Month 6

The following slide show is Presented by:

Kleier AssociatesArchitects

Specialists inHistoric Renovations and Additions

Green RestorationAdaptive Reuse

Architectural Forensic Investigations

Credits:

The quality of a project is determined by the quality of the contractors and their enthusiasm for the work.

Steve Thomson of Full Spectrum assembled a quality crew, involved them in the concept of building GREEN and he listened to their ideas. Not only did he succeed in creating enthusiasm for the work, he created a spirit of tradesmen working together that I have seen on few projects.

I will try to point out all the subcontractors as the presentation progresses.

The house in the following slides is owned by Gary and Diane Kleier. It is located in Old Louisville, an Historic District of Louisville, Kentucky. The house is 105 years old, approximately 2600 square feet, two and a half stories tall with a full basement. The exterior walls are 12” thick, solid brick, and the foundation is 18” of solid limestone.

The addition contains a new kitchen and a sitting room. The addition is approximately 350 square feet with a full basement. The new construction is wood frame with brick veneer, not much different than most houses built today. However the roof is metal of the type that would have been used 105 years ago.

From the beginning the Kleiers intended this house to be more than a renovation providing comfortable living space. This house will be a demonstration of Green Renovation, a concept of significant importance but receiving too little attention.

Front Elevation as construction began.

Rear Elevation before construction began.

Concept Rendering of finished house with addition

The GREENEST buildingis the one that already exists.

Ten percent of what the environmental movement does advances the cause of historic preservation.

But 100% of what the preservation movement does advances the cause of the environment.

-- Donovan Rypkema

Renovation Continued

At this time we have passed the half way point in the renovation work, and the number of slides in the presentation was nearing 100. That is a lot of slides to view, so I have broken the presentation into two parts. If you have not had the opportunity to view the first half, it is still available at:

http://tinyurl.com/lju66t

WEEK 12

Roof work continues. The old roof is already looking better.

Stripping of existing doors continues. Three doors in the Library have been difficult to find so the decision was made to construct the doors in a style that will match the paneling for that room. This will also allow the doors to be constructed of the same wood as the paneling and appear as part of the paneling.

The brickwork on the west and most of the south side is completed. The stone heads and sills are constructed from materials salvaged from the house. Salvaged windows have been installed and will be restored.

Preparing forInsulation

The sprayed insulation sticks to EVERYTHING and it is almost impossible to remove. Cover all surfaces and materials to prevent a problem.

Insulation is sprayed into the wall cavities.

As it cures, the foam expands to tightly fill the entire cavity and eliminate air leakage.

When the insulation is cured, the excess is cut off with a saw. Note that the area between joists is also insulated.

Before Insulating

After Insulating

Week 13Roof restoration and window restoration are well under way. All window jambs and sills , some in very rough condition, are being restored. Weights and pulleys are saved and restored. Ropes are replaced.

With the electrical, plumbing and HVAC infrastructure in place, inspections completed, and insulation sprayed in, drywall work can begin.

The only new doors and windows on the job are two that did not previously exist. These doors were manufactured within a hundred miles of the project. The glass is insulated and the doors are well weatherstripped.

New doors and windows are now in place. Finally the house can be closed up and the heat turned on.

Finish materials and the house are allowed to reach a comfortable temperature before the finishes are applied.

Only two rooms, the Kitchen and the Library (the original Kitchen), needed wood flooring. In both cases, recycled materials were used.

Kitchen cabinets arrive and are allowed to come to temperature before installation.

The only packaging material used was a plastic wrap to hold doors and drawers closed. Furniture pads were used in transport for protection.

The kitchen cabinetry was manufactured by G & R Woodworking, an Amish company from central Indiana. The Amish are known for their work ethic and a lifestyle that, by today’s standards, can truly be called Green. They are represented locally by Liz at Home: http://www.lizathomedesign.com/

The cabinetry faces are manufactured from Maple that is harvested, dried and milled in the surrounding area. No particle board is used anywhere in the cabinets. Veneer plywood, when required, is formaldehyde free. In their work as well as their life, the Amish waste nothing. Sawdust is composted and scrap wood is used for increasingly smaller pieces until it is too small for any additional parts. However, in our case, wood too small for additional parts was still large enough to be incorporated in a butcher block counter top.

