EcoSwank

Award-Winning Ecoman and the Skeptic Launched Fifth Season Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 3 p.m. on The Green Talk Network

2011-09-28T10:46:00.000-04:00

Rob Fryer, Rob Fleming, and Chris Pastore

Ecoman and the Skeptic, the award-winning green radio show designed to educate, inform and entertain listeners on a wide range of topics relating to sustainability, kicked off its fifth season on Wednesday, Sept. 21, from 3 to 4 p.m.

The first green radio program to broadcast live from a college or university, sustainability experts Rob Fleming and Dr. Chris Pastore host the innovative radio show in the studio at Philadelphia University.

Each show features prominent guests and regular features such as Green News and the popular GreenWash quiz with Rob Fryer, assistant professor of architecture. Previous guests have included actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr., Leonard Bonnaci, director of event operations for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Jim Kohm from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, who cautioned about false green advertising claims.

http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1463/ecoman-and-the-skeptic

Stakes In The Ground

2011-06-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

More like sticks. We planted sticks. That's what they look like, anyway. They're actually Heritage Red raspberry sticks. I mean plants. Someday we'll have lots of juicy red raspberries growing along the driveway. And maybe someone will pick them. I don't even like raspberries, but the Tween does. It'll be her job to pick them.

Besides just plain eating them, there are other uses for raspberries and the plant's leaves. When I was pregnant my midwife suggested raspberry leaf tea. It's used as an herb in female reproductive health. I've also heard it can be used to for mouthwash (go figure) and as a fertility aid, but we won't be needing it for that.

If these six plants thrive, I'll have to find ways to use them. The Tween can only eat so many.

Out With The Blue, In With The New

2010-06-29T20:04:00.000-04:00

Out With The Blue

We planned on replacing the blue tile at some point. With the kids at sleep away camp, the point is now.

James Tile Guy found us beautiful Travertine tiles for a real bargain. He didn't think the powder blue tile was original. In a mid-century house with another bathroom down the hall tiled with Pretty Pretty Pink, I had to disagree.

Thinking—rather, hoping—there was some sort of subfloor between the concrete wet bed, Rob went into demo mode. Guess what? No subfloor. Just concrete. 1950s concrete. Old stinky, 60-year-old concrete. ORIGINAL TILE FLOOR. Really, REALLY hard to take up. About one hour, three cuts and two holes in the concrete later, it was decided to leave the demo to a professional.

So now, the sink is in the bedroom, the toilet is in the dressing room (now that I think about it, this actually sounds like an incredibly convenient set up). Oh, and we may be looking at a more complicated job than we planned.

In With The New

The Plants Are In

2010-06-23T22:38:00.002-04:00

Our friend and permaculture specialist Jon has been amazing. He and Rob removed and replanted a few bushes in order to put the salad and herb garden next to the house. I had a virus of some kind that day (really, I did) so I wasn't much help.

A few weeks later they built the first of three raised beds. We now have actual food growing in the yard! This self-sufficiency thing just might happen! Jon created a master plan that includes not only the three beds but also fruit trees (coming soon), berries and chickens.

Yup, I said chickens. We're planning to raise a few of them to provide eggs and fertilizer for the crops. That's what chickens do. I don't think we'll use them for food——but you never know. For now we'll be watching the new crops to see what they'll yield.

$11 Electric Bill for April

2010-05-05T10:10:00.006-04:00

We just got all our bills for April and the results are fantastic - sorry for being a bit boastful but this is really cool:

Electricity savings 93% versus April last year - that corresponds to an $11.40 electric bill. The savings came as a combination of behavior change and our 2.8 KW solar array. Last year our KWH was 600. this year our KWH usage was 303kwh which means we cut our electric bill in half via changed behaviors. we also generated 263KWH of power form our array leaving 40kwh on our bill which cost $11.40. Our PV array was 13,364 dollars and we received 30% rebate from the federal government and 2.25/watt from the state, so we received roughly 9,800 dollars in rebates!

Heating also improved, partly due to warmer weather...and that might explain a small portion of the reduced electric since we have forced air system. we reduced our heating by over 50% using the pellet stove and careful use of the thermostat.

our dollar savings for 2010 versus last year so far are:
Electricity: $267
Gas: $391

Stay tuned for more details

Preliminary March Results

2010-04-03T09:30:00.002-04:00

Last year our family of four used 600KWH to power our house during the month of march. This March we used 450KWH. That's a savings of 25%! Mainly we just kept turning things off. We did install many CFl bulbs and we started using power strips in key areas of the house such as the family room where we have lots of electronics that that draw power even when not in use.

