Upstate House

Growing a Woodland Garden…One Plant at a Time

2006-11-22T10:33:00.000-08:00

What was to be Upstate Woodland Garden started as nothing more than a tiny never-developed lot overrun with exotic plants and littered with decades of debris. However, thanks to some sweat and sore backs, the “garden” is beginning to take shape.

Enlisting a Small Army
Many months of pains taking one-man effort to clear the site and prepare it for a new life as a native plant garden got a great boost when more than 50 hardy souls spent two consecutive Saturday mornings in September grubbing out exotics and planting natives. The effort, coordinated by Erin Knight of Upstate Forever, was “manned” by a diverse group including students from Berea High School and Furman University, Pettigru neighbors, an eclectic mix of Upstate Forever members and a critical contingent of volunteers from the Greenville County Detention Center.

Today more than a hundred small and large plants (from oak-leaf hydrangeas to dogwoods) are visible. And, with recent fall rains, are beginning to get established.

Augmenting with Plants Destined for Destruction
Thanks to the efforts of the Upstate Native Plant Society, these “purchased plants” have now been joined by several dozen “rescued” Christmas ferns. On an early October Saturday, five volunteers dug the plants up on a site scheduled to be cleared for the next phase of a municipal landfill. As Attorney Frank Holleman and leader of the rescue effort says, “The ferns aren’t particularly impressive now, because they were cut over, and then rescued and replanted. This spring, however, they will frond-up and should create the structure for the garden.”

These individuals aren’t just investing in a small open-space plot or saving a stray plant or two from being lost; rather, they are helping others to understand the beauty and potential of native plants as a more environmentally-friendly approach to landscaping.

Early Results Coming In -- Paying the Energy Piper

2006-08-18T13:43:00.000-07:00

Plans and prognostication are wonderful but we all want to see results. After living in Upstate House for a few months we're beginning to collect tangible evidence about performance -- at least as relates to energy costs.

Building for Energy Efficency
Upstate House achieved two certifications -- EarthCraft House and EPA's Energy Star. The first proof of the pudding that our investments in "getting the envelope" right to address energy issues came with the official EarthCraft certification. As a measure of overall "tightness," the house was subjected to a blower door test. The goal was to achieve a rating of less than 0.5 air exchanges. We came in at 0.14 -- well below the target (in this case it's a bit like golf, lower is better). If we had not already installed a fresh air intake as part of our central heating and cooling system, this superior tightness rating would have required us to do so.

Actual Results
While the blower door tests were positive and encouraging we knew that the real "proof of performance" would come in monthly energy bills. With five months of bills in hand we're getting more comfortable in saying that it is working. Recall that we are talking about a 2500 sq.ft. all electric home with all fluorescent lighting, multiple ceiling fans, Energy Star appliances, on-demand hot water with solar assist and a single 14 SEER Amana HVAC with zoned controls. That said here are the initial results:

March $58.50*
April $33.11
May $45.65
June $69.01
July $72.18
August $63.22
September $30.40

Our first month* was clouded by the fact that we still had a number of workers coming and going so we had limited control over things so we don't consider it representative. Too, April and May were very cool months when we used little air conditioning. That said, June and even more so, July, have been far hotter than normal and should provide a good read on upper limits for summer months. In fact, more than half the days in July were above normal for our area

In all we're VERY pleased at this stage of the game with this measure of effectiveness.

One foot-note (11.22.2006) we just finally got all of our certification in hand -- including our EnergyStar rating -- which will now allow us to qualify for a further 5% reduction in our rate for KWH used. None of the bills to date include this lower rate.

Nine Reasons You May Wish to Buy Rather Than Build

2006-05-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

Building a house isn’t for the faint of heart. In fact, I’ve determined that it falls squarely into the grouping of things we are told we should never see in the making – sausage and legislation. As the old saw suggests the process isn’t a pretty one. As a result of our experience I’ve developed nine reasons why for many people buying an existing house might be a more survivable ordeal than building.

1. Timelines are Mirages
If you are a Swiss train engineer or like to work with military precision, then homebuilding definitely isn’t for you. I don’t know how many people told me to expect a year-long project. But no, I really believed we could achieve success in the promised six months. If I had any doubts about horror stories shared by others, our second day into the project (See “Good Friday Surprise”) should have dissuaded me. We broke ground on March 27, 2005. As I write this on May 16th, the exterior painting is finally progressing fairly well and we’re down to a punch list of perhaps two-dozen items to be addressed. We’re now approaching 14 months instead of the planned six.

2. Budgets are Wishful Thinking
During the planning process we inched our “acceptable” budget up by $30,000. So, assuming that we were fairly comfortable with building a house that exceeded our budget from the start, then perhaps an additional $30,000 on top of that shouldn’t be too big of an issue – at least for folks with money. (Oh, I almost forgot, we don’t have money!!). I must say that with the exception of the “Good Friday Surprise” our builder did work extra hard to keep to our cost estimates wherever possible. Yet, our project commenced in one of the greatest run-ups in commodity prices – thus lumber, steel, concrete and just about everything else saw rapid price increases.

3. An Army of One
A former U.S. Army ad campaign spoke of “the Army of One.” We’ll while you might work with a single point of contact – your builder – the dozens of people who have a finger in your project (and a hand in your pocket) … and leave dirt on your floors … is staggering. I have no doubt that a good logistical mind could wring 75% of the time and significant cost out of construction with a well-executed plan.

4. If You Miss One Domino
When dealing with a mostly linear process where one thing must be done before another can begin, having one domino out of place causes the entire chain to come to a screeching halt. In a booming building economy like that in the Upstate of South Carolina, each crew has multiple options for work. Each, therefore, tends to make several more commitments than can realistically be met. Thus, the promised work that was to begin on Monday rarely is started before Friday (woops, I forgot few crews work Fridays) or perhaps the next Monday. That week’s time loss throws the entire “food chain” of promises into disarray and the schedule goes out the window.

5. It’s Tough Enough is you Speak the Same Language
In the U.S. we tend to think in accents. She speaks with a Northern accent or he has a distinctly Southern drawl. In the building trade the primary language isn’t English of any accent – it’s Spanish. Here the list of examples could grow quite long, but I’ll share just one. When my builder told the exterior painters, to “just paint this section of the house,” he meant that they could avoid painting the pre-painted lap siding. Fortunately, they did avoid painting the lap siding, but they also “avoided” doing anything else like using primer or caulking the major cracks between joints. One more call back and another delay.

6. Switches Everywhere Except Where You Need Them
If you buy an existing house, you take it as is. If the wall switch to the bathroom is inside the shower, you either move it or live with it. You’d think that one planning and building their own house would be able to clearly anticipate the placement of every feature in a way that best fits their use patterns. We’ll, perhaps that is mostly so at the planning stage, but then come the adjustments on the fly. On the plans we had a refrigerator in one corner, against a wall. Our kitchen planner rightly noted that the unit needed to be ”flipped” to the other end of the kitchen and moved at least a foot away from the wall. We liked that. However, we didn’t go back and change all of the wall switches accordingly. Thus, the natural “path” we had planned for the mid-night raids on the fridge, now must detour if you wish to have any light other than the bulb inside the box as the light switch remained on the wall nearest the original planned site.

7. Wallboard and Paint Cover a Multitude of Sins
When one walks into a newly finished home and sees the smoothly treated wallboard and the fresh colors it is truly seeing “only skin deep.” When you are engaged in the process literally from the ground up, you see every miss-cut board, each incorrectly driven nail and imperfections of every kind. Fortunately, most of these are just that – minor imperfections. But, some of the goings-on behind that beautiful top coat of paint do matter. For us one of the more noticeable was the fact that the water spigot outside our garage yielded not the expected cold water, rather scalding hot. This doesn’t do too much for landscape plants. When we looked into the issue, the plumber had pulled the source from the line exiting the solar panel – not the one entering it. Thus, we now have two large gaping holes in the garage ceiling.

