The house we built with Forge Craft Architecture is stunningly h…
The house we built with Forge Craft Architecture is stunningly handsome, but also VERY high performance. I’m proud of this #BUILD.
This Forge Craft Architecture house is well designed with rich s…
This Forge Craft Architecture house is well designed with rich spaces, yet it’s only 2,000 square feet. Note the built-in dining nook off the kitchen.
Owens Corning’s Energy Complete system includes a pink goo tha…
Owens Corning’s Energy Complete system includes a pink goo that’s a cross between spray foam and latex caulk. It is a good way to get a lower blower-door score.
We used Tremco Dymonic caulk at the slab-to-bottom-plate connect…
We used Tremco Dymonic caulk at the slab-to-bottom-plate connections, for additional air-sealing.
Open-cell foam was used at the roof deck, and blown fiberglass a…
Open-cell foam was used at the roof deck, and blown fiberglass at the exterior walls. Batts were used on interior walls for sound control.
California (3-stud) corners are a great advanced framing method …
California (3-stud) corners are a great advanced framing method to ensure corners are insulated all the way back.
Look for my advanced framing video for more on making these insu…
Look for my advanced framing video for more on making these insulated headers.
24-inch-o.c. 2×6 studs lined up nicely with the load path …
24-inch-o.c. 2×6 studs lined up nicely with the load path of the trusses above.
We used Tyvek DrainWrap on the walls, then covered them with 3/4…
We used Tyvek DrainWrap on the walls, then covered them with 3/4-inch R-mate foam that has a silver facing for additional radiant barrier. Notice the horizontal rainscreen for the vertical wood siding on the front of the house.
We glued it to the slab, then later shot Hilti cap nails through…
We glued it to the slab, then later shot Hilti cap nails through it. Eventually it got a Sto synthetic-stucco finish in grey to look like a standard slab.
We wrapped the slab foundation with Bora-Foam, which is EPS impr…
We wrapped the slab foundation with Bora-Foam, which is EPS impregnated with borate to resist termites.
The guys from Termi-Mesh did a great job installing our foam.
It took a few steps to ensure termites would be stopped if they …
It took a few steps to ensure termites would be stopped if they tunneled behind the foam.
I like how this AirTap-brand water heater can be ducted in and o…
I like how this AirTap-brand water heater can be ducted in and out so it can be located in a small closet, if needed.
Panasonic’s fantastic ERV lives in the mech close, too, in the…
Panasonic’s fantastic ERV lives in the mech close, too, in the ceiling above the HP water heater.
The 7.2 Kw array was kickin’ when we filmed this video.
If you’ve been following my work for a while, you’ll realize that I basically stopped talking about “green building” about three to four years ago. The term “green” has been too watered down to mean anything anymore. Instead, I talk about “high performance houses” or “comfort.” I find that my clients have had uncomfortable houses in the past and that talking about comfort really resonates. I also have lots of clients who want low energy bills. The idea of a zero-dollar electric bill is pretty awesome.
In this blog post, I thought I’d give you the extended version of the story of the house in this video. This is a house my company built for Forge Craft Architecture‘s founder Scott Ginder and his family. It’s a house that will generate enough electricity with its solar array to have a zero-sum electric bill for the entire year (some months, the bill will be negative, some months it won’t; but overall, the monthly bills for a year will average $0).