Now for the best part.
We collected 150KWH from our new solar array. That is a 33% offset on our bill. Overall, we are using 50% less electricity compared with last year at this time. Now i just need to make some cool charts so we can visually track our savings.

Lastly, we saw a 22%reduction in our gas usage - mainly due to thermostat adjustments and our pellet stove.

Stay tuned for more fun statistics...

Permaculure!

2010-03-28T22:44:00.004-04:00

We had our first look at our permaculutre plan for our property prepared by a sustainable design student at Philadelphia University. Johnny did a great job and he is convinced that we can grow a lot of food on our land and even have a few chickens - that will be interesting. We'll be uploading some drawings soon. In the spirit of taking the first step, we moved our composting bin as per the new plan!

Looking forward to energy bills?

2010-03-24T09:30:00.002-04:00

I know its weird, but i am really looking forward to receiving our march energy bill. we had a lot of sun this month after some rainy weeks. This should be the first month that the power from our solar array will show up as a credit. My dream is to have a zero energy bill - at least for four months this year. That's tough given that a 2.8KW array is not big enough to supply enough energy for a family of four - even a green family. A new post
with savings will be coming at the end of the month.

Power Outage - lessons learned

2010-02-11T18:39:00.002-05:00

We lost power for 12 hours today. We learned that we need a backup plan beyond the fire place for heat and power but we also learned that on a sunny day, the temperature in our house is 54 degrees - not bad, lending credence to the strategy of south facing buildings with lots of glass on the south side. I plan to undertake a BTU/sq. ft. calculation to determine how our performs versus other houses.

More savings

2010-02-07T19:44:00.003-05:00

Based on our most recent energy bill, our family used 36% less electricity this January over January last year. Adding the impact of our 2.8KW solar array - we generated 168KWH (this will be our lowest producing month) so our total net KWH reduction is 49% over this time last year. We also used 28% less natural gas versus January of last year. Its been cold in the house, but not freezing. One of the things I noticed was the impact of a south facing house. there were days when the heat was set at 62, but it was 65 in the dining room as the south sun provided passive heating (40 degrees outside). (think of it as something similar to getting in your car in the winter on a sunny day). the temperature outside is cold but its warmer in the car. So, finally, we are starting see some benifit of all this effort and investment.

Pictures of PV Array

2010-01-24T20:24:00.003-05:00

This is our 2.8KW PV array installed by EOS Energy. It looks like it will generate about 1/4 of our power in the winter (we have forced air heat which requires electricity). In the spring and Fall, we expect a near-zero bill (if we are really careful about our consumption). Our inverter tells us how much power we generate each day and how much CO2 we have saved since the system was installed. Next post will cover the various rebates that we will be receiving.

Its starting to pay off!

2010-01-23T17:24:00.004-05:00

We received our electric, gas and water bills this month and I am proud to say that paying attention to energy usage is paying off. I've been collecting data from our bills all last year when we lived without much focus on being efficient.

Last December, we used 1094 KWH and this December we used 861 KWH. That's a 22% savings over last year. Our house uses forced air heat with a pretty inefficient furnace (we'll upgrade that when we can). Our gas use—minus cooking and hot water—went from 237cf to 203cf—a 14% savings—mostly due to careful use of both the thermostat and the pellet stove. We used about ten bags of pellets at $4.50 per bag, so we saved a little bit of money there.

Electric prices in the Philaelphia area are expected to rise about 20% next year so these savings will become more important. The PV panels were activated in January - so stay tuned. Our water bills, thanks to energy star washer and dishwasher and a dual flush toilet is consistently about half or less of the national average which saves us about 600 dollars per year. One day we'll have a large rain water cistern to bring that number down further. Stay tuned for pictures of the 2.8 KW array!

Beautiful Noise

2009-12-28T11:09:00.003-05:00

There is lots of activity inside and outside the house today.
Inside, the kids are enjoying their Christmas bounty with Aunt Kathy, who has come for her holiday visit from California.

Outside, the sounds of footsteps, drills and hammers on the roof. The PV array is finally going up. FINALLY! It's not the 3.5k system we had originally planned, but a smaller 2.8k system. Them's the breaks. We should be fully functional by the end of today. Fingers and toes are crossed.