8. From House to House to Homelessness
We thought we had a great plan when we opted to sell our house and move into an apartment as part of our building plan. The sale actually happened quicker than we planned, but we were able to find an apartment within two blocks of our building site and with a wonderful landlord who wouldn’t make us sign a long-term lease. Going from a 3600 square foot home to a one-bedroom apartment wasn’t too stressful for the first few months – especially the summer months when we could “expand our territory” by eating outside. However, as the plan stretched from six to ten, things began to get a bit cramped. Then when we gave our landlord two month’s notice of plans to vacate with full assurances of house completion, you might understand our concerns when we learned that the house would not be ready still. Homelessness was avoided by the generosity of friends who shared their home with us for two nights and an understanding building inspector who granted a temporary occupancy permit for a much unfinished house.

9. Living in Dust Isn’t Icing on the Cake
With few options and almost exactly twelve months since groundbreaking, we violated the cardinal rule of construction, and moved in with our temporary occupancy permit. If living with a construction project daily isn’t chaotic enough being in the midst of it 24-hours a day is true overload. The painters didn’t finish their touch-up for several weeks. Thus, we couldn’t move our furniture into place. In most rooms things were stacked in the middle. Top that with the fact that almost daily we’d have workers coming and going through the house like a bus terminal – and with just about as much concern about how they left it – and our marriage of 34 years and our patience were sorely tested.

All-in-all our experience has been a tough ride. I know that time heals most wounds and dulls most bad memories … I’m just wondering how much time. I’ve answered friends who would ask about progress with a quick, “a hundred years from now it won’t matter.” I really don’t think it will take quite that long.

Green Crossroads in Upstate House

2006-04-19T07:21:00.000-07:00

We approached the Upstate House project with a commitment to several objectives. First and foremost was to build a more environmentally-friendly home -- one that would cost less to operate and maintain and that would also have less impact on the environment. As we’ve often said, our goal was not to be green for green sake; rather, to find that crossroads where more sustainable decisions were also economically viable. If green is to make progress then it must be price competitive – at least in terms of total cost of ownership (original purchase price + operating cost + life expectancy and/or maintenance cost).

Yogi Berra said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Here’s a quick summary of the green crossroads that we “took” in this project.

Recycled Lot: The selection of our building site was perhaps one of the most critical of our green decisions. Rather than seeking to build on a virgin site, we opted for a recycled lot – a property that had once supported a house. Thus, the site already was supplied by the full range of utilities from cable to sewer. Another aspect of the site is location -- an “inner city” lot. By choosing to locate nearer services, we can literally meet many of our daily needs on foot. We’re less than a half-mile from a diversity of restaurants and even a small grocery store.

Open space conservation: We purchased not only the lot for the house but also an adjacent lot – the only never-developed parcel in the Pettigru Historic District. We intend to subject the property to a permanent conservation easement that will forever restrict development and turn the property into a public Woodland Garden.

Protecting Tree Cover: We worked with a certified arborist and sought registry under the National Arbor Day Foundation’s “Building With Trees” program to protect every mature tree on the property. Thus, even though the house is new, the grounds have an established feel and much shade. In fact, we don’t get direct sun until afternoon.

Aspect: We took a couple of pages from historical building practices. We re-oriented our original house footprint to take advantage of nature. We aligned the largest face of the house to the south and west to capture the afternoon sun.

Wide Overhangs: We are taking further advantage of the sun by having extra wide over-hangs – another historical building practice. Thus, when the summer sun sits at a higher angle in the sky, fewer rays enter the windows. In winter, when the sun rides a lower angle, more light (and thus warmth) is drawn into the house.

Shared Drive: The property adjacent to ours had been converted from a cute Sears Kit house to a commercial building several years back. To meet parking and other commercial codes, the owner built a large drive and expanded parking behind the house. We obtained an easement to allow the drive to be shared between the two properties. Thus, we didn’t have to add additional paved surface that would further exacerbate runoff.

Insulation: I’ve often been asked what “one thing” would you do to make your house more efficient. While the question is a difficult one, perhaps nothing yields more benefits for the investment than ensuring a sound building envelop. We opted to invest heavily in insulation. Here we got multiple benefits. Not only did we go with spray foam insulation for its superior insulating qualities but due to the fact that we used BioBased, we supported a product that replaced a significant portion of its petroleum base with soybean oil. The foam yielded a tighter envelope that also addresses allergens and dust as well as providing a superior sound barrier.

Windows: We opted for top-of-the-line double-pained/argon gas filled windows from Marvin. We also went with casement windows vs. double-hung ones because the casement ones provide a much greater seal against airflow. Finally, the exterior of each window is clad in aluminum to address the serious weathering and decay issues common to exposed wood on window seals.

Framing Lumber: All of our framing lumber came from suppliers who have been independently certified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) Program Standard as being from forests that are well managed.

Engineered Wood Products: Our trusses were designed and manufactured, again using SFI certified wood. By using trusses vs. on-site building, we were able to ensure superior quality and reduced wood waste. We also used exterior Oriented Strand Board (OSB) and flooring that was SFI certified. OSB is produced from waste and/or lower quality wood yet yields a superior product.

Using Local Suppliers: Wherever practical we opted for locally grown and produced products to support the local economy and to reduce the cost of shipping and use of fuel in transportation. For instance our framing lumber and OSB both came from manufacturing facilities within a 50-mile radius of the house.

Woodstove: The fact that we’re on a heavily treed lot made the decision to go with a woodstove a natural one. We sought one of the most efficient models made – Jotul of Norway, where heating with wood isn’t something taken lightly.

Natural Lighting: We wanted to pull natural light into the house wherever possible both to reduce energy needs and to benefit from the therapeutic effects of natural lighting. We put Solatubes in the office area and Velux operable skylights in the dining area. The operable nature of the skylights will allow us to vent warm air in summer and take advantage of natural air flow on spring and fall days.

Wallboard: Thanks to advances by Georgia-Pacific, we were able to choose drywall without the traditional paper face. This product offers superior resistance to mold and mildew growth.

Flooring: Our choices of flooring offered a multitude of environmental as well as health gains. We opted for hard floors throughout to reduce allergy issues common with carpeting – both the dyes and glues in the carpet and the dust and other allergens that they harbor.
· Once that decision was made, we decided to go with different flooring types in different areas. In the two guest rooms, we went with bamboo flooring. The product offers an attractive look and extra hardness from a rapidly renewable product.
· For the office area we featured a product developed by the US Forest Service and manufactured by Oaks Unlimited from recycled wooden pallets.
· For the living floor we decided to showcase Lyptus, a new product grown on old farms in Southern Brazil. The wood, produced in 14 years, shares the qualities of mahogany or North American hardwoods that take 80 years to grow.
· All of our flooring came in pre-finished form, thus eliminating the need for on-site finishing and associated volatile organic compounds.

Roofing: We wanted a roofing material that would have exceptional life and that would also mimic the slate roofs of several of the more prominent structures in the greater Pettigru Historic District. We found it in CertainTeed’s lifetime warranted Centennial Slate that also contains copper to impede algae growth.

Hot water: We made two decisions that should augment each other in reducing energy demands required to heat water.
· Solar Hot Water: We installed a 50-gallon roof-mounted solar hot water heater.
· On-Demand System: With the solar tank serving as the hot water tank and pre-heater for an on-demand whole house system by Eemax, we avoid the need for a traditional hot water heater that runs 24-hours/day.

Insulated Concrete Forms: The house foundation and basement walls were constructed using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs). These “Lego-like” foam blocks speeded construction but more importantly yielded a sound foundation with an R-50 energy rating.

Gutters: With a heavily-treed site and an exceptionally tall roof line, we chose to eliminate gutters completely. This avoids the issue of clogged gutters that require frequent cleaning as well as the problems associated with rot so common on fascia board behind gutters. With gravel poured around the foundation of the entire house and the extra wide overhangs, runoff will be directed away from the house.

HVAC: After making the envelope as tight as we could, we were able to go with a single 3-ton system as opposed to two smaller systems. We specified an Amana 14-SEER efficiency system with zoned controls. With a single super-efficient system rated higher than current regulations (10-SEER was required when the house was planned; 13-SEER became the new standard on 1/1/06), we have less equipment to maintain and a system that should take us many years into the future.

Paint: Sherwin-Williams’ new family of GreenSure paints offer exceptional durability with low volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fumes for interior paints.

