Green in Harlem

Antique Mantle from Build it Green

2009-10-19T15:02:00.023-04:00

Man oh, man are we excited! Not only do we have an ACTUAL approved building permit, we found this unbelievable mantlepiece at Build It Green (bignyc.org) this weekend. Click the images for a close-up.

Bought it and rented a truck to cart it over to the house that same day. Gotta love the lion heads with the dragon tails!

We almost bought one that we didn't love, just because we were worried about being able to find a period appropriate piece in good condition. Patience, indeed, is a virtue...

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Green Depot Has the Green Goods

2009-02-24T10:21:00.007-05:00

In our never-ending search for reliable, quality suppliers of green building materials and products I (only & sadly) occasionally come across a store that really delivers the Green Goods. I had written previously about Energy Federation Inc and Gracious Home for lighting, and we now have a new go-to place for green building products.

Green Depot has just opened a flagship showroom in Manhattan (with online shopping, 'natch). I had a visit and was very impressed with their products and staff. Great selections from lighting products to Forest Stewardship Council flooring to Ivy No-VOC Paint and one of the best displays of IceStone countertop materials.

Denise, in the kitchen department really took the time to explain the various sustainable cabinet materials, tile and countertops they offer. They even carry the way-cool Warmboard Radiant Heat Subflooring System! A much more satisfying shopping experience than the typical big box store.

Green Depot is a retailer of Green Building, Lifestyle and Design products, with a variety of stores or centers in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Check 'em out!

I picked up a few hybrid rechargeable batteries for the various kitty toys and plan to return soon with The Lady to settle on countertop materials.

[where: 222 Bowery, New York, NY 10012]

Stimulus Package Green Energy Incentives

2009-02-15T18:46:00.017-05:00

Wow. I've been working my way through the 1500 pages of the Obama Stimulus Plan, lovingly titled American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, scanning for the changes in the Renewable Energy tax credits and incentives.

Not easy to find, but did discover some specifics that I thought I would share.

Solar How Water:
previous incentive allowed for a Federal tax incentive of 30% of the cost of the system, capped at $2000 maximum.
New: The $2000 cap has now been removed, so you get the full 30% tax credit for Solar Hot Water, a several thousand dollar change

Energy Efficient Improvements:
previous incentive allowed a $500 Federal tax incentive for the installation of energy efficient windows, insulation, appliances. Eh.
New: The incentive has been increased to a $1500 Federal tax credit for Energy Efficient improvements. See this chart for the specific equipment requirements (but note that the $$ amounts are out of date, it is now a flat 30% total credit capped at $1500)

These new incentives continue to push the "affordability curve" in the homeowner's favor. Below is the complete list of Renewable Energy incentives that I know of:

Solar PV/Hot Water = Federal 30% Tax Credit for cost of system. Uncapped.

Solar PV/Hot Water = NYC Property Tax Abatement - 35% of Post Rebate Cost over 4 Years

Solar PV = NYS offers 25% Credit of the Customer Final Payment up to $5,000

Solar PV = NYSERDA Utility Rebate for Solar Electric System (Currently $3.00 per watt)

Energy Efficiency Improvements = up to $1500 federal tax credit for the installation of energy efficient furnaces, heat pumps, appliances, windows and insulation.

There are also a wide variety of low interest loans available for homeowners as well. These are *not* home equity loans, but federally guaranteed unsecured loans for energy efficiency projects.

I typically rely on DSIRE to keep track of the various incentives, but they haven't updated their site yet to reflect the new stimulus legislation (Pres. Obama is slated to sign it on Tuesday).
[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Brownstone Parlor Kitchen Design

2009-02-11T08:14:00.011-05:00

As you know, we have decided to turn the formal parlor of our Harlem Brownstone into the main kitchen. We struggled with finding space for a functional kitchen within the old 1896 floor plan. The original kitchen was downstairs on the Garden Floor, with a back staircase for the help to bring up the food. Not exactly workable for us, as The Lady doesn't think we need a full staff to run the house...

So, we worked with SuperFriends Jen & Ellen (form of...Architects!) on transforming the Parlor into a Kitchen. Fortunately, we are going to be able to use some of the existing fireplace flue to run water pipes, etc., minimizing the need to carve up the walls. Right, Contractor Sam??!