This is a huge leap from where we were just a few weeks ago. As I wrote earlier, we'd experienced an unbelievably stressful fall/early winter.

We were let down by Solaris Energy, our previous solar installer. Let down is a very nice way to put it. Our trust (and out investement) in the company and it's president was completely pretty much lost. Let's just say that we now have the attorney general's office and local court system involved in the relationship with them.

The situation with Solaris Energy has potentiallly set us back several years, but the beautiful noise reminds me why we set out on this journey.

What a @#%&* Fall!

2009-12-23T16:54:00.002-05:00

FIVE MONTHS. Five months since the last entry. PA-thet-ic!

In the last post we were happy. The roof was done, no more leaks during rain storms, and the solar array was about to be installed. It was Tuesday, July 28 and the solar installer was to begin the installation the following day. Ah, the good ol' days when we were young. OK—so we were the same age it feels like we aged far more rapidly than normal.

No one showed. That does happen. Sometimes contractors fall behind schedule and don't always call. We're patient people. Understanding people. We waited until the Monday. Nobody and no evidence that any equipment had arrived. Not a thing. OK, time to call Mr. McKinley, the friendly solar contractor who was so jovial on camera during the Renovation Nation episode. A regular Mr. Happy. So helpful, so charming.

So we called. And our dear Mr. McKinley told us that there was a snafu with the panels. They would be drop shipped to the house on Wednesday.

Thing of Beauty

2009-07-28T11:45:00.003-04:00

Finished, completed, leakless.

The roof is done and it looks lover-ly! A lovely roof? Seriously?

In our old house the way the roof looked didn't matter. It was three stories above eye-level. The beauty of that house was in the victorian details of the porch (even though it was falling apart), windows, and masonry. But that was in the big city. Out suberbia, the roof on our split-level house is akin to Dr. Suess's Cat's hat. In other words, the roof is a major part of the house's visual identity. And did I mention it doesn't leak?

It Ain't Sexy ...

2009-06-30T18:45:00.004-04:00

... but it is a biggie in our eco-renovation journey.

Actually it is kind of sexy. For us anyway. A new roof. Exciting stuff ... really.

On Renovation Nation Steve Thomas was (rightfully) incredulous about the condition of the roof. While the structure was quite sound and nowhere near ready to crumble and cave into our living room, the shingles were in horrible shape. Pitiful. Ugly.

But that's all about to change. It's changing as I write. I can hear the roofers overhead. Sounds like wild animals on the roof.

And who knew roof shingles could be ENERGYSTAR® rated? This new stuff (GAF Timberline®) is supposed to help us save on energy costs. Just in case you're interested, we selected the color Barkwood:

Oh, and there was the frantic call this morning to Mike the solar guy. He has to rush over to take down the small array so the roof can be completed.

We're trying to get the shingles recycled, but the local company that specializes in roof materials recycling hasn't returned our calls.

This really is very exciting! In a few days, barring any major mishaps, we'll not only have the new roof, but the full PV array up and running. High utility bills be gone!

Let There be Light

2009-06-29T21:57:00.002-04:00

I know its corny but I find myself going in and out of the downstairs bathroom. we installed a sensor that automatically turns the lights on and then turns them off 15 seconds after leaving the room. If you have kids, then these are essential to saving energy. They cost 15 dollars and are installed in about 30 minutes (if you are good at electronics a lot faster). Anyway, we figure there are lots of rooms and closets where the automatic lights can help. we'll need every bit of help as we'll need to cut our family's energy use by 25% in order to have zero electric bills after our solar panels are installed in about two weeks!

Lighten Up!

2009-05-27T20:13:00.002-04:00

All right. I've had a nice long weekend to chill out and cool down (all without air conditioning).

After listening to friends and family reactions and watching the show again, we were able to have fun and relax. It was a great experience, we may have earned some eco-cred, and Steve really is a cool guy.

Calm But Dissapointed

2009-05-24T23:00:00.002-04:00

Maybe I'm taking this too seriously. Maybe I should let it go. And I will. After this post.

The following is our response to Steve Thomas's Journal on Planet Green:

While we understand the need to generate interest, tension, and ratings, we also feel it is important to get some of the facts straight: The cost of the panels was less than $5000, and some of that cost included the infrastructure (wiring, etc.) for the full system which will be installed over the summer—the originally scheduled installation time.

Our roof is absolutely not about to collapse. On the contrary, it is quite sound. Who would live in a home with a roof in danger of collapsing? It does, however, need new shingles—again scheduled for replacement this summer.

