Portland Built » Products

EcoVative 2010: Building it Green in Portland

Shawn — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 18:30:22 +0000

This weekend the Portland Built Crew (a force of one) spent some time at the Portland Home Builder’s Association green conference, EcoVative.

The show was an interesting blend of educational seminars, presentations, and vendor exhibitions. Classes spanned a wide range of subjects, including:

Building Super Energy-Efficient Homes Without Breaking the Bank
Porous Pavement Options
The Energy Trust’s Energy Performance Score (EPS)
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
High Performance Wall Systems

Overall, the curriculum was quite comprehensive. Attendees included veteran green builders, as well as those new to the industry. For builders looking to capitalize on the green building movement, this event presented an invaluable learning opportunity.

One of the great features of the show was the vendor exhibition hall. There were a number of manufacturers, as well as representatives from groups like Earth Advantage and Energy Trust. It was an excellent opportunity to talk one-on-one with industry experts.

In terms of prodducts, local supplier EcoHaus showed off some great paneling made from reclaimed glue-lam beams. This stuff was just gorgeous, and could be used for all sorts of architectural detailing. Anna from EcoHaus said that some customers were even using it for cabinet fronts.

Another interesting product comes from just down the road in Oregon City. EcoWarm is a hydronic radiant board system that takes the place of gypcrete or concrete as the substrate for PEX tubing. At the Live/Work project, we looked at a similar option from a company called “WarmBoard.” Ultimately, WarmBoard’s pricing was astronomically high and fell out of the running. EcoWarm is a similar product, but their pricing is unclear – the painfully bad website has some pricing info, but it’s frustrating for the homeowner. Hopefully, they’ll improve things as the company grows.

On a final note, I’d like to mention one of Portland Built’s Partners, Medallion Industries. Medallion brought several eco-friendly products to the expo, including fiberglass windows from Andersen, triple glazed windows from Atrium, and Serious Window’s advanced fiberglass offerings. If you’re considering new construction, LEED, or Passive House standards, take a look at the Medallion Website.

Live/Work Update: Gypcrete

Shawn — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 07:21:16 +0000

The Live/Work project gets one step closer to finish work as the Gypcrete crew installs over the top of the second floor radiant tubing. Gypcrete is a lightweight concrete designed to provide a thermal mass for radiant systems; it also has several other advantages such as noise insulation and fire prevention. Installation is really fast – a big truck outside mixes the slurry in a hopper while a couple of guys spread it around with a long hose and oversized trowel.

There are a number of ways to finish the floor on top of Gypcrete. In the main living area, we’ll be using oversized tile. In the bedroom, it’s a floating bamboo floor. Because of the radiant system, you’re slightly limited in your finish options, but a little planning can get around most issues. (For those of you interested in going this route, the #1 limitation is with radiant heat and solid hardwood – be sure to check that the manufacturer will warrant installation of hardwoods over a radiant system)

The choice of tile for the main living space was a last-moment bit of inspiration. We were initially looking to put in a floating bamboo floor, but decided against it for a few reasons. First, wood takes a beating. As I’ve experienced with my own house, hardwood doesn’t perform well with dogs, kids, and Portland’s long, wet winters. Dirt and grime take their toll, and it’s tough to keep the floor looking great, especially if you don’t have a house designed to mitigate dirt entering the living space (covered porches are a great idea here).

The second benefit of tile is that it’s a great surface for radiant heat. It holds the heat, releasing it slowly over the day. It’s just a pleasant sensation walking on warm tile. And, as an added bonus, you don’t have any of the expansion/contraction issues that can cause problems with hardwood installed over radiant.

Take a look over at the gallery to see more images from the install, as well as some great shots from the last few months.

Live/Work Update: Radiant Heat

Shawn — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 07:25:37 +0000

Portland winters are relatively mild, but you still need a reliable heat source. Over the next few weeks, we’ll continue to blog on the development of our very cool (or warm) radiant heating system.

For the Live/Work project we’re installing radiant hydronic heating – it’s a great way to provide comfort at a reasonable cost. The idea is quite simple – PEX “circuits” snake through the core of the slab and under the floor; hot water from a boiler (or water heater) is then pumped through the system. The end result is an evenly heated room with absolutely zero ducting. By choosing radiant heat, we’ve eliminated about a million issues associated with traditional HVAC (like: where to locate the big furnace; duct cleaning, the difficulty of insulating wall cavities with ducting; noise; dust; etc., etc.)

The guts of the system – Pex tubing - has a lot of advantages: It’s relatively cheap, durable, and can be installed by semi-skilled laborers. In about a day, we were able to place all of the tubing for the first-floor slab.

