Slogging Through The Rain at The Solar Decathlon

Since the ancient days at Greek Decathlons are run regardless of weather conditions. This year's DOE Solar Decathlon was no exception. Sure, there were days where the sun was shining. The temperature almost reached 90 several times. But, there were also 18 days where there was at least drizzle - over 8” of rain fell during the month of September.

Why am I giving you weather analysis instead of talking about the event? This year half of the houses achieved a net-zero energy usage in spite of the weather conditions. The final two days were rainy, cold and windy – in a word, raw. Yet thousands of people stood in line for as long as 45 minutes to visit the 20 homes constructed in West Potomac Park for this competition.

There were houses that looked like a Craftsman

from just down the street and one that looked like it escaped from a 1960's custom car show.

 The Chinese home was constructed from 6 cargo containers

and the Canadian entry [University of Calgary] was emblematic of the country's native tribal heritage.





 All of them optimized the living space by clever (sometimes ingenious) uses of storage and living areas and strategic locations of “core” systems like plumbing, mechanical and ventilation.

Some used the orientation of the windows to provide heating (from the South in the Winter) and cooling (from the North in the Summer).



Some used lithium or calcium chloride baths to extract humidity from the HVAC system. Some used movable vanes or shutters to block the sun and to absorb energy from it to use as a heat source during the night (Trombe wall).

AND THE WINNER IS!!!!

The University of Maryland entry was judged to be the “Best In Show” by the panel of judges. We heard that a team of students from UMD visited the event in 2009 armed with pads, pens and observant minds and eyes. It showed. Their entry was complete – it solved problems, it was pleasing to the eye, it was comfortable for living and it contained little “gems” at every turn. The half-round gutters were attractive and caught every drop of rainwater. The wall systems harvested condensation like that formed “on a can of beer” and channeled it into the water troughs that rimmed the house. Grey water was processed through a bio-filter to make it useful for other purposes in the home – commodes, irrigation, washing of surfaces, etc. The students designed a table that “morphed” into a bed – or maybe vice versa. It was well worth standing in the rain to see.

 
The team from Purdue University placed second in the competition. Theirs' was the home that resembled a Craftsman. A couple of the features in their ventilation system design were the use of decorative beams to run heating ducts to the outer walls and a living wall that was used to “clean” the air going to the return. Aesthetically, the colors and materials really worked well together to create a very pleasing environment inside and out. They were within 20 points (2 percent) of the winning team.

First Light is the Victoria University Of Wellington's (New Zealand) entry in the competition and is so named because New Zealand is the first place to see the morning light at the beginning of each day. The home was clad with removable red cedar panels.

They utilized decks around and through the home to increase the available living space. Folding exterior doors, pocket doors and shutters that closed the “skylights” at night were very functional and beautiful design decisions that allowed this light to really shine.

The entry for Appalachian State University was awarded the “Peoples' Choice” award. As we walked up the entrance ramp, I asked the student guide what purpose the bark panel on the exterior served. They said it was harvested near their campus and was there to simply indicate the heritage (the “place”) of their school – where they come from. They used the same materials to cover the detached Guest House/Office.

This house also had a “scary” guy [he knew enough about the subject to make your head swim] who talked about using paraffin as the medium to exchange the heat from the solar hot water tubes to the domestic hot-water system. He also told us that, having purchased “off-the-shelf” sensors and software, his team “tweaked” them to make them do what they wanted.

There were 16 other entered homes in this competition. To see them and the teams that created them you only need to visit Solar Decathlon Teams and follow the links. If you didn't have an opportunity to visit this event in 2011, please make it a priority in 2013. In each home there were excited, engaged bright young men and women whose purpose was to demonstrate the technologies and materials we'll all need to understand and embrace in the coming years and decades.

It is a privilege to congratulate each of these teams and their mentors on their inclusion in this event and to thank them for their hard work. May God bless them in their future endeavors, whatever course it is they may choose. They truly brightened the ground we sloshed around on this October 1st and 2nd.

