Green Building and Remodeling

Garage Project

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:13:00 +0000

Recent Projects

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:26:00 +0000

Here are some projects from the last few Months. What an exciting time! New jobs and some stirring in the economy.

2- story Garage-

Remove old garage.(all wood, shingles, cement, everything, taken to American Waste's Sorting/Recycling facility in Kalkaska, MI.)

Foundation work and Backfill.

Frame, shingle, install windows and button-up Tyvek DrainWrap.

Install pre-painted Cement Board siding.

Frame interior and Insulate (with both Cellulose and Icynene). Garage was insulated also with Cellulose.

Use of Recycled materials or components- There should be a mention of the use of products from Odom's in Grawn, MI in this project. I've mentioned this business before. We purchased the 16' x 7' overhead garage door, opener, bath vanity/top and water closet room door. We used mis-ordered windows from Lowes and this great window from the Dog-bin section of a local Window Supplier.

Finish upstairs with water closet room.

Bath Remodel-

Another way to facelift a bath or kitchen is to remove old and/or damaged doors and drawer fronts, paint/stain the cabinets and install new countertop, new hardware, lighting and new doors.

From this.....

To this-

FreeForm Building

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:10:00 +0000

Very interesting talk given by Huntsville,TX builder and philosopher Dan Phillips about the state of home construction and our needs to consume. Also another link here for expanded article on his work.

This "Virtual Tradeshow" Thing | GreenExpo365.com - The Interactive Green Building Community

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:54:00 +0000

This "Virtual Tradeshow" Thing | GreenExpo365.com - The Interactive Green Building Community

Tax Incentives for Home Energy Efficiency Reduced

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 15:37:00 +0000

There have been major changes to the Energy tax credits that I have used as a homeowner and enjoyed as a Builder. Sadly, what was a win/win/... for homeowners, builders, lumberyards and manufacturers has been whittled down but there are still some. The changes are explained well @Thedailygreen-Tax Incentives for Home Energy Efficiency Reduced. Here also is a link to Energy Star that also shows what home improvements qualify and for how much.

Container Mania

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 13:18:00 +0000

I've been getting quite interested in Shipping Containers or ISBU's as building blocks for construction. This is not a new idea but it ties neatly to my interest in modular construction, redux and recycling. The folks at MoonDog Vineyards have brought their ideas for a possible expansion of the Barn and I have to credit them for the new excitement and interest this has generated in me.
This is an interesting video and interview with Adam Kalkin, Architect Extraordinaire that briefly talks about containers.

Solatube Product Training

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 19:29:00 +0000

Last Friday, I attended the first seminar in a series that Eco-building Products are offering to builders here in Northern Michigan. EBP is undoubtably Northern Michigan's finest resource for Green products. This was part of their Back2Basics pro series, a series intended to inform Green builders of the latest green techniques and green products they carry.
Friday's was given by Tim Cofran, Midwest Sales Representative for Solatube International. The product training focused on the installation, the benefits of daylighting in our homes and the strength of the Solatube product line. The Solatube eChoice daylighting systems qualify for 30% Tax Credits. I've seen other manufacturers of these through-the-roof tubular devices at some of the "Big-Box"stores but these Solatube systems appear highly superior in tube reflect-ability, flashing system, dome technology and simplicity of installation.
The benefits of daylighting are huge-

Turn those dark areas of your home such as walk-in closets, baths with no windows and stairwells into well-lit rooms.
Bring more light into areas that don't have enough windows or have too much shade.
Lights don't have to be turned on during the day.