Appliances: All kitchen appliances are energy efficient models made by Whirlpool. Each promises at least 30-40% greater energy efficiency than standard models as warranted by EPA’s Energy Star program.
· We also went with Whirlpool’s Duet® Washer and Dryer because they not only offer greater energy savings but also substantially less water usage for each load. (We’re very pleasantly surprised and pleased with how clean our clothes are and how much less wear and tear they are exposed to with the more gentle, non-agitating system).

Decking: The screened porch, front porch and small deck are all made of ChoicDek®, Weyerhaeuser Company’s engineered product comprised of wood fiber and recycled plastics. Not only does ChoiceDek offer a lifetime product but it additionally eliminates the annual waterproofing treatment necessary for traditional treated wood decks.

Native Plants: All plants for the Upstate House landscape plan are native to the Upstate area. Thus, we’re addressing two issues – avoiding the introduction of invasive exotics and using plants acclimatized to our weather. We opted not to install any irrigation systems, further reducing maintenance needs and water use.

Siding: We wanted an exterior siding that fit well with other structures in the Pettigru Historic District and that offered low maintenance. We opted for board by James Hardie an engineered product comprised of wood fibers and cement. The new generation of Hardie, ColorPlus®, comes pre-painted and offers even lower maintenance.

Bathrooms: It seems that modern houses are vying for at least one & one-half bathrooms for every person who might ever visit. We purposefully designed for two bathrooms to meet both the needs of residents, guests and clients who might visit. By so doing, we not only avoided additional high-cost items, but more importantly, lessened the long-term problems associated with slow leaks so common in rarely-used toilets and sinks. We also specified Toto toilets for their superior construction and flushing capacity using very low amounts of water.

Fluorescent lights: With the exception of emergency floodlights on the exterior, all interior lighting will feature new generations of compact fluorescent lighting – operating without giving off unwanted heat, but also using far less energy and providing longer life per bulb.

Conditioned attic and basement spaces: Through the beauty of ICF’s as the basement walls and BioBased spray foam insulation in the roof trusses versus the ceiling, our attic and basement are conditioned space. Thus, in summer our attic will be only a couple of degrees hotter than our interior. Likewise, all ducting is in spaces that are conditioned and therefore don’t serve to counteract the heating and cooling systems.

Art & Recovered Wood: The front door was custom-designed and crafted by Bob Ripley from heartpine recovered from an area textile mill. It is truly a recycled work of art.

California Corners: Traditional building techniques in the south (and perhaps nation-wide) have two two-by-fours arranged perpendicular to each other at corners. This construction technique leaves a gap that no insulation can adequately fill, thus leaving multiple places for potential air infiltration. Simply by placing the two two-by-fours in tandem the gap is eliminated.

Cultured stone: We used stone accents for three columns on the front porch as well as for a decorative barrier and thermal mass behind the wood stove. In both cases we specked “cultured” or manufactured stone. The product is made of recycled rock and cement to form a more uniform material that saves significantly on installation.

Concrete: We studied both super high ash content and pervious concrete for our two concrete applications. We reviewed the potential for high ash concrete (currently most concrete contains 25% fly ash from coal fired plants) for the foundation and ICFs. However this would have required the addition of cement thus increasing costs and off-setting gains. Additionally, as we opted for standard impervious concrete in the small section between the current shared drive and the garage as the location would not have benefited greatly from a pervious surface.

Recycled concrete and stone: Wherever practical on the site we reclaimed rock and concrete for use in retaining walls, landscaping and/or to serve as water management devices. Too, for all our decorative stone needs -- wood stove hearth and three front porch columns -- we opted for manufactured stone. Manufactured stone is comprised of waste product from natural stone and cement operations and requires about 60% less labor to install.

Building standard: Underlying all of our decisions was a commitment to build not with just a few “green features” but to build a truly “green home.” We wanted neither to reinvent the wheel nor keep our learnings and savings to ourselves. Therefore, we used the Upstate House project as a lever to help bring the EarthCraft House Standard to South Carolina. Currently homebuilders in both Charleston and Greenville are piloting the standard for the entire state. Our greatest hope is that others – especially those building for low-income individuals (Habitat for Humanity, public housing) – will adopt the standard for its gains to society as a whole and because of the energy savings as well. We are especially appreciative to Southface Institute in Atlanta and the South Carolina Energy Office for making the adoption of EarthCraft House possible.

Wrapping the Structure in Beauty and Durability

2006-04-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

In choosing an exterior siding we wanted something that would not only meet our sustainability goals but that would also fit the character of the surrounding structures in the Pettigru Historic District. A combination of materials from James Hardie met both needs.

Low Maintenance and Long Life
We found the perfect combination of low maintenance, long life and beauty in exterior siding products made by James Hardie®. We opted for a mixed media look that has stucco around the foundation, topped by lap siding around the first floor, and capped by shingle and vertical panel with battens above and for accents.

All of the Hardie products are made from a mix of cement and fiber that yields a natural wood look with superior durability. This yields a non-combustible product with a 30- to 50-year warranty, depending upon the product.

Lap Siding
For the lap siding that looks like individual wood planks we went with the new Hardiplank® Lap Siding with ColorPlus® technology. ColorPlus comes pre-painted along with a 15-year paint warranty. We chose the Select Cedarmill ® of the four texture options for the slight weathered look.

Shingle
For the decorative cedar shingle look we used Hardishingle® siding in the Straight Edge Panel. The shingles have a 30-year transferable warranty.

Vertical Siding & Battens
We used the Hardipanel® Vertical Siding to top off the mix along the upper portions of the house and to accent two “bump outs” on either side. Here we used the Smooth panels of the four options along with battens to cover seams and add depth. The vertical siding is backed by a 50-year warranty.

Results
While we are building a new structure in a very old, well-established neighborhood, we wanted to blend in rather than stick out. Hardie was the perfect choice! We are very pleased with the final look of the Hardie products. But more, we’re encouraged by the promise of low maintenance and long life – two of our sustainability goals. Finally, we’ve had lots of positive comments about how well the Hardie fits the character of the surrounding Pettigru Historic District.

All Solid Floors are not Created Equally

2006-03-10T12:33:00.000-08:00

While we knew that we did not want any carpet in this house (see topics on allergies/health), we did want some variety in our choice of flooring. We found it in a mix between an eclectic recycled product and two very different rapidly grown, sustainable ones.

Walking on Used Pallets
I’m a sucker for innovation. When I read about the work that a friend with the U.S. Forest Service was doing with North Carolina State University to create a high-value product from recycled wooden pallets, I had to learn more. Phil Araman, the Forest Service scientist behind the innovation told me how Joe Pryor and his family-owned Oaks Unlimited in Maggie Valley, North Carolina (just over an hour and a half from Upstate House) were attempting to take the product to market.

Each year the U.S. uses and disposes of an estimated 170 million wooden pallets. Pallets consume almost 40% of all of the hardwood lumber produced in the country. All-too-many find their way into landfills while others are recycled and still others are burned for fuel. Oaks Unlimited, a hardwood lumber manufacturer, figured that getting into the niche market for specialty hardwood flooring wouldn’t be too much of a stretch from their traditional work.

We decided to give the product a try in the “office” portion of Upstate House. Each plank is slightly thinner than traditional hardwood flooring and shows the old nail or staple holes from the portion of life as a pallet. Another difference over traditional flooring is that the wood isn’t from a single species of tree. The roughly three-foot planks come from red oak, white oak, yellow poplar and even sweetgum, yielding a much more diverse and random look. The eclectic nature of the look and the fact that scientists and entrepreneurs are finding ways to convert erstwhile waste to a high-value item made the product a natural choice for Upstate House.

High-Quality from a Plantation Wood
On the main living level, we specified a new product developed by Aracruz in southern Brazil and now marketed via a joint-venture by Weyerhaeuser Company to the rest of the world. The product – Lyptus® wood – uses the wood of eucalyptus trees grown in short-rotations (typically 15 years) on old farms. The tight grain and clear wood yields a stunning product in just a fraction of the time that it takes to grow quality hardwoods in North America. We chose the pre-finished product in “Fire” – a look that rivals rich cherry.

Lyptus® is the product of a cross between two of the world’s more than 600 species of eucalyptus -- in this case Eucalyptus grandis and E. urophylla. Lyptus wood is so beautiful and so workable that it is finding its way into a range of products from fine furniture to cabinets as well as flooring. With a long list of environmental benefits -- among them, the fact that the wood comes from a rapidly-renewable forest, that it provides a new product for farmers, that it comes in pre-finished options so there is no need for surfacing or use of VOCs on site, and that it possesses a hardness rating greater than white oak, jatoba, mahogany, red oak, hard maple or beech – combined to make Lytpus® a very easy choice.