In the interim, we came across a complete high-end Kitchen cabinet set that had been salvaged from a home in Manhattan! The salvage crew took great care in removing the cabinet pieces so they are in perfect condition, and we were able to purchase them at a very steep discount. So now we have a complete Kitchen set (with extra cabinets for the bar area) that is not only cost-effective, but also completely Green & Recycled!

This makes us giddy. Again.

The task over the past few days was how to take this kitchen set jigsaw puzzle, and make it fit, gracefully, into the Parlor space. Many hours later, we've come up with a pretty workable plan and a layout that is functional and stylish. Below are a few shots of the prelim plans and 3D representations. Click for larger images.

Onward Eco-Warriors!

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Free Renovation Tools Make Them Happy

2009-02-10T12:03:00.029-05:00

We are just so thrilled to have received a brand-spanking-new Komelon Stainless Steel tape measure from one of our favorite design and home renovation blogs: Charles and Hudson. Thank you! Woo-hoo!

We've put it to good work already: measuring kitchen cabinets as we endlessly re-configure the new parlor kitchen. The old tape measure (with duct tape holding it together) is now resting comfortably in the bottom of the toolbox.

So, check out Charles and Hudson, loads of inspiration, DIY How-Tos and information on products to be found.
[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Best Renovation Tool

2009-02-03T20:13:00.009-05:00

I almost gave up. May 2007, I was in New Orleans staring at a pile of Trex composite decking, a pile of stripped deck screws, sweating buckets. It was 10am, 90° and I had a bazillion screws to drive. Oh man.

3 hours earlier, I had rolled up to the house ready to knock out the deck project. Posts were set. Trex delivered. Piece of cake. Started laying the deck, and was a little surprised at the slow going. Hm. OK, I'll use the special "no drill, auto-countersink" screws. Thud. Still not getting through the composite deck. Wow, I thought, this is TOUGH stuff.

Unwilling to accept that I had to pre-drill each of the screw holes, I rang up a buddy who's a full-time contractor and gently humors my gung-ho attitude.

Me: "Hey Matt, I'm fighting with this Trex decking. What am I missing here?"
Matt: "The impact driver isn't working?"
Me: "Huh? What's an impact driver?"
Matt: "OK, stop. Don't ya'll have any new technology up North? Go and buy one. You'll never use another driver."

And that's how I met the Makita Impact Driver. Wow. I finished the deck that day. Looks great.

Get a Makita Impact Driver. Well, well worth it. The simultaneous action of driving (impacting) a screw while the drill turns it is just miraculous. Very lightweight, great battery life (Lithium Ion doesn't lose charge quickly). There's even a light built into the tip.

They are sold in all major DIY stores and online at Amazon, etc.

I am going to start listing my all time *worst* or justy plain silly tools. Anyone have a favorite worst?

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

LED Lighting Panned in New York Times

2009-02-02T11:01:00.016-05:00

An article in today's New York Times underscores what many of us are finding with the new LED Lighting products: they aren't quite there yet.

I agree with the analysis, but have issue with the conclusion (or lack thereof). Traditional news stories are not supposed to offer suggestions or opinion, but this is an analysis piece, so I had hoped the author would end with "so what you should think about is..."

For example, there are a number of new LED lighting products that are fantastic for specific uses. I wrote about the new WAC Undercabinet Lighting recently as well as other alternatives to inefficient incandescents lamps that work wonderfully for the right setting.

Voltaire's oft-used phrase, "the Perfect is the enemy of the Good" (or "Il meglio è l'inimico del bene", for our Italian friends) is well applied to this discussion.

To wit: If I can reduce my energy consumption, electricity costs and waste with the appropriate use of quality Compact Fluorescent and LED bulbs, I should do it! We should not wait for the holy grail of lighting products to start making the switch, as that will likely never occur. Today, we can reduce our electrical usage by 30-50% just by using smarter bulbs.

There are a ton of good options for homeowners, even if the NY Times sums it up with "Simply put, many of the LED products now available are not worth buying."

Reference: article from the NY Times Bits section: "LEDs to the Rescue? Not So Fast".
[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

New Solar Power Incentives - Federal & State

2009-01-28T19:18:00.007-05:00

So it seems Good Things really do come to those who wait! (or is it "Time and tide wait for no man"...?)

Had a great call with our Solar Contractor who re-quoted our Solar PV system based on the new Federal and State incentives available for Solar Photovoltaic electric panels.

Turns out, there are a number of changes to the incentives that really make a difference in moving forward. Of course, there is still some silliness (like not being able to take a Solar PV and Solar Hot Water incentive in the same year - ugh). Nevertheless, we are excited to see the government put (our!) money in the right places.

