Green Terms Defined: Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV)

by Charles Hendricks | Mar 9, 2015 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building, green term defined

Green Terms Defined: Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV)

An ERV or Energy Recovery Ventilator is part of a balanced ventilation system that transfers water vapor and heat from one airstream to another. In a mixed humid climate, it works differently in the hot season and the cold season. In hot months, the ERV works to maintain the interior relative humidity of a structure as outside air is conditioned by the ERV entering the fresh air ventilation system. In cold months water vapor is captured from the outgoing air to humidify the incoming air.

An ERV or HRV (heat recovery ventilator) provides fresh air and improved climate control while reducing the energy requirement for heating and cooling a building.

5 ways to reduce the Stormwater Fee you will have to pay in Harrisonburg

by Charles Hendricks | Mar 4, 2015 | architecture, Building Science, Harrisonburg Architect

5 ways to reduce the Stormwater Fee you will have to pay in Harrisonburg

Rain falls from the sky. Buildings, parking lots, sidewalks, and streets collect and funnel the water into the storm water system. In Harrisonburg, this water all finds its way into our local creeks and streams. Walking through downtown, you see (smell) it in Blacks Run for instance.

Each year, a cleanup is organized to remove the storm debris (trash, paper, plastic…) from Blacks Run. However, this does not / cannot remove all the pollutants that get into the waterways and eventually find their way into the Chesapeake Bay. These pollutants have been flowing into the Bay for years from all over the state. So now each resident of localities that have mandated Municipal Seperate Storm Sewer System permits issued by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (Harrisonburg, Charlottesville) will pay to help clean it up.

Harrisonburg will institute a storm water fee for every home owner of $10.50 per 500 sf of impervious surface. For most home owners this will amount to $50 per year. For larger property owners, this will be a harder pill to swallow.

Here are 5 things that you can do to help (and it will reduce your fee to the city by up to 50%).

You could install pervious concrete sidewalks / driveway / parking lots to allow the water to flow through the pavement into the ground.
You could install vegetation on your roof which builds habitat and reduces run off.
When developing a new property you could use low impact development which reduces run off from your site.
You could install vegetated retaining walls.
You could collect the rainwater in a cistern for use in landscaping, washing cars, or even for use in your buildings.

We have been designing solutions to reduce storm water run off since 1999 when we implemented storm water ponds at Stone Creek Village Apartments.

These are not new ideas or strategies. These are good for the environment, the Bay, local water systems, and our underground water system.

Green Term Defined: 2012 International Energy Conservation Code

by Charles Hendricks | Mar 2, 2015 | architecture, Building Science, Green Building, green term defined

Every three years (or so) Virginia updates the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC). Virginia typically adopts a version of the International Building Code (updated every year) that is 3 years behind the current year. As of July 1, 2014, Virginia adopted the 2012 International Building Code, which will be mandatory for new buildings starting July 1, 2015. Part of that code is a subset called the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code. Virginia does not adopt it without some modification (I wish they did) so here are some things to expect.

New homes being built have to be caulked and sealed to create an air tight envelope. Virginia modified this requirement to allow for a visual test – essentially making this a worthless requirement. If you are building, you should ask your builder for a blower door test to at least meet the 2012 IECC requirements of total building air leakage.
Ducts and air handlers must be sealed with maximum leakage testing to show tightness. Once again, Virginia allows for a visual test instead of the more effective duct blaster test.
50% of light bulbs and fixtures in a dwelling must now be high-efficacy lighting. I have not designed a house in more than 10 years that did not meet this requirement.
Wall insulation requirements have increased from R-13 to R-15 or R-13+1 Continuous.
Hot water pipes need R-3 insulation according to the code – unfortunately Virginia deleted this requirement completely.

According to a report developed by the Department of Energy, full implementation of the 2012 IECC would add $215 to a home over the 2009 IECC. The projected savings the home owner would see over the first year is $388. So ask your builder to build to the 2012 IECC instead of just the worst possible thing allowed by Virginia law – the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.

Help, My House is Cold! – Keeping Your Home Insulated and Cozy

by Charles Hendricks | Feb 25, 2015 | architecture, Building Science, Harrisonburg Architect

Help, my house is cold! This time of year, with weather like we have been having, the electric meter gets a strong workout. Yet, often our homes are not comfortable, cold even. So what can you do to make your electric bills lower and your home more comfortable?

I am now working for Harrisonburg Electric Commission providing their clients with free energy audits. It really is a air leakage test and identification of easy to correct high energy usage issues – but energy audit sounds better. In the test we use a blower door to depressurize the house. This allows us to find areas where air is moving from outside to inside of the home. These air leaks are a huge part of the discomfort and high energy use for your home. The typical heating and cooling system in an average home accounts for 60-70% of the monthly electric usage. The typical home could easily reduce this portion of the electric bill by 10-30% by plugging up these leaks. Air leaking through the walls, from the crawl space or attic, around electrical outlets are the same as leaving a window open on a cold winter day.

