jordan green homes

2009-02-24T14:03:00.000-08:00

Electrical inspection - PASSED

More needs to come off the to -do list and then we have the occupancy inspection. Then we have the EnergyStar rating inspection. Did you know you don't need a phone installed to get occupancy in a house?

2009-02-24T14:01:00.001-08:00

Inspection tomorrow...Do you think we should tidy up a bit?

2009-02-24T13:59:00.000-08:00

OK so it does look better when you plan things out!

2009-02-24T13:57:00.000-08:00

What do you mean you have to plan???

2009-02-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

When is that inspector getting here?

2009-02-24T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's starting to look more and more like a house that can be lived in as each to do is finished.

2009-02-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

We've insulated the garage. The area when the dog runs will be located have the radiant heat coils in the floor and will have an overhead fan that can also heat the area. Warm and toasty from below and above.

2009-02-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

Sorry we've not updated the BLOG SPOT for awhile. Been busy with lots of things besides the house AKA "the dirt"

2009-01-08T05:56:00.000-08:00

The hallway lights are LED lights and are supposed to last over 10 year. The fans have compact fluorescent candelabra bulbs. Tom found some bulbs that are supposed to be even MORE efficient.

2009-01-08T05:53:00.000-08:00

Trim, doors and cabinets are going in this week. Appliances come in 2 weeks.

2009-01-08T05:48:00.000-08:00

Oh come on guys. Just because I haven't been taking pictures for awhile doesn't mean you get to stand around and look cute. Notice the Latte wall and the Coffee accent wall?

2008-12-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

We've added a layer of foam board insulation to the underside of the roof trusses prior to blowing in R-50 cellulose in the attic. The reflectability of both sides of the foam board sends heat back into the house in the winter and repels heat entering from the attic in summer.

2008-12-27T07:07:00.000-08:00

Our first snow fall! and still we work.

2008-12-27T07:01:00.000-08:00

This is the inverter that changes DC to AC so that the electricity can be used by the house. The display features a unique "knock here" feautre to change the data display.

2008-12-27T06:26:00.000-08:00

It's time to put up the solar panels. Whatever electricity that is generated and not used will be sold back to CommonWealth Edison. This is a 3.1 Kilowatt array with room for future expansion. This array should provide all the electricity needed to run this house.

2008-12-27T06:19:00.000-08:00

We're ready to turn on the floor. :) This is radiant hydronic floor heat. We have tubes running through the cement floor and controlled by the manifold shown. We turn them on and leave them on. Each area in the house is controlled by its own thermostat. The air handler and venting system makes sure that air is circulated correctly throughout the house.

2008-12-27T06:12:00.000-08:00

Now we get to add walls. The lumber was used as braces during the cement pour for the walls. We'll re-use that lumber to make the walls.

2008-11-16T06:33:00.000-08:00

Soon we'll start working on insulation of the roof and garage. Before that can be done, we have to allow for the house to breathe so vents have to be put in place before the insulation goes into the house.

2008-11-16T06:28:00.000-08:00

It looks like we'll have the house under roof before the really bad weather hits. But while there are crews finishing up outside, there are a lot of things that must be done inside the house before anyone can move into it. Along the way, we've had buidling inspectors approving the septic, roughed in plumbing, wall construction, floor joists, well and electricity. And sometimes they just stop by to see how things are going. An open house was held on November 15, 2008...and the house is truly open...for everyone and anyone to see how the constuction is done and to talk to the builders and owners.

2008-11-16T06:26:00.000-08:00

The siding is going up.

2008-11-16T06:24:00.001-08:00

Did I mention we FINALLY got electricity? It was ONLY 2 weeks after the last time Commonwealth ED was here!

2008-11-16T06:21:00.000-08:00

The windows are going in...looking better and better.

2008-11-16T06:16:00.000-08:00

The flooring has piping for radiant heat in them. The decision was made to go with concrete...YES CONCRETE...flooring. The concrete, when polished, allows the stone to show through. It then looks like terrazzo at a fraction of the cost. The pictures show the concrete floor before polishing and after polishing.

2008-11-16T06:10:00.001-08:00

After the decking goes up, then a water/ice barrier is placed on the roof and THEN the shingles go on. It's starting to look like a house instead of a Styrofoam cooler.

2008-11-16T05:59:00.000-08:00

While the septic field was going in, the roofers were also busy. The plywood decking goes on over the rafters. While the decking was going up the garage was also framed in.

2008-11-15T05:49:00.001-08:00

The septic pipes have holes in them so the water can drain out into the field. Gravel in put into the trenches. The pipe is laid over the gravel. More gravel and then the dirt is backfilled into the trenches. The excavator then levels everything...what a great mud field!

