Warren Project Update: Boston Area Green Home Remodeling

The first few weeks of our green home project have been very productive. We’ve completed excavation, poured the foundation, started the framing for the addition and completed demolition on the main part of the house. We have some pictures with this post so you can see the progress.

At this point in the project you can really see the “bones” of the house. It’s also not surprising at this stage to see a few items that can’t be seen until the walls are down. In this case we’ve found a few areas that are not insulated properly along with a few framing surprises. The good news is that there is nothing that will keep the project from moving forward.

The next few weeks of a project like this show a lot of visible progress. Walls go up, windows get installed and the roof goes on. These are very apparent signs of progress that are easily seen by contractor and homeowner alike. Once these phases are done, progress continues but it’s not as apparent. The rough plumbing, wiring and HVAC work are as crucial to the house as the new roof or windows. However, more wires in the walls or new plumbing pipes don’t give the same feeling of progress as new walls.

When you’re doing a project of any size, don’t be surprised if sometimes things seem to be rocking forward and sometimes crawling. A good contractor keeps the project moving at all stages. Some are just easier to see than others.

Questions? Or just want to chat about an upcoming project that you're considering? Email owner Chris Matey. We specialize in Boston area kitchen remodeling and bath renovation. Ask us about eco green home remodeling and renovations.
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We service Boston, North Shore, North of Boston, including but no limited to Andover, Belmont, Beverly, Boston (Back Bay, South End), Brookline, Cambridge, Haverhill, Lexington, Lowell, Marblehead, Natick, Newton, Newburyport, Somerville, Swampscott, Weston, Winchester, Woburn. As well as southern New Hampshire, including Nashua, Londonderry, and Merrimack. Check out our portfolio for Boston kitchen remodeling, Boston bathroom remodeling, and more.

Building Green, Building LEED: What Does It Mean?

So you've been hearing the LEED word around quite a bit lately, right? It is an acronym associated with green building and eco-friendly building. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. As you may know, support for green buildings has increased rapidly each year over the last five years.

There are two LEED certifications. There is LEED (for buildings), and then there is LEED AP (Accredited Professional) - two distinct certifications administered by the U.S. Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI).

LEED certification is the recognized standard for measuring building sustainability. The Green Building Council is a Washington D.C.-based, nonprofit coalition of building industry leaders. It was designed to promote design and construction practices that increase profitability while reducing the negative environmental impacts of buildings and improving occupant health and well-being.

The LEED Green Building Rating System is a voluntary, consensus-based national rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. LEED addresses all building types and emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies in five areas: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials and resources selection, and indoor environmental quality.

LEED AP professional is a credentialing program was developed to encourage green building professionals to maintain and advance their knowledge and expertise. LEED-accredited professionals range from architects, consultants, engineers, product marketers and environmentalists to other building industry professionals around the country.

The LEED rating system offers four certification levels for new construction -- Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum -- and divides building into five categories:

Sustainable Sites

Water Conservation

Energy & Atmosphere

Materials & Resources

Indoor Environmental Quality

Many cities and states either provide tax credits or grants for green buildings, or require green building certification for public buildings. The U.S. government is adopting LEED or similar green building standards for the General Services Administration (which owns or leases over 8300 buildings), the U.S. Army, the Department of State, the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Eight states including California, New York, Oregon, and Washington have adopted LEED for public buildings. Many agencies are requiring LEED silver certification as a minimum.

Thirteen countries have expressed interest in LEED including China and India; these countries have exceptionally high levels of new building construction.

Questions? Or just want to chat about an upcoming project that you're considering? Email owner Chris Matey.
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We service Boston, North Shore, North of Boston, including but no limited to Andover, Belmont, Beverly, Boston (Back Bay, South End), Brookline, Cambridge, Haverhill, Lexington, Lowell, Marblehead, Natick, Newton, Newburyport, Somerville, Swampscott, Weston, Winchester, Woburn. As well as southern New Hampshire, including Nashua, Londonderry, and Merrimack. Check out our portfolio for Boston kitchen remodeling, Boston bathroom remodeling, and more.

Follow Us On A Whole House Remodel with Green Features

We’ve just kicked off an exciting project at Red Apple Renovations. It’s a whole house remodel with the addition of an existing home. The interesting thing about this project is that is has some very “green” features. I’ll talk about all the green aspects of this project in the next several weeks, but for this post I’d like to tell you about the progress on the geothermal heating and cooling system.

For those of you who don’t know about geothermal heating and cooling systems, see this blog post. What we’ve done so far on this project is installation of wells that provide energy for the system. On the practical side, well drilling is a interesting activity. We contracted with a well driller to dig two wells for the system. What we didn’t know until we got started was if we would hit granite ledge or ground water. We also didn’t know if the wells would provide adequate energy to the system at the planned depth.

We started once we had our DigSafe inspection and pulled the well permits. The actual well drilling went on for several days. The good news was that everything proceeded as planned and we didn’t have any surprises.