Nica was hardly embarrassed and does not consider this commitment and investment in her family’s future to be “eco bling.” It is a matter of not only being green, but also being practical and reducing the home’s energy costs.

Part of the reason the Flemings agreed to do a solar installation was to show how easy it was to take the panels off the roof. In Rob’s work he comes across many people who suffer from “eco-paralysis” because they are overwhelmed with trying to things the “right” way in the “right” order.

As for the financial investment for the small array we received an excellent price for the full system to be installed later.

As we move forward towards a greener future we need all need to learn to work together, avoiding divisiveness and criticism and begin to realize that there are many diverse paths to achieving sustainability – often requiring an open mind and a supportive environment.

We're just trying to do good stuff, Steve.

It's All In The Spin!

2009-05-23T08:19:00.006-04:00

OK. So our segment was on TV last night.

We were a bit hesitant about letting folks know when the show was going to air, mostly because we had no idea how we would be portrayed on the show. For the most part it was pretty good. BUT ...

Steve tried really hard to make Rob look like some wild ec0-dude who is willing to go for anything whether it works or not. Is he passionate about sustainability? Absolutely. But "horny for green" is not how I would describe him. Steve did. Rob is really one of the most cautious people I know. Sometimes that drives me crazy when I want to get things done around here.

When I checked Planet Green's web site today there was a story on our projects. The story is about how we were so anxious to get solar panels on our house that we were willing to live with an almost collapsing roof. Come on! I got more and more P-Oed as I read. I was in the middle of posting a comment but—I suppose because I was banging at the keyboard and muttering curses— Rob thought I should calm down first. My fingers couldn't keep up with my protest! I can write here, though.

Why would we—or anybody for that matter—place basic maintenance, not to mention SAFETY, below "eco-bling" as Mr. Thomas called the panels. And just for the record, we did not want to do the installation before the roof or before the state's rebate program was finalized, but rearranged the installation of the small array because of intense pressure from the show's production company . The upside is that we got a real discount on the full installation scheduled for the summer. I guess we were naive looked forward to being on the show. I'm calm now.

And We're Back

2009-04-13T15:43:00.003-04:00

Well that was a long break!

Reality TV is exhausting. We've spent the last few months recuperating. Seriously. And I'll never watch another reality show the same way—now that I've been "in the business."

Actually it was a lot of fun. Got my hair cut, wore make-up, and combed through my wardrobe to find the outfit that would look the most flattering (not fat) for me. While Rob and I were totally into it, the kids were bored out of their minds.

Besides having a camera crew in the house for a few days, there were also several construction crews going at the same time.

The Pellet Stove
Rob and I travelled a bit of a distance to pick up the pellet stove, but it was totally worth it. Installation took longer than we thought it would.

Steve Thomas and our good friend Mark did the installation. Mark in fact may have more screen time that either of us. He was THE MAN. Of course it wasn't as straight forward as we thought it would be. A portion of a load bearing beam had to be removed (the big square hole in the wall behind the stove was supposed to be a teeny weeny circle cut).

I was half expecting the front of the house to come down as Steve cut through the beam. Happy on the outside, panicked on the inside—the camera was rolling after all. And then it took us a while to figure out how it worked. But after it got cranked up that baby was kicking out some serious heat!

Let the Fun Begin

2009-02-17T09:03:00.006-05:00

The Pellet Stove

Comes Home

Tomorrow's the first day of shooting Renovation Nation. We've been a little—make that—a lot of crazy around here. I finally see why home renovation is one of the biggest sources of stress on a marriage. Good thing we like each other!

So, just since last week our segment was canceled, reinstated, projects changed, friends and neighbors recruited, permits acquired, solar panel companies changed, pellet stove purchased, bamboo harvested, bamboo cut to size and bamboo fence section built.

The pellet stove. I found a very nice one (brand new with factory warranty) online for half the normal cost. It's designed in Brazil and we loved it because of it's efficiency, design, and cost.

We were working with the manufacturer of two other leading brands, but in order to get us the teensiest discount they wanted the network (Discovery) to fly and put up one of their installers to basically do an entire promo on the show. So not worth it.

The Bosca stove works nicely with our aesthetic—we didn't want one that looked like it belonged in a nineteenth century cabin. Not that there's anything wrong with the nineteenth century (actually, I can think of a few things off the top of my head) but that just isn't our style.

