This building was designed by Chuck Silver of Hudson River Design.
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Foundation/Structure
Interior
Root Cellar
Exterior
Mechanical, Lighting, Plumbing & PV
Appliances
Subcontractors
Foundation & Structure
Concrete Walls - serve as foundation and exterior wall structure for bottom floor of building
Superior Wall of the Hudson Valley
These walls provide equivalent foundation strength using 75% less concrete. They have a low R-value but are built with space to easily add insulation.
Engineered wood
LP I-joists, LVLs and OSB Rim Board
Stevenson Group (Stevenson Lumber)
These I-joists and LVLs are engineered to be stronger, straighter and more consistent in performance than solid sawn lumber joists and beams. The I-joist has greater strength vertically than a standard floor joist, using 45% less lumber. The engineered wood is composed of lumber from young, managed forests and lower grade lumber, which is not used with solid sawn lumber framing.
Subfloor Adhesive
OSI Adhesive
Marjam Supply Company
No-VOC, water based
1st Floor Sheathing
Advantech
Made with no urea formaldehyde and low-VOC adhesives. Advantech is the best product for floor sheathing.
SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) - form exterior walls on top floor of building.
Murus Panels / Murus Company
These walls use much less wood than traditional framing, and the wood that is used is young, managed forest or waste lumber. They are already insulated with a polyurethane foam, which is made of 100% organic compounds and is water based (no CFCs or formaldehyde). They have an R-value rating of 40.
Trusses
Stevenson Group (Truss Tech)
Trusses are incredibly efficient wood usage. Made out of 2x4s they are equivalent to using 2x12s and 2x14s. Manufactured by a local company, these trusses are made from 100% Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood.
Exterior
Exterior seal
Expanding foam and 100% silicone caulk - standard
House wrap
Raindrop Green Guard House Wrap
Rowley Building Products
Very durable. This house wrap has threads running through it that create an air gap, allowing air to flow behind the siding so that humidity can escape.
Foundation Seal
Bentonite clay fabric
A.H. Harris
This fabric is used below grade only. Made out of 100% natural sodium bentonite clay. The clay expands when it encounters moisture, so forms a super water-tight seal, providing an extra level of water security beyond even the Superior Walls.
Windows and Doors
Pella Designer Series Windows and Doors
Pella Corporation
These windows and doors have three layers of glass, with argon between two of them, and the glass is covered with a transparent "Low E" coating, which allows light to pass through while reflecting heat radiation back into the room, adding to the energy efficiency of the product.
Soffit and Siding
Hardiboard (Fiber cement board)
Arguably the most durable siding available. Helps avoid the use of wood and PVC. Despite popular opinion otherwise, there is no recycled content.
Note: Hardiboard is made by James Hardie Industries, Ltd., which, like many other companies in the construction industry, sold asbestos related products. James Hardie has been accused of not compensating its workers properly for exposure to asbestos dust. In 2001 it set up a foundation to financially compensate workers affected by working with James Hardie asbestos related products and relocated the company headquarters to the Netherlands. It was then discovered that the foundation's funds were insufficient to cover the claims. While the company has agreed to establish a new fund, the compensation process has been delayed for several years in court since James Hardie insists that the fund be given tax deductible charity status.
Interested in learning more? Read articles from the Sydney Morning Herald(2006) and the Green Left Weekly(1992).
An alternative is FSC certified shingles. We recently learned that Maibec's Nantucket line Eastern White Cedar shingles, the William E. Poole series, are FSC certified and the same price as the non-FSC shingles.
Exterior Trim
Windsor 1
Made from off-cuts of pine, using no urea formaldehyde adhesives and coated with low-VOC primer.
Roof Sheathing
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified plywood
Certified Wood Products, Inc.
Ice & Water Shield - standard
Steel roof - with a high "emittance", meaning it effectively reflects heat.
Englert, Inc.
Specify the LEED standards for reflectance and emissivity, as their standard steel roof does not comply. Contains 30-35% recycled steel and is very durable, allows you to avoid asphalt.
Skylights
Solatube Miracle Skylight and one standard skylight
Solatube and Williams Lumber
The Solatube Miracle Skylight makes daylight possible in rooms with no windows. It is an alternative to electric lighting during day light hours. Wonderful product.
Decks
Trex Decking
The decking is made from plastic bags, and pallet and waste wood, making it a 100% recycled product. It is very durable.
Steel posts
Hudson Valley Steel
Steel contains significant recycled material.
Structural rough sawn lumber
Boiceville Lumber
A local company that has made the commitment to only use sustainably harvested wood.
Interior
Concrete Floor - ground floor, dyed and finished as the final floor
Insulated with XEPS, the only product that works in wet environments and is highly non-biodegradeable. The standard is 2 inches of insulation below the slab, we used 4 inches.
Wood floor - 1st floor
Salvaged wood flooring from Antique & Vintage Woods of America
A beautiful Douglas Fir floor, re-sawn structural lumber from NYC commercial buildings.
Straw wall - serves as interior framing except in locations where it could get wet. Has finished, drywall equivalent, surface.
Durra Walls
Made from compressed straw, a waste by-product, and sheathed with 100% post-consumer recycled paper, this product is an alternative to drywall and stud framing. As it requires no additional stud framing, it reduces the amount of wood used in the building.
