Portland Built

Tiling and Landscaping at the Live/Work Project

Shawn — Sat, 15 May 2010 07:14:03 +0000

A sampling of photos from April and May. View the gallery for more!

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.

Bring Google to Portland!

Shawn — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:20:44 +0000

As many of you know, Google is planning to add a high-speed fiber network “trial” to one or more communities in the US. Here’s a bit from their website:

We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. We’ll offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people.

As a big proponent of high-speed (and hopefully inexpensive) access, I’d like to encourage our readers to go and VOTE to nominate Portland as the city of choice. It only takes a few minutes.

The deadline to vote is MARCH 26th, 5:00pm. Don’t delay!

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Alberta Mercantile: A New Live/Work Development in NE Portland

Shawn — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 07:26:37 +0000

There’s a great new Live/Work project underway in NE Portland. Dubbed the “Alberta Mercantile,” the project began as a simple concrete box that once housed the Arthur Cole Candy Company.

Developer Brad Fowler contacted Portland Built several weeks ago, and we’ve had a great dialogue about his project. Folwer’s firm, Fowler Andrews, has been acquiring properties on the inner east side for the last 6 years or so. Brad claims he isn’t, “plowing new ground on Alberta” (his words) but I’d say the finished product is well worth a look.

One of the things I like about this development is the scale and scope. It’s a modest-sized building for the area, and they’ve done a nice job of making the retail buildings at a scale that works for the budding entrepreneur.

Here’s an excerpt from the project website:

We began to develop Alberta Mercantile at the start of the recession with one strategy in mind: create small, efficient spaces targeted to the local entrepreneur. Most business are cash-strapped when they’re just getting started or expanding and often can’t divert working capital for tenant improvements.

Each of the three Alberta-fronted retail units within the existing structure are designed to be “turn-key” spaces that require no improvements on behalf of the tenant. These units feature an ADA-compliant restroom with utility sink, separate 3-phase electrical panel, and distribution of all systems including HVAC. These units are 900 square feet, with an additional 375 square feet of mezzanine space. Each unit features 22’ ceiling heights with glazed storefront roll-up doors that open directly on to Alberta Street.

Fowler Andrews has done something even more interesting in that they are pairing the livable areas with a highly visible retail option. I could see someone renting the retail space along with one of the adjoining residential areas. It’s a nice convergence, and the rental option (as opposed to the traditional purchase arrangement) creates a lower-cost alternative. Here are some images from the “living” portion of the project (entrance on 14th)

Fowler’s got some great talent along on this project. The architecture firm Vallaster and Corl Architects has some impressive work in their portfolio (and this project is certaily a great addition!). Bremick construction, the general contractor, really put on a nice fit and finish. Some of you may know them from their work on restoring the Ladd Carriage House (here’s a link to a great time lapse video as they moved the WHOLE HOUSE across the city)

We’ve put together an image gallery, but if you have some time, take a spin over to NE Alberta and look at this great project. It’s the kind of revitalization that fosters much-needed economic development in Portland.

Tiling and Landscaping at the Live/Work Project

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.

Video: Designing a Better Wall for a Wet Climate

Shawn — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 06:45:59 +0000

It’s a big day at Portland Built as we officially launch our new video documentary project! The goal is to help visitors better understand the technology, products, and businesses behind the site.

For our first effort we went to the Live/Work project to discuss wall assembly design, thermal bridging, and insulation.

A big thanks to Jeremy Dunham at Polara Studios for his help in producing our first segment. Share your thoughts in the comments area below.

UPDATE: For those of you with an iphone, or if you just prefer the YouTube experience, here’s another version of the video. We’ve had to cut out some sections in order to meet YouTube’s 10-minute maximum length. (click on the image to watch in HD)

Insulation: A Tight Fit Equals Big Savings

Shawn — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:16:04 +0000

Insulation is probably the best place to spend money when it comes to getting a return on investment. It’s cheap, installs quickly, and can make a real difference in the bottom-line costs of operating a home.

We recently hired Noe Gaxiola of Vale Insulation Group (503.799.4436) to insulate the interior of the Live/Work project. Noe came highly recommended by my friend, Jennifer, who worked in the industry for many years.

Like many of the trades on the project, Noe went above and beyond the call on our project. He sealed every single nook and cranny of the building with an expanding foal sealant. This will help keep the heat in and – more importantly – keep cold air OUT. “Air infiltration” is widely recognized as one of the biggest causes of heat loss, and Noe went to extreme lengths to ensure an air-tight building envelope. Here’s a close-up of some his work around an exterior window (the foam gets trimmed once it dries):

What really impressed me about Noe’s work was that he provided a lot of value for a very reasonable price.

While it may appear that insulation is just about stuffing stud bays, there’s actually quite a bit of art/skill to installing the bats properly. In fact, many studies have shown that a major loss of heat is attributed to poorly installed insulation. High R-value insulation does little good if the insulation is crammed and crushed around electrical, plumbing and other obstacles. A good installer like Noe pays careful attention and FITS the insulation in every void.

Big thanks to Noe and his small-but-mighty crew at Vale!

Post Script: There are a LOT of options for insulating a home (blown in cellulose, reccyled cotton, closed and open cell foam, etc). We even considered foam at one point. It’s superior for preventing air infiltration, and would have been the best choice for our vaulted ceiling. Unfortunately, the cost differential between fiberglass and other technologies was a budget buster.