Green Expo365 part II

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:51:00 +0000

I wasn't able to attend Day 3 of the virtual tradeshow, Green Expo 365 that I mentioned in the preceding entry. I wish I could attend these educational events because I am a firm believer in "continuing education", but sometimes a builder has got to build. (and try to make a living in this economy)
Another nice thing about the event is the ability to watch the presentations archived or "On Demand". Once you click on the link above and register you can watch all five of these stellar presentations.
I'd like to highlight two of the speakers and their presentations.
Quoting from Green Builder magazine "Ron Jones is Founder and Editorial Director of Green Builder® Media." Green Builder® media was the organizer and one of the sponsors of GreenExpo 365. He is a green builder and has been instrumental in forming green standards throughout the country. Mr. Jones gave the first presentation on Monday. It really was the Keynote Address of the conference. It was in video form and was the perfect way to start this ground-breaking event. It was extremely inspirational as he spoke from the "ReVision" house, a Green net-zero retrofit in Las Vegas. It really is must-see video for both current or aspiring green builders and homeowners.
Another presenter that really caught my attention was the architect, Peter Pfeiffer FAIA. Mr Pfeiffer (quoting Green Expo 365) "is a LEED accredited professional Architect and Building Scientist who has spent the past 30 years developing pragmatic high performance building design strategies." His slide presentation was centered on the thought that we as architects, builders and consumers get consumed with "eco-bling". We're turned on by solar and wind turbines but don't find spray foam or 3' overhangs "sexy". Design is key- No part of the building should be an after-thought....meaning:

Proper orientation-take advantage of passive solar
Properly placed windows-for ventilation and daylighting
Good, tight insulation, moisture/air-sealing
Correct overhangs and awnings-
IAQ-Indoor Air Quality
HVAC done right-proper sizing and placement
Energy and water efficiency

He felt that once these are taken care of, then, we can consider the use of Eco-bling. Once we've done the bulleted items, we are moving to a greener, more sustainable future.

GreenExpo365

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:13:00 +0000

For the last two days, I've been attending the first GreenExpo365, an on-line virtual tradeshow. It runs through tomorrow. It's really pretty cool, with presentations (generally 2 per day) by nationally recognized Green builders and practitioners. It was put together by Green Builder Media, publishers of Green Builder magazine, and hosts of Green Builder College. Manufacturers such as Simpson Doors, Typar, Kohler, Whirlpool, Bay Systems and Premier Building Systems are there as are Energy Star and Environments for Living.
You start in the lobby where you can orient yourself into this new world and new conference experience. There's a help desk and signs pointing out the Expo, the Auditorium, a Networking lounge (which is very cool) and a Press Room.
What's really exciting and interesting about the whole concept is that this is all virtual. You enter a booth, look over info (some are PDF's, free for download, some are videos, some are links to their sites) A rep is there to answer questions via chat. There is no presssure and every representative that I chatted with was very helpful and offered to email any further info I wanted or was interested in.
In each of the spaces you have the ability to chat with fellow attendees, representatives of the various companies and people from Green Builder Media. We've talked about green products and green practices. I've seen some great products that I hope to offer my customers. It has really been a great learning experience. Check it out-you may learn something.

A Barn is Born-The Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:19:00 +0000

A slideshow of the building of a storage barn in Northern Michigan (discussed in previous posting).

Credits-
Drawings-sketchUp 7
Movie creation-imovie
Soundtrack-garageband
Embedded from-My YouTube site.

A Barn is Born

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Moondog Vineyards

This project is complete and was an exhilarating job to work on and coordinate. I was contacted by the owners of this brand-new vineyard last winter to discuss building a storage barn. They planted their first grapes this last spring and worked mightily on the vineyard, on the barn and the state of the art trickle irrigation system they had installed. Their plate was full.

They were interested in using green techniques and products. They wanted to do the project in phases. We started through the design process and worked through the different needs, wants and have-to-haves.

They needed storage for their farm equipment. Garage doors on each gable would allow for the tractor to pull in and pull out with efficiency
They wanted a second floor for storage but also for the future possibility of office space.
They needed a design that gave them the flexibility to add solar in the future.(photovoltaic and/or water heating)

The Inspiration

After some preliminary sketches and discussion, they found this design which became the inspiration. This is a barn house from The Netherlands designed by JagerJanssen Architects. It has such a modern sensibility and has some nice green elements. The roof and eave walls use a corrugated cement board product and the thinking was we would substitute metal panels. The wood siding on the gables invited us to use reclaimed siding from Odom's in Grawn, MI.

