Net Zero Off Grid Prefab House Kit Update: Finishing Around Foundation

In previous posts I mentioned not only the importance of having an energy efficient, insulated house (our passive solar prefab house kits, are made with structural insulated panels, or SIP) but to remember to not only have energy efficient walls and a roof, but to also insulate underneath.

So before we poured our concrete slab foundation, we laid down foam.
(Which you can order from the factory if you like...)

Now we haven't yet infilled back the dirt from the home site, and it is time to finish the final insulation not only *under* the foundation, but *around* it.

With temperatures in the 50's, we headed out to the off grid, net zero passive solar prefab house kit for a weekend of work.
Here is what we're doing:

1. Self-adhered rubber against concrete (or waterproofing paint) will be applied to the exposed *sides* of the foundation (underneath is already lined with foam) then lined with foam.

[In case you are reading this years from now, this winter was The Winter - snow snow snow, wet wet wet, and because of that we're taking extra steps in waterproofing so that the next Hundred Year Dumping Of Slush will allow us to remain dry and clear of the wetness that came down from the fields this time and against our unfinished / unsealed foundation.]

2. Attach rigid board along the sides, all the way down as possible, which will be held in place by infill

3. Flashing will cover up aesthetic appearance of the insulation

4. You can also dig a trench around the house kit so that any water that would fall off the roof would fall into the center of the trench. Infill with gravel and soil, and even better- put some perforated drain pipes around edge.  To prevent dirt from filtering down the gravel and into the pipe, after you add a layer of gravel cover that with landscape cloth before adding the remaining dirt and gravel.

5. Grade slopes minimum 6” down within ten feet.

Here's pictures from our lovely but hard working weekend:
Make sure you read the captions, it explains more what is going on in each picture:


And more detail on site work:

Explanation of what the heck he's doing.

I busied myself on the interior of the prefab house kit, using an exacto knife (and fondly remembering my art school days) to slice off the foam we added around the window and door frames to further seal the house kit and aid its energy efficiency.

All these little things you do when under construction to add to the air tightness and energy efficiency of your home really will add up to long term savings and success!

In getting the gravel for the site work around the prefab house kit, we had a quarter of the load dumped near the prefab and used the rest of the load to be dumped along the trail we have driven over the fields.
So now, after YEARS, we have a road.
We are VERY excited - it's kind of like Follow The Yellow Brick Road except it's the Magic Gravel Road, OUR Road, leading to the off grid net zero passive solar prefab!
Yay.

We have a ROAD! And it leads to a modern prefab house kit!

Well, we're now back in Richmond, happy and sore and the dogs are plumb wore out and will sleep for days...

Last night we had a lovely, LOVELY dinner with our friends Steve and Chris Ault, who have a natural farm down the road. (Check out some of the home made cheeses we ate for appetisers on the right, here!)

They took pity on my recent Sickness Postings  and not only fed us a *delicious* dinner with great company, in their cozy warm wood-stove heated home, but sent us home with a care package containing a young rooster, home made cheeses, and lard!

We are so grateful to have so many close friends here, it always makes the drive home so hard - you're happy from a weekend of hard work, feeling the sun on your face, happy exhaustion, the feeling of having "Gotten Things Done" - yet as your car drives, your heart saddens, you already miss the winter sun against the fields and trees and even though you return to a house with systems, with heat, it's just not the same as the crisp reality of being on the land, with good friends.

Over dinner, we pored through pictures of Steve and Chris's renovations to their farm house which they bought in very poor condition (see right picture here) and have restored themselves into a happy, beautiful home.

Fortunately, Steve and Chris were able to take this farmhouse and REBUILD it over ten years, from the foundation up, adding insulation, new windows, all kinds of structural work, and refabbing it to current standards. I'll go back and take some pictures of that renovated farm house soon - I didn't get an opportunity to do so last night.

We may still have no systems, but on the drive back to Richmond I thought about how so many people, especially in rural homes, are still in structures with no insulation. Driving home, we pass so many homes where generations of families live, in trailers or drafty 1800s farm houses and you know: there is NO insulation.