Rounding out the Choices
For the two guest rooms, we went with another “hardwood” or in this case ¾” bamboo. Another rapidly-renewable product, bamboo offers a slightly different look with all of the long-lasting and durable benefits of the strongest hardwoods. Too, the pre-finished version met our desire to limit on-site finishing and treatment to only the stairs.

Adding Color – Green+

2006-03-10T11:48:00.000-08:00

For the first time in our "home building years" we have a house with color. Like many we have always built knowing that at some point we would be relocating so we would go with neutral colors to enhance resale. As this is our last house this side of the nursing home, we did not feel those constraints. Too, it offered the first chance to use the new generation of paints that do not come with the terrible off-gas issues common with traditional paints.

Interior -- The Goal is Beauty and Air Quality ... The Wide Spectrum of Green
We opted to use one of the best-known names in paints, Sherwin-Williams. Their new line of "green" paints --Harmony® Interior Latex (http://www.sherwin-williams.com/) -- can be mixed to match any palate. Yet, more importantly they have a low odor and no volatile organic compounds (the traditional smell of paint). The base formula comes in eg-shel, flat and semi-gloss. Harmony also is a good combination for our paperless wallboard in that the paint has anti-microbial properties.

We were very pleased with the quality of the paints and the great covering capability. But, we were most impressed with the fact that even while painting was in progress, there were none of the noxious fumes that often lead to headaches and allergic reactions. In the past we have often had to sleep with windows open for days or even weeks before the smell would diminish. With Harmony you can change your room color and enjoy the comforts of your room immediately without problems. While we chose a range of colors from Adobe (brown) to CityScape (blue/gray), all of the interior colors are truly "green".

Exterior -- The Goal is Low Maintenance
For those areas of the exterior where we need paint, we stuck with Sherwin-Williams. There we went with their Duration ® Exterior Latex Coating line. We were not concerned with off-gassing; rather the issue was durability. The advanced PermaLast(R) technology promises durable, long-lasting paints that are self-priming and promise no blistering, peeling and low maintenance.

Choosing the Right HVAC System

2006-02-16T17:45:00.000-08:00

All-too-many people focus on the heating and cooling system (HVAC) without putting first things first. We’d like to believe that we kept things in their proper order by first addressing the building envelope before deciding on the proper unit.

We had originally hoped to install a geothermal system to establish lifetime low maintenance and operating costs. However, our small lot, steep slopes and heavy tree canopy all served to thwart horizontal fields for necessary underground coils. The option to drill wells for coils proved cost prohibitive. Therefore, we turned our attention to creating the best overall fit for our site.

Calculating – Not Guessing – About Unit Size
With proper framing techniques, the best insulation and top-of-the-line windows – “Creating an Energy Efficient Envelope” – we then turned our attention to the proper HVAC system. We opted for all-electric split-system heat pump (even before the run-up in natural gas prices in the winter of 05/06) because all other appliances and our on-demand water heater would be electric. Our electrical engineering and construction advisors completed a “Manual J” (Air Conditioning Contractors Association of America) calculation to determine need. As a result, and with a zone control, we were able to go with a single three-ton HVAC system versus traditional recommendations for two two-and-one-half ton units of cooling capacity.

Amana – The Right Choice
We opted for Amana – one of the best known names in HVAC – now owned by Goodman Manufacturing (http://www.goodmanmfg.com/). We looked first at the then-current code requirements for a 10-SEER (Standard Energy Efficiency Ratio) system. With units now being manufactured with SEER ratings of 18 or more, we scoped the spectrum of efficency versus cost and arrived at a 14-SEER as the optimum decision. As the project took six months longer than originally planned, code requirements as of January 2006 required 13-SEER systems. Thus, our original plan still proved appropriate. The 14-SEER Amana also has an ultra-high rating for heating capacity of 8.5 HSPF (Heating Seasonal Performance Rating). HSPF ratings range from 7.0-9.4.

Easy Facts
For a great resource on how to go about choosing the right HVAC for your project, see http://www.southface.org/web/resources&services/publications/factsheets/1heat_cool.pdf

Using the Power of the Sun

2006-02-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

We tried to use the power of natural lighting and take advantage of sun-power wherever possible. In addition to the therapeutic gains from natural lighting already mentioned – “Attacking SAD With Lights On” – we worked to take full advantage of the sun’s energy.

Passive Heating
We re-oriented the footprint of the house to align the aspect so as to “manage” the sun. The orientation means that the largest “face” of the house is oriented toward the sun. The extra wide overhangs will serve to block the hot afternoon summer sun when it sits at a high summer angle but will let the light in during winter months when it rides a lower angle. Even though we have high-efficiency thermal windows, the natural sun that penetrates in the winter will help warm floors and other surfaces.

Solar Water Heating
Traditional Hot Water Heaters are Full-time Energy WastersThe traditional 30- or 50-gallon hot water heater is always on. Whether you need hot water only for your morning shower or even when you head to the beach for a week and don’t need any at all … your hot water heater is steadfast about its task of heating and re-heating that water should you ask for it. It’s that full-time 24/7 heating that accounts for one of the most easily identified sources of wasted energy and added cost in the average home. We knew we could do better.

We added a 50-gallon passive solar panel on the roof (www.solarcart.com). Water “pre-heated” by the solar system will then go directly to a whole house “on-demand” water heater manufactured by Eemax, Inc.(www.eemax.com) Doing away with the traditional hot water heater means that we’ll only use electricity to heat water when we need it, not 24 hours/day, as is true with traditional systems. Additionally, the pre-heated water coming from the solar system means that the on-demand unit will have limited work to do to bring the water to the desired temperature.

Stopping Allergies at Their Source

2006-02-06T07:27:00.000-08:00

Nothing has gotten more attention in recent years than the emergence of mold and mildew as major -- and costly -- problems in schools, offices and homes. Like most of their fungal relatives, these unwanted guests must have favorable conditions to thrive, among them moisture and a food source. Needless to say our humid southern climate provides a hospitable start. But, we don't have to put out the welcome mat.

As the costs of treating "sick" homes and offices grows along with the plethora of lawsuits against builders, it is imperative that new construction minimize the potential for mold and mildew growth. In Upstate House we've taken a number of steps to ensure that we haven't invited these unwelcome pests.

First, by semi-conditioning the basement and attic, we've eliminated major potential problem areas. Next, the super tight spary-in foam insulation further provides a tight envelop by limiting unwanted air/moisture infiltration.

In our case, because allergies have long been a personal problem, we took additional steps. We've gone with solid floors throughout and thus eliminated carpet -- another major allergy factory. And, we sprayed the most likely spots (under sinks and in bathrooms) with a non-toxic product guaranteed to retard growth of mold and mildew. That product, FortiCel, was applied by Building Environmental Solutions, Inc. -- www.buildingenvironmentalsolutions.com

So, we've limited many of the factors that would lead to problems. Yet, if you've ever had a leak through the roof or a small flood from a busted pipe, you know that your drywall, once wet, often sprouts a chronic crop of mold or mildew. The only option is to rip out the affected areas and replace them with fresh board. This can be very disruptive and costly. Enter, GP's DensArmor Plus. DensArmor is a totally new generation of drywall that replaces the paper face of the wallboard (the food source that supports growth of mold or mildew) with a glass mat that provides superior mold/mildew resistance -- www.densarmorplus.com

Since mold and mildew can grow on just about any material, and under a wide range of conditions, it isn't possible to totally eliminate it. However, we think that by semi-conditioning the basement and attic, by going with DensArmor wallboard and by judiciously applying FortiCel in other high-risk areas, we've taken adequate precautions to ensure that our new house will indeed be a healthy home.

Attacking SAD With Lights On

2006-01-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a medical condition that affects many people around the world. In the most severe cases it leads to depression; in milder forms it is often known as the winter blues. As a SAD sufferer I've learned that sunlight is indeed one of the best medicines.

