Twinsprings Research Institute
The story of our Do It Yourself Platinum LEED for Homes-Net Zero Green Building project in Colorado
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10 Year Report
5 Year Report
About
LEED Docs V3
LEED Docs V4.1
Other Projects
DIY Greenhouse
Greenhouse spreadsheet explained
Preparing the foundation
Constructing the frame for the glass
Attaching the roof joists
Bracing the roof joists
Installing back wall frame
Attach bay to its neighbor
Install Glass Holders and Glass Pane
From Here
Photos
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
After Move
Before Move
Resources
Construction Odds and Ends
Crawlspace Conditioning
Exercise Spa
Gas Hot Water Boiler Systems
Hot Water Recirculation
Insulation and Air Barrier
Metro Denver Green Homes Tour Signs 2017 and 2022
Monitoring
Radiant Heating and Cooling
Radon
Slab Technical Information
Trombe Wall
WaffleMat
Water Supply
Windows and Doors
Wood Hot Water Boiler Systems
After Move
After we moved into our remodeling project–from May, 2014–with some distractions–to December 2015.
Sill caulking
Rafter caulking
Roxul installed
Roxul Remains
Taco 009 Stainless Pump Installed
Laing E3 Pump
Taco Bronze Cartridge Circulator Pump 1 40 HP New | eBay
Kids’ New House–Wallpaper removal
Master bath tear out
New tub main bath
New floor main bath
Interior paint
Tempe House Fix Up–New fans and fixtures
Stoop repaired and painted
Garage floor epoxied
Refinished front door
New front patio
Cleaning and staging
New entry patio
RV at campground
Lake scene
RV across water
Mom in Chicago
Master bath redo with grout paint
Garage entry trim
Installed baseboards
New water pump and pressure tank
Tried to repair awning
Grandson’s food list
Resting at a playground
Getting started
Watching movies
Indiana!
Another visit to Grandma Grand
Columbine at Golden Gate Canyon State Park
View from hike
The dress
Table decor
Flowing arches
Flower arrangements
Fascinators and carry sign for grandkids
Dramatic sticks for hall
Favors
The bouquets
Rehearsal
The ceremony
Paebaek Ceremony
The beach
S’mores
Hanging out
Friends’ garden
Chickens!
Washer Dryer Install
Washer hookups
Dryer Hookup
Electrical box and washer hookup
Cinch ring connections for washer kit
Dryer access door
Dryer igniter
Air inlet and kitchen drain
Living Room furniture
Living room with stove
Kitchen view
From dining area
Bar table
Cabinets
Sustainability Fair Presentation
Poster at Fair
Presentation Entry
Mom doing the dishes
Task List
Rerouted vent pipes
Vents through Utility Room Wall
Concentric vent from sidewall
New external air vent and old chimney.
Hole from removing chimney pipe
Plywood patch cut and sealed
Chimney with 45º angle
Shorter chimney cap
New Chimney
Air vent connected inside
Joins to cold water pipe chase
Flexible vent pipe under boiler piping
Flexible vent from cold water chase to wood boiler
Radon Fan Install
Radon Fan Closeup
Wiring for Radon Fan
New Fridge
Freezer Box with Ice Maker
Refrigerator Box
Rear ventilation grill and ice maker line.
Compressor
Sizing Info
Maytag Refrigerator Energy Guide
Whirlpool Refrigerator Energy Guide
Energy Star W8RXEGMW
Non Energy Star W8RXNGMW
SPT Dishwasher Energy Guide
SPT 18″ Dishwasher
Dishwasher Pex Hookup
Dishwasher drain hookup
GE Advantium Oven
Advantium Oven Interior
Clean Dishwasher Load
Old gas pipes
Old line to boiler
Old hanging pipes
Gas Trenching
Gas Trench at House
New Gas Entry
Old Gas Piping
Gas Pipes Removed
Washer/Dryer Moved
Cut Existing Pipe
Add ABS Tee