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary ... How GREEN Does Your Garden Grow?

The Spring Equinox has now occurred and it is time to start getting serious about gardening.  Have you also thought about greening up your garden this year?  Get creative and look at everything you have with a  "green garden" eye for recycling, reusing and re-purposing in your garden. Incorporating more sustainable practices in your garden is healthier for you and your family and can save you lots of money.  And we all like to save money!

Here are some great greening ideas to get you started.

Gardeners, start your seeds! You can save money and take control of every aspect of your garden by starting your own seeds and seedlings. Seed starting supplies can be fairly inexpensive and can be purchased at your local garden shop, online or local box store. Start simply with a seed starting kit or two that includes the tray, peat pots and dome. You can also re-use plastic deli containers for starting your seed. You can re-use them many times before showing wear. Then you can just place them in your recycling bucket for the next pickup! Additionally, many garden centers are now accepting old plastic pots and trays for recycling. The plastic can be re-ground and made into new pots and a many other products. If you plan to re-use any plastic containers - either saved food containers or last years seed flats - you need to make sure they are cleaned thoroughly and sterilized.

Don't want to use plastic at all? Make your own biodegradable pots from newspaper. Click on the Instructables link to learn the process of making these nifty pots. Newspaper Planting Pots

You can also use egg shells for seedlings and then put them directly in the ground for planting. Rinse them out gently, let the egg shells dry out a bit and place the halves back into the egg carton to make them easier to manage. Fill each shell with soil and plant a couple of seeds in each. Once your plant is ready to be planted, place the plant and eggshell container directly in your garden.

A Word About Using Peat:  Peat is an organic substance, but there are some good reasons to consider using much less of it. Peat is basically partially-decayed vegetation that forms in bogs and wetlands, making it a rich soil additive for your garden. The peat is harvested on an industrial scale by digging drainage ditches to drain the wetland, thereby killing the many species of plants and insects that thrive in this ecosystem. Besides the peat pots that you find for starting seeds or large bales you find for soil amendments, peat is also added as an ingredient in many bagged soils and other agricultural products. There are some alternatives to consider besides the creative ones I have included above. Coir is derived as a by-product of the coconut processing industry and is now being used to make peat-free pots. Also, odor-free cow manure pots are quickly replacing peat pots. Both help to recycle an abundant source of waste products at the same time.

Look for heirloom seeds & plants. An heirloom vegetable is any type of vegetable seed that has been saved and grown for a period of years and is passed down by the gardener that preserved it.  There are also commercial heirloom which are open-pollinated varieties introduced prior to 1940.  Some of these heirloom tomatoes came from seeds bought by companies from tomato-farming families. Heirloom seeds must be open pollinated or capable of producing a plant that is just like the parent. The seeds are passed down from generation to generation and some are hundreds of years old. As a fan of heirloom varieties, I think that these plants taste far better than a hybrid. You can find extensive selections of heirloom seeds and plants at many online stores including Johnny Seeds, Victory Seeds and Heirloom Seeds. But you can also find a small selection at your local co-op, garden center or box store.

Why should you care about buying heirloom seeds and plants? One of the best reasons is that they have superior flavor. Many hybrids and genetically-modified seeds and plants have been selected for their uniform appearance and ease of shipping instead of taste. Growing and saving the seeds from old cultivars saves money instead of having to buy new seed each year. Additionally hybrid seed will not produce the same as a parent plant when you try to plant them in future years.  A vital reason to maintain heirlooms is that it preserves countless heirloom seed varieties in danger of being lost to the "advances" of modern industrial agriculture. Old varieties of crops are maintained to keep their genetic traits intact for future generations.

Plan now to save your heirloom seeds or start a seed-swapping group. Heirloom gardeners and groups are working to ensure that the heirloom varieties will not become extinct by saving seeds of heirloom crops. Think about starting your own local group or join an organization to gain education in this area and have access to hundreds of heirloom seeds. A couple of good organizations to get you started are:

Seed Savers -a nonprofit tax-exempt organization that works to save heirloom garden seeds from extinction, with a focus on heirloom varieties brought to North America by gardeners and farmers when they immigrated and the traditional varieties grown by Native Americans, Mennonites and Amish.