Our prefab house kit, even with no off grid systems yet installed, can get us through a winter - but think of the conditions of so many of these rural homes... even with no heat, our house kit only got down to 49 last night (it was in the 20s outside)... Under a down comforter, my bed was cozy and yes I will be happy when we have systems but... to go from 49 to 60ish with systems? Isn't such a strain. And to then maintain that temperature? Easy, because the prefab house kit is tight.  

Thanks to the structural insulated panels, passive solar design, and all the little extra things we, as house kit purchasers, do to accelerate its performance: foam around the windows, the door frames, and around and under the foundation, we should have a happy, warm home for (hopefully) generations to come.

 

We. Have. WALLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could either stay in Richmond and be sick, achy and contagious, or I could go to the net zero off grid modern house kit and be sick, achy and contagious.
Easy choice.

I just could not bear to be away another week, knowing that Bobby Hirsh, the carpenter, had reused and built actual WALLS out of VMI's old basketball court. Honeychile, this t'ain't yer Chinese drywall...

So I grabbed a box of Kleenex and headed out, sick and feverish, to the net zero passive solar SIPs house kit.

We rounded the drive and saw the field was still covered with snow... yet in the distance, the house kit shone happily, a beacon for our car to aim for through the mud.

We tumbled out, and the children and dogs proceeded to do exactly what I feared: splash through the mud puddles, roll in the snow (and no dry change of clothes with us), and chase each other, slushing through soil and ice, round and round the prefab. *Sigh*

As I surveyed this certainly disastrous scenario, Handsome Husband slipped away to peek inside the house kit and returned quickly: "Wow."

I hurriedly went to inspect. 
So: A year ago we had purchased VMI's basketball court, and now here it would be in our prefab as walls? Creating rooms with recycled, beautiful 100% maple floorboards instead of using drywall?!? Handsome Husband warned me that due to our carpenter, who is a Mennonite minister, being called back to Haiti (where he and his family lived for five years before moving here), he had not been able to completely finish the walls. But who cares, I just want to SEE the walls!

I could tell you all about it, but... c'mon and see it for yourself.
I was taping when I walked in for the first time, and it probably conveys to you more than anything I could type. 
(I love how I keep trying to be informative, glib, and then I see the walls and GASP...)

Prefab Green Home Update: Recycled Reused Wood On The Walls!


Prefab House: Interior Walls: Recycled Reused Wood: VMI's Basketball Court!

We told Bobby to cut wood inside since the temperatures have been so frigid this month, and to leave any scraps behind so we could recycle them.  In preparation, Handsome Husband had moved all the furniture in the corner and covered it all with a sheet. So we spent the day in the prefab house kit sweeping, sorting wood scraps, sweeping some more, dragging back the furniture piece by piece, and... sweeping.

Y'know, all we do out there are chores it seems, but we are all SO HAPPY, so busily content, feeling the sun on our faces, smelling the crisp air  that only happens when it has touched snow, seeing progress as we proceed on every little thing we do in the prefab house kit.  We are so grateful to all of the craftsmen who have helped us, and it is so satisfying that we also have a hand in it, that our children will remember this slow process as we move towards our sustainable goal.

 

To refresh your memory of this journey: We started with purchasing land, then awhile later bought a 1960s camper where we would brave the spring ticks, the summer heat, the late autumn frost (all with our children still in diapers)... then the house kit was erected and suddenly we had shelter, REAL SHELTER.

And now we have walls.
And even CLOSETS.

For the first year ever, we have been out there in 1. January and 2. February, and out there, in the dead of winter, 3. *comfortably*!

If I hadn't been so feverish I would have suggested we stay and spend the night.  But I also know I need to get better and that the better thing to do is install the ERV / off grid systems so we can seek respite even more efficiently and comfortably than the makeshift ways we've been visiting for years.

But in the meantime...? We appreciate every. single. thing. 
And don't miss what we lack in the prefab house kit, because we've never had it there.
Makin' something outta nothin' is not a hobby, it's a philosophy.  I am fine with my children being raised how to be comfortable, knowledgeable and practical in raw weather and conditions, and I think these experiences make them better for it.

 

Thinking About Your Prefab Green House Kit: Contractor Tips And Thoughts

We were hoping to head out to the prefab net zero energy green house kit this weekend, as we were snowed out last weekend... but check out the weather forecast, above.
I'm even hearing the words, "twelve to twenty inches" ominously, forebodingly whispered amongst colleagues when they speak about the upcoming weekend.