We've been really nuts getting ready for the show and the ever changing schedules. That's television. We finally have everything lined up, including the beginnings of a 4kw solar array from Solaris Energy.

Sheesh!

2009-01-28T20:32:00.003-05:00

Bio-mass variety, premium grade pellets, battery back-up, ash removal systems, viewing area, efficiency, aesthetics (for Rob)—sheesh! Who knew there was so much to consider when it came to pellet stoves??

Well, several people, it turns out. Most notably, for this space anyway, is our friend Mike Cronomiz of Re: Vision Architecture. Mike helped me to sort out some of the questions I had in trying to find the right stove for our House of Bamboo.

I've narrowed it down to a few models: The Harman Advance, the Quadrafire Classic Bay 1200, the Bosca 1500. These are all good stoves in their own ways. I can't wait to get one of these puppies fired up in the living room. The garage has been cleared for pellet storage. Hopefully we won't run into a pellet shortage. I've heard that there could be one since the new home industry is experiencing a slump (like everything else). Less new construction means less sawdust and other wood product waste. Of course this also means fewer trees cut. Quite the dilemma. Who knows. Maybe some time in the near future we'll figure out how to create fuel from our bamboo grove.

Deadlines and Options and Pellets, Oh My!

2009-01-17T19:18:00.004-05:00

Nothing like a deadline to get your a** in motion!

Now that we have a date for Renovation Nation, we can no longer take our own sweet time to get the next project going.

I'm now in high gear looking at pellet stoves and solar arrays. A pellet stove installation seems like the most pragmatic way to go: One item to install; fewer people needed; can be done in a day or two. Installing a solar array is way more complex, particularly with this kind of timeframe. Oh yeah, and we would also need to put up a new roof first.

My focus right now is comparing the many types of stoves available. We're definitely leaning more towards a wood pellet burning stove. It would be terrific if I could find one that also burns other types of fuel (corn, olive pits, etc.). Since the housing market slump began, it is been bandied about that the sawdust needed to make pellets will become scarce. The other option for a stove is a straight wood burning one.

The downside to this option is that wood can be much more harmful to the air quality than pellets. The upside is that we could alway burn our furniture if we had to. So many things to consider. Nothing is ever just this way or that.

Rob Fleming and Chris Pastore on Internet Radio

2009-01-15T21:46:00.008-05:00

Well, I finally made it to the radio. Imagine a weekly radio show dedicated to sustainability. Nica thought it was pretty good and pretty funny. The podcasts can be downloaded at www.philau.edu/ecomanandtheskeptic.

Renovation Nation

2009-01-15T13:41:00.004-05:00

Renovation Nation. That's where we've been living for some time. Now we'll have company. With a camera crew.

Renovation Nation is also the name of the green home renovating program on the Planet Green Network. The program is hosted by Steve Thomas, formerly of This Old House.

What company will we have, you ask (or maybe you don't)?

Besides being a huge fan of home renovation shows—this one in particular—we've been selected to be a part of an episode in the near future. You have no idea how hard I'm trying right now not to let my total geek-out excitement come through on this post. I like to think I come across as calm and level-headed in public so I save the geeking out for my immediate family.

When I told my nine-year-old about appearing on the show she gave me this knowing look, then said, "this is like a dream for you, isn't it?"

Why, yes dear, yes it is.

Cosmetic Progress!

2009-01-04T19:23:00.008-05:00

Finally, the holidays are over, and I have a minute to post new pictures before the new school semester begins in 13 hours.

Remember the truly grody kitchen? I'm pleased to say that the current state is much more enjoyable and doesn't make me gag. Not exactly mid-century modern, but sustainable products were used.

The floors are bamboo. If we could've only used the grove in our yard—that would have been super sustainable! Alas, we purchased these planks made from plants harvested after eight years of growth.

We went back and forth with counter material (I wanted Quartz, he wanted laminate). I read somewhere that it has been discovered that granite counters can off gas. Good thing we couldn't afford them! I found a manufacturer of bamboo countertops (Totally Bamboo), so that's what we went with. They're very nice. Warm. Very much like butcher block.

I decided not to use a toxic sealer, so every few months I spread pure tung oil on them. Try asking for tung oil at your local Home Despot (yes, I said Despot) and check out the puzzled looks you get.

The living and dining rooms are taking shape as well. So much has happened that sometimes I forget that we've only been here for six months.

Below are some photos of the rest of the main level.

View from kitchen to dining/living area

View of entry way

Next month we'll be tackling a new roof in preparation for the solar array!

