finally in

Five weeks, we've had the keys and spent our first night here nine days ago. Still no internet or ability to launder clothes or find a fork but hey, we're home and finally able to sit down (on the bed) and relax before 10:30pm, although we prefer eating out because then we don't have to pay for heat (or more truthfully uncover and clean all the vents, besides we may have misplaced the thermistat control). Oh but it is our home sweet home and the apartment feels coldly not ours any longer. Don't know where to begin to update on all that was discovered and the hours of elbow grease and trips to the transfer station - and don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining it's just what this house needed and we got her just to the point where we could shove all our belongings and more from the last ten years into any corner to make room for still more work to be done. Plus we've been super lucky to have such hardworking and willing family come week after week to tackle the next big job and partway through I started feeling a little bit ashamed of buying a house in need of so much and afraid people would think I was crazy and in over my head but luckily everyone who came by had nothing but words of encouragement and saw the same potential that was slowly unveiling. And so many steadfast working hours put in by tanner and his calm response to every planned and unplanned project, even the ones that made me feel debilitated, really everything is surmountable with a little research and doing one thing after the other. So this post is about people. The people we now call neighbors and wow I can't believe how lucky we got (listening to the neighbor boys now delight in finding Easter eggs) and our friends/family who have been our cheerleaders and maintenance crew, couldn't/wouldn't want to do it without you all!

Mom and Pop
Joe and Gigi
Greta and Brandon
Alice and Stephanie
Will and Charlotte
Aunt Dede and Fam
Duncan and Talia

homeowner dreams

fingers crossed, i'll be a first time home owner of an old house by the end of this month. the little house was built in 1921 and sits perched up at the top of a block overlooking the neighborhood and straight across to the West Hills. The house has been a rental for the past several years and shows signs of "worn" everywhere, as noted in the inspection report. I told the realtor that I wasn't intimidated by a fixer and so here I am an, about to buy a project house ... a house I can make my own, slowly over time.

first things first, we'll be pulling up the ragged carpet to see what sort of shape the wood floors beneath are in. peaking under the register, they appear to be clear vertical grain fir ... pure gold in my book. the real test will be to see if there is residual cat smell that has seeped through to the sub floor. you see, we're getting a deal and a half on this home and I think the main reason why is the renters didn't seem to be bothered by the full litter box and a hummed and hawed about even taking the risk of buying a home soaked in cat urine but choosing to accept worse case scenario we were greatly relieved to learn that it might be contained to the litter box, as when we spent several hours in the house during the inspection, after the realtor requesting the boxes be removed/cleaned, the smell was all but gone.

so the bigger items to tackle, but not prior to move-in items, that became clear in the inspection report is a new roof, new water heater and new furnace in the near future ... ugh the reality of home ownership has hit even before getting the keys.

ok but back to the fun stuff that keeps me motivated. paint. a whole lot of white paint ... i love a clean, fresh, bright palette. a few other low hanging fruit would be different light fixtures/switches and working in the yard! a yard a yard with a fire pit and garage! i imagine i'll get around to posting about each of these individually but figured i'd start with the big picture first. so if you're interested in following along on my thrifty take on home restoration projects, then check back soon.

and here are a few photos from the listing

Selecting Sustainable Materials

I've been in 9 month long Sustainable Building Advisor Certification program for 6 months now and just to keep something happening on this page with out taking too much time I've decided to share my latest paper about material selection - the net zero home part of it is just to tie it back to my group's project.

Material Selection for a Net Zero House: Flooring

In a net zero house, material selection can influence a home’s energy performance and indoor air quality. Great attention is paid to the material selection of the building envelope due to different isolative properties, air sealing ability and water barriers. What about everything else in the home, how do you know what products to use? There are many different values that can define a product or material “green”. And what does green really mean when it comes to materials? It is not as easy as selecting the most energy efficient one or organic. It’s much more about understanding the story behind the item and the future it holds. Depending on project goals, different values can have a higher priority then other values and vice versa. For a net zero home, however there is a hierarchy that seems to exist. Flooring options will be considered as an example of how to apply these standards to material selection.

Durability

The first value to consider for material selection of a net zero home is performance. You might think this is obvious but in the attempt to build “green” homes, this has not always been at the forefront of decisions. Durability goes hand in hand with performance. Building materials have an expected service life ranging from 10 years to 100 + years. Conditions affecting durability are moisture, heat, ultraviolet light and insects; with moisture and heat being the most detrimental and constant.

Flooring is affected by moisture in a few ways. First there is source moisture such as in a bathroom or kitchen and secondly there is interior/occupant moisture, a family of 4 producing 2-3 pounds of water vapor a day. Selecting moisture resistant flooring can help elongate service life as well as the ability to dry out. Some flooring options that are naturally moisture resistant include concrete, stone, tile, rubber, naturally decay-resistant wood subflooring like cedar with a wood finished floor (although can warp if moisture and heat conditions are unfavorable for too long).