Southern Seed Legacy Project - a program dedicated to identifying and preserving heirlooms from the South [Texas to Virginia]. They hunt for seeds, but also for the gardeners who developed and maintained these varieties so they can preserve both the seed and human legacies.

Once you have planted your seeds, you need to maintain a soil temperature of 80-85 degrees for best germination. You can find heat tapes and mats at your local garden store and many gardening catalogues. Or you can use your heating pad set on low to help you maintain the correct temperature. You should check your containers twice a day to make sure the soil has not dried out. If so, mist them with warm water - or use a straw to gently apply water to your pots.

If you are really feeling ambitious, you can make your own Seed Starting Station from pvc pipe and wire closet shelves. You likely have pvc pipe around from an old plumbing project. If not, ask around on Freecycle or Craigslist. The one we made for our plant starting is about 4' long with 24" wide shelves but you can make station any size to meet your needs. Turn the shelves upside down to give them a lip and attach them to the frame with zip strips for stability. The ends are not glued into the rest of the stucture but are a dry fit so that the entire unit can be dissasembled and stored once your seedlings are ready for the garden.

Lighting for your seedlings. Once your seedlings come up, they will need proper light to keep them growing. You will need at least one flourescent fixture for each shelf - but two for each shelf is better. You can purchase flourescent grow lights specifically made to provide "natural" light to indoor plants. The light output contains blue, green, red and orange spectrums to promote plant growth. The bulbs are available in 20 W and 40 W for a cost of $8-9 each. Or you can make your own spectrum for much less money. Here is the advice from my lighting designer son. P.S. He also created the original design for the seed starting station highlighted here.

For a two-light fixture, purchase one flourescent tube in the 5000-6,000 [blueish sunlight] color temp range and another tube in the 2800-3200 [warm orangish-red] color temp range. New seedlings need both the high sunlight wavelengths and the low incandescent type wavelengths for efficient growth.  The blue light encourages the growth of leaves and reproductive parts, and the red light is  good for top growth and seed germination.  You can purchase a two-pack of each light for approximately $6 per pack.

You need to keep the lights 2-3 inches above the plants -- one for intensity reasons, the other so that the seedlings don’t reach for the light and grow all tall and spindly.




You can purchase spot light or bulb styled grow lights that fit a standard light fixture. These bulbs are great for providing additional light to houseplants, but they really don’t distribute enough light over a wide enough area to use them effectively for seed starting. Since I already had a couple, I have used them to add some additional light spectrum to my seed-starting station.

Companion Planting - As you are planning out your garden, consider companion planting. Click on the chart below to discover which plants help protect your garden plants from pests, which and which ones help them grow better. Companion planting will make less work for you in the garden, makes efficient use of the garden space you have and helps you avoid the use of pesticides. You can plant herbs or flowers like basil, mint, chives, chrysanthemums, and marigolds in between vegetable plants to repel insects. This and much more is included on the PDF chart below.  

COMPANION PLANTING CHART

Go native. Plant trees, shrubs and other plants around your yard making a conscious effort to choose species that are native to your area. Additionally, what you plant in your garden affects the kinds of birds, insects, mammals, and amphibians that choose to live there. Think about what species you would like to attract, do your research and make plantings that will attract them.