Summary:

Federal =Government Offers an uncapped 30% Tax Credit for cost of system

NYC = Property Tax Abatement - 35% of Post Rebate Cost - Over 4 Years

NYS = Offers 25% Credit of the Customer Final Payment up to $5,000

Utility Rebate = NYSERDA Rebate for Solar Electric System (Currently $3.00 per watt)

In our case, that leaves the Net cost to us, after 4 years at under $5,000. w00t!

It's time to go and get your Solar On!

References: DSIRE Solar Incentives by State

Note that the Solar Thermal / Hot Water incentives haven't changed. Yet.

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Brownstone Heated Front Steps

2009-01-27T09:52:00.013-05:00

Woke up this morning thinking about snow, the brownstone and having to shovel the steps. Getting the ice and snow off of those steps can be a real pain, and typically you will leave snow and ice all over them, making for a treacherous run to Whole Foods for your favorite organic, free-range, hot cocoa potion and a bucket of Tiger Balm for your back.

Having spent some time in the north of Sweden, where the snow is towering over your head, I remembered that they had heated walkways nearly everywhere. The snow fell (and fell and fell...) and quickly melted.

Aha! We're installing radiant heat, powered by a Solar Thermal Hot Water system. Why couldn't we extend some of that to the front steps? To be even more efficient, there could be a switch that would allow the front steps system to activate. Wouldn't exactly be fast, but might be smart. Have to think through when I would want it on/off more. Anyone have ideas?

In review, a radiant hot water heating system distributes warm (~ 130 degrees) water through flexible PEX tubing typically installed under the floors. The amount of water carried in the tubes acts as one large heat mass; efficiently warming the house and retaining it's heat for long periods of time.

Less water heating = less fuel used = less costs = green building!

I can see a system that has a heat exchanger carrying an antifreeze liquid through PEX tubing mounted in these aluminum plates to direct the heat to the bottom of the stone steps. Remember, it doesn't have to heat the steps to 72 degrees, just 33 degrees. Also, the heat exchanger is necessary because you can't have water running to the outside pipes, unless you want to have a sprinkler system under your steps after the first freeze...

We hope to have the bulk of our hot water generated by our solar thermal evacuated tube system, but might not even need to use it for the steps if we can just have the heat exchanger interface with the incoming city water (which is between 50-60 degrees).

I'll have to talk to Contractor Sam and Ellen & Jen the architects about it. They just LOVE to hear my latest... um... innovations... alway bringing up that "what's your BUDGET" thing. ;-)

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Update: Green Lighting LED and CFL Bulbs

2009-01-22T19:42:00.010-05:00

Quick update for folks in NYC on where to find good quality CFL and LED lighting products for your home in a retail store. Great staff who are hugely helpful.

Gracious Home, now open in Chelsea, has a great new selection of Green Lighting bulbs (or "lamps" as I am told they are technically called). What I liked was that the LAMPS were organized by the color temperature of the light. How tired are you of getting a CFL or LED bulb home only to find that it's a weak white/blue when you wanted warm, soft white?

Remember for warm tones in the living room and bedroom, you want 2700K temperature lights. Don't be snookered by the "pure daylight" marketing materials; those bulbs put off a super-white-to-bluish light and are rated at 5000K. Ick. Here is the original post: Where to find quality LED and CFL Bulbs?

I was especially impressed that they were carrying the new LED under-cabinet lights from WAC. The WAC InvisiLED Tape Lights are far and away the best performing LED under-cabinet lights I've seen (and I've tried too many...). No heat. Very low energy use. Simple install. Easy to link together. Check 'em out!

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

Update: Green Paint Stripping

2009-01-11T22:27:00.034-05:00

Our great progress in stripping the paint from the spectacular window trim and base molding
has.
slowed.
down.
considerably.

Turns out, the recent cold snap (I love saying that, like we live on the prairie, maybe near the Big Woods!) has had an effect on the efficacy of the Smart Strip product.

As the instructions clearly state:
Limitations: For best results, surface temperatures
should be 60ºF – 95ºF. Smart Strip can be
applied as low as 37ºF, however, efficiency/effectiveness
are reduced and dwell time increases.