I am dying to see the interior walls that were built two weeks ago, yet there is still over a foot of snow on the land from LAST week!  Our carpenter, a Mennonite minister, is also leaving to move back to Haiti (where they lived for five years) to help their Haitian community in March, so I would really like to properly thank him in person before he goes... Danged this snow!

But good news: Ran the numbers last night - looks like our *own* prefab house kit we're building is still at around $100sf (actually less if it weren't for all the off grid stuff we're doing). Good to know you can be net zero off grid yet affordable!

Now we're in the final stages, and of course the systems will be very expensive to purchase and install, but you can see our own prefab zero energy green home tally here. Of course YOUR local material and labor costs and systems you choose will all be different. But this is what it's costing for us to build and complete the net zero off grid prefab house kit in rural Virginia as a net zero energy home, not tied to the grid.

But let's talk about you. A lot of you are in the process of permitting and getting ready to start foundation work. Here are some contractor tips I collected over the year to post during this long snowy week, information you might find helpful to think about when planning your own prefab green home.  Of course when you have the design documents and go over them with your contractor it will be easier to make your own choices for your own budget, but here are some "general contractor tips and things to think about."

I subscribe to the Good, Better, Best philosophy.

• Best would be if I could all hire an in-house team of my house kit SIPs specialists to erect and complete the house kit from start to finish, then certify it to LEED and passive and BREAM standards.
• Better would be where I choose a contractor with decades of SIPs experience to construct my house kit that was enthusiastic about off grid energy efficient homes.
• Good would be where I find a fantastic, reputable contractor willing to 1. educate themselves with the manufacturer's manuals, 2. attend workshops, and where I, as the consumer, 3. also educate myself on SIPs and green building technology to then feel confident I, with my contractor, was making the best choices I could for my budget. 

In our own net zero energy house kit construction, it is clear we are in the Good category as consumers of our own house kit... once the modern house kit was erected, you even see us change direction on the interior a bit...isn't that real life? We're adding built-ins to where there's designated closet space, expanding that area to accommodate off grid systems and our own funky, bookcase lovin' lifestyle.

Many people ask why I don't just ship out a completely completed prefab house kit. Here's WHY I'm offering the house kits the way we do: My mission is to offer energy efficient house kits that are gorgeous but also affordable... attainable green design.

By having you order your windows and doors locally (we send you a list along with the design documents), you can then order them at a more affordable price than if we had to add them to your house kit shipment (adding to the cost of the windows the cost to store them at the factory), increasing the truck load weight and number of trucks, increasing shipping, increasing risk of damage and increasing cost.  

By leaving the house kit unfinished, I give you control: you choose your systems, your finishes, your appliances to your individual needs.

• We CAN have the house kits finished more if you like, which we are working on with European clients. But it will cost a lot more; more than if you worked with a local contractor and supply store. But we certainly can include the windows, doors, framing in shipping containers.
• We do have contractor firms we recommend who WILL travel and complete the kit for you, and are familiar with SIPs and our house kits, but it will cost a lot more. Just ask, I will send you names.

Now on to Contractor / Construction Tips And Thoughts!

• ERV / HRV: Because of the energy efficient, tight structural insulated panels in the prefab green home, you will want to make sure you choose an appropriate heat / energy recovery ventilator that works for your area climate needs. We recommend two manufacturers and are happy to send you their contact information.
  
• Roof panels: Do you want chassis ways or will you use a surface-wired mold? If you like, you may tell the factory where you want to run a roof chassis.
• It's not just about the house kit: Are you keeping in consideration How To Keep Water Away From The Foundation?
• Another tip: Copper pipes and galvanized duct work: Do not let them come into contact! They will deteriorate, then leak!
• Framing: Your contractor will need to build anything that is not structural insulated panels. SIPs are the majority of the house kit, but there are areas (note along north and clerestory windows) that the engineer deemed it structurally better to have framed in. This is dependent on which house kit you choose. FOR THE CASA TI, here is what *our* contractor estimated:
  
  "Here is the estimated list of wood required to assemble the SIPs:
  
  Dim Length Qty
  2X6 8' 60
  2X6 10' 48
  2X6 12' 13
  2X6 14' 4
  2X6 16' 7
  2X8 8' 31
  2X8 10' 42
  2X8 12' 22
  