Set up rain barrels. Many homeowners are beginning to see the value of harvesting rainwater as they see drought restrictions being enforced and the cost of municipal water rising. Harvesting rainwater not only helps to protect this natural resource but also saves your household lots of money as you begin to water your flowers and vegetable garden. A rain barrel can be filled in a matter of minutes during a good rainfall. Rain barrels come in a wide variety of materials, designs and colors and there are many ready-made rain barrels available on the market that you can purchase at your local garden center or online garden stores. Our affiliate Aquabarrel offers good quality rain barrels and DIY kits that are fabricated in the USA with parts and pieces purchased from US sources. I am coveting one of their newer models called the "Abe" an 80 gallon cylindrical unit with a black speckled "granite" finish and a built-in fill/divert/filter/overflow tube. I also discovered that they now carry above-ground cisterns [from 216-1000 gallons] that could be great for some of the Jeremiah Ridge buildings.

Set up a compost station. When you make your own compost you have access to unlimited amounts of nature's best fertilizer that many people call "Black Gold". Composting is a simple but very effective way to handle your food and vegetation waste instead of putting all that in your landfill. Adding compost to your soil will help you constantly enrich and build healthy soil. You can be a casual composter by simply starting a compost pile in a heap on the ground. Having a bin for your compost helps to control the heat and moisture content to help to speed up the composting process. There is an expansive variety of composters that you can purchase online or at your local garden store. Or if you are a DIY personality type, you can build your own. We have photos of our own DIY compost station made from pallets on our Green Projects page of our website.

Start a worm farm. One suggestion I have seen is to use an old aquarium for a worm farm. I do wonder about this because worms are not supposed to like the light and other information indicated that you need some drainage holes. Nevertheless, here are the instructions for using an old aquarium for your worm farm. Create layers of newspaper, vegetable waste, soil, and sand in your aquarium. Find some starter worms at your local bait store or your garden. The worms will work their way through the layers and produce worm casting as a homemade fertilizer.

The best worms for composting are Red Worm, or Red Wigglers. Red worms can eat more than their weight every day. European Night Crawlers are the cousin to the Red Wiggler and are also a good choice. African Night Crawlers can also be used but they cannot tolerate temps lower than 50 degrees. Canadian Night Crawlers are not recommended because they cannot tolerate the high temperatures like the red worms.

A Bonus for Fishermen [and Women] - After about 40 days or so, there will be three to four times the amount worms in your bin and it will keep on growing. So not only are you creating great compost for your garden, you will also have a constant supply of worms for fishing!

The Cooperative Extension Department at the University of Nevada has created a great informational document on Worm Composting [vermicomposting]. The publication link below indicates that you can set up a worm farm in five to thirty gallon containers or in a layered compost pile in the yard.

STARTING A WORM FARM

One of our affiliates, Aquabarrel, also offers a Soldier Grub Composter. While many compost bins can take 6-12 months to break down their contents, the BioPod Plus — Soldier Grub Composter, can eliminate most of your food scraps in as little as 24-36 hours according to their website information. Like composting and vermiculture, the BioPod Plus uses beneficial grubs to digest and decompose your kitchen waste, while producing valuable finished products. You can order one by clicking on the link below.

COMPOSTING WITH GRUBS

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GREEN TOOLS OF THE TRADE

Gallon milk jugs can be re-purposed in a number of ways to help you with your gardening chores.  

• You can make a scoop for garden soil, grass seed, bird seed and even dog food. Just cut off the bottom off at an angle, replace the screw top [or glue on the snap cap] and you are ready to go! You could also make different size scoops by using a half gallon milk jug.
• Cut long strips from the sides to make plant markers. Cut them to your desired length with an angle at the bottom so they will slip into the ground easily.
• Water your tomatoes! This is a great way to keep that much-needed water near the roots of your prize tomatoes. Collect your gallon milk jugs, punch several holes in the bottom with an icepick. Dig a hole between your tomato plants and bury a jug about 2/3 into the soil. Use a funnel to to pour water into the jugs and then replace the cap. Your new water jug will water your tomatoes at a slow rate and make sure they don't dry out.

Soda bottles [2 Liter] are great for making a cloche for your tender young plants as you set them out. Cut off the bottoms and take off the tops. Simply place over your seedlings and push into the soil a bit for a mini-greenhouse as they adjust to their new environment. You could place the top back on if an unexpected cold snap comes up after you have planted. Just remember to remove it during the day so that you don't cook your little babies.