We have the heat turned off in the brownstone, and it's been hovering around 45-50 degrees. As a result, the Smart Strip isn't turning the 100 years of paint and shellac into the easy-to-remove goop we've grown to enjoy. We may need to wait for the weather to warm up a bit. Or buy a heater for the rooms we're working in. Argh.

For the fans, here are some action shots from this weekend. Note the wool cap. It's cold!

[where: 10032]

Green Paint Stripping with Smart Strip

2009-01-05T17:04:00.087-05:00

Happy New Year! After a few unexpected travails, we're back in full swing on the project.

Our townhouse has beautiful original woodwork, much of which had been

Fretwork: The fabulous detail in the moldings is obscured by years of paint. Photo by AMR

painted over many, many times in the last 100 years. Most of the windows and doors had been painted, and we wanted to get an idea of the work involved and how feasible it was to strip them back to their original condition. BUT, no nasty cancer-causing chemicals for us, so we tried out 2 of the green paint removal products we found:

Soygel: highly-rated, made from soybeans by Franmar Chemicals

Smart Strip: brand new product from the Peel-Away folks

We put them both to the test. Read More...

Hands down, Smart Strip worked better for us on the multiple layers of paint on top of the original shellac. Also, Smart Strip had *no odor* at all, had a thicker consistency and was much easier to clean up. Used in tandem with the special Peel-Away paper, we made short work of the windows and doors ikn the master bedroom. To the right is a shot of the windows before stripping, and below the detail that we found after using Smart Strip:

Our Method (YMMV...)

Set up your work area by taping down rosin paper, and taping off areas you don't want to be stripped.
Apply the Smart Strip with a brush. It's a thick, white paste that sticks to the surface pretty well. We slathered it on as thick as possible (~1/4").
Next, we cut the strips of Peel-Away paper and applied to the doors and windows, completely covering the paste and overlapping it a bit. The paper slows down the drying process, allowing the product to work on the layers of paint.
First, we waited 24 hours, but found that 48 hours was the right amount to get through all the layers.
This is a good time to go and find Allway CS6 Contour Scraper Kit, a flat scraper, contractor bags, a nylon stripping brush, denatured alcohol, latex gloves and a ton of rags to clean the scrapers off. TIP: we used saved plastic grocery bags to wipe the scrapers off in. No mess!
Gently pull off the Peel-Away paper, s-l-o-w-l-y, working perpendicular to detail in the molding. You should be getting several paint layers stuck to the paper, and sometimes all of the layers, with the shellac or varnish in a gel.
Grab your scaper(s) and gently glide it across the now bubbled and soft paint layers on the wood. The paint should slide off easily. If it doesn't, work on the areas that do slide off, and plan on applying another treatment of Smart Strip.
Wipe the scrapers off on the rags, or in the plastic grocery bags. Resist the temptation to wipe it on the rosin paper, as you will then be stepping in the goop, and tracking it around. Yes, that is from experience...
Once all the loose paint is removed, pour the denatured alcohol into a spray bottle and spray it liberally on the woodwork, scrub it vigorously with the nylon brush, and then wiping it off with clean rags. Move quickly over small areas, as the alcohol dries fast. TIP: if it's shellac underneath, Denatured Alcohol works. If it's varnish, use Mineral Spirits.

Hopefully, all of the shellac and varnish comes off easily with the rags and Denatured Alcohol/Mineral Spirits. If not, STOP, and just re-apply Smart Strip for 6-12 hours, and it will loosen the shellac. You will not get it off easily otherwise.

Do not scrape at hard paint - the woodwork will be destroyed, and you will be frustrated.
Do not let the Smart Strip dry with the Peel-Away paper on it. It's a hassle to get it off when dry.
Do not coat on more than you can remove in one stretch. What you put on, make sure you get it off before it dries.

Voila! You should have some darn fine woodwork in front of you. (Of course, the usual sanding, etc.will have to happen before applying a new stain or shellac.)

[where: 10032]

2008-11-05T00:02:00.006-05:00

WOW

Congratulations to President Obama.
A new day for all of us.
We are with you.

[where: 10032]

Almost Famous - NY Times and This Old House

2008-08-14T17:18:00.018-04:00

We were close... SOOOOOO close.... finally I could throw away my suits and oh-so-business-edgy-socks and my logo-ed laptop bag... I could get a new toolbelt and hang with the pros! Norm, Tommy and Kevin, we coulda been pals...! (well, except for the Red Sox thing)

But, alas, the dream has died. This Old House called us to let us down easy. They chose another house, but we did make the final cut out of hundreds of submissions. They were really great throughout the process and very gracious in the end. We wish them and The Chosen house well in their project.

