Raise the Roof
Before we get into the roof and other facets of our ever-looming Deep Energy Retrofit, let’s talk about where I was supposed to be right now. Barcelona! I seriously had every intention of blogging from a relaxed Spanish cafe, sipping wine and enjoying tapas. And after so much planning and bending over backward to carve out some time for myself, my mom, and my daughter to get away for 10 days, we were thwarted by the volcanic ash cloud. Oh, the environmental drama! I know we can’t exactly blame global warming for the Icelandic volcano eruption, but it never hurts to consider how much the earth, weather, and environmental conditions affect our daily lives. I mean, this stubborn old ash cloud may very well put airlines out of business.
So I’m here, and having mourned the loss of my much-needed and deserved vacay, my sights are on the next steps of our DER project. First, the roof goes on this week! I think. We have geared ourselves up for this process before and discovered that other issues had to take precedence. But I think it might actually happen for real this time. So to celebrate our slate grey standing seam icing on the already space-aged shiny silver foam insulated cake, we’re having our first Open House!
Come one, come all, and see the mythical DER beast for yourselves. Stand face to face with the legend of 70% energy reduction! A week from today, Saturday, May 22nd, 10-2. And more details on the invite below:
This event is going to be super fantastic! Our home is in just the right staight of flux for visitors to get an accurate sense of what these energy efficient improvements really look like and how they impact our daily life. We’ll have experts on hand from Beyond Green Construction, National Fiber, Holden Humphrey, Harvey Building Products… and of course we, the homeowners, will be there. And if you ask us any questions we promise not to sugar coat the answers.
Now, the dilemma. I will tell all of you that the money we are spending is really starting to freak me out (see what I mean about not sugar coating?). I have a ton of faith in this work, though, and that’s what’s getting me through. I also have a ton of faith that fuel costs will raise considerably, and now with this oil spill, maybe faster and sooner than expected. But we’re already tipping our financial scales and maxing out every resource to get this project done without even a plan for how to pay for the windows or solar hot water.
Based on recent blower-door tests that BGC has performed, I (and they) would say that the windows are going to have one of the biggest impacts of any of the other puzzle pieces. Futuristic insulation is great, but if the holes in your walls aren’t properly sealed and protected by efficient windows, then the insulation doesn’t count for much. So the window plan will require some fundraising efforts (stay tuned to be hit up for some cash). And the solar thermal? We might have to nix it altogether. The consensus from the building science gurus involved is that it just won’t have a huge impact with our lifestyle.
So how do we save that extra 2.5%? Here’s a novel idea that we’re seriously considering. We may retire our dryer. Turns out the dryer is the biggest energy sucking appliance of them all. It makes sense, of course, but we all think the dryer is a necessity. I actually lived for about fours years in Queens, NY with only a clothes line that ran the distance of the courtyard, and it was totally fine year round. Sure, sometimes the clothes came in a little icy, but it just requires some planning, checking the weather forecast, and maybe having a backup, like a sizable rack in the basement for that relentless rain and snow that we sometimes endure in New England.
So I’m really excited about this idea, and I hope the utility company will allow this strategy to be part of our building science model.
Think that dryer plan is a good idea? Check out the movement and learn more here. When you stop to think how much conservation can be so much more effective, affordable, and realistic, it’s really quite eye-opening. Doesn’t make more sense to get rid of the giant appliance, rather than use the resources to create alternative energy systems in order to keep them? It’s summer and we all love to grill, right? So use some hardwood charcoal and skip the gas grill or indoor stove. Fire good. Gas bad.
And for all of you loyal environmentalists and waste-haters, diligently toting your reusable bags everywhere you go, check out ecobags.com for small washable produce bags and all sorts of waste-resistant everyday vessels.
Now I can’t wait to post photos of the roof and the siding going up. The hardieplank is going to be totally awesome, by the way. So stay tuned for some more frequent updates. And save your change, ’cause we’re gonna need it for the windows.
Wish I could be there for the Open House! Good luck. ;(