Note about using plastic bottles in your garden: Don't leave the plastic containers outside during the winter because they will become brittle and break down. You can get another season's use out of them by pulling them, rinsing and storing them in your garden shed for the winter.

Egg shells can be a great benefit for your garden. Rinse the shells out allow them to dry. I place them on one side of a paper towel, fold over the the other half and press until the shells are finely crushed. You could also place them in a coffee bean grinder to crush quickly into fine pieces. We keep a little glass jar in the kitchen and begin collecting our egg shells a month or so before we need them in the garden. How can they be used in the garden?

• Sprinkle them around plants that slugs and snails love. Slugs love tender new growth, French marigolds, seedlings, lettuce and delphiniums. Slugs absolutely love hostas. Snails love rhubarb and tomatoes. But slugs and snails do not like to rub their bellies across sharp eggshells. Sprinkle the crushed eggshells around the base of your plants, flowers and throughout the garden to keep them away from your seedlings and prized plants.

• Eggshells make a good soil amendment for extra calcium source. I particularly like to use them in the planting holes for our tomato plants and peppers. Blossom end rot is caused by a calcium deficiency and adding the eggshells - along with proper watering - can help prevent this problem. As the eggshells break down, they will add a little calcium nourishment to your soil. Note: the rest of the year, we throw all our used eggshells into our compost pile.

DIY Garden Caddy -- It is fairly easy to make this garden caddy with empty cans, a small piece of wood and a cabinet handle - you may not even have to cut the wood! This particular caddy used a 12" long piece of 1" thick wood. We cut it to the same height as the cans but you could easily use 1 x 6 to make this without complicated cutting. Take 8 vegetable cans, remove the labels and drill (or punch) a hole an inch or less down from the top of the can. Smooth the edges so you don't accidentally cut yourself during assembly or use and use wood screws to attach the cans to the wood. (Note - If the wood is wider than the cans are tall, set them on a flat surface and attach the cans so the bottom of the cans and the wood are in line with each other)

Attach the handle to the top edge of the wood and you have a great tool and parts caddy to help you carry what you need to work around your home and yard. Make two or three and re-cycle 24 - 32 cans. Give them as gifts to your gardener friends and they'll love your creativity and thoughtfulness.

Garden Stakes - save and recycle small pipes, bamboo, old broom and mop handles which make great garden stakes to hold up you flowers and veggies.

Panty Hose - cut up old pantyhose into strips to tie up plants with a softer touch and avoiding cutting into your plants.

Plant Markers - like those metal plant markers you see in the catalogues? Here are two ideas to replicate those nifty markers. Use old household blinds by cutting them to size with an angle at the bottom so they will slip into the soil easier. Use a fine-point Sharpie or other permanent marker to write on them. Or you can use tin snips to cut up aluminum soda cans into strips and use a pencil [press hard] to write on them.

Resolve to start making changes now that will impact your garden for the future and make it more sustainable. You don't have to do everything at once. Pick 3 things to put on your Green Gardening To Do List to accomplish this season. Then put 5 more things on a long-term green gardening list to make your garden greener and more sustainable for the future.

I could sit here and think about many other easy ways to be a greener gardener, but I've decided to ask you for ideas to share. Use the Comment box below to share your ideas with our readers. Don't be Contrary now!!


Happy Green Gardening!!



Greening a Construction Project Trailer

Jeremiah Ridge - Clanton, Alabama

When we were "gifted" with a donation of a mobile home from Phillip & Alice DiGiorgio and sister Donna DiGiorgio, we saw this an ultimate Recycling project. We are taking a mobile home that was destined to be trashed and converting it into a green construction project trailer we will use as we work on our residential green demonstration model located in central Alabama.

Follow our progress as we begin making green choices for our construction office. This particular blog posting will be one that we continue to update as we find new things to share about our progress.