Wood Interior Framing - in places where straw wall could not be used.
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood
Certified Wood Products, Inc.
Insulation - in roof and additional insulation in superior walls, and some interior wood framed walls for sound proofing.
Cellulose and Foam board
Apple Gate Insulation provided our highly reliable and highly recycled cellulose.
Highly insulative and 85% post-consumer recycled. The foam board was salvaged.
Drywall
Sheetrock from US Gypsum
Much of USG's Sheetrock is 99% recycled -- a byproduct of the process that removes sulfur dioxide from the emissions of fossil fuel-burning power plants. It uses 100% recycled paper backing and uses corn and wheat starches as binders. Be sure to ask for the recycled Sheetrock when buying!
Trim
Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified poplar
Sterritt Lumber Co. of Watertown, MA
Shower Tiles
Eco-Friendly Flooring
100% recycled glass tiles made in a super energy-efficient manufacturing process by Sandhill Industries in Boise, ID.
Lunada Bay Tiles
75-80% recycled glass, manufactured in China
Stone Source
"Debris" Recycled Custom Glazed Ceramic Tiles -- These tiles are composed of granite dust (23%), broken window panes (5.8%) and recycled brown and green bottles (17.5%).
Cabinet Wood
Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified plywood
Saranac Hollow Lumber, Saranac, NY
Local company
Salvaged maple -- milled on-site in Graingeville, NY
Paints, primers, stains and wood finishes
AFM Safecoat
All AFM Safecoat products are designed in coordination with environmental medicine physicians to not leave irritating chemical residues in the air after use. They are no and super low-VOC.
Interior Doors
Pine Panel doors from Woodgrain Millwork
Williams Lumber
Made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood
Front door
The Bead and Batten Door
Alternative Timber Structures, Inc.
100% salvaged, made out of a water tank from a commercial building in Idaho.
Root Cellar
Cold food storage without the use of a refrigerator.
Materials list coming soon...
Mechanical/PV/Plumbing/Lighing
Solar Electric System
60 SunPower Photovoltaic (PV) panels
The most efficient PV panels on the market.
Inverters
2 SMA Sunnyboy 6000s
SMA is the industry-leading manufacturer of photovoltaic inverters in the US and Europe.
Mounting racks for Solar Panels
Direct Power and Water
Their super high quality Top of Pole mounts (ground-based) allow us to manually adjust their angle to keep them aiming at the sun through the seasons, increasing their efficiency by 15%.
Heat recovery/ventilation
UltimateAir RecoupAerator
The most energy-efficient unit available. This is a whole-house air filter and ventilator that circulates fresh air into an average-sized home every two hours. It serves as both ventilation and filtration, complete with optional CO2 monitor, air quality monitor, and dehumidistat.
Geothermal heating and cooling
Econar's Geosource Geothermal Heat Pump
An efficient, low input system which uses the Earth's constant temperature for heating and cooling.
House fan - standard
Lighting
TCP
All compact fluorescent and cold cathode lights provided by TCP. CFLs available widley. Cold cathodes available through energyfederation.org, goodmart.com.
Fans
Panama II XTR -- Casablanca Fan Company
Casablanca fans can cut air conditioning bills by as much as 40% in summer, and heating costs by up to 10%. On top of that this fan is ENERGY STAR rated.
Plumbing
All plumbing fixtures provided by Sterling, a Kohler company
Dual-flush toilets provide the option of a regular or small flush, saving a typical family of four at least 6,000 gallons of water per year.
Aerators on all faucets, making the flow of water lighter, saving water.
Appliances
Kenmore provided all home appliances. These models are all Energy Star rated, if applicable, and are among the top in their class. We chose to go with Kenmore even in those cases where there was a more efficient model available because of their reliability and ease of servicing.
Range
Induction Cooktop
This electric cooktop uses half the energy of a standard electric or gas cooktop. It also boils water in less than half the time, almost as convenient as a microwave, without the health issues of microwaves. It generates a magnetic field that directly heats the cast iron or stainless steel pot or pan. It has the superior responsiveness to both gas and electric.
Hood
Kenmore Elite 36in. Affordable, yet provides significant ventilation.
Oven
Kenmore Elite 30in. oven. Electric, self-cleaning, double wall. Convection ovens generally decrease cooking time, cutting energy use by about 20 percent. Also self-cleaning which means it has more insulation.
Fridge and freezer
Kenmore Elite 21.7 cu. ft. Top Freezer Refrigerator with Acceler-Ice 3xi Ice System
Washer and dryer
Kenmore Elite 4.5 cu. ft. Oasis Canyon Capacity Top Load Washer
Kenmore Elite 7.5 cu. ft. Oasis Canyon Capacity Electric Dryer
Dishwasher
Stainless Steel Kenmore Elite 24in. Built-in Dishwasher with Turbozone and rotating spray jets
Subcontractors
The following are a few of the subcontractors we used who are still, to our knowledge, operating, and who feel good recommending.
DJ Vosburg Enterprises, Dave Vosburgh -- excavating, roadwork, septic -- 845-758-4537
Noonan Plumbing & Heating Inc., Gary Noonan -- 845-889-8228
Stahel Electric, Rene Stahel -- 845-626-7335
Details for Builders