  
  
  
  
  Headers:
  
  5' 3 5/8 header 9 1/4 "
  16' 2 1/4 header 10 1/4 "
  3' 6 3/8 header 11 1/4 "
  3' 1 7/8 header 9" tall, design/measure on site
  2' 9 3/4 header 11 1/4"
  2' 9 5/8 header 11 1/4"
  2' 9 3/4 header 11 1/4"
  8' 8 1/4 header 2x6, wall thickness?
  8' 8 1/4 header 2x6, wall thickness?
  5' 9 header 2x6, wall thickness?
  2' 9 3/4 header 11 1/4"
  2' 9 5/8 header 11 1/4"
  2' 11 1/4 header 11 1/4"
  2' 6 3/4 header 9" tall, design/measure on site
  12' 3 header 2x6, design on site
  12' 3 header 2x6, design on site
  
  The following is not included in the above:
  
  - framing materials for interior load bearing wall/header
  - framing for panel H (row of small windows at transition of roofs)
  - framing for edge of parapet on north end of roof
  - framing between walls and roof
  
  
• Filing this under, "Things your contractor should know":
  Obviously, make sure your contractor carefully READS THE SIP MANUFACTURER'S MANUAL...
  Because there is a *lot* of useful, critical information in there that is imperative to the success of your project. We also have workshops and schools we can point them to, and the factory is always ready to answer questions.
  
  But even if they follow successfully the SIP instructions perfectly, even if they're the *best* contractor, ever, don't forget they might have aesthetic differences than your love of modern design, so here are just some easy things you can point out/gently remind them...
  
  
• Modern Design vs. Traditional Trim: The trim around the windows should be narrow- It should be “receiver trim” that catches the end of the cut siding.
  
  It's a very minimalist / modern look, not a traditional way of trim- not 3” wide but more ½ inch, flat, for corners and openings- see this as an example: http://www.daviddaydesign.net/horsepen.htm
  And this:
  
  
• MAKE SURE before you order cladding where everything is measured out individually by your contractor, despite what the plans say.
  
  Why? Because there are materials and decisions your engineer / contractor will make on site that might slightly change the dimensions- like adjusting the pitch of the roof or framing an overhang out more to accommodate the sun in your area.
• If you're building a casa ti and using a rubber membrane on the north roof, we randomly came across a graphic that explained the parapet and scupper concept really well! Don't say we're not geeks!
  
  Flashing ("scupper") in the passages through the parapet BEFORE the rubber membrane is installed:
  
• Cladding: Consider HardiePlank, cedar, galvalume (we can put you in touch with the manufacturer we used but make sure you also get a local quote), and I have one other solution that I will post more on in the next week... but cladding is totally up to you! Be creative!
  
• Roof: Consider using white paint to reduce heat reflection.  We discovered a great paint application that increases energy efficiency, more on that soon!
• The West Door: YES it is supposed to be painted black to line up with the window above it, I will do so as soon as I have time... : )

 

Save The Date! The Prefab Net Zero Energy Passive Solar House Kit Will Be Open For Tours April 10th!

[Well, it is SNOWING UP A STORM, at least 8" deep at this point.
What else was I supposed to do on such an impassible day?
Dream of spring in the prefab house kit, and therefore, the upcoming Prefab Open House! ]

We will have our second Prefab Green Home Open House in the Virginia Passive Solar Net Zero Energy House Kit on Saturday, April 10th, from 1-3 p.m.   

Like last time, we scheduled the house kit open house to coincide with historic and fun events showcasing this rural, beautiful, historic area of Virginia. So mark your calenders! Here's what's going on during that weekend that we know of so far:

•  April 08, 2010 – April 12, 2010145th Anniversary of the Surrender
  
  
  Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
  Appomattox, VA 24522
  434-352-8987
  www.nps.gov/apco
  Special programs related to the surrender, including 1st person living history offered each day from April 8 to April 12. 
   