Another counter top was fabricated from structural lumber removed from the house during demolition.

After coming up to temperature, the cabinetry is installed.

Because the butcher block top, shown in the center photograph, will be used as a cutting board, it was coated with mineral oil. Wiping the surface with mineral oil weekly will renew the surface.

It is never too early to teach a work ethic. What son at this age doesn’t want to do what daddy does?

The brick interior finish gives the appearance of a porch area that has been enclosed.

Mason Rocky Crady was more than happy to be working inside when the temperature hit 7°

The insulated concrete forms used to create the basement space must be covered to protect from poisonous off gassing in the event of a fire. Covering the walls with a ¾” T&G plywood not only provides the needed protection, but also a perfect base for hanging tools and shelving in this future work shop. The sprayed-in foam is water based and requires no protective covering.

Window sash restoration in process….Remove the glass; strip the old finish; square the sash; impregnate the corners and soft areas with epoxy consolident; fill the bad areas with epoxy putty; prime; install the glass and paint. (Weatherstripping will be shown elsewhere.)

Broken glass is replaced with laminated glass for safety, security, UV reduction and energy savings. While not as energy efficient as double pane glass, it has a better U factor than single pane and outlasts double pane by decades.

Seal the edges of laminated glass with silicone to prevent discoloration.

Original 105 year old locksets are cleaned, lubricated and made ready for reinstallation.

Granite counter tops were chosen because they are a natural material that, with proper care, will retain their beauty and last as long as the house.

Moisture resistant drywall is installed in the basement.

Man Cave??Not what you may want, but it works for me. With the workshop now available the sawdust is confined to this area of the house. The remainder of the basement is available for painting.

Only 25% of the heat system is operating and the workshop has only one supply air register for the entire 350 sq ft. And yet, thanks to the insulated concrete forms, the shop area maintains a very comfortable temperature.

Materials and furniture have been arriving for several months. Our current dining and living rooms are looking like a warehouse.

Every good warehouse needs several good cats.

Foam insulation between a window frame and the wall not only insulates but seals out air leaks, the greatest source of heat loss.

There must have been 15 coats of paint on this cast iron fireplace surround and mantel when we rescued it from a pile of junk about to head for the dump. Cast iron is one of the few historic items that can be carefully sandblasted. Crushed walnut shells did the job without damage to the metal. This unit is slated for the master bedroom instead of the wood mantel we were planning to build.

Dining RoomFireplace

The original Dining Room Fireplace tile and insert were to be restored. Unfortunately, when the hearth and insert were removed, the remaining concrete and tile collapsed. They will be rebuilt but the tile is lost.

The original wooden mantel and surround is missing. A new one has been designed and will be built for this location.

We were lucky to find Tommy Stevens of Stevens Painting. Not only was he knowledgeable, but very quick to grasp the meaning of Green construction and working as a member of the team. Here he is preparing original baseboard and doors for reuse.

Tommy! Where is you dust mask?

Meanwhile…. In the Basement

Painting the basement walls was one of the last items on our list of priorities, but when it can be a learning experience for a contractor in training…… take advantage of the opportunity. For a 9 year old, he’s pretty good with a paint roller.

It is time to begin dying the concrete floor in the basement, but first the original concrete must be prepared. This is done by grinding the surface to remove the glue and dirt from the last 100 years.

We are now six months into the project and it seems that Kleier’s 90/90 rule has taken affect. ( 90/90 Rule: The first 90% of the project takes 90% of the time. The last 10% of the project takes 90% of the time. )

Finishes are starting and will be very noticeable in the next month. Nearly all ceilings and walls are have at least one coat of paint. The Kitchen floor is ready for staining and finishing. The appliances (energy star) are arriving and those above floor level are being installed. Trim carpentry, Reading Room and Library bookshelves are about to be installed. Electricians are ready to begin installing ceiling fixtures. Near the end of the month, floor finishing and ceramic tile will begin.