Friday, August 6, 2010

Monday, July 26, 2010

thanks tulsa, PSO, sustainable tulsa green drinks and all my vendors!

sorry it took me so long to thank all of you for coming out and supporting our cause, green building!

i should have final pics of the home up this week.  oh, we sold our current home while we were on vacation so we'll be moving into the green house next door soon!  we close on aug. 9 so approx 2 weeks!

public tours are over but call me if you want a private tour.

Chad
918-629-5498

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

SAVE THE DATE!!!!! WED. JULY 14th 5:30pm to 7:30pm

http://www.tulsagreendrinks.blogspot.com/

Sustainable Green Country and AEP/PSO will sponsor our open house, free to the public.  Catering by Elote, Door Prizes, Education, Tours and a few brief presentations.

Pleas join us!!!  Additional parking will be available on the South West corner of the EXPO CENTER Parking lot (near the black train on the corner of 21st Place and Louisville.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Location: 3530 E. 21st Place, Tulsa

Chad

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Landscape Updates!!!

We also rigged up our rain-water harvesting barrels to soaker hoses today...just need to refine our guttering supply to fit the barrel height and positions and we'll be ready to save some water!!!

Come by and see us!

chad

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Green House Specs

I know you folks want to see what could possibly be so cool about this green house....let's run down some of the major elements...I'm sure I've forgotten something or someone so please excuse me -- i will try and correct later:

3530 E. 21st Place
Tulsa, OK 74114

Legal Description: Lot 4, Block 5, Jefferson Hills Addition


House Information
  • 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom; 1,480sqft
  • Bungalow with great living room; all bedrooms on one side
  • Detached 2-car garage (400sqft) with renovated studio apartment
Standards for rating a building's "greenness" have been established by several organizations, using point systems to rate energy use, water use, materials, design and more.  This home is seeking certification through three of the largest and most recognized green building protocols in the United States (one-of-a kind in Oklahoma):
  • U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)
  • National Association of Home Builders' National Green Building Standard
  • U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR for Homes program

Renovation Highlights

  • Roof
    • TAMKO MetalWorks series steel roof; 50-year warranty; wind resistant up to 140mph; “Cool Roof”; completely recyclable after life cycle
    • TechShield radiant barrier oriented strand board (OSB)
  • Insulation
    • Demilec’s environmentally-safe spray foam insulation surrounds entire building envelope, including the crawl space (beneath sub-floor) and window frames  
    • All Drywall made by Temple-Inland called Green Glass made with recycled glass. It has at least 90% recycled content and provides SERIOUS moisture and mold protection as well as fire resistance! This is not your regular drywall.
  • Windows and Doors
    • Pella’s Architect Series Low-E, double pane, double-hung, argon gas-filled windows throughout, including large casement windows on master suite patio
    • Sliding door on side porch and back-door are Pella Architect series doors with three locking mechanisms
    • New insulated security storm door by Larson, a Pella subsidiary
  • Lighting
    • Juno LED can lights throughout; projected operational life of LED lamps is 100,000 hours, although they do not “burn out”…they’re rated for 100,000 hours, then they eventually go from 100% to 99% efficiency to 98%, etc
    • Solatube tubular skylights throughout, including versions with dimmers and CFL lights built-in for nighttime use
  • Bathrooms (2)
    • Kohler low-flow toilets and fixtures, sinks, bathtub and shower
  • Kitchen and Utility Room
    • Jay Rambo Company bamboo (Plyboo) custom open galley kitchen cabinetry
    • Kohler sink and faucet
    • Stainless steel Energy Star appliances throughout
    • Concrete/recycled glass countertops
    • Front-loading washer and dryer in utility room
  • HVAC and Water Heating
    • Carrier Infinity high-efficiency system; supply/return in every room; pressure balancing, humidity control and air-filtration system; main system operates inside the conditioned space (attic) for added efficiency; mechanical fresh air-intake.
    • R94LS Rianni gas-powered tankless hot-water heating system; all system piping is insulated in crawlspace
  •  Exterior, Landscaping, and Crawlspace
    • Pave-stone permeable brick paving system from street to garage, to include side-by-side parking near street; recycling 100% of existing concrete
    • TNT Security system.  Security lighting with motion detectors
    • Drought-tolerant, non-invasive plant materials; many native species provided by Colebrook’s nursery
    • Hand-built 8x12 storage/tool shed with lighting/electricity
    • Crawlspace includes a white Viper® moisture vapor that provides illuminating and clean access to any area under the house.  Vents are covered to control pests/rodents.
    • Buried power from pole to breaker-box on house…no wires in the air
    • Rain water harvesting barrels
  • Detached Studio Apartment
    • Appliances furnished; lots of storage, bamboo flooring, Solatube with dimmer, recycled glass countertops, Murphy bed, washer/dryer, private security system
  • All coatings, stains, paints, polyurethane products provided by local Anchor Paint
    • Low VOC latex paints in all the rooms
  • Electrical work conducted by Coburn Electric and most lighting fixtures provided by Broken Arrow Electric and Triple C Lighting here in town  
Intangibles
    • Re-used 60% of original hardwoods, 97% of original framing, original doors (now pocket-doors), stone exterior, ideal location for access to any major thoroughfare in or out of Tulsa (plus close bus-stop), walking distance to Florence Parks and Expo Center, great neighbors, new garage door opener, new gutters, expanded front porch 

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO

"Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An’ if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know!"