Here are 10 spots that are almost always air leaks in a home and how to fix it.

Attic access or pull down stair – Seal it up like a door, add weather-stripping and glue rigid insulation to the top of the access or create a hinged door over a pull down stair
Electrical outlets / light switches – These holes in your drywall / plaster allows for an easy air path. Caulk the plastic box tight to the drywall and add insulation made for behind the electrical cover
Wall / Floor intersection – Remove the 1/2 round and caulk the drywall tight to the floor
Drywall corners – The only good way to fix this is to stop the air moving from above and below the corner. This can be done well in new construction but is really hard to fix in an existing home
Wood floor over crawl space – In our climate the crawl space should be sealed and conditioned space. This eliminate air leaking from outside.
Recessed lights – These are always a big leak, unless they are air tight cans sealed tight to the drywall. The best way to eliminate this problem is to stop air movement on the backside of the drywall (between floor joist or in the attic).
Rim board between basement and first floor and first floor to second floor – This is probably the biggest air leak in your home. It is hard to fix in an existing finished space. If you can easily access these spaces, get it filled with open cell spray foam. If it is finished space, you can fix it, but it will require drilling lots of holes or removing drywall.
Chimney / Bath Vents / Kitchen Hood Vent – Use the damper in the fireplace to reduce air leakage, install vents with dampers for all exhaust vents
HVAC ducts – A surprise to many that this is a source of outside air coming into your home. The average duct system installed in your home uses tape to seal the joints’ leaks and leaks big time. If the joints are sealed with Mastic, then you will certainly have less leaks. I know one HVAC company in town that prides themselves on duct tightness, but that is one out of 12+ in town serving the residential market. If you can access the ducts, you can seal them, but this is often not the case. The only solution that I have found for a finished house is sealing from the inside of the duct using a product similar to Aeroseal. I have not seen a before and after, but I have heard of good performance.
Doors and Windows – Make sure they have the proper weather-stripping. We also use air stopper socks at the bottoms of all our doors. These are holes that open and close, really hard to seal them tight, do your best.

If you ever have to think to yourself “Help, my house is cold!” then fix these air leaks to see a reduction in your monthly electric bills. If you live in Harrisonburg give HEC a call to schedule your free energy audit to verify the leaks so you can get them fixed. If you want a complete energy audit or don’t live in Harrisonburg, Building Knowledge – Benjamin is an expert and does a great job.

15 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Hire an Architect

by Charles Hendricks | Feb 18, 2015 | Building Science

Designing a home is a complex process with many questions, decisions, and choices to be made. You need a licensed design professional to help you achieve the best solution possible. Your architect needs you to be open and forthcoming with your hopes and dreams in order to translate your wants into a design. Here are 15 questions to ask yourself before you hire an architect:

1. What do you like about your current home?

2. What do you not like about your current home?

3. What do you want in a new home that you don’t have now?

4. What style home do you love? (pictures are worth a 1000 words)

5. Is your home the place the entire family gathers for the holidays? Is it the place for the neighborhood kids to gather? Do you work from home? Do you love to entertain?

6. How much time and energy do you want to spend maintaining your home?

7. Do you want to be able to expand your home in the future?

8. Do you want low energy bills?

9. Do you want to live in this home for 3 years? 10 years? Lifetime?

10. Do you enjoy cooking meals from scratch? Baking?

11. Do family members have special needs? Mobility? Sight? Autism?

12. How much do you want to spend on your home?

13. How does your building site impact the design of your home?

14. How much time do you have for design and construction?

15. How comfortable are you making selections that mesh together for a holistic design?

If you’re looking to hire an architect for your next home, give us a call so we can help you through this complex and rewarding process.

For more questions on building your home, read this post.

Green Term Defined: WaterSense an EPA Partnership Program

by Charles Hendricks | Feb 16, 2015 | architecture, Building Science, green term defined, Harrisonburg Architect

WaterSense is a label program created by the Environmental Protection Agency for consumers to easily identify water efficient products. It is similar to Energy Star in that it identifies products that are more efficient. In order to qualify a WaterSense labeled product meets the following criteria:

performs as well or better than their less efficient counterparts
are 20% more water efficient than average products in that category
realize water savings on a national level
provide measurable water savings results
achieve water efficiency through several technology options
obtain independent, third-party certification

For companies to use the WaterSense logo, they must sign a WaterSense partnership agreement with the EPA. This agreement defines the roles and responsibilities of EPA and the partnering organization, as well as proper use of the label on packaging and in marketing.

The label can be found on products for the home including bathroom sink faucets, showerheads, toilets, urinals, wather-based irrigation controllers, and even new homes. Using products with the WaterSense label reduces water consumption lowering utility bills.

Projected websites from the WaterSense website: