Monthly Archives: November 2014

Crawlspace Conditioning

We had the initial energy audit done in March of 2012. One of the recommendations in the audit was to condition the crawlspace. “Your crawlspace can cause major air quality and energy issues in your home. The vents in this … Continue reading

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Construction, Radon Mitigation | Comments Off on Crawlspace Conditioning

Crawlspace “Before”

My first look at the crawlspace under the back part of the house revealed a bit about how the house is supported in the back but also that the builders were not very tidy–leaving a bunch of extra insulation, plastic, … Continue reading

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope | Comments Off on Crawlspace “Before”

Leaks!

The wood boiler is completely plumbed now on the storage side–have not wired anything yet. But I’m having trouble with leaks. I used the air compressor to look for leaks and found a couple of places that I had forgotten … Continue reading

Posted in Fireplace Boiler | Comments Off on Leaks!

Wood Boiler–EPA Exempt–plus Safety Certification

I didn’t get any comments on the piping layouts at hearth.com, but I did have a forum disagreement with a poster about the safety certification of this foreign made stove. The statement was made that stoves that are not UL/CSA … Continue reading

Posted in Fireplace Boiler | Comments Off on Wood Boiler–EPA Exempt–plus Safety Certification

On Second Thought…

After working with the components, I changed the wood boiler layout a bit. This is really the 14th version of the piping layout. The wood boiler plumbing is installed and set up for air testing before filling with water. The … Continue reading

Posted in Fireplace Boiler, Radiant Heat | Comments Off on On Second Thought…

Polyiso Insulation Boards

The polyiso insulation boards have been going up on the ceiling! We purchased a “bunk” of recycled boards from Repurposed Materials. Or it may have been two bunks–or about 60 4×8 sheets. This is the same recycling business that sold … Continue reading

Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Construction, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off on Polyiso Insulation Boards

Wood Boiler Plumbing

I am currently connecting the plumbing for the wood boiler. I am pretty sure I’m spending way too much money on this system for its value in our super insulated house. But we are used to heating with wood and … Continue reading

Posted in Energy Efficiency, House Systems, Planning, Radiant Heat | Comments Off on Wood Boiler Plumbing

RED bedroom!

The kitchen set up makes it much easier to cook for ourselves, but the added advantage was moving the kitchen out of the second bedroom and setting up a bed for overnight guests. The red bedroom is a bit shocking … Continue reading

Posted in Design Style | Comments Off on RED bedroom!

Used Gas Cooktop

About the same time I was shopping on craigslist for kitchen appliances, I found a 30″ gas cooktop for sale. The owner wanted to wait until it was taken out for their remodel, so we waited until just last week … Continue reading

Posted in Appliances, Design Style, Reduce Reuse Recycle | Comments Off on Used Gas Cooktop

Checking the Task List

November 1st, what happened to October? An unbelievably beautiful month here in Arvada. We took a break from working on the house to visit Rocky Mountain National Park and hear the elk bugling. Sounded like rusty gates to us. But … Continue reading

Posted in Diversions, Planning | Comments Off on Checking the Task List