Building treads and risers for West entrance steps. The stairs will be 10 feet wide.
Pre-fitting the stairs indoors, out of the weather .
The deck is up.
Category Archives: BUILDING A PASSIVE HOUSE
Drilling through the foundation for exterior lights
Dean Warner electrician drills through the foundation wall to install lower level exterior lights. The wire pathway is sealed with hydraulic cement and expanding foam insulation to maintain the air-tight passive house wall.
Finishing up the electrical
Speaking at green building conference
The 11th Annual New York State Green Building Conference is coming up fast. I am on the agenda March 12 to deliver a 45-minute presentation titled “Building a Passive House for an Active Family”. It was accepted for AIA credit. I submitted an abstract a few months ago to give myself a push, to toss a ball and run to catch it. Now the challenge is to make time for this new project in my crazy Spring schedule of UN report deadlines, motherhood and moving into the new house. Chris’s fantastic photos will be the heart of the PowerPoint and our story will be the soul.
Varnishing the floor
Chris applied three coats of Railroad Varnish from Liberty Paint Corp in Hudson, NY. Susan looked up the CAS numbers listed on the label, not entirely trusting the “environmentally friendly” and “VOC compliant” claims. The top five ingredients are the same as Waterlox — solvents, Tung Oil, gum and resin. Tung Oil is considered a green finish and a favorite of environmentalists, websites say. And, yes, the VOC level is within New York State limits.
After leaving the windows open during the coldest week of winter, Chris decided to crank up the HRV for some serious ventilation. The fumes have dissipated and the children are testing how fast they can slide across the floor in their socks.
Wormy maple flooring
Dynamic lines in this maple are thanks to the Ambrosia Beetle, which bores tiny tunnels that cause grey streaks. Overall, the colors will deepen when we apply tung oil. Credit for introducing us to this gorgeous flooring goes to Mark Reamer, craftsman extraordinaire. Pictured above is his brother, Dale, who contributed tremendously to the success of the installation. The wood was harvested within 50 miles of our house and purchased from Ghent Wood Products. Hauling the heavy load home proved too much for Chris’s trailer, which ended up being repaired at Columbia Tractor.
Ceiling fans installed
Two ceiling fans will move air around our big open spaces. The drywall crew was kind enough to leave behind their scaffolding for two weeks because Chris did so much cleaning during their dirty job, so he put it to good use. He strapped a step ladder to the scaffold platform and climbed up to install these fans and paint to the peak. Passive Houses are known for being ‘comfortable’ with a consistent temperature throughout, and these fans plus the HRV will play key roles in comfort control. NB: We discovered that one can spend a lot on a ceiling fan, or not.
Baseboard, door & window casing
Mark, Dale and Chris milled the trim last weekend, setting up a woodworking shop in front of the big window. How thick or thin? Bead or no bead? Bevel or bullnose? They worked it out on the spot and we love the results.
Boldly applying their bedroom colors
Lily selected Amelia Island Green. Nicholas picked Carrot Stick. They devoted hours to painting, reaching all but the highest spots with gallons of Benjamin Moore Aura. Throughout the build when adults have asked, “What color are you going to paint your room?” they have always answered “turquoise” and “orange”. They meant it.
Robin paints a room
Robin Guthridge usually paints landscapes like the view from Olana but here she is painting our master bedroom, walk-in closet AND the laundry room. A big “thank you” to Susan’s sister for hours and hours of perfect work in Ivory Tusk.