The well drilling itself is a loud activity, but once it’s underway, you barely notice. The wells were completed and grouted last week. This week we dug trenches and brought the well lines into the basement. Later in the project we’ll connect the well lines to the HVAC unit.

Check back soon as I'll post more about this project.

Questions? Or just want to chat about an upcoming project that you're considering? Email owner Chris Matey.
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We service Boston, North Shore, North of Boston, including but not limited to Andover, Belmont, Beverly, Boston (Back Bay, South End), Brookline, Cambridge, Haverhill, Lexington, Lowell, Marblehead, Natick, Newton, Newburyport, Somerville, Swampscott, Weston, Winchester, Woburn. As well as southern New Hampshire, including Nashua, Londonderry, and Merrimack.

Check out our portfolio for Boston kitchen remodeling, Boston bathroom remodeling, and more.

No VOCs, High Air-Quality Just A Few Advantages of Soy-based Insulation

For decades, the soybean has been in the spotlight of the U.S. agricultural economy. Now the renewable resource (a.k.a. "bean") is attracting attention as a green construction and green building material, especially in projects for clients with chemical sensitivities, allergies or who want better indoor air quality.

Soybean-based products do not contain urea/formaldehyde. When processed with chemicals they do not release volatile chemicals (VOCs) or other toxic emissions. Some of the soy-based products on the market include adhesives, roofing, carpet backings, wood and concrete coatings and stains and structural membrane coatings. Now it is available as an insulating material.

Soy insulation is available as a spray-on foam, as well as in panels. The product expands like similar products. An added benefit is that it resists mold and mildew. According to the United Soybean Board (USB), soy insulation provides insulation characteristics that are as good as or better in four-inch walls as traditional batting insulations with six-inch stud construction. Soy-based insulation may also reduce building costs by decreasing the amount of lumber used.

Other advantages of soy-based insulation include expanding up to 100 times its volume to create a barrier and thermal seal. It also is not affected by insects or rodents. It reduces demand and dependence on non-renewable petroleum reserves.

In addition, since soy-based insulation will help reduce your energy usage each month, you'll be using less electricity and/or natural gas which is another positive benefit for the environment. Soy-based insulation can help homeowners save up to 50 percent on their heating and cooling costs.

Emega Technologies, based in Lancaster, Ohio, is one of many producers of soy-based polyurethane foams and panels. Its owner, Don Duffy, says it's a natural for remodelers to offer soy-based insulation to customers, who increasingly request healthy homes. "It does not emit gases and chemicals, long or short term, like those present in many other different types of building materials. It's easy to form into shapes and lightweight."

Check these sources for more information on soy-based insulation:

United Soybean Board

American Soybean Association

BioBased Systems (spray foam insulation)

Soy Systems (SoyOyl® and rigid foam insulation)

Emega Technologies (soy-based insulated concrete form manufacturing system)

Questions? Or just want to chat about an upcoming project that you're considering? Email owner Chris Matey.
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We service Boston, North Shore, North of Boston, including but no limited to Andover, Belmont, Beverly, Boston (Back Bay, South End), Brookline, Cambridge, Haverhill, Lexington, Lowell, Marblehead, Natick, Newton, Newburyport, Somerville, Swampscott, Weston, Winchester, Woburn. As well as southern New Hampshire, including Nashua, Londonderry, and Merrimack.

Check out our portfolio for Boston kitchen remodeling, Boston bathroom remodeling, and more.

Vetrazzo's Recycled Glass Countertops Are A Beautiful and Eco-Friendly Option

There are many choices for beautiful kitchen and bath countertops, floors or backsplashes. One eco-friendly choice is recycled glass tiles called Vetrazzo. The California-based company takes recycled glass from sources such as decommissioned traffic lights, windshields, used bottles and plate glass windows and transforms them into a surface that is durable and heat resistant.

Nearly 85% of each tile’s surface is glass, and 100% of the glass used is recycled. All materials are from the U.S., and the product is also made in the U.S. The glass is combined with a cement-based, resin-free binder. It is as durable as granite and less porous than marble.
Available in various shades. Shown here: blue sourced from Skyy Vodka and other blue glass sources.

Terrazzo releases few, if any, emissions into the indoor environment, and its hard surface allows it to be thoroughly cleaned with just soap and water. Terrazzo floors and tiles are among the best-tolerated by people with chemical sensitivities or chronic respiratory ailments. Terrazzo is extremely durable, comparable to concrete and stone.

Vetrazzo surfaces give an alternative to using non-renewable resources (like virgin granite, for example), and provides a new market for recycled glass, including glass that cannot be recycled elsewhere.

According to former software executive and now Vetrazzo CEO James Shepard, the company’s manufacturing plant is also green -- from utilizing daylight, to a negative-pressure dust booth to minimize air pollution, to a state-of-the-art system that recycles the water they use. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area, you can take a tour of the company’s manufacturing plant, based in a recycled Ford auto plant.

The company recently unveiled four new earth-tone colors, which join their line of 15 other colored tiles that include green, red and blue hues.

