addition After Deconstruction

As you can see, the walls of the new addition were originally left intact. However, we needed to replace the entire subfloor (shown partially replaced here), and in the new floor plan, this 500 square foot addition has been divided into three rooms: A bathroom with laundry facilities (to the left), a bedroom (to the left), and a family room (to the right, partially shown in image). To change the layout, new walls have been framed framed (pics coming soon), and we had to redesign the window scheme. The windows shown here have since been removed, the new window frames have been constructed, and a frame for a double-wide sliding door leading from the family room to the backyard has been completed.

Before and Afters Compared, Part 2

Second Floor: Before

Bedroom 1



Bedroom 1 (Closet)



Bedroom 2

Bedroom 2 (Closet)





Top of Staircase
Entryway to
Bedrooms



















Second Floor: After


Top of New Staircase



New Master Bedroom Area With Vaulted Ceilings
(Clawfoot Tub Will Be Refinished and Moved to Master Bath)



Panorama of Gutted Upstairs, View from Top of Stairs
Master Bedroom to Left, Closets and Bathroom to Right
(New Wall Framing in Progress)

View West from Master Bedroom
(Master Bathroom and Closets Being Framed to Left)

Before and Afters Compared

Here are some selected "Before Pictures" followed by pictures taken after all the walls were removed (and as the new walls started to be framed). Also, please visit our new Pictures page!

(Please excuse the formatting irregularities in this post - Blogspot doesn't make it easy to lay out pictures!)

First Floor: Before
Originally, this portion of the house contained the kitchen, a pantry and a bathroom. In the new layout, this part of the house has been opened up and will contain the kitchen and dining room. The downstairs bathroom has been relocated to the newest addition.

 

View of Kitchen Facing South              View of Kitchen Facing West Toward Newest Addition

View of Pantry and Bathroom from Kitchen, Facing North

 

View of Downtstairs Bath from Kitchen, Facing North



First Floor: After Demolition

Kitchen (left) and Dining Room (right)
View Facing West Toward Newest Addition





View of Portion of Kitchen (Left) and Dining Room (Right)
View Facing North

 

The picture above also gives a nice view of the collar ties installed for structural support. The walls in the second addition were being pushed apart (separating) under the weight of the roof, so collar ties were needed for additional structural support. When Henry installed the new collar ties, we discovered that the framing for the ceiling drywall would need to be replaced as well. Instead of rebuilding this framing, we decided to remove the framing entirely and create a room with a vaulted ceiling. We think the result is going to be fabulous!

Dining Room (Left) and Kitchen (Right)
View Facing East Toward Original Home

In the picture above, you can see that the wall between the original home and first addition has been removed. This creates an open layout in the home's three central living areas (kitchen, dining room and living room). The living room will be the area to the back of the image (in the original home to the right of the new staircase). When we purchased the house, this area was a bedroom:

Bedroom in Original Home

View Facing North from Front Door

The walls in the picture above were removed. This area will become the living room in the renovated home.

Here is a nother picture of the main portion of the home that has been
opened up. This picture is taken from the kitchen looking east. To the
left is the new dining room and in the center is the new living room.

The picture above also shows the new staircase nicely (located to the left of the living room). Here is a picture of the original staircase:

The original staircase was directly
in front of the front door
View Facing North



Panorama View of the Kitchen (Left) and Dining Room (Right)

Another View from Kitchen to the Dining Room and Living Room Areas



The image above shows the vaulted ceilings nicely. The door to the right, which originally was a second door that entered the kitchen from the porch, has since been removed and replaced with a window frame. A second door will be added to the back of the home, through the newest addition.

Staircase: Before and After


Here's a quick before and after of the staircase!  

The original staircase was directly
in front of the front door
View Facing North



The new staircase is located on the north wall across the living room

from the front door (in the original portion of the home). In the background

to the left/west, you can see the first addition where the kitchen and

dining room will be.



Walls and Windows are Framed

Well, we survived the hurricane just fine. Having completed our preparations, Northampton escaped the heavy winds and rain that were forecasted. The silt sock around the street drain is back in place and construction never halted.

Henry's crew is nearly finished framing the walls, closets, windows and doors. As it turned out, there were no headers framed for the windows or doors. It is quite surprising that they held up as well as they did, literally. Henry's structural work is truly impressive and has received many complimements from other contractors. It's too bad this work will be hidden inside the walls.

The floor plan has been solidified and the 300+ sq. ft. second floor master bedroom/master bath will be really amazing if we can say so ourselves! Also, sliding glass doors will provide a back exit from the house through the family room, the kitchen will have bamboo cabintry and a beautiful south facing double casement window, and we've kept the laundry facilities out of the basement...phew! Windows have been ordered and are scheduled for installation in a few weeks. We're lining up the rough-in plumbing and heating and hot water systems now (these are critical to this home's energy efficiency). We're  excited to be at this stage in construction...where our hard work starts to come together.