Let There Be Light
People in northern climes have long worked to mitigate against winters with their short, gray days. But, SAD can affect people anywhere in the world. In southern climes it is more prevalent in winter when days are shorter and the sun is at a lower angle. One of the more effective therapies developed to date has been the introduction of new lighting technologies that produce far greater number of lumens (brightness) than do our average incandescent or fluorescent bulbs.

Low light after the sun goes down really isn't the challenge. I've found that it is more critical to ensure adequate lighting during daylight hours. We attacked this issue in designing Upstate House in two ways. First, we placed additional windows on our southern/western exposure to better capture and disperse natural light -- especially in winter.

Increasing Natural Lighting Without Sacrificing Energy Efficiency
We additionally featured two large VELUX (www.velux.com) operable skylights in the dining area between the den and kitchen. These nearly 2' by 4' windows will shower the living area with additional sunlight in all seasons. And, the operable feature will allow a natural venting function when outside temperatures cooperate. They will serve to pull cooler air from the basement area and exhaust hotter air from the living level.

Enhanced Lighting in the Office is Critical
I have for several years augmented my desk area lighting with a "sun lamp" specifically designed for SAD patients. The six windows in the upstairs office will be further enhanced by two Solatubes (www.solatube.com). On the roof, the two projections look like large vent pipes with rounded-glass caps. In the ceiling they resemble two high-powered lights. A pipe and high intensity reflectors will capture natural sunlight and direct it into the office.

We believe the combination of ample windows, two VELUX skylights and two Solatubes should more than provide adequate natural lighting to provide therapeutic advantages. On really cloudy days we'll click on the sun lamp for added help.

Creating an Energy Efficient Envelope

2006-01-13T07:30:00.000-08:00

The EarthCraft House Standard rests solidly on the EPA EnergyStar energy efficiency platform. While much can be done to address energy conservation inside the house -- lighting, appliances, etc. -- the most important step is to make sure that the "building envelope" is tight.

Starting with the Foundation
To ensure an energy efficient and waterproof basement and foundation we went with the Arxx ICF (Insulated Concrete Forms) that yield an R-50 equivalent wall. The quick construction, clean look and ease of covering both the exterior and interior, were added benefits. While we could have opted for the entire frame to have been ICF and therefore addressed walls and insulation in one step, we had already decided on traditional woodframe for the above-ground portions of the house.

Invest in Good Windows
Windows are a very expensive component in any construction project. While almost all codes require double-pane windows, not all windows are created equally. In our past homes we've had all-too-much experience with double-hung windows that begin to fail early in their life -- rotted seals, sagging weatherstripping and slipping upper windows that leave cracks for air infiltration. In our last neighborhood of custom homes, most owners were faced with replacing all windows at somewhere between 12 and 18 years.

After deciding that we would indeed "invest" in good windows we arrived at Marvin Windows & Doors -- www.marvin.com. Marvin produces one of the best products in the market and they have additionally taken a leadership role in ensuring that their product components (e.g. wood) come from well-managed sources. We went with the casement windows because they offer a much tighter fit and, in our experience, have a longer life than double-hung windows. The wood frames are all clad with aluminum exterior to withstand the harsh southern environment.

We could have purchased windows at a much lower price, but when looking at "total cost of ownership" (original cost + maintenance + durability) -- not just original purchase price, we think Marvin offered real value.

Insulating the Rest
With the Arxx ICF's making up the basement walls and Marvin windows efficiently letting light into the structure, the next decision was how to insulate the remainder of the envelope. After having had traditional batt or blown- Fiberglas insulation in all of our other houses, we knew that this wasn't the direction we wanted to go. In fact, that decision was driven home when I visited a $750,ooo house under construction. As the sun was setting in the west, there were numerous "lines of light" streaming through the walls where the batts didn't quite meet the studs. Sure, many of these gaps would be addressed by the siding, but clearly there would still be lots of opportunities for air infiltration.

We focused our review on one of the many spray foam insulation products on the market and came down on BioBased System's spray foam -- www.biobased.net -- a product that wasn't then available in the Carolinas. Spray foams offer a host of benefits, among them 1) complete seals with no gaps, 2) none of the dust or airborne particles that persist forever with Fiberglas, 3) a "sound proofing" effect that far exceeds that of Fiberglas, and 4) moisture resistance that essentially eliminates the possibility of mold or mildew and other allergens. Yet, on the environmental side, all spray foams are produced with petroleum. That's where BioBased rises above the rest. While it has all of the same benefits of other foam products, BioBased replaces a significant portion of the petroleum with American-grown and renewable soybean oil.

Addressing the Entire Envelope
One of the other added benefits of spray foam is that insulation is applied directly to the underside of the roof. Thus, instead of having a layer of insulation in the ceiling thus leaving the attic space to overheat in the summer and be cold and damp in the winter, the attic becomes a "semi-conditioned" space. Not only can one go into the attic without having to wear a mask and goggles to avoid Fiberglas particles, but the space now will vary from that within the house by perhaps only a couple of degrees in any season. Thus, our HVAC won't have to be "competing against" the temperature in the attic or the unfinished basement, as both are semi-conditioned. We were especially pleased by the enthusiasm that John Bessettia Enterprises, LLC of Greenville (the Upstate BioBased Dealer) 864-277-4240) brought to our job.

Saving Money from Day One
BioBased Insulating Foam is at least twice as expensive as traditional Fiberglas insulation at the beginning. However, if one factors that cost into a mortgage and then considers the monthly savings in energy bills, the product actually begins paying off in the first month of operation ... and every month thereafter as the added cost of the mortgage will likely be far less than the savings in energy. In fact, a number of lenders have caught on to the fact that the energy and health gains of environmentally-friendly construction allow the average homeowner to qualify for a larger loan. These "green loans" are increasingly popular and available.

The Roof -- A Visible Crown

2006-01-13T06:09:00.000-08:00

The often harsh climate of the south -- intense summer heat and humidity, lashing rains, high winds, and occassional hail or ice storms -- make the choice of a roof more than just an afterthought. In our particular case we wanted even more than functionality and long-life, we also wanted to retain the mature trees on the site (another added environmental challenge for a roof) and we wanted to blend in with the mission/craftsman style of structures in the Pettigru Historic District.

Options Considered
With three objectives -- environmental performance, long-life and architectural fit -- we explored a long list of roofing options. We began with a goal of finding something that would approach the beauty and substantial look of slate that adorns several churches and large homes in the District. We quickly ruled out metal because of cost and the incompatible look with the neighborhood. Shale itself was also cost prohibitive. We then turned to two products that mimiced shale but had other environmental benefits. The first was EcoStar, a recycled rubber product that comes in individual tiles like slate. The other was MonierLife Tiles, a cementious product often seen on commercial structures. Both products met all of our original objectives, however, when we considered the full material and installation costs, both were several times more expensieve than traditional asphalt shingle roofs -- the norm for our area.

CertainTeed Centennial-Slate Fit Most Objectives
As discouragement was setting in that we would have to settle for a traditional asphalt roof, we came across a new class of products developed by CertainTeed -- the maker of a wide range of asphalt materials. We were especially attracted to the Centennial-Slate collection. The product we opted for is designed to mimic a slate roof with oversized "shangles" that have five large tabs. Each tab has a different color and is backed by another black tab that provides an aret "mat-type" effect or shadow that adds dimension and depth to each tab. The result at a short distance is a very attractive slate appearance.

We especially liked the CertainTeed product (www.certainteed.com) because the more substantial thickness and weight of the product accompanied by a life-time warranty offers the promise of long life to match the natural beauty. An added cost, but also an outstanding architectural feature, is a requirement that all drip edges and valley material must be copper. Too, each single is manufactured with algae-resistant cooper roofing granules and is warranted to protect against discoloration (a real problem in our area, especially under a heavy tree canopy). While the full cost of the product and installation was more than twice that of a traditional asphalt roof, the durability, life-time warranty and outstanding slate-like beauty, made it an investment we were willing to make. We went with the Smokey Quartz color scheme which accented our evergreen exterior window trim.

Final Thoughts
While the CertainTeed product didn't offer any unique environmental attributes, we don't believe the average consumer can or should buy a "green" product when the costs are several multiples of an acceptable alternative. In our case the arechitectural fit along with durability and long-life, all at an acceptable premium, yielded a fair compromise.