Someday we hope to augment the system with solar hot water heating or PV-powered direct-fire water heaters. Until then, we’ll be using natural gas to run the system. It was a tough debate between gas and electicity, but in the end, the cost differential was just too high. Natural gas was cheaper and the utility was willing to run the lines at almost no expense to us.

Portland Metal Roofs

Shawn — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:05:38 +0000

I’ve always thought metal was the creme-de-la-creme of roofing materials. Metal roofs last forever (estimates of 30-50 years and beyond), require little maintenance, and can be recycled at the end of their life. Plus, metal roofs aren’t made with petroleum products, which puts them squarely in the A+ column for green, sustainable products.

Where to Start Your Search for Metal Roofs in Portland

A quick Google search will reveal a number of companies that will roof your house in steel or aluminum. Metal roofs come is a variety of profiles from standing seam to more traditional shakes. Personally, I prefer the more modern look of the standing-seam roofs, but owners of older homes will most likely gravitate towards a traditional (shingle-replica) solution. Here are some of the results if I simply put in a generic search like, “Portland Roofing”

I’ve noticed many web sites come up under the search term, “metal roof” but lack any concrete examples of actual installations. The other problem in finding a contractor is that many roofing companies are still operating as if it’s 1986 – i.e. pre-internet. Their websites are poorly produced and lack good customer testimonials highlighting their excellent service. Sadly, many of these roofing contractors don’t understand how many people use the internet to find someone to help with their roofing needs. In fact, just to give you an idea of how many people are looking for roofers, take a look at this graphic (data pulled from Google’s Keyword Tool):

As you can see, there are a LOT of people looking for roofing contractors in Portland! By my estimation, the number of people conducting searches based on the term “Portland roofing” is between 50,000-70,000 per year. And, if you were to add in other, more generic terms like “roofing,” you’d probably hit six figures.

So why does this matter? Well for two reasons:

If you are a contractor, you’d better pay attention to your website and how people find you through Google. You’re missing huge profits by relying solely on word of mouth, yard signs, and advertising.
If you are a homeowner, architect, or someone who buys roofing services you’ll probably need to be very diligent when selecting a contractor. Because this industry is “behind the curve,” often the best vendors will be hard to find through internet-based searches.

Case and point: My neighbor recently re-roofed her house with a gorgeous metal roof. The contractor who did the work, did a fantastic job. You can tell from the attention to detail on the flashing just how good their work was. When I went to look the contractor up on the internet, however, their site was riddled with broken links and missing pages. If I were a typical homeowner (and knew nothing about roof technology) I’d wonder, “why is this web site not working? Why aren’t there pictures of the contractor’s work on the site?” That feeling of doubt might make me look elsewhere.

Finding Contractors Beyond the Web

Fortunately, there are other options besides the web. One way to find a good roofer is to talk to a reliable builder or general contractor. For example, I recently spoke with Stephen Aiguier of Green Hammer Building Contractors. I know Stephen hires top-notch guys and works on the kind of projects where “attention to detail” is the norm. From his experience, he was able to recommend a roofer that he had worked with on previous projects. The next step would be to call on the roofer and ask for references and addresses of houses that he had roofed. Visiting past projects is an absolute must before hiring any contractor.

The Live/Work project will be selecting a roofing contractor in the coming weeks, and Portland Built is looking for a partner in the roofing services segment. If you know of any great candidates, let us know in the comments below.

Photo Credit Englert, Inc.

Serious Windows Comes to Portland

Shawn — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:13:39 +0000

Serious Windows have been around for some time now, but only recently have they been readily available in the Portland market. Medallion Industries (a site partner) is the distributor of Serious’ triple-pane windows, providing a much-needed solution for architects, designers, and green-motivated homeowners.

Unlike most windows (which have an R-value between 2 and 3.5) Serious Windows are rated between R4-R11…in some cases, 4x better than Energy Star requirements! Here’s a chart showing the performance advantage of Serious Windows.

Considering that the minimum R-value for an insulated 2×6 wall is around R-21 (minimum in Portland), you can see why windows are such an issue for energy efficiency. If you build a home full of basic, double-pane windows (R2), you’re essentially working with a bunch of “energy holes” in your otherwise efficient building. While no window will come close to the R-value of an insulated wall, Serious’ Windows make a massive difference in your home’s efficiency.

In the coming weeks we’ll be talking more about the Serious Window line and how the technology is revolutionizing the building industry. In the meantime, check out the Serious site or visit Medallion’s Serious Windows page for more information.

(Photos and graphic credit: Serious Windows Website)

Welcome! Medallion Windows and Doors

Shawn — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:11:35 +0000

Medallion Industries specializes in windows, doors, and millwork in Portland and the surrounding areas (serving clients as far south as Eugene and as far north as Seattle).We’re proud to have them as Portland Built Partner.