What will we do with the construction trailer once we are done? We will "pay it forward"!! We think that we will be using the mobile home for a couple of years at Jeremiah Ridge and then plan to donate it to a family or a worthy organization who has a need. We would love to hear from everyone about your ideas on how we should determine who will receive our gift of the mobile home.

The first question we have is how much of our resources will we expend to make the project office greener? There are some green construction offices that developed that have cost as much as $100,000 to convert. We do not plan to spend that kind of money and hope to find products that are reasonably priced and/or recycled and re-used from such organizations as the Habitat for Humanity ReStores or Craigslist or FreeCycle. Perhaps companies with green products will want to showcase them in our project office trailer and sponsor certain aspects of the re-purposing of this office unit.

 

Original Setting on DiGiorgios' Property

 

Our Construction Project Office
sitting onsite at Jeremiah Ridge


The Basics

One of the things we had to address once the project office was on the property was to begin going through it carefully to discover and plug up openings that would allow weather or varmints to come inside. 

We are evaluating locations of all light fixtures and will change all light bulbs to lower wattages and/or compact fluorescent or LED. Interested in updating your light fixtures and bulbs? Go the the Eco-Friendly Lighting section of our website for lots of information on choices you can make.

What do we do about windows? How do we make them more energy efficient? We'll begin by sealing them and making certain the screens and windows close tightly. We'll clean and lubricate the slides and tracks and repair any broken panes. Although we would normally think about replacing all windows with energy-efficient ones, we are not sure that we want to spend that money on this particular part of the project. We think that using solar film and/or solar shades on the windows can help boost their energy-efficiency a great deal.

What's Next?

Insulation - There is practically no insulation left on the underside of the mobile home and what is left there is fiberglass. Because the insulation has been there a while, it probably is not the most environmentally-friendly of products. We will have to look for a responsible way to dispose of what's left of the old insulation. 

One of the first things to do, after we remove the old insulation, is lay down 6 mil sheeting on the ground under the unit to control moisture. We are looking at a number of options to insulate the the underside of the home. One product we saw at one of the big box stores is a formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation made by Johns-Manville. We also wonder about a biologically-based spray that would seal openings as well as insulate. Research will continue as we look for the best insulation product for the unit and we will share our research with you. The final step will be to wrap the underside with a moisture barrier.

Skirting --We are hoping to re-use much of the skirting that was originally on the mobile home. It will need re-painting - so we will be looking at solar-reflective paint products as a possibility. We'll also be creating a storage section under the trailer and will, to the very best of our ability, use reclaimed and repurposed materials to frame and build the access doors.

Siding -- This is an area where we may get a bit creative. We are considering a solar-reflective paint on the siding. We also really liked an idea we saw at a recent Solar Decathlon we attended in Washington, DC. The prototype we saw incorporated a double-wall construction with an air pocket (2"-3") between the walls. The vertical boards [see photos below] were very attractive as an exterior finish and kept the direct rays of the sun off of the primary structure. Since a mobile home can normally heat up a great deal when the sun hits those metal-clad surfaces, this could really help cool down the inside.

Roof --Originally there was a metal roof structure supported by steel posts and roof trusses. We are trying to decide whether to re-create this structure over the mobile home or use it elsewhere on the property. We have not determined if the metal roof was there because there were actual problems with the unit's roof leaking or if it was installed to give it a more aesthetic appearance. It did make it look a lot better but we are considering what else could be done to make it look attractive as well as keep the weather out.

Related to the roof area is the real possibility that we'll install an array of photovoltaic panels up there to render this an "off-grid" structure. More to come on this subject.

Miscellaneous - One of the things that distresses us when we are in Chilton County, Alabama is that, as far as we know, there is no recycling program to benefit its citizens. We were forced to just throw so much directly into the trash and it drove us a little bonkers to have to do that. So, in the very near future, we will be setting up recycling areas in the project trailer and outside there will be a compost area.