Framing with Certified Wood

2005-10-25T15:43:00.000-07:00

We can’t wait for some aspect of this project to happen as planned. After getting the foundation poured and ICF walls in place, we learned that our trusses – the next vital step in the project – would be delayed. That expected delay (two weeks, at most!) stretched into five as the plant experienced design and manufacturing delays. (Please don’t tell them this wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t been associated with our project.)

Specifying Certified Wood
While we went with an ICF foundation, we opted for traditional wood frame construction from there. At this stage Upstate House looks just like any other house but with some small but vitally important differences. First, to our knowledge, it is the first house in the nation that is being specked for all SFI® produced lumber and wood products.

EarthCraft does not require that wood products be green certified, although the standard has recently added points for such. We chose to go that extra step because we have intimate knowledge of what certification means.

Consumer Choices in Certification
There are three primary “green” forest product certifications in North America – Canadian Standards Association’s Sustainable Forest Management Standard (CSA/SFM); the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Standard (SFI) – www.aboutsfi.com .

As we wanted to draw from local manufacturing facilities to the maximum extent practical, CSA/SFM wasn’t a preferred option. Of the remaining two standards – FSC and SFI – SFI is the most broadly available. While only 5% of forests globally are certified to any green standard, FSC and SFI have emerged as two of the most prominent standards in the world. They differ in some important areas but for those who study such things closely, both are reputable ways for consumers to be assured that the wood they are purchasing comes from operations that have been independently third-party certified to meet certain environmental and social hurdles. I’m convinced that SFI offers a highly credible option that is more readily available and rarely carries a price premium.

Drawing from Local Producers Where Possible
As for specific products we drew the bulk of our framing lumber from International Paper Company’s southern pine mill in Newberry, SC. The mill is less than 50 miles from our site and uses wood grown primarily on private family forests in the area. We opted for engineered wood panels from two different suppliers – for exterior Oriented Strand Board (OSB) we called on Norbord at Joanna, SC, also within 50 miles; and J.M. Huber’s Engineered Wood Products AdvanTech® Flooring produced at its mill near Commerce, GA – also a modest haul of about 75 miles from our project site.

Wood is a rapidly renewable raw material that also uses far less energy to convert than does steel or other competitive framing material. For our major components we used trusses manufactured by Precision Roof Truss in Duncan, SC. By going with truss construction we were able to get superior strength engineered at the plant and save labor and materials at the construction site.

Environmental Gains
Further gains were possible using the engineered OSB panels to provide exterior strength to the framed walls and floors. OSB – essentially a composite sandwich of glue and wood chips – allows low quality wood to yield high quality products.

Through the use of green certified wood products across the board with locally grown and produced products as well as engineered wood panels and trusses, we’re not only building a quality home, but we’re also ensuring that we use the least amount of product necessary to meet our needs with minimum waste.

What About Waste?
And, yes, there is always some waste. We’re even working to minimize that by donating usable scrap pieces to a local construction program at Greenville County School’s Donaldson Career Center. Other smaller pieces will be retained for use in the wood stove that will be used as a supplemental source of heat and pleasure.

From Mud to a Foundation – Delays and $$

2005-09-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

While we approached this project with much prayer and faith, we never expected to experience challenges of “Biblical proportions.” After facing the wettest June on record only to be followed by a near-record July and August, at times we thought building an Ark would have been more appropriate than attempting a house.

Challenged to remove more than 50 twenty-ton truck loads of “bad dirt” and bring in 20 similar-sized ones of “good dirt” we thought of Jesus’ statement about faith and mustard seeds, “Say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove.” Yet, due to human limitations we longed for the riches of Solomon to continue. With delays that spanned a full five months from initial groundbreaking, another Biblical analogy was frequently of mind … Job and his need for patience against all odds. Yet, like Job – or perhaps just out of sheer stubbornness – we’ve stayed the course.

On the fifth-month anniversary of the turning of our first spade of dirt, the footings and foundation were finally poured. The following day an energetic Hispanic team began erecting “giant Lego’s” – white Styrofoam-like pieces that would form the basement walls. After months of little progress our hopes of having a home before we were too old to move in, seemed once again believable.

We chose to go with an Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) system. It has two layers of foam insulation built around a reinforced coreweb filled with a poured concrete core. We opted for Arxx because of its ease and speed of construction, overall cost and proven ability to address humidity and temperature issues in a single product. We also like the fact that a wide variety of interior and exterior wall materials can be applied directly to the finished product. In this case our exterior will be a mix of stucco and James Hardie siding. As we hadn’t originally planned a basement and don’t have an immediate need for the extra space we don’t plan to finish the interior at this time.

For more about Arxx we’ve lifted the following directly from the Arxx website – http://www.arxxbuild.com/ --

Less Temperature Variability
Arxx walls dramatically reduce drafts and “cold spots” compared to conventional basements. The two layers of Arxx foam insulation will also eliminate most basement humidity problems. The “thermal mass” of the concrete core stabilizes the temperature in your basement so that you get even comfort, all year round. Protect the foundation with the peel-and-stick moisture barrier.

Solid; Stable
Arxx foundations are solid, strong and extremely durable. In fact, the R-value and sound resistance of every Arxx form is protected by a 30 year limited warranty, and The Arxx Championship Support Team. Arxx stay-in-place forms provide a slow, moist cure which increases the strength of the concrete. To get a similar strength with conventional forms, your builder would have to leave the temporary forms up for an extended period.

The reinforced monolithic concrete structure of an Arxx wall gives you dramatically improved strength and durability. It’s more stable and less likely to shift and/or crack than a conventional foundation. The insulating foam, which covers both sides of the concrete core is treated with fire retardant. It also protects your foundation against mold and mildew because it is inert.

Site Work Begins...The Good Friday Surprise

2005-04-06T19:17:00.000-07:00

While this project has been one twist and turn after another, we were hoping that once construction actually began it would finally be “full steam ahead.” However, only into the second day of earthwork we hit what we’ve come to call “Our Good Friday Surprise.”

We “unofficially” broke ground on the construction phase of the project on March 29th. First on site was the grading crew to remove a section of the commercial grade retaining wall left by an earlier owner but that we wished to build into our house plan. The concept seemed simple enough. We would pull out a small section of the wall (cinder block, filled with concrete and re-bar) and dig footers with a below-grade section of the Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) to follow. These would then link the garage – below the wall – to the crawl space at ground level.

The grading crew found that their equipment was little match for the wall. They ended up digging the desired section completely out and then cutting it before achieving success. That gave us a greater degree of confidence that the remainder of the wall, which would form the inside wall of our garage and be a support to a major section of the house, would actually stand the test of time.

Early Good Friday morning as the crew was digging its last section for footings, they uncovered what appeared to be a buried portion of the earlier home. Getting a call to meet your builder at the site because the grading crew has “uncovered a problem” is not the most pleasant of news for a planned day off.

Getting to the site, before builder Keith Rodgers arrived, I looked over the site several times with the crew. Finally, I asked Brian, the equipment operator to go ahead and dig a bit deeper. When he did we discovered several pieces of black plastic drain pipe – obviously something that hadn’t been a part of an early 19th century home. Thus, we learned that when the site had been filled previously, someone had deposited an unknown amount of construction waste and then conveniently covered it with about eighteen inches of dirt.

While waiting for Keith, I asked Randy Hensley, the grading company owner, what he thought the chances were that the waste was limited. He wisely surmised that we’d never know until they dug further. After turning this new challenge over in my mind a few times, I asked what he thought about just taking all of the dirt out and putting in a basement as opposed to stopping with a crawl space – there goes the financial meter spinning again!!

He allowed as how that’s what he’d probably do if he were in my shoes. At least then we’d know the extent of the problem and be assured that we’d gotten the footings on solid ground.

When Keith finally arrived, I shared the idea (at my cost of course) of just making lemonade out of the lemons and going with a basement. He too agreed that such was probably the best option given the unknowns.

Here we are in the first couple of days of plan execution and we’ve already made a major change – going from a simple crawl space with limited dirt to be moved, to a big shift with other issues to follow. Little did I know that such a simple decision would then lead to the dilemma of what to do with perhaps 350-400 cubic yards of now excess dirt. The Good Friday surprise was followed by a stressful Monday as we tried to find an economically viable option for moving the dirt. From a point where we’d first been concerned about having to haul additional fill into the site we now had dirt coming out our ears.