2008-11-15T05:27:00.000-08:00

The septic system is a mini water treatment plant in the backyard. The waste water from the house is sent to the holding tank that is buried. There the waste decomposes and the effluent then drains into the field. For more information on how a septic field works go to: http://www.howstuffworks.com/sewer2.htm

2008-11-15T05:20:00.000-08:00

Since this area is rural there is no city water or gas lines or sewage treatment plant. So we started with digging a well. There were pictures of that earlier. After digging the well a drench is dug from the well head to the house and an expansion tank ( you have to pump the water to the rest of the house). Our plumber is dealing with piping here there and everywhere.

2008-11-15T05:18:00.000-08:00

A lot of things are happening at once now. We've got several crews all working on their "thing". Still no electricity! I'll try and break things out.

2008-10-30T16:15:00.001-07:00

The trusses arrived yesterday and they were almost all up by the end of the day today. After they are up, plywood decking will be nailed onto the trusses to provide a support for the shingles. The roofers will come next week.

2008-10-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

The roof joists have arrived!

2008-10-30T10:35:00.001-07:00

We can frame in the garage while they are working on the concrete. It's starting to look like we may get finished yet!

2008-10-30T10:29:00.000-07:00

The foundation gravel has to be leveled before we can continue with the concrete pour. Then we can pour the concrete for the patio, front entry way, garage entry way and kennel run off the garage.

2008-10-30T10:20:00.001-07:00

Whew! the bracing held and we don't have to redo the first floor ICF's at all!

Anything that is going to be "in the wall" has to be set in before we pour the concrete. Electrical outlets etc. Once we pour that concrete anything else has to be on the wall, not in it. All plumbing is marked, all electrical all doors, all openings of any kind. We had an oops where the concrete blew out one of the ICF's. The concrete was a bit "wetter" than it should have been. It meant a clean up job but that's done and none the worse for wear.

2008-10-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Now that the floor is in and firm, we can start putting up the first floor walls. The main building will also be ICF's but the garage will be built in the traditional manner using 2 x6's. We put up a lot of extra bracing on the first floor. Some bracing is necessary for pouring the concrete but we are expecting 50 mile an hour winds this weekend and the concrete isn't going to be here until Monday.

2008-10-30T10:10:00.000-07:00

The septic system is marked off but won't be started until the house is under roof. We can't drive on that section of the bean field so that means we won't be harvesting this section.

2008-10-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

I need to catch up on a few things. Window wells in the basement. We needed to have another means of egress (couldn't they just use the word exit) in case the basement stairs aren't usable so we have a window ladder.

2008-10-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

Of course we had to pick the nastiest day yet to pour the concrete for the floor. We needed to cover the concrete so that the rain wouldn't make dents or pits in the flooring.

2008-10-30T10:01:00.001-07:00

We lay out the tubing according to rooms and zones.

2008-10-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Next we mark off the rooms. Each area can be adjusted separately so that we aren't heating a section of the house that's not being used.

2008-10-30T09:53:00.001-07:00

Did I mention the flooring? It's going to be concrete but it won't look like concrete when we're done. There will be radiant heat tubing set up in zones in the house. We first have to put down the corrugated metal. Each section is screwed into the floor joists.

2008-10-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

The well is dug. Of course it's not connected to the house yet. The little flying saucers on the rebar are a safety precaution so someone like me doesn't impale themselves.

2008-10-30T09:45:00.003-07:00

Commonwealth Edison came back and put the pole up but didn't run the line to the house.

I wonder how much fuel they would have saved if they brought the pole, dug the hole, set the pole and ran the wires to the house in one trip?

2008-10-30T09:40:00.001-07:00

Commonwealth Edison stopped by...we still don't have electricity and have to run a generator for our electrical needs but we're getting closer!

2008-10-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Let's look at some of the other neat things going into this house. Earth Tubes! What you ask are earth tubes? Earth Tubes use conventional, thin wall, plastic pipe to pre-heat or pre-cool your home's air intake. Fresh air enters a system of these pipes which are laid around the exterior and interior of the foundation. You can let the air draft naturally through your earth tubes for a truly sustainable, non-electric, passive geothermal system or add fans and filters to supplement the home's back-up heating and cooling system. Under the frost line the ground temperature remains the same year round. By running the earth tubes under the frost line you cool the outside air during the summer and warm the outside air during the winter. This takes a load off the heating and cooling system of a house.

2008-10-30T09:19:00.000-07:00

Sorry I've not kept up with the blog but we're back on track.