There are many vendors of windows and doors to choose from, but few have Medallions’ depth of experience, commitment to quality, and customer service. Here’s just one example: when I sent out for bids on the Live/Work project, several vendors came in with lower price than Medallion. Fortunately, my rep carefully pointed out that this wasn’t apples-to-apples. The other vendors had substituted windows that didn’t match the schedule provided by the architect. While substitutions are a reality, honesty about what product you are selling is even more important. That kind of commitment to integrity is why Medallion has succeeded in one of the most competitive industries out there.

A local, family-owned business, Medallion has made significant strides towards adding green and sustainable products to their inventory. Serious’ fiberglass windows, Spero moulding, and Lynden Door’s reconstituted veneer are just a few of the great products Medallion offers. And, if you aren’t sure which product is right for you, no need to worry – Medallion has one of Portland’s only Certified Green Professional advisors, Kori Fox.

Click here to learn more about Portland Built Partnerships.

WingScapes: Portland Built’s Newest Partner!

Shawn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 23:35:55 +0000

I first discovered the world of time-lapse cameras while doing some research for one of my Kinesis clients. I wanted a solution that would allow them to easily produce short videos for their website. It struck me that time-lapse was perhaps the best way to show the comprehensive, detail-focused nature of their business.

Fast forward to several weeks later and I am now perhaps the foremost expert on time-lapse options. There’s intervalometers, game cameras, custom solar-powered camera housings, specialized construction cams…the list goes on. You can spend anywhere from $50-$2000, depending on your needs (big thanks to Mike D over at A House by the Park – he’s got a great post on his time-lapse solution).

In the end, I discovered what I hope to be an ingenious solution: a small camera designed to take time-lapse photos of growing plants. Built around WingScape’s original “Bird Cam,” The Plant Cam eliminates the motion-sensing, but adds built-in video creation (in other words, the camera automatically combines the image sequence into one complete video – very cool!).

Here’s a brief video about the product.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I’ll do a follow-up post once I have the product in hand. Thanks WingScapes!

Dry Wells: Save Water, Make Money

Shawn — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:45:45 +0000

Not many homeowners give much thought to where the water from their roof goes. Most people figure if the water isn’t going in their house, then it’s not a problem. Except…

In cities like Portland, stormwater is a BIG problem. Old and undersized city pipes mean that big rains create big headaches for city officials. Clogged drains are one visible symptom, but much worse is what happens at the Willamette river. You see, when the storm drains back up, so do the sewers. Which means – you guessed it – raw sewage gets into the river. Yuck!

So, as part of a comprehensive plan to reduce storm water runoff, the city incentivizes home owners to “manage” their own storm water. Simple examples include disconnecting your downspouts (so the water simply flows back into the ground) or saving the water in rain barrels for future irrigation. More ambitious methods include saving the water in underground cisterns or even cleaning it for consumption (keep in mind you’ll need a metal roof and some serious hardware).

The Live/Work Project is taking a middle-ground (ha!) solution. We’re placing a drywell roughly ten feet from the building. A dry well is simply a concrete canister filled with rocks…when the rains come, gutters direct the water to pipes that run underground and out to the dry well. The water then percolates back where it belongs – in the water table.

Dry well

This solution has several benefits. First, you’re putting water back into your property where it can be appreciated by trees, plants, and other helpful organisms. Second, it saves you money. The city gives you a small discount on your water bill each month as credit for not taxing their already overworked system.

For new construction, it’s a no-brainer. You’ve got to send the water somewhere, and piping it into the storm drains represents an expensive plumbing proposition. Dry wells save money and solve the problem in one graceful step!

Live/Work Update: Kitchen Installation

Fuez: Portland’s Green Countertop Option

Shawn — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:03:36 +0000

I’ve followed the evolution of the Fuez line of countertops for some time. Last spring I visited the facility and showroom to see how this great product is made. Aside from the fact that it’s positively beautiful, Fuez offers some great advantages over other materials.

First, if you’re in the pacific northwest, it’s a relatively local product. By producing the slabs in Portland, Fuez minimizes your carbon footprint. Recycled glass and fly-ash concrete contribute to the products green qualities. And, unlike most granite, this product won’t contribute to strip mining. Oh, and did I mention you can have just about any combination of glass size, color, and shape? All around, this is an outstanding product.

If you want to see samples, it’s available at several outlets. In the Portland metro, you can visit the Fuez showroom in North Portland. If you live in SE Portland, Fuez is available at a number of showrooms including Ecohaus.