What will we do with our recycling? We don't know at the moment. One thing we will do is to work on meeting with city and county officials to encourage them to re-structure and re-establish their recycling program. We will find an area inside to set up containers to make it easy to dispose of our glass, plastics and metal and then arrange a collection area so that we can store bags of recycled materials in bulk until we are able to find a place to take them and dispose of them responsibly. Establishing rain barrels attached to the gutter system on the project trailer will also be a high priority. This will require us to create a means to harvest rain-water from the small gutter systems found on most mobile homes.

Porches & Patios - There are two doors to enter the home/office. One is on the west-facing side leading to the Project Office area, the other on the east side leading to the kitchen/dining area. Both are from three feet to four feet from the ground. We want to have more than just steps leading to the entrances.

The west side porch and entrance will, necessarily, be incorporated into any wall system that's constructed to mitigate the heat absorption properties of the unit's outside walls. The east side structure will be more a stand-alone, meant to provide outside meeting space and a secondary entrance.

Utilities - We would love to place a solar panel or two (or more!) on the mobile home if we can find an affordable option to do so.

We anticipate using propane or LP gas to cook with and to heat the space and the water. This will also be the fuel source for the main house as we intend to use on-demand water heaters and a gas cook-top and oven there as well. We expect to bury the tank to remediate the visual impact on the finished project.

The unit will be connected to the County water supply system and the County-approved on-site septic system. When we complete these several utility connections, the remaining connections required will be electrical, phone and cable for the communications systems (internet & cable) for the entire project. We have found a great solution for our wireless internet connection. We purchased a Verizon 5 Spot at our local Verizon store in Clanton that allows us to become our own secure mobile WiFi spot and connect up to five wireless devices. We received excellent service from our local store, Verizon's customer service line and have been very happy with this product. We like the fact that we can take our show on the road and get internet service wherever we are - travelling in the car, in the Construction Project Office or anywhere on the thirty acres of Jeremiah Ridge.

Making the Interior Green

Overall we will be going for a bit more modern look and clean lines for our project trailer. We are throwing out a few ideas we have thought about so far - let us know what you think and and share any ideas you have with us.

 Living Area 

Before Photo of Living Area

We actually rather like the current color in this area and intend to only give it a fresh coat of paint. We have found a color that is very similar to it - the color is Bohemian Earth by KILZ Casual Colors. This paint is now available in a low odor, low VOC formula.

Note: Low Odor or Low VOC paints are usually marketed by most paint manufacturers as meeting a threshold of 50g/L. Best choices should be in the 10-25 g/L VOC range.

The carpet is nice but we would like to replace it with a wood, bamboo or cork floor. We want to make or purchase a credenza to go on the far wall to display information about the project or use as a buffet for business dinners. The only other pieces of furniture we will want to put this area are a large conference table and chairs that can be used for meetings or dining. So, we will begin a search to find a large piece of stone, wood or glass to make a table from.

 Kitchen

Before Photo of Kitchen

Painting the kitchen cabinets with an off-white glaze finish will be one of my first interior projects after the rest of the contact/shelf paper is removed. I have found that one of my favorite paints for painting cabinets - Kilz Casual Colors - now comes in a low VOC - low odor formula. I will have to do some research on the glaze that I have normally used to see how the VOC rating works out.

The stove is electric and no longer works. We have decided that we would like to replace it with a gas range that fueled by propane gas. Propane makes sense to us because Jeremiah Ridge is located in a rural area, propane is a clean-burning fuel and much more cost-effective than electricity.

The refrigerator is an older Coldspot side-by-side, is in great shape and runs very well. No, it wouldn't qualify as an Energy Star appliance. But we are planning to keep it and experiment with a faux stainless steel paint or faux steel film to update it. There are two products that seem pretty good for this:  Thomas LiquidSteel [made in USA] and Softmetal Stainless Steel Film [imported from Germany]. We're leaning toward the LiquidSteel because it receives a lot of good feedback, is made in the USA and is fairly affordable [$40 for a refrigerator].