Heat has an exponential relationship with durability; for every 20 degree reduction in heat exposure almost doubles the life span of the material and the same goes for ultraviolet light. However, exterior materials are typically the only ones exposed to high temperature extremes so for flooring options this does not need to be considered. So when selecting flooring, you want to find the ones that have high performance ability for the function desired of the space and are most durable; meaning will last a long time. Although quality made products that fit the bill may be more expensive, their long life span can actually mean you save money on replacing end of life products.

Health

The next value to consider is the health of the occupants. If product and material selections do not promote human health than the building ultimately is not sustainable. Materials affect human health in a few ways. First there is the harvesting/extracting of raw material and processing to a finished product. This process can potentially expose workers to unfavorable health environments. Secondly, products can affect the health of the occupants in the building. Occupant health is affected by indoor air quality which can be biological or chemical contaminants usually acquired through inhalation of particulates or gases.

Biological contaminants include dust, mold, dust mites, pollen, pet dander and bacteria. Biological contaminants are impossible to permanently eradicate so the best strategy is to reduce source contaminants (such as pets and dirt brought into the house) and provide conditions that are unfavorable for them to thrive. Moisture control, between 45-55% relative humidity, is effective at reducing opportunities for mold proliferation and increasing human nasal defenses. Biological contaminants effect human’s to varying degrees. Some occupants can be completely immune while others can suffer severe allergies.

Flooring strategies to reduce biological contaminants include providing a walk-off mat at the entrance to simply trap large particulates. Also, using hard surface flooring that can easily by kept clean via sweep and mop will help eliminate excessive amounts of contaminants. Area rugs that can be washed are also preferred over wall to wall carpeting.

Chemical contaminants are becoming more numerous as more and more synthetic materials make their way into buildings. There are a few chemicals that are known carcinogens found in many products that should be eliminated from the home through careful selection of building materials. Formaldehyde is one of the more common and harmful ingredients in many building supplies. It can be found in particle board (kitchen cabinets), adhesives and trim. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are characterized by vapor released at room temperature and cannot always be smelled. VOCs occur synthetically as well as naturally but it is the synthetic ones that pose chronic human health effects. VOCs can be found in, again, particleboard, glues, solvents, paints, carpet and finishes. There are many alternative products on the market that offer low or zero VOC products.

For flooring options, find a floor that is ideally inert or needs little finishing and if it does, use low VOC finishes. Again concrete, stone, tile and wood are all good options. Linoleum made from linseed oil and cork harvested from living trees are also good options. Natural carpet or rug materials can eliminate synthetic VOCs, like using wool, cotton or jute but also some carpet manufacturers are starting to provide low VOC options. Products to stay away from are any plastic/petroleum based flooring like vinyl. Vinyl uses phthalates which off gases from the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and is a serious endocrine disruptor. To help understand synthetic flooring and indoor air quality, standards have emerged: GreenSeal for paint, Green Label Plus from the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) and GREENGAURD to cover everything. Even then, there are thousands of new chemicals introduced into our environment that haven’t undergone serious testing so it’s best to stick with natural materials for flooring.

Embodied Energy: Resource Content & Potential and Proximity

Resource content conveys the longevity of the resource both naturally occurring and its maximum potential. Products made with renewable materials, such plants, are preferred over non-renewable ones, fossil fuels and minerals. Rapidly renewable resources have an even higher preference. However, even non-renewable materials have a hierarchy. Non-renewable materials such as steel are highly recyclable, so a limited amount of raw input can be regenerated indefinitely into new products. Natural flooring options like concrete, tile and stone can be considered highly recyclable, never reaching an unusable phase. Wood flooring is also desirable as it is from a renewable resource and can be recycled many times. There have also been many carpet and rug manufacturers who are producing 100% recycled content synthetic products. Post-consumer recycled content is a more favorable percentage than post-industrial recycled content. Natural fiber flooring (carpet and rugs), cork and bamboo are considered rapidly renewable resources and again can be recycled many times over.

Lastly but not in the slightest the least is proximity. Local resources typically take less energy to find there way into your home and most likely fit all of the above values. So in some ways it makes sense to start with finding the most durable product that is local and go from there. By using local resources you also are usually supporting local economies as well. And for needs that are not sourced locally, at least use your local independent supplier, etc.

Embodied energy is calculations alone, calculated from many factors, should never be used as a deciding factor. It does however encompass the above two values so by selecting appropriately from them you will inherently be choosing product with a lower embodied energy amount.