8 Projects

2008-12-22T07:31:00.001-05:00

One of the things about our house that people might want to know is that we went to considerable trouble to find a house with an unobstructed southern exposure. This will allow us to maximize the efficiency of the solar panels we are going to install. anyway that's just a side note.

Project 1 Energy Audit
Of course all sustainable projects must include an energy audit as early in the process as possible. This is something that will happen as soon as possible!

Project 2 New roof/photovoltaic Installation
One of the things that set us back a bit was the harsh realization that we really needed to put a new roof on the house before installing our PV system. We are considering using a new product from www.readysolar.com. It’s basically solar in a box with much of the infrastructure needed to support a PV system built into the panel system. This should greatly reduce installation costs and the system pricing seems pretty reasonable.

Project 3 Rainwater harvesting
As we get our roof completed, we plan to reorute the rain water leaders to a central location just in front of our laundry/mechanical room. This will allow us to install a cistern at a later date which we plan to use for washing machine and gardening, if not toilet flushing on the lower level bathroom.

Project 4
Solar Hot Water
With the money we receive back from rebates and incentives on our PV installation, we plan to install solar hot water for domestic hot water use and potential for radiant floors on the lower level of our house.

Project 5
Pellet Stove
We like the idea of being self sufficient, meaning that if the grid goes down, we can still function at a minimum level of comfort. A pellet stove would be useful because we could purchase a large supply of fuel pellets and store them in the garage.

Project 6
Large Kitchen Window
One of the great things about the orientation of our house is that lots of low winter sunlight enters the house providing free heat in the winter. We would like to enlarge the kitchen window (south facing) for views and for heat gain, while also providing shading to protect against high summer sun.

Project 7
Edible Landscapes
We are working on an early idea of something called front yard CSA’s. During WWII, 40% of food was grown in people’s front yards. We’d like t bring that concept back and join with other neighbors in growing a wide variety of vegetables that will be available during different times of the year. We’ve talked to our farmer friend Dave at Weaversway Coop farm, and he seemed intrigued by the idea.

Project 8
Bamboozled
WE have a large strand of bamboo on our property. So far the only use we could find for it is to make charcoal for cooking. Apparently, you can’t burn bamboo in a fire place. It does not provide much heat, burns quick, and explodes when the knuckles are heated up. But making charcoal would be interesting to try, but we since we don’t have a lot of time or expertise, this project is a bit further down the pike for us.

A Busy Couple Of Months

2008-10-23T10:48:00.004-04:00

Renovations, maintenance and a new school year. Boy, oh boy, has it been a busy couple of months!

Rob and I had both been feeling a little demoralized by the economy and not getting everything done all at once (we can be impatient people). To lift us up I thought I'd put together a list of the things we've accomplished so far. I really need to get pictures of what the house looks like now. Maybe one day next week after homework and dinner!

Greening of the Fleming Home

Kitchen

CFLs throughout

Renewable resource materials

Bamboo countertops with natural oil sealer
Bamboo floors

Energy Star appliances

Filling the dishwasher to maximum capacity before running

Green cleaning products

Low VOC paint

Living Room

CFLs

Renewable Materials

Bamboo floors

Passive Solar heating (windows)

Dining Room

CFLs

Cloth napkins

Passive solar heat

Bed rooms

CFLs

Ceiling fans

Passive solar heat (master bedroom)

Bathroom

Dual flush toilet

Laundry

Energy star washer

Garden

Low water plants and lawn (we hardly ever water)

Whole House

Green cleaning products

Low VOC paints

Programmable thermostat

Paperless bill pay

Buy local food

Getting There

2008-07-23T11:28:00.017-04:00

So, we thought we have the kitchen done by now. As a matter of fact, we thought all the cosmetics would have been completed. Alas ...

Kitchen

5/31/08 7/22-08

Living Room

5/31/08 7/2/08

Taking this much time on cosmetics did allow us to think more about incorporating earth-friendly materials. At first we were so happy to find oak floors in the living room and planned to refinish them. But the room was the "odd man out" since the other floors needed new materials. We decided to go with bamboo for the kitchen and dining room, but we were undecided about the entry hall. Natural linoleum? Then we'd have linoleum, bamboo, and oak all on the same level in an open floor plan. There is such a thing as too much texture.

