Ten Directions Design
A second-story addition makes this house more usable in the future to larger families as well as suitable for couples or an individual resident. The work includes a variety of energy-saving and water-saving features, as well as the use of sustainable materials and practices.
ENERGY SAVINGS:
- Installation of a heat-recovery ventilator. This unit removes heat from air that is being vented out. This heat is then used to pre-heat supply air entering the house from the exterior.
- There is a radiant heat system in the upper bathroom floor. This low-voltage system allows the owners to keep the heat lower than normal in the cooler seasons and delay turning the heat up in the mornings.
- The new hot water heater is an energy-saving tankless unit.
- New high-efficiency gas-furnace installed.
- Crawl space is a conditioned space. Therefore none of the heat ducts are in an unheated space.
- Used a soy-based spray foam insulation. Expanding foam insulation seals gaps and cracks, resulting in a more airtight house.
WATER AND ENERGY SAVINGS:
The owner installed a motion-sensor triggering a re-circulating pump. The sensors are in both bathrooms and the kitchen. This system saves energy because the pump and the hot-water heater do not operate until someone has actually entered the room, unlike the typical set-up where the pump is constantly on.
RECYCLING:
Fir flooring was removed, saved and then reinstalled on the main floor. Similarly, the oak floor was re-used on the upper floor.
JOB SITE RECYCLING:
Contractor separated the waste material. Recycled wood waste, dry wall scraps, and metal. All excavated dirt sent to Pacific Topsoil to be reused.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS:
- Shingles from a local mill on Olympic Peninsula. The mill uses logs that don’t have other lumber value.
- Kitchen counter: durable stone (Pietra del Cardosa).
- Upper Bathroom counter: IceStone, a recycled glass and concrete product. Also, the slabs were partial slabs left over from someone else’s project, which prevented the slabs from going to waste.
- Shower and tub surround: long-lasting tile.
- New flooring consists of cork, and all-natural linoleum.
INDOOR AIR QUALITY:
- No carpeting was used anywhere in the house.
- No MDF or particle board was used in the construction, including the cabinets, trim, etc.
- Used a soy-based spray foam insulation that is formaldehyde-free.