Fernco to switch to PVC
Across Closet
Around under Beam
To Floor Pipe
Pipe Connection
Rocky Mountain National Park Trail
Jenn Air Gas Cooktop
Rear view of cooktop
Downdraft vent
New gas line from old
Queen sized bed
Bed with loft over
Bedroom “kitchen”
Kitchen table in bedroom
Dorm fridge in closet
Dibble Fireplace Boiler Piping-10
Boilers plumbing-diagram
Dibble Fireplace Boiler Piping-1
Cut to Fit
Cathedral Ceiling
Flat Ceiling
Thermal Bridging
Outside walls with polyiso
Dibble Fireplace Boiler Piping-14
Spectra Stove Certification
Spectra Stove Certification p.2
PCA Approved Spectra Stove
Spectra Certification Data Table
CE Certitication Buderus-lublin
Water boiler table
Wood Boiler Hookup
Stove to Water Heater
Cold Water Connection
Storage Tank Loop
Cold Side Leak
Hot side leak
Boards under the house
Bits of insulation and wire
More boards and insulation
Piles of short boards
Insulation scraps
Mess in the corner
Main beam with rocky ground
Vinyl over cleared out dirt
Taped around plumbing
Clean vinyl covers dirt
Second piece of vinyl
Spreading out the vinyl
Vinyl in the narrow “hallway” area
Under Stairs
Back Door
Taped around posts
Transition to hallway
Back Wall
Outside vent
New vent cover
Dewalt Cordless Caulk Gun
Boiler Piping Plan
Open System Header Tank
Overflow Tank for Boiler
Boiler System holds Air
Tool Storage
Double Scaffolding for Demo
Double Scaffolding for Bird Hole Fix
Single Scaffolding
Installed taped and caulked edges
Ready for Second Row
First Application Uneven
Siga Twinet Tape on Ceiling
Siga Majpel Membrane
Drips from roof corner leak
Leak at roof corner
Chimney Leak
Rainfall
Goodbye Skid Steer
Slab area in the mud
Skidsteer in Rain
Muddy
Hexagonal Rubber Tire
First load of rubber tiles
Spring List
Greenhouse
Solar hot water panels
Glycol solar hot water system
Glacier Bay Victorian toilet
Gazebo for spa
Spa subpanel and outlet
Electricians
New box
Piper trucks
Old box
Xcel truck
Truck with Spa on Trailer
Spa on Trailer
Trailer rear
Tilt Trailer
Rio Exercise Spa
First Meyer Swim Spa circa 1968
APT9 Exercise Spa Diagram
Rio Swim Spa A-9
Smooth Star Doors
Southern Installation
Living Room Windows
Successful Crew
We Can Do It
North Bedroom Reframe
New Doors
Mud Room Door Reframe
Wrapped Window Opening
Dining Room Window
Middle French Door
Mismatched lockset plate on right
Bolt head too large
Paint cracking
Peeling paint
Door hinge routing
Warped door?
iConf Logo
Ellen Dibble Matrix Barcode
Open Studio 2009
Peter Ellis
Variable Tinting
Translucent glazing
Automatic Shading
Full Session
Windows in Garage
Unloading
Performance Sticker
Window Load
Alpen Truck
LED and Incadescent Bulbs
Piece of Gasket used on Glazing
Solar Glass from Trombe Wall
Selective surface membrane
Dibble Res with Stone Facing
Glazing Removed
Unvented Trombe Wall
Vented Trombe Wall
RV at the lakeside camp site.
Playing at Carter Lake
Trombe wall
Removed top part of walls
Leaning retaining walls
Feit R20
HERS Index as MPG
Typical LEED HERS Rating
CRI Color Chart
Phillips Slimstyle
Great Eagle BR20
Insteon
TCP Elite
GE Reveal BR30
Feit G25 CRI
LED bulbs
Types of Track
Track Lights
H-J-L Tracks
Compatible track adapters
Architrak
Architrak Head
HERS Expectations
HERS Index-Energy Star
Floorplan cropped A-3
Floor plan revision 3-11-15
Floor Plan A-3
Plot Drawing A-1
RecoupAerator Duct Option
RecoupAerator Install
Ultimate air fan performance curve
Typical Fan Curve
Duct Layout
Exterior Flir Photo
Uninsulated foundation wall on east side of Master bedroom.