Then the plan was to extend the bamboo to the entry hall. Brilliant! Down to only two surfaces. Now the floor guy had to be scheduled to refinish the oak living room. But wait! why not do bamboo on all the floors? It seemed sinful to cover up the oak, but eliminating the dust and chemicals involved in refinishing seemed a perfect solution. And now we just have to wait for the floor guy.

Fortress of Sustainablility

2008-06-16T20:24:00.011-04:00

This is what I've decided to call our house (I also call Rob's car The Golden Pius, but thats for another time). Not that the place is a fortress. It isn't even very sustainable yet. Oh, but it will be.

Speaking of sustainable—or rather, not so much—we had the pool service guy come to check out the pool that came with the house. Let's go back a few months. I had this fantasy that we would be living like the rich and famous, lounging in our yard by the pool, all the while trying to rationalize a sustainable lifestyle with a water hogging, chemical guzzling money pit. Well, the pool guy helped with that one. The pool has so many issues that the cost of of getting it running would blow the budget for a pellet stove and a solar hot water system. The pool is now the future sight of the fortress greenhouse.

I thought the blog was long overdue for some photos. Here are a few shots from our early demolition:

Is this a beautiful kitchen or what???

Under the living room carpet: Oak!

Under the dining room carpet: Not oak!

There are also oak floors in the bedrooms and upper level hall. Big bonus. The kitchen, dining room and family rooms need new flooring. We're scheduled to move in next week. Who's idea was this?!

The Past

2008-05-30T13:07:00.005-04:00

We've been a little busy lately, what with fitting in little league, family gatherings, and school events between demolition.
Anyway, I thought I might show what the inside of the house looked like before we purchased it. These photos were taken by the realty company for marketing purposes.

The purpley-pink livingroom. Not horrible, but so not our style ...

the adjoining diningroom ...

and "The Gilded Master"

A Sad Note

2008-05-30T12:55:00.005-04:00

We recently learned that the former owner of our house has passed away. Mr. Reid had a more stressful time than we did during the months the bank took to approve the sale. There's no doubt this stress contributed to his declining health. Our deepest sympathies go out to his daughter.

Seriously Stinky Stuff

2008-05-19T11:01:00.002-04:00

Carpet, carpet, and more carpet. When not properly maintained (and the floors in the place were not), it can be seriously stinky! And draperies Scarlet O'Hara could make several dresses from. Not enough Fabreze in the factory to combat years of neglect!

Fortunately, Rob is on demo patrol. Every last stitch of fabric has been removed from the house, but now resides in the garage (we have a garage!) until Carlos, our partner in rehab and construction can take it away. The stink is almost completely gone.

Next to go is some of the shelving, except for the pieces that are original to the house.

Speaking of original, we have had nightly discussions on what to keep and what to update. Part of me wants to remain true to the mid-century style, but I'm admitting out loud that I'm having a hard time with the pink tile in the main bathroom. I can't tell if it's the color or my general aversion to other people's skeeve. OK, just grossed myself out. On a happier, cleaner note, painting in the kids' rooms is almost complete. They chose pretty traditional boy/girl colors. Go figure.

Home At Last!

2008-05-10T23:36:00.002-04:00

We spent our first day as home owners exploring and ripping out carpet at 1030 Rock Creek Drive. It was amazing. We met wonderful neighbors (one even mowed our lawn while we went to lunch!) and only left out of exhaustion and lack of daylight (we have to fax documentation showing we are new owners to have power turned on. I won't even tell you the details of the hour and and a half phone call to the phone company!)

Since this has turned out to be a total gut/rehab, we'll be staying in the apartment for another two weeks—at least!

Pictures are coming!

Everything But The House!

2008-02-19T18:01:00.002-05:00

The Energy Star compliant appliances have been chosen. The estimate for radiant flooring is in writing. The size of the solar array determined.

We have no house.

Let's see. Last blog in June of 2007. Way back then we were looking to sell our victorian gem. We found buyers and settled on February 15. Many people selling and buying settle on the same day. We would have too if the new house was ready to be sold. Where to go? Temporary housing of course!

We packed up our stuff, sent it into storage and Rob, the kids and I took up residence in a two bedroom highrise. For three months!

Bumps In The Road

2007-06-13T12:59:00.000-04:00

So, our bid was accepted on the house. Now we have to sell ours. The real fun has begun!

Monday-
Went to sign the mortgage application for the new house. Found out interest rates have been steadily rising for the past several weeks. An increase in our monthly payment.
As my hand seemed to have a mind of its own, it hesitated—for just a few seconds before IT—signed MY name on the official mortgage papers. "We can still back out if it doesn't feel right." Comforting words from Rob as he watched my hand. "It's not me—it's my hand," I was thinking. "I don't want to back out, do you?"
My hand signed. And signed. And signed again.