Live/Work Video Update: Siding!

Shawn — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:26:02 +0000

With the roof finished, our crew moved on to the task of siding the project. Our initial plans called for a rain screen, but (for many reasons) we decided to forgo this measure. Instead, we opted for several layers of weather resistance including Tyvek and XPS (pink foam).

Working outward from the plywood siding, the wall is composed of:

A Layer of Tyvek ship-lapped over the lower layers of pink foam board
1″ layer of pink board to mitigate thermal bridging (click the link for more details)
1/4″ Hardi-board (cement-fiber board)

My contractor, Rory Read, has an excellent article discussing the pros and cons of this wall system. He also details the thinking behind each decision point – it’s an excellent read.

Here’s a time lapse video of the Tyvek installation, followed by a video of the siding on the building’s north face.

Live/Work Update: Exterior Trim

Shawn — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 10:35:07 +0000

It’s been a while since the last post…the delay mostly being due to the fact that I’ve spent every waking moment on the electrical system.

The good news? We passed our inspection on the first try! For an experienced electrician, this is not a big deal. But for a DIY homeowner, this is almost unheard of. I did have some great help (lots of books) and some great advice from the “right” people. Thanks to everyone who contributed to my ever-expanding knowledge-base.

Windows and Doors

Doors and windows arrived last week and the crew at Bronze Construction started installing right after the product arrived on-site. I should mention we took a bit of a risk here: while Bronze had a track-record for rough framing, they aren’t exactly a dedicated window/door/siding crew. But, after a few conversations with the owner, my contractor decided it was worth the risk.

Our decision to go this route was based on several key factors. First, there was cost. Most of the siding bids we had received were out-of-this-world expensive. And while siding isn’t necessarily easy work, our budget couldn’t afford the figures we were seeing. Santos (Bronze) was much more reasonably priced.

The second factor wass the fact that Bronze had a good track record on the Live/Work project. During rough framing, they fixed mistakes without nickle-and-diming us to death (I won’t mention other subs who weren’t quite so stellar). At the end of the day, Santos’ guys were good at framing and the business owner stood by his work. That’s worth a lot, and I was willing to place my bet on these guys a second time around.

Flashing

A big part of the windows and doors is flashing. And this project had a flashing system unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen. To put it in simple terms, we have a layer of plywood, then a layer of tyvek, then a layer of pink foam. On TOP of the foam sits the windows and trim work. To keep the water from running inside, we cut back the foam and tyvek to the wall, then ran “z” flashing to the face of the head trim. Any water that got behind the foam would run down the tyvek until exiting the building via the z-flashing. A picture (or video) is needed to tell the story, but for now suffice to say we’ve created perhaps the most redundant rain barrier known to man.

The down side to this system is that it takes a bit of time to install, and the crew needs to be extra careful not to cut the tyvek in the wrong spot. Once again, I’ve been impressed by the Bronze crew, as they seem to have managed to get everything in place, in the RIGHT place. Kudos also to my contractor, Rory Read, who spent vast amounts of time explaining and supervising.

Live/Work Update: Roof, Electrical, Plumbing, House Wrap

Shawn — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:15:46 +0000

It’s been a busy month at the Live/Work project. After the guys at Bronze finished framing, we started in on roofing, plumbing, electrical, and the exterior house wrap. Let me just say that the addition of the roof (thanks T-Mix!) was a huge blessing, especially with the recent spat of bad weather.

The Electrician Arrives

I’ve made the decision to tackle the rough-electrical myself. The project budget dictated some cuts, and doing the wiring made the most sense. It’s not for the faint of heart – up and down ladders, drilling holes, pulling wire…it makes for a long day. There’s a good reason electricians get paid well – they generally earn it! That said, I’m happy with the decision. It’s enabled me to make small changes to the lighting, plug placement, and switches. All of this would have been difficult (or expensive) if someone else were wiring the project.

Wrapping it Up

Another big change you can see in the photo above is that we’ve started to wrap the house. We went round and round over our final wall details, and finally settled on a system that’s affordable, energy efficient, and weather resistant. Here’s a simple graphic showing how the exterior wall works:

The idea here is to accomplish several things. The Tyvek (house wrap) prevents water from reaching the plywood. This is a fairly typical use of the product – you’ll see it used over and over in new developments because it’s cheap, goes up quickly, and keeps the water out (mostly). What’s different about this configuration is 1) the use of plywood instead of OSB and 2) pink foam board (R5) on the exterior.

Thermal Bridging

The purpose of the pink board is to prevent thermal bridging. Thermal bridging occurs when you have a material with poor insulation characteristics that touches both a warm and cool surface. In home construction, the primary source for thermal bridging are the 2×6’s used in the stud walls. Because studs touch the exterior envelope AND the interior drywall, they act ass conduits for heat loss. The pink board creates an insulated envelope that reduces the heat loss, while also reducing air infiltration and providing a second layer of water protection.

Flir, a company that makes thermal imaging cameras, has some great shots of this in action on their website. Here’s just one example showing the “cold” 2×4’s in the wall:

My contractor, Rory Read, has also spearheaded several advanced framing techniques to better insulate the home. Thes have included things like 24″ spacing on studs, hangers for door and window headers, and hollow-corners when possible. I’ve really come to appreciate the level of detail he put into making sure the house was an energy efficient as possible…without breaking the bank.