The saga continued. I had a client who needed the dirt on a site less than two miles from the project. However, their permit to store dirt on the site had expired and would take days or weeks to clarify. The gentleman who was going to haul the dirt for my client said he’d be happy to use it on his farm some 17 miles away. But, with that distance he’d only get 4 loads daily and thus we’d be hauling and keeping a crew on site for perhaps a week. Not an economic option.

A major interstate reconstruction project less than a quarter-mile away offered another option. Yet, when the “Dirt Superintendent” (big companies have lots of layers) explored our offering, he said there was too much debris in our dirt for his standards. Our dirt, while good, was just “too dirty” for his project.

Likewise, a remodeling project just three buildings up the street was in need of the dirt…in about two to six weeks. No help there.

A quick call to our partners at the City. The City of Greenville had a spot not three-hundred yards from our project where they desperately needed the dirt…yet a pending lawsuit between a neighboring owner and the SC Department of Transportation clouded our ability to cross the owner’s property for fear that such might negate the landowner’s claim or bring us – me and the City – into the lawsuit (just what I needed). By the time they did find a spot that we could take the dirt, some three miles away (good considering the 17 mile option), we decided to just do what we could to dig the foundation and store the dirt on site and see what we’d have to move later.

The stress subsided only to be re-stirred a bit later when we found that the amount of waste in the site was relatively small and that we could have likely done what we needed to for the crawl space fairly easily. But that’s hindsight. We now had an excavated basement and mounds of red dirt everywhere.

Off to such a great start!

Wresting Control from Foreign Invaders

2005-04-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes by plan and other by circumstance we have drastically changed the face of America’s natural occupants. We’d not only displaced plants and animals with our development, but we’ve further degraded natural ecosystems by introducing exotics.

When we first acquired these properties in mid-2003 they had been abandoned for many years. The original home site (now to support Upstate House) and the adjoining virgin lot (the planned Woodland Garden) were dense vegetative mats of underbrush, vines and growth of all kinds – many unfriendly, such as the all-too-native poison ivy that in some places was of near commercial size. Carlton Owen spent the better part of two months using late summer evening light and weekends to clear the downed limbs, poison ivy stands and the vicious patches of wait-a-minute vine – Smilax sp.

But that’s just the beginning of the story. This property, like many others in the U.S., boasts a long list of exotic species – some brought intentionally by former property owners; others that have just hitched their way aboard. Before we could begin any serious efforts to restore native vegetation we would have to remove exotic vegetation – the dominate vegetation in both the mid-story and under-story of both properties.

Many are beginning to realize the impact that exotic animals and plants are having on native ecosystems. To understand the magnitude of the problem we need only look to birdlife in our cities to see pigeons, English house sparrows and starlings as the most common of all birds or to our yards where English ivy, periwinkle and Japanese privet thrive. All are highly competitive species that were introduced either intentionally or unintentionally.

The Upstate House and Woodland Garden are poster sites for invasive exotics. In fact if we had conducted a scavenger hunt for species on the South Carolina list of Invasive plants (http://swcs.tripod.com/invasiveplants.htm) we would have had a great start without going anywhere else. Of the 61 plants (trees, vines, shrubs, grasses and herbs) on the list, our site held 13 at first count. Below is a listing of species found on the site thus far, noted by their type and threat category.

Trees
Significant Threat:
Ailanthus altissima, Tree-of-Heaven

Shrubs
Severe Threat:
Ligustrum japonicum, Japanese Privet
Rosa multiflora, Multiflora Rose

Significant Threat:
Mahonia bealei, Leatherleaf Mahonia
Nandina domestica, Nadina or Sacred Bamboo

Vines
Severe Threat:
Lonicera japonica, Japanese Honeysuckle
Pueraria lobata, Kudzu
Wisteria sinensis, Chinese Wisteria

Significant Threat:
Hedera helix, English Ivy

Grasses, sedges
Significant Threat:
Phyllostachys aurea, Bamboo

Herbs
Watch:
Liriope muscari, Liriope or Monkey Grass
Vinca minor, Common Periwinkle

Other Exotics Abound
While bamboo, common periwinkle, wisteria and kudzu were among the most common of undesirables, there were a number of other significant plants that were not on the invasive exotic lists but perhaps should be.

Chinese mulberry, a tree that is causing such severe allergy problems in Pakistan that the government there has dictated their removal in all cases except where grown in plantations for commercial purposes, is common in the mid-story. The tree produces a white or near colorless berry similar in appearance to our native, and more tasty, relative. Japanese buckwheat, a prolific plant grew in dense stands on sunny portion of the property with other stands along nearby Richland Creek. Scattered specimens of Yucca sp. from the southwestern U.S. and money plant (Lunaria annua) noted for its beautiful purple flowers and attractive “silver dollar” seedpod are also present.

The Plan of Attack
Our first goal will be to remove some of the more invasive of species – those that threaten to continue their spread. Among the first targets are Tree-of-Heaven, bamboo, kudzu, periwinkle and monkey grass. It will likely take a couple of years or more to completely eradicate undesirable species from the site and slowly implement our restoration strategy.

Working with Nature for Tree Preservation

2005-04-06T18:50:00.000-07:00

Among our first challenges in working with two city neighborhood properties was to protect the best of the native vegetation on the site and then develop a plan to restore ecological balance going forward. We set as a goal “to protect all native, mature trees of significance, remove exotic vegetation and promote the growth of native trees, shrubs and plants.”

Prior to any construction we conducted a complete inventory of all canopy and most mid-story trees. Foresters with the Pinnacle Consulting Group (http://www.pincongrp.com/) conducted the inventory and developed appropriate site maps. This inventory was then transferred to Arborist Scott Carlson of Schneider Tree Care (http://www.schneidertree.com/) for implementation.

Guidelines for Our Tree Conservation Plan
We developed the outlines of a “tree conservation plan” based upon the following:

– In the main construction zone – an area previously occupied by a structure – there were neither any canopy trees nor native trees.

– Initial site work necessitated the removal of a half-dozen Chinese mulberry and Tree-of-Heaven mid-story trees all of which would have been removed as exotics even if not required for construction.

– Special emphasis will be placed on retaining two oaks (one red; one water) of exceptional size and character – nearly three-feet in diameter. No work will occur in the root zones. Both trees will be pruned to remove overhanging limbs that will threaten the house and to remove dead or diseased limbs.

– The only native trees planned for removal from the site are three mid-story sycamores which are ill formed and in an undesirable location.

– Emphasis will be placed on removing Chinese mulberry and Tree-of-Heaven from throughout the site. After construction is complete, several oaks or other deciduous hardwoods will be planted in an area that currently contains no trees so as to offer summer shading on the south aspect of the house.

Submitting the Plan for Certification
As an option under the EarthCraft House standard, we chose to seek certification of our tree conservation plan with the National Association of Home Builder’s “Building With Trees” program. The program is administered by the National Arbor Day Foundation (http://www.arborday.org/). The builder signed an application completed by our arborist who then submitted the tree conservation plan and application.

From a Single House to a Building Movement

2005-04-01T20:07:00.000-08:00

What began as a plan to build a single home evolved into a concept to form a partnership in hopes of having broader impacts on the building community and the environment. In a model for economic and environmental progress, Upstate Forever reached out to the area's Homebuilders to extend the idea’s potential. … read more …

Only in looking back can one see that delays often happen for a reason. If we had been able to jump right on our original plan of building a more environmentally friendly house in 2000, that likely would have been the end of the story -- a single house. As it would happen when we resurrected the idea in the early spring of 2003 some other things were in the works that led us to dramatically expand the vision.

On September 16, 2003, Upstate Forever co-sponsored a conference on “Affordable Housing” with the Home Builders Association of Greenville. One of the speakers at the conference was Jim Hackler of Southface Institute in Atlanta, co-sponsor with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association in the EarthCraft House (www.earthcrafthouse.org) program. We were so impressed with what we learned about a successful green building standard with more than three years of track record that we decided to make a “field trip” to Atlanta to meet with the folks at Southface.