Tuesday-
Called the insurance agent to confirm the lower home owners rate listed on our mortgage application. Moving outside the city is sure to lower the rate. It ain't necessarily so. Although the overall value of the new house is lower than that of the current one, our rate will somehow go up. A LOT. All this because of a minor claim to have our kitchen walls repaired. The insurance company pays out $2000 grand and our rates are rediculously raised. Why do we have insurance again?

Tuesday night-
Wicked thunderstorms, complete with downed trees and canceled flights. It also brought to the current house clogged downspouts and a wet kitchen. Not the kinds of things homeowners like to experience, particularly when there is a "for sale" sign in the front yard.

Wednesday-
Receive an inspector's report saying the septic system in the new house needs to be repaired or replaced. A permit is needed to repair. The township is giving the current owners a hard time. The owners would rather not have to pay for an entirely new system. Don't blame them.

The open house for the current residence is scheduled for eleven days from today. The porch still has to be repaired and the tiles in one of the bathrooms have to be replaced. Haven't heard from our contractor. Oh, and we have to keep the house looking like we're neat and clean people.

With all of them bumps in the road (we've just begun the process, there will be many, many more bumps), I still believe this is the right thing to do. And I am still excited. We will have our zero energy house.
I think my hives have gone away.

The Deed Is Done

2007-06-10T21:13:00.000-04:00

I couldn't figure out why I have been breaking out in hives for the past two weeks. That occassionally happens when I'm under real stress, but I've been feeling very excited by this new chapter. "Could it be because your entire life is being upheaved?" Rob asked. Ohhh, right ... that is whats happening, isn't it? Underneath the outward excitement is the shear panic of changing a relatively settled family life. Made worse by highly acidic food/drink, that would do it. Damn! No wine or tomato sauce for weeks. So much for comfort consumables

Contracts have been signed, money has been exchanged. The reality is setting in. We're moving.
From three stories to one. City life (sort of) to the burbs (sort of). Public sewage to septic tanks. Slightly annoying commute to a possible real pain in the ass one. Still, its all very exciting. We're that much closer to going off the grid. And having a master suite is pretty cool too.

Itchy

Somehow someway - a word from the husband

2007-06-01T17:41:00.000-04:00

So of course i promised my wife anything if she would get excited about this new house. giving up a victorian house in one of the "best" philly neighborhoods is a big request. She wanted to pick all the finishes for the kitchen, but within 1 day i was already testing her patience on the choice of the counter top - granite. we eventually found a terrazo product that has a high performance/recycled content. we also are looking into a company called Citilogs for our cabinents. I assure my wife that they will match excatly the beautiful and cost effective Ikea cabinenets that she selected.

I know, I know, i need to step back and give her some control...maybe in a week or two...

Away We Go!

2007-05-30T15:30:00.000-04:00

We spent several hours last night frantically cleaning/decluttering the Victorian before the realtor's caravan came to see if it was worthy of our asking price. With a few little items we need to address ( broken floor boards on the porch is never good for curb appeal), we past muster and the house goes on the market!

In between cleaning breaks we also managed to do the paperwork for the offer on the new house. Years ago, when we lived in another hundre year old Victorian, I made a movie poster for Rob titled "Mr. Fleming Builds His Eco Dream House." Even then there was the idea that we'd have a super-energy efficient dwelling. If our offer is accepted, Mr. Fleming may get to have his dream house after all.

Holy #@%^! What are we doing?!

2007-05-25T09:44:00.000-04:00

So, we want to be off the grid. But converting a hundred year old three story victorian was not an option. Rob has always wanted to build his own house (he's an architect, that's what they do). Of course, with a mortgage and two small kids, camping out on an empty lot wasn't going to go over too well with the grandparents.

"Lets live in a two bedroom shack! Two bedrooms and the necessities are all we need while we construct the zero energy addition. " The sparkle in his eye was too great to ignore. This boy was serious.

Hmm ... moving from a five bedroom victorian to a two bedroom "shack." As a city girl who grew up in a seven bedroom victorian, I'm kinda thinkin' no. But living in a ZEH that Rob created was something we have talked about for years. A hunting I went to find a structure that fit the shack idea, and one that wouldn't make me insane for lack of elbow room.