Cold eakage under the door
Radiant floor–just below design temp for zero degrees
Flir One Son #2
Flir One Son #1
Chaco Canyon Pueblos
RV in New Mexico Desert
Carlsbad Cavern
Pagosa Hot Springs
Window Air Infiltration Rates
Alpen Color Choices
Alpen Frame Insulation
Alpen Window Corner
Alpen Fiberglass Casement
Milgard Wood Clad Casement
Moisture between panes
Cracked window film
Window damage
Dibble Floorplan With Electrical Core
Future Platform
Beam to North Wall
Kitchen Beam on Laminated Beam
Beam to South Wall
Kitchen Beam on Concrete Wall
Taco Pump Relay and Swtich
Switched Receptacle
Combo Switch Outlet
Ventilation Vents
Ceiling Fan
Solar Shade
LEDs
LED track and Japanese Lanterns
Kitchen to Living Area Chandelier
Tekmar Control
Meter Label
Superstore Indirect Water Heater
Monitoring Equipment
Slanted Pipes
Electric Boiler
Expansion Tank
Water Meters
Two Sunny Boy Inverters
DC Control Panel
Battery Bank Used for Backup
Data Collection
Fireplace Boiler Logic Diagram
Grunflos Clip On Aquastat
Taco Mixing Valve Wiring
Taco 501-4 Switching Relay Alt 24 V
Honeywell Zone Valve Wiring to Taco Relay
Aquastat Function
Simple Aquastat Wiring
Honeywell Valve Diagram
Plate Mount Transformer
Transformer Wiring
Laing Pump and Aquastat on Storage Tank
FP Boiler Storage Wiring
FP Boiler Wiring
FP Boiler pump and Taco Iseries Mixing Valve
FP Boiler Zone Valve and Aquastat
Honeywell 8043 Zone Valve
Honeywell 6006 Aquastat
Dibble Fireplace Boiler Piping-15 Revised
Original Boiler Zone Control Wiring–the end switch is wired to the secondary pump
Revised Boiler Wiring for Pumps
Revised Zone Control Wiring
Zone Control with Mod-Con pump control
Original Pump Wiring
Original wiring diagram
Trombe Wall Inside Detail
Trombe Wall Outside Detail
Capped Nails
Master Bedroom Ceiling
Solar Hall Ceiling
Kitchen and Living Room Ceiling
Family Room Ceiling
Dining Area and Entry Ceiling
Pipe is fully wrapped with barrier
Patch caulked and taped
Spray foam gap under stairs
Difficult corner
Radiator Pipe insulated to floor
Pipes insulated to closet slab entry
Insulated Pipes
Concrete Arch
Greenhouse
Sun Frost Compressors
Lighting
Living Room
Tall library ladder
Tall library
Lovins Floorplan
Dibble Res_Electric Plan_Rev-11_14 w_core
Spa Sconces $100 Craigslist Ad
Stained Glass Wall Sconces
Crawlspace Radon Vent Pipe
Ratcheting Holder
Completed Door Landing
Coaxial Coil Sizing
Mini Spilt Indoor Air Unit Structure
Refrigeration Explanation
Chiller Barrel
Barrel Chiller for Aquarium Setup
Mini Split System Frigidaire
Hole bored under concrete obstruction
Twelve inch depth
Spa Electrical Trench
Letter – James Hardie Siding – Recycled and Regional Content – Arvada, CO – 2015-08-21
Cement Board Siding Stucco Finish
Siding torn off patio doors
Top edge of patio doors
Installed and taped SIGA exterior house wrap
Installed new foil faced polyiso
Removed siding and insulated
Sparkling clean spa
Rollers for spa cover
Concrete piece at least 6″ thick
Concrete blocking trench
Equipment side needs final design
Hardware cloth installed
Spray foam between polyiso
Larger open area not completed
Smaller open area not completed
Patio dark and light stone
Layers of Spa Insulation
4 year old’s view of the road
At Chimney Rock Pueblo
Fossilized Redwood tree trunks
St. Luis State Park Basketball
Painted Wall at Black Canyon
Deluge at Curecanti NRA
Road trip!
Great Sand Dunes
Reflectix and Hardware Cloth
Space behind the reflectix for Roxul
Roxul stuffing
Pipe Insulation
Reflectix Lining
Rocky Mountains
Big Thompson River
Tundra walk on Ute Trail
Spa still needs to be positioned
Tilt trailer did its job
Spa about at edge of slab
Rope tied to spa
Rope tied to tree
Free Sand
Need More Flagstone
Flagstone Fitting
Flagstone Hotel
Sand on weed block
Temporary bathroom
New drain
Awkward drain hookup
Toilet installed behind Polyiso walls
Cutting the drain pipe
Filled and finished sill edge
Friendly toad checking out the new edge
Rebar to hold bottom of edge
Homemade foam cutting tool
Cut short edge
First Piece Installed
Foam Insulation under Doors
Fiberglass Edges
Broomed surface
Floated surface
Filling wheelbarrow from truck
Bull Float
More Leveling
Leveling to form
Concrete in wheelbarrow
Re-installed garage light
Re-installed porch light
Foam insulation around box
New wall electric box with one new wire
New switch
Bad wire was removed
Bad wire at left other wires go to the switch below.
Full Coverage
Six inch overlap
Fabric Install
Wiring to the garage switch box
Patio area from inside
Patio area with reburied wires for the lights and three outlets.
Third outlet with broken connecting wire pulled out.