On a positive, and very exciting note, we were included in a New York Times article titled Bumps on the Road to a Greener City about the difficulties pursuing Green Building in New York City. The author, David Giambusso, was really trying to show all of the myriad complexities a homeowner faces with solar, wind power, composting and contractor knowledge.

You can find the article here, including this funny blurb:

“We spend all this time explaining it to them, and when they come back, what they’ve written up bears no resemblance to what we’ve described,” said Mr. ##redacted##.

Mr. ##redacted## tells of one tense conversation where he and a contractor had to parley at a Starbucks. “We had to meet at a neutral location,” he said.

They cut out the bit about the electrician who told me, "Solar doesn't work, don't bother." Yikes. Thankfully, we have a GREAT team in place now and are excited to be moving forward. I think our architects and GC are quietly relieved...

[where: 10032]

Hey LEED: Follow or Get Out of The Way...

2008-08-12T18:49:00.020-04:00

Our initial excitement of pursuing LEED certification for our Harlem Brownstone slowly faded to confusion, lurched into fatigue, then collapsed in frustration.

LEED (the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council) may turn out to be the biggest red herring in residential home building since that never-go-out-of-style linoleum...

LEED for Homes is supposed to give homeowners and builders a standardized way to ensure their renovations meet well-established guidelines for energy efficiency, low impact building products and air quality.

While that is perhaps true for NEW construction and office buildings, it is virtually impossible for renovating and/or restoring existing homes. In fact, to become a LEED-certified home, you need to *create* more waste than is necessary (e.g., mandatory gutting of walls to determine insulation values). 30% of the material in home building ends up as waste.

In many cases, this makes no sense. For example, I could leave my existing walls in place, generate all of my heating and air conditioning via renewable sources (solar, geothermal, wind) and still not achieve a LEED rating. That's just crazy.

There is a new standard that is eating into the LEED of ummm... LEED. It is the Green Globes certification by the Green Building Initiative.

Green Globes more heavily weights energy systems, up to 36% of the total points needed. LEED limits the energy category to 25% of the total. This means you can overcome the often unnecessary and wasteful gutting that LEED demands by over-speccing your solar, wind or other renewable energy systems.

There's a great article on this over at GreenLaw, Shari Shapiro's blog that covers the legal aspects of green building.

After all, Reuse, Reduce and Recycle should also apply to the building trade!

[where: 10032][Harlem][Sugar Hill]

Old Hat - Harlem Fashion

2008-08-01T17:54:00.003-04:00

Remodeling is old hat for us, but we did not know we would be so lucky as to find additional fashion items in our lovely brownstone. In addition to finding bullets in the kitchen, we found these two lovely hats.

Valerie and Gianna came by for a tour and were so kind as to model these. Val was particularly excited as she is looking for a pattern for a nutria hat being made for her from New Orleans.........

Excavating the fireplaces

2008-07-09T17:20:00.013-04:00

Ok, ok, that pic has nothing to do with the fireplaces, but I just love it when my girl is rockin' the power tools... Get it, Monkiki! ;-)

The house has one original gas fireplace remaining (on the top floor, back bedroom). It's really gorgeous, so we thought we'd explore what might be left of the main fireplace in the Parlor floor Living Room.

All of the other fireplaces have been plastered over, and we hoped that something original remained. I began by tapping away, oh so confidently, perfectly sure that a masterpiece of pewter-inlaid marble would be revealed...

Ummm. Nope. Just brick. Lots of it. One layer... then another layer... then a gap, then another layer... get the picture?
When Christine got tired of my cursing at the bricks, and went off to chat with a neighbor, I upgraded my tool choice. Pls note the sledgehammer in the pic below. The sledge made quick work of the brick and we quickly discovered that the original fireplace detail had been carted out long ago. I hope it's resting comfortably in someone's home and not in the landfill.

We found a source for period mantelpieces, and hope to put high efficiency gas inserts into the old fireplace boxes. The Mantis Condensing Fireplace is very cool, as are the Mendota High Efficiency Inserts. More on that to come...

[where: 10032]

Saving Tile

2008-06-30T22:13:00.007-04:00

On the garden level, we removed mirrored tiles (70's decor is questionable), then a sheetrocked wall thinking we would find a fireplace. Instead we uncovered the original tiled "kitchen" wall. Assuming kitchens in the late 1800's would have had a cast iron stove heated with wood or coal and needed a fully tiled wall behind them to absorb heat/prevent fire. The kitchen was downstairs, and the food was passed upstairs via the dumbwaiter for formal meals.