Questions? Or just want to chat about an upcoming project that you're considering? Email owner Chris Matey.
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We service Boston, North Shore, North of Boston, including but no limited to Andover, Belmont, Beverly, Boston (Back Bay, South End), Brookline, Cambridge, Haverhill, Lexington, Lowell, Marblehead, Natick, Newton, Newburyport, Somerville, Swampscott, Weston, Winchester, Woburn. As well as southern New Hampshire, including Nashua, Londonderry, and Merrimack. Check out our portfolio for Boston kitchen remodeling, Boston bathroom remodeling, and more.

Marmoleum: Good Choice for Non-Toxic, Multi-purpose Natural Flooring

Most people haven't heard of Marmoleum - yet. Yes, it is linoleum, but not the kind you may have grown up walking on. Marmoleum is all natural and sustainable. It is available in a variety of beautiful colors. Best of all, Marmoleum doesn't have any adverse health issues; it doesn't off-gas into your home.

Marmoleum is made with natural ingredients without any harmful VOCs or other toxic chemicals. It is installed with solvent-free adhesives. It creates a warm, comfortable floor that is easy to clean and will make your room come alive with color.

This flooring solution is a great choice for those with severe allergies and sensitivities. The natural bactericidal properties of this product prevent micro-organisms including Salmonella Typhimurium and Staphylococcus Aureus from multiplying. For these reasons, Marmoleum is the floor covering of choice in many hospitals, as well as being recommended by medical professionals for people with respiratory disorders.

One of the primary ingredients in Marmoleum is linseed oil, which is obtained by pressing the seeds of the flax plant. Linseed oil is used for many purposes, ranging from cooking to providing quick relief to people suffering from a cold. In addition to linseed oil, other ingredients in Marmoleum include rosins, wood flour, jute and ecologically responsible pigments.

With this sheet tile you can design your own floors. Marmoleum offers is available in more than 150 colors, insets and borders.

Since Marmoleum is a natural organic product, its performance is enhanced by time, as exposure to air serves to harden and increase its durability. Although the flooring continues to harden over time, the floor remains quiet and comfortable under foot.

Questions? Or just want to chat about an upcoming project that you're considering? Email owner Chris Matey.
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We service Boston, North Shore, North of Boston, including but no limited to Andover, Belmont, Beverly, Boston (Back Bay, South End), Brookline, Cambridge, Haverhill, Lexington, Lowell, Marblehead, Natick, Newton, Newburyport, Somerville, Swampscott, Weston, Winchester, Woburn. As well as southern New Hampshire, including Nashua, Londonderry, and Merrimack.

Check out our portfolio for Boston kitchen remodeling, Boston bathroom remodeling, and more.

Bamboo Flooring Provides Beautiful, Green Option for Boston Renovation Projects

Sustainable flooring options have become another popular area for eco-renovations in the Boston remodeling market. There are several options available. The most popular choices include: bamboo, cork, natural linoleum, and wood. In our last blog post we covered cork floors. Let’s take a look at bamboo.

Photo Credit: EcoTimber

Bamboo has the look and feel of wood but is actually a grass. It is beautiful, it holds up as well as hardwood, and it is reasonably priced. Bamboo is considered eco friendly because it is a sustainable. Unlike trees, bamboo is fast growing and can be harvested every three to five years.
Most bamboo for flooring comes from the Hunan province of China. It's not a food source for pandas, which generally live at higher elevations. The transport of bamboo to the U.S. does leave a carbon footprint, however, its durability, hardness, and sustainability make it a sound eco alternative over conventionally harvested wood. Most bamboo is processed without preservatives. For those of you looking for low-toxic solution, make sure that your bamboo flooring is glued together with a non urea-formaldehyde (UF) binder.

Most bamboo flooring uses a urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesive in the lamination process. There are bamboo flooring products that avoid formaldehyde use. The UF resins emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and are harmful to indoor air quality. However, it is important to note that bamboo flooring uses a relatively small amount compared with other materials, such as particleboards.

Bamboo flooring manufacturers including:
EcoTimber
Natural Cork
Hanlite

Bamboo flooring is becoming increasingly popular in Boston area kitchens and living rooms. It is easy to clean, wears well and shows beautifully.

It should be swept or dry or damp mopped (never soaked). Since the flooring is extremely sturdy, it usually has an extensive warranty. Some manufacturers offer a life-time warranty.

Bamboo flooring comes in two shades: light natural or a darker amber. It is sold in planks 72 or 36 inches long that install the same as other tongue and groove flooring.

Questions? Or just want to chat about an upcoming project that you're considering? Email owner Chris Matey.
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We service Boston, North Shore, North of Boston, including but not limited to Andover, Belmont, Beverly, Boston (Back Bay, South End), Brookline, Cambridge, Haverhill, Lexington, Lowell, Marblehead, Natick, Newton, Newburyport, Somerville, Swampscott, Weston, Winchester, Woburn. As well as southern New Hampshire, including Nashua, Londonderry, and Merrimack.

Check out our portfolio for Boston kitchen remodeling, Boston bathroom remodeling, and more.