The Design and Drawing

The project was designed with these green elements in mind:

Cedar sill plates on sill seal.
2x6 studs on 24" centers to allow for more insulation and less wood (O.V.E. framing)
Sheathed with OSB and wrapped with Typar. Additionally, we used a drain plane product to allow for an airspace on back side of wood siding.
Floor trusses-to eliminate beam and posts that would get in the way. Also 2x4 components in trusses use smaller trees than big 2x12's (which wouldn't span the 24' width.)
Trusses for roof system. Again smaller components, plus more efficient labor-wise.
Metal panels from McElroy Metal. These were chosen because they are manufactured in Marshall MI, well within a 500 mile radius of the job.
South facing sloping roof for future solar.
All windows were purchased from a window suppliers "dog" bin. These are misordered or display models. All were pan-flashed, window wrapped and spray foamed during installation. The majority (2nd story) are energy-star. All, but 1 fit within framing layout eliminating headers, which cuts down on thermal bridging.
They opted for finger jointed cedar T&G (found on Craigslist) from Charlevoix, MI. for gable ends.

The Finished Project

It was a great privilege to work on this project. I'd really like to thank McNeal Electric Inc., Mills Construction Inc., Jim Swanson, Skip Bryant and...

Chantal and Mike

New Garage

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:22:00 +0000

It has been a busy summer/fall and while that's a good thing in this economy it's also my excuse for not blogging like I should be. This project was during this last summer. 24' x 24' detached garage, on an alley, in Traverse City. Aside from the Permit hoops one must jump through, it was relatively painless. The city was very cooperative and helpful. Give them a shout out! Unfortunately, I had to comply with the requirement that the garage match the house, hence the vinyl siding and shingle choice.

The Green elements of this project:

2 x 6 studs on 24" centers (O.V.E. framing)
1/2" OSB sheathing covered w/ Typar (because durability is Green)

Attic trusses on 24" centers.
2 skylights for daylighting upstairs
Re-use of window that had been removed from house.
Recycled all cardboard from project.

GreenAdvantage

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 21:09:00 +0000

I'm pleased to announce that I received GreenAdvantage certification today.

"GreenAdvantage is a nationally recognized environmental certification for building-related practitioners that prepares you to use green practices more effectively."

This was a 16-hour class and 2-hour exam offered by Northwestern Michigan College in partnership with Grand Rapids Community College.

The instructor was Sue Norman, LEED-AP.

Stephen Hammontree

Hammontree Builders

Stimulus Success! Shut Down Window/Door Maker Gets A Second Chance

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:58:00 +0000

Stimulus Success! Shut Down Window/Door Maker Gets A Second Chance

Posted using ShareThis

Serious Materials Finalizes Purchase

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 01:31:00 +0000

As seen on the "Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC last night-(and mentioned here in a previous posting)

Serious Materials purchased troubled Republic Windows in the Chicago area. I love this company! Great Green products and Great social responsibility. Triple bottom line. People, Planet, Profit.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The Stimulus and Energy Tax Credits

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 22:20:00 +0000

Now this is better...

I've been writing a bit about the Federal Energy Tax Credits and the incentives available to homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. This can be a real boost to our economy and to the Greening of America! You can find more information for specific elements (windows,insulation,HVAC etc.)here.

This is from the energystar.gov site:

How has the new Stimulus bill affected the tax credits for energy efficient home improvements?

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed a stimulus bill (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009) that made some significant changes to the energy efficiency tax credits. the highlights are:

The tax credits that were previously effective for 2009, have been extended to 2010 as well.

The tax credits has been raised from 10% to 30%.

The tax credits that were for a specific dollar amount (ie: $300 for a CAC), have been converted to 30% of the cost.

The maximum credit has been raised from $500 to $1500 for the two years (2009-2010). However, some improvements such as geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, and solar panels are not subject to the $1500 maximum.

The $200 cap on windows has been removed.

Serious Materials to buy Republic Windows

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:06:00 +0000

Thanks to Jonathan Sweet (The Sweet Spot Remodeling Blog) at HousingZone.com,

Serious Materials, makers of ThermaProof Windows and EcoRock is awaiting the final OK to purchase Republic Windows and Doors. Republic was in the news last November, when the Chicago plant was closed suddenly, throwing many people out of work. The workers staged a sit-in to rally the public's interest. My previous blog entry discussed their green products and their sustainable philosophy. If the purchase goes forward and they manufacture their

ThermaProof windows in the Chicago area that will be great news for both the employees of Republic and Green builders in the midwest.