Funky Light Fixture

This area has a somewhat funky light fixture that will have to come out because it does not fit in with the clean modern look we want for the project trailer. The other reason it will have to go is that people over 5 feet tall will keep running into it. But, I am rather attached to it and it may show up some other structure at Jeremiah Ridge. Perhaps in the cottage?

So tell us - how do you think we can make the kitchen area green and create a cleaner, modern look? What should we do for the floors? The countertops? The lighting?



Bedroom 1



Before Photo of Bedroom 1

We have no particular plans or color scheme for the bedroom yet other than to remove the wall sconces and ceiling fan and to place a bed and small chest of drawers for storage when we are working on the project. The floor has a decent carpet but it would be nice to replace it with a greener choice like bamboo or cork.

 
   Bathroom 1

Before Photo of Sink Area - Bathroom 1

The sink area is in decent shape but we may paint the cabinet. It does have a somewhat funky mirror [funky - hmmm -- do I date myself?!] that probably will be re-purposed and renewed.



Before Photo of Tub Area - Bathroom 1

I would like to see a lot of tile on the floor and the tub surround. Additionally, we will initially displace some of the water in the toilet tank with a filled half-gallon plastic jug and look at installing a low-flow retro-fit kit to make it more efficient. We can also conserve water by installing a low-flow shower head. Although we would love to have a more luxurious tub, it is probably not very cost-efficient to replace it for a construction project trailer.



Bathroom Inspiration



This is a shower curtain my daughter passed along to me some years ago. I have had it packed away and never used it but have always loved the colors and scene. I hung it up this bathroom and am thinking that I will use it for my inspiration for this bathroom and perhaps into the adjoining bedroom.



Laundry

Before Photo of Laundry



The dryer shown was actually retained by the owners but we will look for some energy-efficient replacements. Possibly a propane-fueled dryer? Wouldn't it be great if we could manage to power the laundry appliances and refrigerator with solar power?



A word about cleaning supplies. It is time for all of us to start thinking more about the soap and cleaning supplies we use and there are many more green options for us to choose from now. Or, you might consider going back to the basics: vinegar and baking soda are low cost and very effective in cleaning many items around your home. Links are provided below to get your started in thinking about making wiser choices.

Green Your Cleaning Products

How to Green Your Cleaning Routine

How Green Cleansers Measure Up

Office/Guest Room

The palladium windows in the room face out to a view of the entire property and we think it will make a great office area with a futon for guests who may need (or want!) to stay overnight. Because of the small size of the room, we would have to block that wonderful view to set both a desk and a futon in the room. So we have decided that, since the closet doors are missing anyway and we don't actually need the extra storage in the closet, we will slide a desk into the closet and convert it into an office work area.

The ceiling fan will have to go - too dangerous for anyone over 5 foot tall! We have not chosen a color scheme yet but will find a dramatic color for the area where the desk will go.



Before Photo of Office/Guest Room





Before Photo of Office/Guest Room

Bathroom 2



Before Photo of Bathroom 2

This is another full bathroom directly off the Office/Guest Room. Again, I think it can benefit from a lot of tile on the floor and tub surround. We've seen some great tile products at the Habitat ReStores and can't wait to go back there - soon!

As with Bathroom 1, we will look at installing a low-flow retro-fitting on the toilet and a low-flow showerhead.


Before Photo of Bathroom 2


There is a decent sink cabinet and medicine chest that we may pretty much leave as is.

 

We do have some more ideas floating around and look forward to sharing our progress as we begin to make this a Green Construction Project Trailer. But we also want to hear your green ideas and suggestions. Let me say that again - we really want to hear from you! If your idea doesn't resonate with us, that doesn't mean it won't with another of our readers. After all, this is a community.

Ask us questions you may have about the project. Post here or on our Facebook page to tell us you ideas. Do you have links you want to send us that relate to this subject? Have a green product you want to have highlighted in this project? We will be happy consider all, post applicable links and give you credit. Send your information or link to info@jeremiahridge.com.