PART TWO: “Why One Woman Chose to Go Green”

In our last newsletter we wrote about Meadowview's first truly green project: a kitchen addition at the home of Elizabeth Rose in Georgetown MA. Her goal was to minimize the environmental impact during and after construction of the project, requiring us to incorporate many green elements into the design and execution of her new space—a kitchen, office and bathroom. In June we covered why Elizabeth went green; now we’ll talk about what specific project elements were, in some way, environmentally friendly.

Grab some coffee and cookies, folks…it’s a pretty extensive list!

Energy Audit: Before the job started Elizabeth arranged for an energy audit of the entire home by energy expert Mike Brown . The information gathered from thermal imaging and a blower door test showed where all the energy-wasting spots were and Mike provided a comprehensive list of suggested improvements to achieve a truly tight structure. Most of the recommendations were carried out by Meadowview after the kitchen renovation was completed. At the conclusion of the project Mike returned for another series of tests to double check the work.

Sitework: Before construction started a cedar tree needed to be cut down to make room for the addition and to allow for more sunlight. Meadowview found a local sawmill to cut the tree into planks for use in Elizabeth’s future projects.

Demolition: Much of what would normally be thrown away was recycled or salvaged via www.craigslist.com and www.freecycle.org. Throughout the project the crew kept separate containers on site for wood, metals, food waste, and plastics. Any materials that were reused in the new design were stored on the property, including much of the original landscape materials.

Foundation: The form release oil that keeps the concrete from sticking to the foundation forms was nontoxic and biodegradable. Traditional form oil is petroleum based and tends to leach into the ground.

Framing: For the framing we used FSC lumber from Sterritt Lumber, which is wood that has been certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. This guarantees that the lumber was harvested from correctly managed forest, and documents each vendor who comes in contact with the wood until the time it arrives on site. Each piece of FSC lumber is stamped with an American Flag to distinguish it.

Insulation in Exterior Walls: As the home is built out of hollow clay blocks with a stucco finish, it required a thorough insulation detail to get the envelope tight. We had to create a thermal break using rigid insulation because the hollow blocks have poor insulation properties. The insulation in all other areas is blown-in cellulose made from 80% recycled newspaper. The insulation contractor also utilized a thermal imaging camera to double check that all wall cavities were free of voids when he was done.

Slab Floor Base: Since the new kitchen was originally a garage space, the old concrete floor was very uneven. Reusing it was out of the question so the demolished concrete waste was brought to an Ipswich company that crushes it up and makes filler material out of it for roads. The new concrete floor contains high efficiency radiant heating.

Roofing: The new entry roof, designed by architect Juli MacDonald, utilizes extra clay roof tiles that the owners had saved. The kitchen bump-out roofing consists of standard copper which is more eco-friendly than lead-coated copper. This bump-out incorporates special Velux skylights containing copper trim which blends in seamlessly with the roofing.

Windows: With the addition situated on the Northeast side of the home and the original kitchen being so dark, Elizabeth wanted to flood the new space with lots of natural light. We put in as much window area as was feasible, using Pella Designer Series Windows with Roll Screens that roll up out of the way to allow the maximum amount of beneficial sunlight and airflow in. There are three skylights cut into the new bumpout roof and at the owners’ request, no PVC trim was used to trim out the exterior.

Wall Finishes: All wall paints are low-VOC, including those used for the decorative paint finishes.

Cabinetry: Meadowview builds a special line of eco-friendly cabinetry right in Georgetown so there was minimal shipping involved; Elizabeth’s are made with FSC cherry lumber and plywood with no urea-formaldehyde adhesives. A low VOC finish safely protects the wood surfaces and as always, leftover scraps from the cabinetry shop were salvaged for use by a local artist while the sawdust was collected and used by a local cow farm for animal bedding.

Countertops: The concrete kitchen countertops were manufactured by Aggregate Designs, a local company that recycles fly ash from a local power plant to make the concrete counters. The office space incorporates Richlite countertops made from recycled paper products.

Flooring: Special tiles made from recycled glass were chosen by interior designer Lisa Kawski for all the floor surfaces except the mudroom in which the faux painters painted the concrete to mimic marble

Lighting: The decision was made to use a mix of LED and compact fluorescent light fixtures and everything is controlled by dimmer switches allowing the owners to better control energy usage.

Plumbing Fixtures: Meadowview installed a Toto dual-flush toilet in the bathroom for water savings and a water filtration system built into the kitchen sink eliminates the need for bottled water.

Recycling/Composting: At Elizabeth’s request, a pull-out trash can with a sealed compost bin was built into the cabinetry. The recycling center is in a pantry wall unit and is actually a vertical arrangement of pull-out canvas hampers. They work perfectly for the weekly trips to the recycling center.

Landscaping: Landscape designer Matt Ulrich reused much of the old retaining wall material by building it into the new plan. The garden plan incorporates a rainwater collection barrel and a rain garden. One of the roof gutters gathers water and sends it through an underground pipe and into the rain garden. The plants are both drought- and wet-resistant native species. The landscaping elements, such as crushed stone and pavers, are porous resulting in a minimal loss of rain water as most of it is absorbed into the land.

Some of you may have seen Elizabeth’s home, as it was included on the Home Tour sponsored by the Georgetown Historical Society in September. It was a wonderful opportunity to see these products in a real-life situation.

As many changes as Elizabeth has made, her ultimate goal is to be completely off the power grid. She is considering eventually building a garage with solar panels that will supply some of the home’s power. She and her husband were wonderful clients to work with and Meadowview really appreciates all the research they did while selecting the materials to use. We are proud to be associated with the team of designers and trades people that helped execute this project—the result is both amazing and inspiring. This article just provides an overview; we have included many links that will lead you to more information. If you have any questions about anything you’ve read here, please feel free to call Meadowview — we’d love to hear from you.