The basement walls are up and NOTHING is going to move them. Our next step is the floor joists. These are steel. Yep, this is a house that is going to last.

2008-10-04T05:01:00.000-07:00

Another inspection passed! And the pole for the electricity has arrived....or was that for the telephone? The beans are almost ready to harvest. It's going to look naked around here shortly.

2008-10-04T04:53:00.000-07:00

When we arrived and saw the little green flying saucers on the rebar, it was a guessing game as to "why are those greenies there?" As it turns out, it's a safety feature so that if you fall on the rebar you won't impale yourself. The steel joists are laid out around the basement. Well we SAID it was going to be a well constructed house.

2008-09-25T19:25:00.000-07:00

Finally CONCRETE! The vertical rods are rotated into the poured concrete. This helps to make sure the concrete flows all the way to the bottom. You also watch it "spill out". oops.

2008-09-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

There are reinforcing rods running through the ICF. Wall braces are setup up so when the concrete is poured nothing bows in or out. Remember what I said about any holes in the wall have to be preset... the windows frames are already there. And yes I am trying to stay out of the way.

2008-09-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

Gee these look like Lego blocks. These are insulating concrete forms. They are the heart of this project. Insulating concrete forms (ICFs) are rigid plastic foam forms that hold concrete in place during curing and remain in place afterwards to serve as thermal insulation for concrete walls. The foam sections are lightweight and result in energy-efficient, durable (I bet they can withstand a hurricane) construction. R value is R-50. All openings to the outside have to be preplanned. You don't just cut a hole in the concrete if you changed your mind as to where you want a window. So openings for windows, doors, water, gas, electricity, and anything else you can think of needs to be done BEFORE the concrete is poured.

2008-09-25T18:53:00.001-07:00

The footings have passed inspection.

2008-09-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

The footings are in. The trough in the middle of the pour is to help align the foam blocks later

2008-09-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

I forgot to tell you that the building permit MUST BE DISPLAYED AT ALL TIMES and a copy of the building plans MUST BE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES. The building plans are in the trash bag tied to the building permit sign.

2008-09-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

OOPS... following the plans for the basement we hit water. I guess it was only to be expected since we had so much rain. But this brought up the issue: if we have water here now, the sump pump would have to run most of the time if we go deeper. Decisions decisions. Well we're going to raise the basement up so the hole won't be as deep. That means we'll have to move more dirt at the end and do a bit more banking than we originally planed on to have a Prairie home but the energy savings of not having the pump running all the time should be worth it.

2008-09-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

OK check those plans and dig that basement!

2008-09-25T18:17:00.000-07:00

Supplies and building materials have arrived WOO HOO but why are you guys standing around... why aren't you digging that basement?

2008-09-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

More dirt moving equipment - but when is that basement going in????

2008-09-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

You've got to move a lot of dirt to build a home! And they haven't even begun to dig the hole for the basement.

2008-09-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Now we get to move a lot of dirt! First we pull the top soil off and over to the side, then we level the soon to be road way. put in a culvert and top it off with gravel.

New Home on Hunter Road

2008-09-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Next the septic system and bore holes. The inspector needs to check the soil maps of the county and then does bore holes to see how quickly water will "disappear" from the bore holes.

WE PASSED with flying colors. The boundaries of the septic field are marked off and we're not supposed to drive on that section...can't compact the soil! fortunately it's behind the future location of the house.

New Home on Hunter Road

2008-09-24T09:54:00.001-07:00

Next we mark out where the house is going to go along with the road and where we think the septic field will be. Then the inspectors come through.

New Home on Hunter Road

2008-09-24T09:51:00.001-07:00

We've got our road access permit so we now have an address. This goes to all the county services, fire, sheriff, post office and anyone that needs to know a home is going into the property.

New Home on Hunter Road

2008-09-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

There's a lot that goes on between buying property and putting in the foundation. And it's ALL paper work. First the architect. You might have an idea of what you want but it has to be translated into feet and inches, plumbing, lighting, ventilation, heating, cooling, cement, dry wall...and the list goes on and on. And we haven't even picked the color of the walls yet!

Once everyone agrees on the "plan" we need permits, a septic system permit which includes soil bores for a septic system, a basement feasbibltiy study, a road access permit. All of these need to be completed before we can even get our building permit. AND don't forget the inspections that go with each permit.

New Home on Hunter Road

2008-09-24T09:37:00.000-07:00

We're going to take you through building a new GREEN home in Boone County starting from the bean field to finished Prairie Style home.

Every new home starts with an idea but it takes a lot of time and effort to change an idea into reality.

We start with a bean field.

2008-09-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

Sunday rain all moring long the last of ike

2008-09-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

boone Co il