Conclusion

A net zero home not only needs to articulate the building envelope materials but also must consider whole building design and the impact of material choices. The above values can be reprioritized as needed but generally are a good way to filter through options. The flooring examples are not the only materials with options but every system and material should be filtered through the lens of durability, health and embodied energy (resource content and proximity) to end with a healthy and affordable net zero home.

Resources

http://www.inspectapedia.com/Energy/Moisture_Calculations.htm

http://www.extension.org/pages/Selecting_Materials_to_Resist_Moisture

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_organic_compound

http://www.greenbuilding.com/knowledge-base/indoor-air-quality

hospital thoughts

I've been at the hospital for over five years and apparently have had a myspace account for just as long.

Today, I revisited my blog posts over there
brought back some memories

Here you go (they get better towards the end):



Wednesday, September 06, 2006

indonesia

He walked towards me ten minutes till I was to escape my late night shift. His eyes were red and big and his hands trembled as he approached the counter, a full sandwich put together looking very good, a bottle of soda, a candy bar and a piece of pizza. He hiccupped. I assisted him with weighing the sandwich judging he was exhausted and apparently disoriented as he handed me his candy bar to pay for his total of seven dollars. No, that one is for you, he pulled out his wallet and told me and the women waiting behind him he couldn't believe it, he had dozed off in the lobby and woke up eight hours later and his wallet was still there on his lap and so was his money, that's Portland for you, very cool. A stack of cards and slips of paper and maybe some money hidden in the bunch, no I watched him carefully go through each slip checking for his money. I spotted currency, foreign, where is it from? But I saw the last half of the word Indonesia 1000. I received it the day before the Tsunami, I don't know how, I thought it would bring me good luck. I saw no sign of other bills. Are you sure no one took your money. oh I am sure, the first thing I checked when I woke up, I know I have it I better have it; 400 dollars worth. His hiccupps were worsening, I thought his heart just might jump out, his hands quivered as he checked all of his pockets and his socks and his medicine bottle, I just can't do this right now, his little strength had dwindled to mere desperation. How about you sit down right here, take your time, look through your wallet and your food will be right here. I helped the compassionate women behind him who you could tell were losing their patience. Finally a coworker came back from break I wasn't alone, I asked for advice with the man, he gave the go ahead without even knowing anything, we won't deny anyone food, no it's not policy but it's the right thing to do. I told the man, go ahead take your food, if you find the money later you can pay for it but if not don't worry about it. He came back to the counter no I have the money I have to. He started searching his wallet again with waning energy and frequent hiccups that shook his thin frame. It's here, behind my id he skimmed through the bills looking for a smaller one, let's do this again as I re-rung up his food. Sure enough he had hundreds there a smile on his face a sigh of relief. Well I guess Indonesia did bring you luck and I left my shift late.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Phia

phia, sophie, sophia

her wide blue eyes couldn't stop twinkling, you know that look in the eyes when someone is truly smiling inside

i think it was her grandmother and grandfather who brought her through my line first.

general patience growing shorter with the five year old

asking questions, of course

wondering why people are the way they are, i wonder too

she came through with her aunts,

nice women buying the helpless child food

she almost fit in with their own children, but not quite, the way they looked down at her in pure disbelief and slight annoyance

she had hope when you knew she was surrounded by suffering, she was bright and quick to comment on truth rarely anyone admits exists

i looked forward to seeing her come towards me with whomever might be feeding her that day

her mother the most impatient of them all, get over here, stop it

rolling her eyes and corralling her with her foot

where does the irritation stem, it doesn't make sense for i don't know what brought them to the hospital for weeks

her last day she asked me "are you my friend?"

i am your friend sophia

Saturday, October 28, 2006

beautiful day

it's a beautiful day

well yes I thought . . it was sunny, pleasant temperature, perfect summer afternoon

yes sir it is

my wife just woke up from a two month coma today

and she won't stop talking

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Sweater

He wore a brilliantly colored sweater, obviously homemade with a pattern that twisted your eyes. A colorful hand knit hat to match. But not matching like a mother would match, more as if a young boy had been dressed by his father. He was with a man, probably a young father himself, as they slowly moved through patricia's line. Anything to slow down her line a little more, she commented, I like your sweater. Tears filled the small man's eyes, my wife made it for me . . I'm sorry, she just died and I can't get over her. His son consoles him, pats him on the back, it's alright to cry Dad.




Saturday, October 28, 2006
Dysfunction
I've been found out. Two sisters together have the nerve to say anything. One is relieved that their mother's "friend" finally came to keep her company in the hospital. It's the first time she's not reluctant to see him; after all her mother kicked her out of the house so she could drink sherry and sit in the hot tub with him. I don't need to hear about their dysfunctional family says the other. I'm sure she hears about dysfunction all the time working up here, enough to write a book even.