Serious Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:19:00 +0000

There are some exciting innovators in the construction material business. These are business leaders that not only manufacture products that are Green for the end-user (contributing to energy efficiency, durability, health and sustainability) but are also committed to greening the manufacturing process.

They wonder:

"How can we continue to make our products and lower or eliminate the environmental impact?"

"How can our products be utilized or recycled at the end of it's usefulness?"

Ray Anderson from interface is probably the best known of these pioneers. Please follow the previous links to learn more.

Another Company that has come to my attention is Serious Materials. They manufacture sheet drywall, windows, doors and coatings. I'd like to focus on two of their offerings.

EcoRock , which will be available in the spring of 2009 (western US), is the better drywall.

It uses 80% less energy to produce than standard drywall.
It doesn't contain gypsum. In fact, it's made with 80% post industrial recycled waste.
It doesn't generate any mercury during the manufacturing process.
It resists mold, up to 50% better than even mold resistant drywall.
It is less dusty which cuts down on airborne contaminants.
Application and installation process is like standard drywall so additional installer training is not needed.

ThermaProof 1125 Windows

These are fiberglass frame windows that come in picture, casement and awning styles. They also have a sliding door. The frames are insulated with soy based foam and along with the enhanced AlpenGlass+ (TM) glass, these are high performance, low maintenance and amazing. They achieve a R11 and a U factor of 0.09.

Here's a comparison chart from the ThermaProof site:

Both of these product lines are really exciting. With the Energy Tax Credits coming back online in 2009, these would qualify for a 10% tax credit (up to $200.00) for the cost of these windows and doors.

Caroma Profile Smart Toilet

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:06:00 +0000

As I mentioned in a previous post, we installed a Caroma Sydney dual-flush toilet in our green bath remodel. We really like it.

Caroma has now gone 1-step further with this dual flush/sink addition to their line of bath products. This Profile Smart toilet has won the Popular Mechanics Breakthrough award for 2008. http://www.caromausa.com/Profile-Smart

Green Building Design Principles

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:04:00 +0000

A really interesting video on the principles that should guide all Green building designs. Part of a series given by author Dan Chiras. Excerpts are from a Residential Renewable Energy workshop offered through CU Boulder's Sustainable Practices Certificate Program. This and many others can be seen at sustainablepractices

Quick Draw

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 21:48:00 +0000

One element of remodeling and building that I love is the designing and presentation of projects to clients. We discuss their vision, needs and budget. If they didn't hire a designer or architect, I would draw up the usual floor plans (mostly for permit purposes) for their approval. 2-D drawings aren't the most inspirational at times and aren't a great way to show the client what the finished project will look or feel like.

For the last year, I've been using SketchUp and what a blast! It is so much fun! It's a Google 3D modeling program that is fairly easy to master. They keep pushing the envelope and have just come out with version 7. It is a fine tool for designing and presenting to my clients their vision. It's sophisticated enough to show where shadows and sunlight might play in a design. (ie. Is the overhang right for the summer sun at 4:00 in the afternoon?) There are walk-throughs, scenes you can create to "fly" around the exterior, sectional capabilities that show the "guts" of an addition-endless possibilities.

There are hundreds of Ruby scripts that can add functionality and enhance SketchUp. Wow!

Google is doing many things that help the user, no matter the skill level. Tutorials by them and others are awesome.

These are just a few of the individuals and companies that are contributing to the education of SketchUp users everywhere.

Google holds a annual "Bootcamp" for training and just to show off what some designers and architects are doing with it.

They have the 3D Warehouse that holds thousands of models (from houses to soccer stadiums) and components (furniture, windows, doors etc.) that can be brought into your model. Major manufacturers, such as Pella and Whirlpool have their product lines there for download.

My favorite page is their Green section. This page highlights Green projects by among others, Michelle Kaufman of MKD, a designer of prefab homes.

It has become an essential part of my business.

New Remodel for the Holidays

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 18:42:00 +0000

Hammontree Builders is close to completing a new kitchen/living room remodel. We're just waiting for the countertops to be installed and then, we can celebrate. The clients closed on the house on October 1st and it should be complete in time for Christmas. It was a very nice project with some tasty Green elements.