• April 09, 2010 – April 11, 2010
  Appomattox History Weekend
  Clover Hill Village
  Appomattox, VA 24522
  

  145th Anniversary of Lee's surrender to Grant to be held at Clover Hill Village. 1 mile from actual surrender site. Living historians will be portraying Generals Lee & Grant and their lieutenants will recreate historic moments of the final days leading up to and including the surrender. Activities include: Lee's last war counsel, General Gordon's attempted break-out, Lee-Grant meeting, stacking of arms and reduction of colors. Reenactors limited. Military host: Lee's Lieutenants, contact Al Stone at astoneasrelee@suddenlink.net or (304) 466-2030. Civilian host: contact Ms. Carolyn Davis at casonclee@aol.com Cost: $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. 
   
•  April 12, 2010 – April 12, 2010
  
  
  Holiday Open House
  Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
  Appomattox, VA 24522
  434-352-8987
  www.nps.gov/apco
  Join the park staff for an festive afternoon of music, refreshments and holiday activiies with a historic flare!

We hope you use the opportunity to travel to the prefab house kit to explore and see more of historic Virginia.  ...Make a weekend of it!
(And hopefully it wont rain in torrents like last time!)

For accommodations and more history, see here:
(Because if you're a design geek, you're also a history geek.
Welcome to the crowd!)

• Appomattox: http://www.tourappomattox.com/lodging.php
  
  (learn more about Appomattox here...)
  
  
• Charlotte Court House: http://www.charlotteva.com/accommodation.htm
  
  (learn more about Charlotte Court House here - make sure to click on the links at the bottom, there's Patrick Henry's Red Hill & more to visit!)
  
  
• Farmville: Historic Longwood Bed & Breakfast... and others listed here:
  
  (learn more about Farmville here... and more on Farmville history here.)

See more details about the previous Virginia prefab house kit open house here.


Currently, we are all, humans, dogs, feral cat, and especially our chickens, officially snowed in.  And the snow is still coming down strong!

The Colorado prefab green home begins this spring after their snow melts, sometime in mid-March... we will keep you posted on that house kit construction! 

Recent Press:

• As previously noted, Green Modern Kits will be in The Wall Street Journal's Smart Money Magazine, to be published this spring.
• If you live in Richmond, Virginia, make sure to pick up the next Richmond Magazine... : )
• Tree Hugger's Lloyd Alter mentions us as we think about living a smaller footprint lifestyle which Oprah seemed not to quite appreciate on a visit to one Swedish home...
  

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at copeland@greenmodernkits.com.

Sincerely yours,
Copeland Casati

copeland casati
president
www.GreenModernKits.com
6902 park ave / rva 23226

 

Vintage! Hat! Friday! Bring On The Snow!

Didja hear it's gonna snow? Didja hear it's gonna snow? Didja hear it's gonna snow? 

Now this would have been an example where, upon seeing the big snow forecast and knowing our children already don't have school on Monday, we would have grabbed our closest friends, piled into the car, gathered lots of provisions and headed for the prefab net zero energy house kit to get snowed in!!!

I haven't really shown people the land yet as we're focused on the prefab green home construction, but know it is PERFECT for sledding and skiing.  The house kit and fields sit atop the highest point; then it descends to the tobacco barn, where it climbs and winds back into the hills. It is PERFECT: you could climb then sled / ski down -or- you could have fun hiking / cross country skiing over the field and along the beautiful roads, passing nothing but old farms and woods.

To see another opportunity like this pass us by simply because we have no heat is painful...

BUT: On the prefab net zero energy passive solar house kit front... WE HAVE INTERIOR WALLS!!!!!!!!!!!

So you can imagine how much I am *dying* to head out to the land and see for myself what it feels like to have ROOMS, *real* *rooms*!  We may still have no systems, but we have WALLS! 
We can now invite friends over and give them a BEDROOM!

[Picture by the ever-awesome Shawn Stanley, who gave us the mod fireplace...]

Interior wall pictures of the prefab house kit soon... as soon as we can get OUT there...
In the meantime... it is... VINTAGE! HAT! FRIDAAAAAAY!
(Oh yes, it is. And you thought this was going to be a construction post.)

Amy: “Bonjour, Paris!”

Last week you CLEARLY stated a preference for quiet, understated hats. I’ve heard you, masses.

As opposed to last weeks’ Italian frippery, I’ve donned a compact velvet French number I dug up for $7 in an antique store.

If I have to cover all of Europe to find something you approve of, I shall. Don’t make me do it!

As for the rest of the outfit: the jacket was $8 at Goodwill, also where I bought the Guess Jeans for $3.50. 