Thursday, November 09, 2006
talk

working in a hospital, people want to talk

all sorts of people about all sorts of things

they think we want to know

at first I was caught off guard

mumbling some sort of response

hoping they wouldn't decipher my incompetence

then I soon found fun in remarking

not cleverly just unique

catching them off guard, admitting honesty

or sometimes I would borrow a phrase

those few words I would worry about scrambling

and never can quite tell what they infer

he was telling me about a movie, Flying Nuns

something just wasn't real

well I said, there's a time for everything

yes, he said yes there is

and sat there gazing out the bus window

marveling over my profound timing

3 = 1

3 Ends = 1 New Beginning

A lot has happened in the last three months and easily sums up my year


Ending #1:
Three months ago I ended my job with Green Hammer. If you've read my previous posts or know me, you might find this as a major surprise. But it's not tragic. After being there for a year and in the position of a part-time office and project coordinator, I was starting to feel a bit lost, unmotivated, not living up to my potential and most importantly I had trouble envisioning a growth path within the company. For a couple of reasons, neither of which reflect poorly on the team there or myself. First, they are a small business, they don't have the resources of a large business to offer me the experience I was after. Second, I felt like my role was developing into a receptionist/secretary with little structure or a path to higher ground. I was finding myself feeling unappreciated, not valued enough, unhappy. (In GH's defense, this was last winter when business was so low, there was not a lot going on for me to do and if I would have stuck it out long enough, I may have been able to accomplish my personal career goals - but I didn't) I quit. But with there support as you'll soon find out.


Ending #2:
Last week I was invited to the Habitat for Humanity dedication ceremony for the new Women Build house. I wasn't going to miss it. Even though I've slowly fallen off the page with the group I spent a good portion of last fall on the donation-in-kindness committee and was able to secure donations for all of the flooring in the house. Wood floors for the downstairs and Green Label Plus carpeting for the upstairs. I really wanted to see how it turned out or even if the companies actually followed through. I spent a lot of time that fall educating the other committee members about green products and how we could increase the health and comfort of the home by searching for sustainable options (this was a semi-novel idea for HfH because they weren't committed to making every home sustainable at that point, indicating that donaters wouldn't be willing to donate higher quality products) To my surprise when I showed up for the dedication, the house had been Earth Advantage Certified! All in all, it was pretty neat to see the final product look so good even though I had a minor role this year. I have a lot to owe HfH, actually I know I wouldn't be where I'm at now without the yearlong experience of building a house two years ago that I shyly endeavored.


Ending #3:
Yesterday was my last day working with the Sustainable Food Coordinator at OHSU. Eecole has been the most valuable mentor through my little career journey. Not only is she a remarkable role model but she has become one of my most supportive and biggest fans. We accomplished a lot in the last two years! And I very proud and honored to have been involved in such a major transformation in waste reduction at the largest university/hospital in oregon. I will miss my time in the office with Eecole, Justin and Riikka.



=


1 New Beginning:
All of these endings have led me to where I'm now. And I'm very happy to tell you that I was offered a job, out of the blue, to work in the Design + Construction Department at OHSU! I've been there for the last three months, slowly transitioning out of the Food and Nutrition department. And so far I love it, I can't believe how lucky I am and can't seem to stop bragging - I just can hardly believe how far I've come since that spring day when I showed up at a lot in North Portland to a foundation that I eventually would build a home on and become a member of the WB committee and become a well known volunteer. And last year when I was so anxious nervous, excited to apply to GH's internship and I thought the interview went terrible because I received no call until 6PM on the day they said they'd get back to me (I had already given up and said oh well). And then the day I went to talk to the Assistant Director of D+C, I sat in my car for minutes, almost deciding not to go in and bailing. Wow, what a relief I overcame my fears and followed my dream so persistently. And as I'm realizing of all that I have accomplished in the last two years, thinking of myself as just a young student not qualified really to lead anything, I am reminded of how much I have grown. As a testimate, I was nominated to be President of the NW Ecobuilding Guild this Spring, I declined and opted for the VP position but really as all of my fellow steering committee members were encouraging me, I am qualified to be President, public speaking skills and all!


More to come about my new job . . .

you are my favorite yellow

sometimes i don't always feel like writing

sometimes i do and i have a lot of fun

mostly i just want to collect pretty things

that's why i've started a new site

but don't worry, i still like to write

http://youaremyfavoriteyellow.tumblr.com/

pink

Everywhere I go
I see pink down the alley
canvassing across 11th ave
Across the street I see pink
And now pink on the ground
Puddles of pink
. . .
I put it in ink, to see pink
in our eyes and in our air
Whether man or woman, boy or babe,
it is a color we all Can admire
pink is here
Spring is pink