We felt like archeologists discovering this wall and were very happy to find it all intact. We decided to remove the tiles and re-use them for the backsplash on the new parlor level kitchen. This turned out to be a VERY dirty project. After 4 hours we had removed most of the tiles successfully and were covered in soot.

The tiles were originally white and we assume made of porcelain. We plan on bleaching them in the bathtub. Any other ideas? Several of the tiles still have a good deal of mortar stuck to them - maybe bleach loosens the mortar? anybody?

[where: 10032]

HVAC for our Brownstone

2008-06-19T19:08:00.029-04:00

How to cool a brownstone and still be green? Geo-thermal would be great, but not a reality in an urban area (or our wallet). As Mayor Bloomberg recently commented, he didn't grow up with AC (either did I) so why is everyone complaining?? Good point, but between the heat and the humidity, it makes for mighty uncomfortable living.

We've spoken to a fair number of HVAC folks, and were disappointed that most just want to go with the standard central ducted systems with a couple of monster outside compressors. These systems have been the backbone of the AC market. Unfortunately, it means that you:

are pushing air through ducts (inefficient and potentially unhealthy)
have to open up ceilings for the ductwork (expensive and wasteful)
power up a huge unit running to blow cold air into rooms that may not need it (not exactly Green!)

and before the HVAC folks say "just add zones!", yes I know, but how many zones are practical??

Don't get me wrong, when I was renovating a house in Louisiana, the central AC was the first thing I made sure was working. Wow, it's hot down there... But there are better ways: Mini-Split Air Conditioning - Read More...

Mini-Splits consist of a compressor/condenser (outside) and an air handler (inside). Connecting the two components are electrical cable, refrigerant line and a drain hose for the water removed from the house. They are connected via a 3" cable raceway, and the air handler is hung on the wall or recessed in ceiling. Simple, clean and pretty darn green.

The outdoor condensers can support up to 4 air handlers, each of which have their own controls for temperature, dehumidifying, fan. Some even allow you to add a short amount of duct, so you could cool a bathroom without having to put in another unit.

Our brownstone will likely be configured as follows:
Garden Apt: one outdoor condensers, two air handlers

one in bedroom, one in living room

Main House: 2 outdoor condensers with 5 total air handlers

one on parlor floor, one in Master BR (with short duct to Master Bathroom), 2 on top floor for each bedroom.

Every room will have it's own thermostat/remote that will allow us to cool the rooms that need it, and maybe just de-humidify the rest. They have an Auto Mode, which chooses how to best function based on temperature and humidity.

The units we'll be using are Fujitsu Halcyons. These are 21 SEER super high-efficiency units (the old Carrier ducted systems are typically 13 SEER).

We use these on another house that is powered by Solar PV, and not only is the AC unit nearly silent, at full blast it barely makes a dent in the power being generated from the solar panels. Also, we are getting ones with Heat Pumps, so that during the day, when the Solar PV is generating electricity, we could use them to heat the house and not have to run the furnace. Now THAT'S cool.

We're waiting on a few quotes, but when you take into account the labor being saved (no running ductwork everywhere) and the reduction in power, we're expecting them to be less than 1/2 the cost of a traditional ducted central AC.

[where: 10032]

Sugar Hill walking tour

2008-05-28T21:39:00.006-04:00

My mother was so excited to have found an "old" map of Sugar Hill to share with us - she found it online- Sugar Hill map- bought 2, kept one and mailed us one. I was so excited to see the recommended tour AND our specific address on the map! The map showed the architect and offered a history of the building. Upon further research, we found that the sugar hill walking tour map was inaccurate regarding our specific building.....but we did spend a full weekend researching and discovered the real history of our building.

Much patience, multiple NYT archive pdf searches and diligence yielded - The Hamilton Heights/ Sugar Hill Northwest Historic District document and the section specific to our house:

Date of Construction: 1892 - 93
Architect: W.H.C. Hornum
Developer: J. and C. Watkins

History: The row has especially exuberant carved stone on the stoops, spandrels bases, and elsewhere, including foliage, human and monsters heads, and birds. Developers Joseph and Charles Waktins began selling the houses immediately after their completion. Our first home buyer was German emigrant Hillis Schmidt, a manufacturer of surgical instruments, his American born wife Wilhemina and their son Augustus, also a manufacturer of surgical instruments.