The double sided hound’s-tooth scarf was inherited from my grandmother, the lovely cameo brooch was a gift from friends, and the belted shirt a gift from another friend. 

The purse was 50 cents at the St. Catherine’s theater sale. 

The gloves were from Halcyon I believe? 

The boots were my personal birthday gift to moi, While they were more than I usually spend on boots, they are insulated, weatherproof, SLIP PROOF!, and my friend assures me that they put me “perilously close to looking like you’re always ready for a Foxhunt.”

I’m so Okay with that.

Vote for me; because if I lose in another landslide of scorn again this week I’m throwing darts at my hatboxes to figure out what to wear next Friday.

Copeland: Bring On The SNOW!!!!
I am ready. The vintage coat is from Finland, my FAVORITE country (The architecture! The Moomins! The Forestry Schools! The Midsummer Parties! The mosquitoes the size of a large puppy!).

The shirt? Vintage, probably purchased from Fan Thrift for a few cents... I can't remember...

The hat? FINE, I stole it from my dad a few years ago... hey, at least I'm not like my brother, heck, he stole my dad's GUNS, I just borrowed a vintage tweed hat that doesn't even fit him!

The SKI SUIT.  This was purchased from a thrift store when everyone was doing the disco theme in the '90s - I permed my stick-straight hair into an afro, teased it up, popped in some tight glittery barrettes on either side a la Shalom Harlow, and wore these ski pants to clubs.   

Oh yes I did, I have pictures, and no you can't see them.

The boots: I have had 'em for twenty years so that counts as vintage, kinda?

The ring: Purchased from random thrift stores, I collected 1960's lucite rings when I was a lil' punk rocker kid. Still wear 'em regularly.

And thaz it! Vintage Hat Friday continues... vote for meeeeee!

P.s. Later note: I was disappointed to realize that no, I didn't steal the hat. I realized that there's a reason it wouldn't fit my dad's head: the hat is actually my GRANDMOTHERS!

 

Prefab Green Home: 1st Energy Audit Of The SIPs House Kit!

This is the FIRST of two energy audits.

Energy Audit #1, today's energy audit of the prefab modern house, is as we're at the "This is the modern house kit + cladding + the homeowner sealing around the windows stage", the second will be once we're "done, finished, kaput, as in done, done, done, done, don't ever want to think about anything construction related for at least another week DONE."


Our mission is to create tight, energy efficient, gorgeous passive solar house kits.  I admire rated, certified, even more stringent approaches, like Passive House standards, maybe we'll do this in the future, but we achieve what we want in an energy efficient home while incorporating great modern design on an average, reasonable budget.

Some highly energy efficient homes incorporate two door chambers to prevent temperature loss.
I picture the way I live, and it is just too chaotic and messy to make such an entrance successful.  Can you imagine a couple struggling with the stroller, dogs still on the leash, juggling a bag of groceries and a baby on one hip, getting the key in the door lock then screaming to the spouse...
"Quick honey, seal the chamber, we're losing LEED points!"
Obviously if you live in a severe climate, it makes sense. But we're in Normal Rest-o'-Tha-World here.

We're a muddy, raggedy bunch here... why do ya think we're bandits?
You can increase the thickness of the house kit panels, choose even more efficient doors and windows (our casa ti prefab green home is spec'd for Jeld-Wen and our, SIPs house kit with two stories, The R1 Residential, is spec'd for Marvin Integrity), seal it up even tighter... but my focus is on affordable energy efficiency in our prefab green homes, so we chose great solutions that fit within a moderate budget.

The average quote for the casa ti windows is currently about $9,000-$10,500. If you would like to spend more on windows to make 'em nano-crazy-efficient, go for it, we can adjust the shop drawings. But expect the added cost.

We hired energy rater Guy DuBois, of No Energy Loss, to come out and inspect the modern prefab house kit. 
These are the notes I jotted down during his cell phone call to me en route from the land. Mr. DuBois will guest blog later this week with more real data, but here are his initial verbal impressions of the still-under-construction, still-not-completely-sealed house kit:

"Well, we certainly smoked up your house quite a bit, there was nowhere for it to go!"

(Copeland's note: Ummmm, I assume he means it was some kind of smoke air test thingy? I hope he didn't mean he smoked in mah house?!?)