BEFORE:

First thing, removed drywall/light eyesore from ceiling (seen above in picture) and patched ceiling. The gaping hole in ceiling did afford electrician access for wiring new lights.
Removed old carpet, pad, vinyl and luaun from the kitchen, dining room and living room.
Replaced with prefinished Maple floors that came from responsibly managed wood lots in Canada. Instead of 15# asphalt impregnated felt for underlayment, we used Kodak paper. Absolutely no off-gassing.
Repainted all rooms mentioned above with low or no-VOC paints.
Old cabinets and tops removed. Cabinets donated to ReStore to be sold and used by others. Old kneewalls torn out and all 2 x 4 material salvaged for backer/incidental framing.
New Kraftmaid cabinets.

Island hood installed for better ventilation.
Appliances are Frigidaire and all are EnergyStar rated.

AFTER:

Lost: A year of Energy Tax Credits

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:27:00 +0000

Great news!

(Question; Why did it take so long and why wasn't it retroactive for 2008)

Home improvement tax credits will be available, nationwide, for 2009. This is a continuation of the ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005. These home improvements include new energy efficient windows, doors, HVAC equipment and added insulation. Click on title of blog entry or here to be whisked away to the Energy Star site that explains all.

While it is disappointing that we lost a year of tax credit incentives and possible work for those of us in the building industry, this should be helpful. I'm also incredulous that the maximum amount of tax credit is still just $500. This amount includes all work done in 2006 ,2007 and 2009.

The wind and solar energy systems tax credits are exciting.

Small Wind - Tax credits are available to homeowners who install residential small wind turbine systems. The credits are available for systems placed in service from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2016. The tax credit is for 30% of the cost of the system, up to $500 for each half kilowatt of capacity with an overall maximum of $4,000.

Solar - Tax credits are available for qualified solar water heating and photovoltaic systems. The credits are available for systems placed in service from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2016. The tax credit is for 30% of the cost of the system, up to $2,000. After December 31, 2008, this $2,000 cap will be removed for photovoltaic systems (but not solar water heaters). This credit is completely separate from the $500 home improvement credit.

Step-through Tubs

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:38:00 +0000

During a recent bathroom remodel, my clients and I were discussing options for their cast iron tub/shower unit. They were concerned that it was getting more and more difficult to get in and out of the tub to take showers. That 16" high rim is not easy to step over. They don't take baths anymore and were strongly convinced that my plumber should tear the tub out and re-plumb for a 5' walk-in shower. If you've ever torn out a cast iron tub, you know, this is one tough, nasty and messy job.

They had aged glass doors on the tub and these are so hard to keep clean that they needed to be replaced or removed.

Add the fact that, in this case, tile goes from the ceiling to the tub rim; you either have to tear that out and durock and re-tile or tile from the rim level down to the new shower pan. The expense, mess and the debris going to the landfill made this an unappealing option.

Enter Surface Specialists. This a national franchise that does re-glazing, repairs, and step-throughs for tubs. Steve Streifel, owner of Surface Specialists of Michigan came over and in short order turned their tub into a walk-in shower.

From this:

To this!

Why this is Green:

By not tearing out the tub and/or the tile and starting over, the project didn't contribute to the waste stream.
Eliminated shower doors which are hard to clean and are growth zones for grime and potentially mold.
Contributes to the health of customers by removing a risk, in this case, falling.

350.org

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hammontree) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:11:00 +0000

Traverse City, MI- Northern Michigan was fortunate to host a presentation given by Bill McKibben, the author of the seminal global climate change book, The End of Nature on Sunday, Sept. 7th. Sponsored by the Michigan Land Use Institute, this event drew more than 500 concerned citizens and rallied all in attendance to become activists. He discussed what's happened world-wide, politically and environmentally, since his book was published in 1989. He talked at length about the future and the need for all of us to be involved, to become activists, to do something. He encouraged all in attendance to join 350.org, a group engaged in environmental activism, who's goal is to reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the current level of 387 parts per million to 350.

As a Green builder and Green blogger, I attended this event because education is a good thing and it's important. If we want to build responsibly, sustainably and environmentally, Green is the answer.

Here's a great video from the 350.org-