Upstate Forever rented a van and we took an eclectic group to Atlanta for a day. Among the participants were Brad Wyche and Diane Eldridge of the Upstate Forever staff; Scott Johnston of Johnston Design Group; Mitch Harvey of Greer Builders Supply; two Upstate Forever members, Bill & Mary West; Tom Kester of the Upstate Forever Board and Carlton Owen. After meeting with the Southface folks at their offices in Atlanta we visited several residential construction projects with green components. Among them were a number of EarthCraft certified houses of all price ranges from entry-level to a home that Ted Turner’s Captain Planet Foundation built. The latter “had it all” – traditional, solar and geothermal energy; rainwater harvesting systems and the top-of-the-line of everything. In the “small world” category, 'the owner of that home – Sona Chambers – formerly with Captain Planet Foundation later came to work with the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (www.nfwf.org) where I serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.

The Atlanta trip solidified the vision that EarthCraft House provided the perfect building concept for Upstate House. Too, the fact that it followed close on the heels of the first joint-effort between Upstate Forever and the Home Builders Association of Greenville (HBAG) offered another opportunity. What if we could get the Home Builders to partner in Upstate House? Could we also get them on-board for the broader EarthCraft House concept?

We quickly followed our Atlanta visit with a call and visit to Eston Rodgers, HBAG’s CEO. Eston was very supportive of the idea of pitching the Upstate House/EarthCraft House concept to his Executive Committee and Board of Directors. After a number of “staff-to-staff” meetings, Eston arranged for Carlton Owen to meet with the HBAG Board of Directors in December of 2003. Owen’s presentation entitled, “Reaching New Markets Through Environmentally Sensitive Building: Doing Well by Doing Good,” pointed to the potential for all involved -- conservationists as well as business interests – to gain from cooperation. That session followed by many months of meetings and a “road trip” by some of the homebuilders to meet with their peers in Atlanta, finally led to HBAG and Upstate Forever signing a partnership agreement. This time, there would be formal participation in Upstate House with financial gains – the difference between what the Owen’s would pay for the completed house and the value of donations of materials and services going 40% to support the general purposes of Upstate Forever and 60% being used as an education/promotion fund for the EarthCraft House standard in the Upstate.

This unlikely partnership – a non-profit group promoting sensible growth & protection of special places and a local homebuilders association – offers perhaps the greatest hope for addressing the myriad of environmental challenges facing our global society. The potential is unlimited when diverse interests team to address common issues.

Finding the Right Site

2005-04-01T19:52:00.000-08:00

One would think that finding a small building site on a “recycled” lot near the urban center of a fairly large city wouldn’t be much of an issue. Yet, like every other aspect of this project, finding that site proved to be time consuming and a journey with many turns. … read more …

As the house was to serve as my family’s home and my professional office, I set about finding a suitable site. We started with an aerial photograph of downtown Greenville and concentric circles that reached out from Main Street in ¼ and 1/2 mile increments. The plan was to stay within one-mile of the center of town if at all possible. The idea was to provide something that would be easily accessible and visible to the downtown market and for my wife and I to experience new urban living. (I must admit here that the desire to move closer to the city, while accepted by my spouse, wasn’t something that she shared with bubbling enthusiasm. Her vision was more along the lines of a log cabin on 40 acres somewhere in the mountains).

We looked at Hampton-Pinkney, the Augusta Road area, Haynie-Sirrine and Stone Avenue – all older neighborhoods that were either experiencing or on the verge of revitalization. We finally set our sights on something that would abut or be very close to Cleveland Park – Greenville’s oldest and largest city park at more than 120 acres. (With walking my passion, to give-up the nearly five miles of jogging trails in River Walk near Simpsonville, I wanted to replace that with something in-kind).

We found ourselves learning a great deal about Greenville as we spent avialable evenings and afternoons just driving through various neighborhoods looking for a suitable open property or even a lot with a structure that could be removed.

Two sites topped the list – one an open lot on Ridgeland Drive (the owner wouldn’t sell) and another on Hope Street that contained a condemned house (even if the owner would sell, the price for the lot was almost one-half of what we had hoped to invest in the entire project -- lot AND house.) Finally, we came across a property on the lower end of Pettigru Street near its former intersection with Stone Avenue.

A Site That Had it All
The Pettigru Street site met not only our initial search criteria but it also offered the chance to build on several other attributes:

The lot was well within a mile of the heart of downtown;
It was on a “recycled lot” – one that had supported a home many years before;
It sat on a ridge overlooking Richland Creek, a major tributary to the Reedy River and a “finger” of Cleveland Park;
It adjoined an open lot – the only virgin lot in the entire Pettigru District;
The open lot adjoined a never-used city street easement that hosted a hidden and totally overgrown access trail to Cleveland Park and a footbridge crossing Richland Creek;
The City had just begun to cul-de-sac the lower end of Pettigru, drastically reducing the amount of truck and car traffic; and
While the Pettigru Historic District had seen many rehabilitation projects, this particular section was among the most needy for further positive investment.

With the help of Tommy Wyche and his not-for-profit, Naturaland Trust, we were able to purchase not only the planned building lot, but the adjacent open lot, as well. The vision (as it continued to evolve) was to build on the previously used lot – this would avoid new sewer impact fees and would take advantage of previous site work. Then we’d place a conservation easement on the open lot and turn it into a native plant woodland garden. These plans, along with rehabilitation of the trail access that would create a new auxiliary entrance to Cleveland Park, would add another jewel in the greenway corridor emerging along Upstate South Carolina's Reedy River.

A Journey Begins With a Simple Vision

2005-04-01T19:38:00.000-08:00

What began as a simple decision by one family desiring to “downsize” and demonstrate a more environmentally friendly lifestyle launched a five-plus-year journey that morphed into an alliance between unlikely partners, led to South Carolina’s adoption of a green building standard and yielded a unique and complex fund-raising project that includes local government, business and multi-national corporations. … read more …

In “The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader’s Day,” John Maxwell speaks of the ability for leaders to see “their destination, … understand what it will take to get there, know who they’ll need on the team to be successful, and recognize the obstacles long before they appear.” What a picture of leadership! Yet, that's not how this venture began.

The idea behind what has become known as Upstate House had very modest beginnings. It stemmed from some middle-aged thoughts about an approaching empty nest, a desire to simplify life and to put into action many of the concepts and commitments that are part of professional life as a forester and wildlife biologist. Those thoughts took premature flight in early 2000 when at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the newly chartered not-for-profit, Upstate Forever (www.upstateforever.org) , I suggested that we consider a demonstration project that would help others to understand our concepts of “sensible growth” and sustainable development and perhaps provide a unique fundraising opportunity for the fledgling organization. I even boldly stated my interest in being the guinea pig for the project thus taking away the biggest obstacle for any such project – a financial backer.

As Ecclesiastes states' and my life has so often taught, “there is a time and a season for everything.” The spring of 2000 wasn’t to be the time nor would it be the season for me demonstrate anything except patience in the face of change. Less than 60 days after beginning to think through how such a project might be done, my life was turned upside down by a hostile corporate takeover. From what appeared to be a relatively successful life as a Vice President with a Fortune 500 company, I quickly moved to uncertainty and finally self-inflicted unemployment when I chose not to accept a position with my new employer.

As I tried to get my working life back together the idea of a green demonstration house moved to the back burner, or more aptly, cold storage. There it stayed for two years until two others decided to resurrect the idea. Then came that fateful call when Brad Wyche, Upstate Forever’s Executive Director suggested I join a meeting that he was having with Scott Johnston, principal of Johnston Design Group, and Mark Augspurger, a partner with Pinnacle Consulting Group. Once there I learned that these gentlemen wished to pursue the idea of a green demonstration home ... yet they were lacking one simple element – someone to shoulder the bulk of the financial load. I recall saying, “And I’ve been invited to this meeting to what end?”

The concept was once again alive. We extended the group to include marketing expertise to help think through how to ensure that the project could have some educational and broader market impact. Then we tabbed a builder who was working in the “in-fill” market. In each case we asked those involved to share their time and talent pro-bono for the greater cause.

After a flurry of meetings we agreed on some broad concepts:

The project would be called “Upstate House” with a goal of “demonstrating environmentally friendly living;”
We’d look for an in-fill building site to highlight the gains from taking advantage of existing infrastructure and services and avoiding further sprawl; and
We’d develop a design that would help point the way to a more cost effective, energy efficient future.