Ben Franklin
Rock Delivery
Newly rebuilt valves
Old Valve Body with Indents
Indents to position the plate
Bolting on the Plate
Valve Conversion Kit
Old Valve Head
Valve Set on Manual
Rebuild Kits
Temperature Sensor Add On
Inside Weather Station Display
Aculink Website Display
Aculink Bridge Instructions
Five in One Weather Station
Weather Station on House Top
Mother’s Day Snow
Almost 3 inches of rain
Colorado May Rainfall Totals 2015
Alpen Door Warranty Exclusion
Peeling paint on lower brickmold
Peeling paint on upper brickmold
Peeling paint on jamb
Oversize door bolt
Scraped strike plate
Front Door View
First Door Installers
1/2 HP Penguin Chiller
Penguin Chiller Logo
Radiant Floor with Toes
Thermostat Wiring
Chiller temp continues to go down
Chiller water temp at shut off
Finished Piping
Heat Exchanger Piping
Brazed plate heat exchanger
Arctica 1/2 HP Controller
Chiller Model DA-500B
Chiler Front
Chiller Label
Arctica Chiller and Controller
Novan Information
Novan System Tank
Novan Optimizer
Novan Collectors
System on Truck
Existing garage light
New light at front door
New light
New porch light
Old porch light
Rock Bin Heat Storage
Double Decker Scaffolding
Blue Lagoon
Hall of Mirrors
Boat Company
Seine at Night
Marais Old City Wall
Famous painting
Louvre art upon art
Marly Restaurant
Jim Morrison
Moliere
Cemetery in the Fall
Bastille Monument
San Chappell
Flag through Arc d’Triumph
Ceremony at Arc d’Triumph
Victor Hugo Chinese Fireplace
Monet
Musee d’Orangerie
Degas
D’Orsay Clock
Reconstruction Marie Antoinette’s Cell
Moulin de la Galette
Unicorn Tapestry
Notre Dame
Caulk in corner
Repurposed pallet boards
Tape Detail around piping
Ceiling Layers Taped
Mid ceiling tape hangs down
Help with the membrane
Matching bath faucet
Freestanding faucet with new handle
Tub in Master Bath
Craigslist Tub
Cow Girl Statue
Moved to Spencer House
Headboard Construction
Log Headboard
Log Bed with Dave and Lewis
Arm chair at dining table
Chair and table
Bad TCO
Thermal Cut Off fuse disconnected
Relay Board Fuse
Remove thermal fuse on damper
Remove thermal fuse on damper
Temp on Topside Control
Wiring diagram
Pressure Switch
No power coming out
Power going IN
Model Information
New board without wires
Old Contactor being removed
New Contactor
Acura Megatrol Wiring Diagram
Megatrol Internal Wiring
Megatrol Spa Pack
Water truck
Spa Fill
New Home
In the RV
Our Indiana House
New siding
Garage in Spencer
Door Keys
Ceiling Covered with Polyiso
Used Polyiso
Roxul Insulation in Walls
Painting the screw covers
Removing the glass from the old door
Closer view of sealing
Patio Doors Sealed
Front Door Sealed
Master Bedroom Door Sealed
Back Door Sealed
New Polyiso
Polyiso not in line with door
Crooked Door
Mortar removed from 2×6 plate
Left side interior, Right side behind slag block wall
Beams that hold up roof
Structural post in trombe wall
Rear side of the interior block wall
Chopin
Paint Detail
Repainted Door Trim
Reorganized Garage
Mom’s Extra Stuff
Replaced Tool Wall
Cabinets Moved
Attic Wall Leak
Back Door
Upper window missing insulation
Existing Bedroom Corner–not much can be done here
Crawl Space Vent Area
Stove pipe
Utility room back wall
Ceiling and side wall–no leaks!
Master Bedroom Wall missing some insulation
Master Bedroom Corner
Upper Window and wiring space to garage
Front Door at Floor
Icelandic Horses
Icelandic Sheep
Gulfoss Falls
Hot spring in Floudir
Small Town Monument
HardiePanel-Siding-Details-Wood-Framing-with-Wood-Furring-Strips-Wall-and-Soffit-for-Vented-Rainscreen
Corovent Drainage Plane
Xcluder Mesh
Waterway Rainscreen
Waterway Rainscreen with membrane
Rolls of Waterway Rainscreen
Rainscreen Installed
Lower flashing and fiberglass edge
Upper flashing
Game time
Turkey
Greenhouse with stalls
Greenhouse Connection
Greenhouse Detail
Upstate New York Sunset
Table Two
Girls
Secondary System Circulator Wiring
Always On Priority Wiring
Duraspin Deck Screws
Senco 3″ Screw Gun
Navajo beige Hardie Stucco Panel
First Panel
PacTool Shears
Front Door Siding
Disconnected Blower Wiring
Loosening the bolts
Tightening Bolts
Calcified Heat Exchanger
Original Master Closet Interior
Original Master Bedroom Closet
Dibble Floorplan 11-14-12
Dibble Floorplan Update 12-11-15
Dibble Floorplan 12-04-15
Outdoor Spigot in Bath
What is the problem?
Forgot about hot and cold?
There is a solution.
When the faucet turns on, both hot and cold come out at a pre-set proportion.
A mixing “box” (valve) under the sink.
Spigot’s copper extension pipe covered in rope.
Final two spigots in bathroom.
Moen Mixing Valve
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