Given our proximity to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital - I think it's great to know that medical industry has been in play for so long in this area - can you even imagine the type of tools Hillis and his son were making?

Separate from the Sugar Hill walking tour map my mother uncovered, we have participated in the Hamilton Heights walking tour which is coming up soon - Hamilton Heights Homeowners Association Home and Garden Tour - May 30 - June 1st. It's a great walk and covers so many great houses in the area.

Solar Hot Water and Radiant Heating

2008-04-29T21:32:00.012-04:00

Yes, we are still giddy about the new master bathroom, but need to move forward on some of the renewable energy/systems research for our Green Harlem Brownstone renovation. Next up is Solar Hot Water and Heating. (We have some experience with Solar PV for generating electricity, and will cover another time.)

Most people don't realize that you can use solar to heat domestic hot water, as well as use it to heat water for radiant floor systems (which are basically tubes with hot water flowing through them under your floor). One of the most efficient ways to use solar energy is to heat hot water.

Traditionally, a flat-panel type of collector was used - a box with a dark covering that absorbed heat. These systems don't generate heat on cloudy days, and are severely affected by the angle of the sun.

Recently, new technology called evacuated tube solar collectors has reinvigorated the solar hot water industry.

They are a series of glass vacuum tubes with thin strips of heat-absorbing metal inside. They are unaffected by weather (down to -50 degrees) and can have an efficiency rating of 70-80%. Yes, they are a bit more expensive, but can almost double the capacity of a Solar Hot Water system.

There are two leading candidates, SunMaxx and Thermomax. The SunMaxx Solar system costs roughly $3,000 for a 120 gallon a day system. Hopefully that is large enough to offset a good portion of our heat and hot water needs.

Thermomax wants me to "call for pricing" - never a good sign!

During my research, I did find this great article from Mother Earth News in 1979. Can't believe these systems are still seen as bleeding edge... And, btw, NO we're not building our own. Even if it only costs 160 bucks!

UPDATE: Please see the New Solar Incentives Post
[where: 10032] [where: Harlem] [where: Sugar Hill]

Brownstone Master Bathroom Suite!

2008-04-24T10:02:00.020-04:00

In a previous post (4 bedrooms or 3 bedrooms?), we mentioned our struggle to find space for a bathroom and laundry room on the Master Bedroom floor. We were inspired to find an elegant solution by the picture of the original Victorian bathroom we found.

On a recent visit, the Lady of the Manor had an epiphany: why not turn the other bedroom on the 2nd floor into a Master Bathroom Suite?? I, of course, thought it was silly and impractical (which is why I hammer things and she runs the show).

So, we started working on a layout with our architects. After a few passes, we came to what we think is an awesome bathroom renovation, with a fireplace next to the tub. Wahoo. For perspective, this is the back bedroom on the second floor. It's roughly 288 sq ft... Certainly, a worthy bathroom for our classic brownstone!

In keeping with our Green Building principles, we will be re-using one of the claw foot tubs from another bathroom in the house.

original layout (L) and new Master Bathroom Suite (R)

[where: 10032][where: Harlem][where: Sugar Hill]

victorian bathroom

2008-04-21T20:52:00.015-04:00

Thanks to Victorian Crapper for this great, historical image.

As we continue to work out a way to keep our brownstone historically accurate, but also accommodate some contemporary touches, this flash back to what luxury bathrooms once were was a terrific find.

We have decided to take over one of the bedrooms for a big bathroom. To keep our renovation as "green" as possible - reuse, recycle, reinvent - we will use one of the existing claw foot tubs in the house instead of buying a new one. Not sure if we will recreate this historically accurate version of bathroom, but it indeed is a great inspiration.

[where: 10032]

K/BIS Show - Chicago

2008-04-15T21:50:00.006-04:00

Sadly, we did not make it to the K/BIS (Kitchen Bath Industry Show) this year. Everyone who remodels or renovates should go at least once. This year's theme was... yes, you guessed it ... Green Building!

Great to see the industry getting behind the movement, and providing the right products. Sink shown here is 100% recycled cast metal.

Good coverage at Charles and Hudson

Go Green Expo

2008-04-13T18:22:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Ang for the heads up on the Go Green Expo in April 26 - 27th in NYC & coming soon to LA.