Ok, on to Mr. DuBois:

"Those windows - they are worth the money, they were very well sealed."

Copeland's note: Handsome Husband also sealed around the frames... OK FINE I will just stop commenting and just TYPE what he said!

"Your husband did a good job of sealing around the windows... there are two areas he also could look at if he wanted to seal further- along the south eave and that back door threshold.

It is surprisingly tight. I don't know why I say surprising, but I guess I didn't expect it to be so tight, even though I should have."

[Copeland's note: Um, yeah, thanks Mr. DuBois... ; ) OK, OK I'll stop commenting!]

"I'll go back at completion and run more tests.  This was a good time to go out there because if there were problems you could address them before everything was closed up.

As you know, it's so tight you really must have mechanical ventilation, which you will be installing (HRV), which is critical in these energy efficient homes. Most homes, most traditionally-built homes, leak willy-nilly so you don't ever have to worry about air quality, but in energy efficient homes like these they're so air-tight that air-exchange is imperative.

I saw very little air leakage... there is some thermal bridging you can address if you want but you certainly won't have a problem heating and maintaining good energy efficiency, that's for sure. How does it compare to a "normal" house? Superior!"

To continue to seal even further, concentrate on the areas where there is lumber vs. SIP (structural insulated panels)- the doorway header, add insulation around wooden framing, and if you're in really severe climates, you could add an exterior seal.

Mr. DuBois makes a good point:

"But you have to consider the climate- maybe if you're in Alaska or really south Florida you would want to consider that, but... we're in Virginia, how much gain will you really get by doing all that?!? You already know that with your off grid systems, comfort will never be an issue.

I will be punching in everything I did today and coming back with some data next week... you're not trying to get this house certified, so this is just more FYI info, but it will be cool to compare today with when you're done at the end of the project."

He also said that the amount of leakage currently (we're still not done sealing) in the prefab SIPs passive solar home is equivalent to about 6 x 6 inches, smaller than a basketball. Handsome Husband is chasing that number, with sealant in hand.


Later, Handsome Husband arrived home, and I had all these pictures and video to look at... and share with you now.

HOUSE KIT ENERGY AUDIT VIDEOS:
Mr. DuBois sets up...

SIPs House Kit Energy Audit #1 of 2

They start do to the smoke test and pressurize the modern house kit. SUDDENLY, a clerestory window pops wide open!  It had looked closed, but hadn't been closed totally, which certainly that had also contributed to our loss of temperature this winter at night!  It is securely locked now... : )

Smoke And Open Windows In The Affordable Prefab SIPs House

So, they pressurize again...

Energy-Audit-#1 of 2 In The Affordable Prefab Green Home

And then....they freakin' fill mah house up with SMOKE!
Note the comment about the south edge- later they discovered that when the door was installed they didn't put any sealant under that south door.  You as a home owner can seal that more if you live in a severe climate area. I knew the windows worked really well for our budget, but am pleased with how impressed he is! : )

Energy Audit 1 of 2: Smoke And Windows

Here Handsome Husband decides he's going to track down that durned elusive number.


Energy Audit 1 of 2: Husband Wants Passive Perfect

Then they go tramp around outside looking for leaks.
If there were gaps, you'd see the smoke drifting out.

Energy Audit #1 of 2 of the Prefab Net Zero Energy Green House

Check out what it looks like when they crack the door (and how hard it was to open because of the pressurization - because the house kit was so tight!).

Energy-Audit-Of-Green-House-Kit

...And then they start calculating...
Which Mr. DuBois will go into more in his guest post soon.

Energy-Audit-01-16-2010-36 from Copeland Casati on Vimeo.

And thaz it, the latest from our passive solar green home!

Here is Handsome Husband's summary:

"This wraps up the initial test of the house kit. We now know what simple steps we have left to optimize the envelope of the SIPs house, and we look forward to the final testing after construction is (finally) completed. The general goal and idea of the casa ti has passed Mr. DuBois's testing with flying colors, as we already suspected in the prefab house kit's performance over the last few weekends where the design and structure were able to give us relative comfort in a hostile climate.

The great thing about the delays in this project is that we're able to thoroughly test the house kit without further improvements, this allows us to confirm the performance a passive solar house kit built with SIPs."