Well, folks, after discussing the house a little bit last week with Stephanie Starzer, my home mortgage consultant, I think we're going to make the painstaking attempt to go back to our original plan of trying to sell the home!   [sniff, sniff, wipe]

After looking at some comparable homes in this area, hopefully we'll be able to have the house appraised at a sufficient cost per square foot to sell the home for what its REALLY worth.  We can always move in and enjoy this fabulous house as the "worst case scenario" (and how bad could that be?) but we just feel that right now we're going to have an unprecedented opportunity to show the home to the type of family who could appreciate and love this house the way it deserves to be loved.


More soon to follow!!!  Tito, pass me a tissue.

Contact my wife, Amy, for a private tour or appointment: 918-527-5123


Chad

Monday, May 24, 2010

Open House Schedule for Product and Service Providers -- June and July

Hello Tulsans:

As we approach the end of our green residential rennovation, I wanted to let everyone know that we'll begin a 6-week open house schedule for anyone interested in learning more about our project or what like-minded green building enthusisasts can do to build/renovate in a more sustainable manner.  Click on the image below to see a full-screen depiction of the promotional schedule.  Hope to see you out here!

Chad

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

OSU Internship Executive Summary and Acknowledgements

I thought these two sections of my internship report were important enough to post on the blog.

Chad

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY


A dilapidated house had been unoccupied for 8 years and was in dire need of a major renovation or, as many thought, needed to be demolished. With the enormous amount of reconstructive work required to refurbish the house to standard building code specifications, it became apparent that using a restoration process based on nationally accepted green building and sustainable construction practices could be used to certify the home within the same budget – so this became the internship’s mission.

Standards for rating a building's "greenness" have been established by several organizations, using point systems to rate energy use, water use, materials, design and more. The largest and most recognized green building protocols in the United States are: the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED); the National Association of Home Builders' National Green Building Standard; and, the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program. These nationally accepted third-party certification programs set benchmarks for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.

The internship was conducted under the tutelage of Lorrie Hoefling, President of the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Oklahoma Chapter. Lorrie has over 20 years of construction management experience as well as demonstrated her mastery of green building practices by becoming a LEED Accredited Professional. The USGBC is a 501 c3 non-profit organization committed to a sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. The USGBC’s mission is to change the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves our quality of life. The location of the internship took place onsite at 3530 E. 21st Place, an infill lot located within a residential neighborhood in mid-town Tulsa, OK.

The internship required me to serve as team leader and general green consultant/liaison. In this position, I worked hand-in-hand with the architect, general contractor, subcontractors, and third-party verifiers, providing research, labor, and support for all written documentation for the home renovation as required for all three of the aforementioned green building programs. Throughout the process, I reported on a variety of topics pertinent to green building enthusiasts and Tulsans who might be considering sustainable construction solutions. I educated the community through site tours, speaking engagements, press releases/media coverage, a website blog (www.obgreen.blogspot.com), as well as providing green building content to local print publications. A secondary goal of the internship was to prepare for professional accreditation offered through either the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) or the U.S. Green Building Council. I’m currently studying for the LEED for Homes Accredited Professional exam in June.



ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank my wife, Amy, for her patience and support while I spent many valuable weeknights at school and weekends writing papers over the past few years. Thanks to Isaac, Nate and Billie – my kids and my life-force. Thanks to fellow ex-submariner and OSU staff member Matt Albright for his unwavering guidance and keeping me in the proper channels. Thanks to Dr. Focht for his candid cross examination about my intentions for the program and allowing me to prove myself in subjects where I had no prior training or knowledge. Thanks to Dr. Ede for teaching so many night classes in Tulsa – you’re a great ambassador for OSU and I wish you all the best.

Thanks to three non-profit organizations and their tireless leaders and volunteers, who kept challenging me to maintain a high level of community involvement: Tulsa Master Recyclers, Sustainable Tulsa and the U.S. Green Building Council, Oklahoma Chapter. I’m forever indebted to Lorrie Hoefling, President of USGBC Oklahoma Chapter, my mentor and all-around fearless green building go-to gal. Lorrie’s experience, hard work and dedication made my life a lot easier.

A very special thanks to key decision makers and product manufacturers who helped make this project a true land-mark for Tulsa: Stephen McNally, TAMKO Building Products; Tim Whaley, EnviroGLAS; Cynthia Sener, Solatube International; Elaine Sagers, Pella Corporation; Ralph Lackner, Jay Rambo Company; Halsey Cook, Carrier; Demilec USA; Mandi Williams, Ozark InSEALators; Chip Meade, Justin Meade, and Terrel Erwin, Anchor Paint; Sean McClanahan, Hahn Appliance Warehouse; Doyle R. Simons, Bart Morton and Glenn Miller, Temple-Inland, Charles Hight, Triple C Companies; Chris Parke, Broken Arrow Electric Supply; Gordon and Mary Colebrook, Colebrook Nursery; Russell Vaughn, Trinity Concrete Works; and Jim and Darlene Belden, General Contractors – the engine that kept it all going.

