Educational seminar: Remodeling Towards a Green and Healthy Home, What is building you dream green home has to wait a while? In the meantime, there are plenty of things you can do to green up what youre already got. Green and sustainable renovations, whether large or small, can help save you energy and resources. Plus, taking some simple steps towards creating a healthy home can go a long way in reducing your body burden of toxic, synthetic chemicals found in many building materials and conventional cleaning supplies. An understanding of our personal home environmental can help us make informed decisions about environmentally friendly building materials and best practices in construction. An awareness of our human ecology can reduce our body burden of environmental toxins, while also reducing our impact on the earths natural resources. This presentation and Q & A will cover the nuts and bolts of green renovations, from both a builders perspective, and also that of a healthy home consultant. Whether youre a ahomeowner or a renter, the green strategies that will be offered in this clinic will help you synthesize the wealth of information surrounding green residential renovations. The presenters are Laura Catanzaro from Holistic Design and Space Planning and Dan Glickman from Sustainable Construction Services, Inc.

1. Greenovations
An intro to green and
healthy home remodeling

2. Renovating Holistically
 ren·o·vate: “…to restore to good condition”
 ho·lis·tic : “…more than just the sum of parts”
 re·source·ful : “…able to deal skillfully and promptly with
new situations and difficulties”
 human ecology: “…the relations, interactions and
interdependence between people and their environment
September 2008 Green Round Table

3. Green and Sustainable
 Respect for the earth and its natural processes--respect for our own health
and that of the planet
 Bio-mimicry…learning from the earth and how it functions as an eco-system
 Sustaining our viability by re-shaping how we live--Reduce, Reuse,
Repurpose, Recycle, Rethink
 Simplicity vs. Scarcity : what is “enough” and how it can “enrich” our lives
 Bargain Green: Some common-sense tips for resourceful, green home fixes
September 2008 Green Round Table

4. Housing Data
Boston area’s older
housing stock
September 2008 Green Round Table

5. Energy Data
Reduce!
September 2008 Green Round Table

6. What is a Green Renovation?
 Energy efficient
 Built with low or non toxic materials
 Takes full advantage of the given and natural resources
 Supportive of dwellers’ physical and mental health
 Long lasting
 Should have a minimized environmental footprint
September 2008 Green Round Table

7. Energy Efficiency
Defining energy priorities when remodeling:
1. Start with an energy audit
2. Energy Conservation
3. Energy Use and distribution
4. Energy Production (clean and renewable)
September 2008 Green Round Table

8. Energy Conservation
“Renovate it tight, ventilate it right” • Stop air leaks
(EPA)
• Improve insulation at
walls, windows, all
perimeters and
penetrations
• Clean and insulate
ducts
• Test with diagnostics
September 2008 Green Round Table

9. “Enclosure”
(section from Building Science Corporation
www.buildingscience.com)
 Air-sealing, weather-stripping, insulation, vapor
management, “breathability”
 Heat, air, moisture transfer, dew point,
temperature, wind and water
 Consider advanced framing
 Don’t reside exterior or reface interior without
air-sealing and insulating
Poly-iso
September 2008 Green Round Table

10. “Kill-a-watt”
Smart surge protector
Energy use and distribution
1. Energy star Appliances and bulbs
2. Control systems
3. System upgrades/replacements
“Phantom” loads
H-Axis washer
September 2008 Green Round Table

11. Energy Production
Renewables:
 Solar – Passive and active
 Wind – micro turbines
 Biomass - Wood, pellets, masonry
fireplace, point source heating
 Geothermal
 MTC rebates
Conventional setup:
 System efficiency
 Through the wall gas heater
(point source)
 Plan for possible future setup of
renewables
September 2008 Green Round Table

12. Material Selection
Massachusetts Woodlands
Cooperative
Total embodied energy of building materials by CO2 emissions
 Use recycled and recyclable materials
 Use FSC certified lumber
 Prefer locally stored--possibly
regionally supplied building materials
 Understand the embodied carbon
content of a product
 Choose durable and low maintenance
products
 Examine the product treatments and
production processes
September 2008 Green Round Table

13. Toxicity and Finishes
 Use no or low VOC materials. Deal with lead-
based paints.
 Avoid synthetic carpets with adhesives and
backing.
 Use Vinyl, PVC, Polyurethane and
Formaldehyde alternatives.
 Design for proper ventilation.
September 2008 Green Round Table

14. IAQ
 Separate garage from home.
 Minimize off gassing materials.
 Vent moisture from bathrooms and
basements to avoid spores.
 Use sealed combustion mechanicals.
 Allow for makeup air.
 Block off grilles and louvers to ductwork
during construction.
 Consider Air Filtration Systems
September 2008 Green Round Table

15. Reuse and Repurpose
Simplicity will enrich you.
(Boston Building Materials Co-op)
September 2008 Green Round Table

16. Outdoor/Indoor
 Overhangs and track off mats
 Maximize use of natural light
September 2008 Green Round Table

17. Sustaining the site, optimizing
the construction process, and
landscaping sensitively
 Protect trees and sensitive areas of
your site from compaction caused by
vehicles and machinery.
 Reduce wood waste by cutting in one
centralized place.
 Manage construction waste by setting
up waste separation on site.
 Landscape with native species that
require little irrigation or fertilizer.
 Plant trees on the west side to help
reduce summer overheating.
 Consider a meadow rather than a lawn
 Use permeable materials on the lot to
retain water run-off.
September 2008 Green Round Table

18. Sarah Susanka
Not So Big House
Layout, Space Planning and “Relationships”
 Small is both greener and cheaper.
 Context: look at the whole picture--assess your
existing space to make the most functional use of the
spaces you already have.
 Consider natural light in your renovations.
 Design spaces, storage and furnishings according to
how you really use your rooms, and include convenient
places for recycling.
September 2008 Green Round Table

19. Water
 Find and fix all plumbing
leaks
 Use faucet aerators, water
efficient shower heads, and
consider dual flush toilets
 Consider an on demand hot
water heater or
recirculation pumps
 Avoid Copper and PVC
piping
 Insulate bathtubs on
exterior walls
September 2008 Green Round Table

20. Electricity and Health
 Adhere to wiring protocols
strictly to code to insure
that all circuits are properly
grounded
 Use AFCIs and GFCIs
 Move clock radios away
from your head! Put some
distance between you and
high voltage outlets (220v)
including circuit breaker
boxes.
 Dimmer switches emit
(Demand switch
higher EMFs than regular for bedrooms)
switches.
September 2008 Green Round Table

21. Cleaning, Maintenance and Health
September 2008 Green Round Table

22. Evaporative cooling
with fans vs. using AC
From Bruce Harley’s
Insulate and Weatherize
Renovating your mind…
 Planning and building for your lifestyle could have the greatest impact on your
“greenness”.
 Consider “mundane” innovations over ecological “bells and whistles”.
 Hire a contractor who is experienced with green construction—go with his/her
strengths and biases—and “push the envelope” together.
 Green isn’t just a collection of strategies to be randomly applied. Use principles
and processes, not just products, practically and imaginatively.
 Choose opportunities appropriate to your situation.
September 2008 Green Round Table

23. www.SustainableConstructionBoston.com www.holisticdesign.net
508-653-7282 617-553-0612
Q/A
Resources and Links: GRT