Additional thanks to the people and service providers who were critical to making this dream a reality: Tim Shoemaker, Pave-Stone Company of OK; Darrin VanRiper and Bart Colburn, Colburn Electric; Keith Hilligoss, Air Solutions; Sean Stevens, M&M Lumber; David Perkins and Mollie Eichman, Perk, Inc.; Dan Regan, Jamie Pryor and Edith, Metal Seams & Tile; Jason Fischer, ICF; Shelley Umezawa, The Met; Stephen and Diane Ornelas; Glenda McHenry, Heatwave Supply; Mike Covington, Linda Parker and Students, TulsaTech; Jamin Swanson, The Womble Company; Angela Rosecrans and Cathy Tatom, OETA; Christy Caves; Stephen Maxwell; Pam Curtis, Reclamation Station; Todd Stephens, TMS Atelier; Chris Howell, Channel 6; Tom Schroeder, Kohler; Andrea Palmer, Guaranteed Watts Savers; Linda McGrew, Tulsa Granite; Harley Hollan; Tulsa Home Builders Association; Mars Tree Service; Jonathan and Leah Campbell; Gene Williams; Jane Talkington; Todd Stephens; all the people in my neighborhood, Jefferson Hills.

Chad's Environmental Science Internship Report and Presentation

Warning!!!  You'll need a high speed connection to download/view these files.  

After 7 days, please contact me directly if you'd like to see either document.

Report
http://rcpt.yousendit.com/875068375/a136d4a2f0d6a0553a4bc99ffbb6de31

Presentation
http://rcpt.yousendit.com/875070151/a93c64c381b9566f63a5cfb307d1efa6


Chad
coach.chad08@yahoo.com

crazy progress







stone back splash....looks like some kind of slate.  picked it up at Lowes.




Kitchler fans from Triple C lighting and Broken Arrow Electic


pocket door hardware

hardware on all closets and doors

mirrored vanity from Kohler

Found this handle from Lowes...we were stumped on the handles and wanted to do something a little differnet than the standard long/slender pulls that are currently in vouge

installed a railing and you can see the new guttering


we ran some electricty to the shed. even put a little bit of guttreing on the shed entrance.






composting bin from the M. e. t.

Recycyled glass counter top from EnviroGLASS (PLano, TX) and installed and fabricated by Tulsa Granite.

Beer bottles and car windshields

we'll reuse the same fan that was in the garage apartment before

window seat....we're FINALLY done painting with both exterior and interior...BRUTAL!

same bathroom countertop...new Kohler fixtures.



landscaping update





Spent the weekend dropping in wonderful plant materials from Colebrooks Nursery.  Gordon and Mary Colebrook operate a "sneaky-big" nursery out in West Tulsa.


Burning Bushes, Diagio grass on left


Burning Bushes, dwarf holly bushes, moon beam, stella de oro day lilly...soon to come: black-eyed susans






On June 9 and 10, this driveway will be torn out and taken to APAC to be recycled.  We will replace with a permeable brick paving system from Pavestone.

Crate mertle and plastic rain water harvesting container.  We considered used wine or whiskey barrels but wineries are VERT proud of them and for how long they would last coupled how much they were asking (between $150 to $250 per barrel!) we opted for something from SAMS ($79/each) 



English Ivy, burning bushes, diagio grass, day lillies, ground covering junipers

Pink Mulley grass...verbenas and red tip photinias will go in along the fence for privacy.


ground covering junipers

Pampas grass seen to the right of the rain barrel

A couple of nandinas, junipers, moonbeams....

raise your hand, Billie!

rain barrel from garage will provide water the vegatble garden. 


I'm considering using free mulch from Tulsa's green waste site to cover the pathways...at least until for this year.

Friday, April 30, 2010

Let's Plant!!!!

Let the landscaping beatings begin! Stella de Oro's seen on the left.
Using the landscap plan Jonanthan and Leah Cambell put together, we marked off all the lines with spray paint.
Baby Moonbeams, shown above.
One of the beds in the front yard...about 1/3 of the way done.
We'll drop a tree into the eye of the "C" above.
Moonbeams (close) and Stellas (far) outlining the beds facing the street.
you gotta love the red door!
Russle Vauhn finished up the kitchen and bathroom countertops....they look pretty good if i do say so myself.
like glass...wait...there is 75% glass in it.
cool built-in sink bowl...all in one piece.  amazing what you can do with concrete!

finally got the side porch ceiling covered....wow, that old bead board is a paint hog.
After wasting a day installing almond color swithces, we had to go back and change them out to white....arrrrgh!