TurningHoustonGreen

Hello All!

First I want to say that I am thrilled to have been invited to participate on TurningHoustonGreen.com. I only hope that I can live up to the expectation that all of the readers expect out of the site as created by Stephanie. She has done a great job, thank you for providing this forum for us all!

My topic of choice is American Clay Earth Plasters. I was introduced to this plaster over a year ago by a builder who thought it had some great potential. At the time, I was not convinced as it seemed just a little too “easy”. Now, a year later, I am a convert.

Now, you may be asking; “What is American Clay”? Is it Native American Indian clay pottery? Is it a new product line launched by American Idol and Clay Aiken? No, and most assuredly, NO!

American Clay Earth Plaster is a fairly new product to the Houston market, and while it is fairly new, it is wholly Green! It is one of a few products that almost totally addresses not just one, not two, but possibly three or more tenants of Green Building. (Depending on whose tenants you are considering).

American Clay Earth Plaster is a wall plaster that combines the great qualities of natural earth materials, near limitless color variations of natural pigments, and depth and individuality of texture while having some pretty amazing qualities. American Clay marketing materials list that the product is Fire-resistant, non-toxic (no VOCs), fade resistant, mold resistant, dust resistant, non-dusting, temperature and humidity controlling, and more. The clay plaster is a finish coat to many possible substrates, commonly, new drywall, concrete walls, brick, and others. It is both a new construction product as well as a great remodeling product.

The clay plaster is the finish coat, the texture and the color all in one. It has qualities that paint does not have; clay plaster “breathes” – it takes in and gives off moisture, so walls in a steamy bathroom do not sweat and the room de-humidifies faster; clay plaster has a negative ionic charge, which reportedly makes people feel better, and it also repels dust and fingerprints/oils; the mass of the plaster and the moisture absorption qualities have a moderating effect on temperature in the room, called “latent heat flux”.

Now, the “latent heat flux” can be a little complicated, and a flash back to high school science, but the thing to remember, is that the plaster “breathes” moisture in humidity control, and that “breathing”, or evaporation, along with the qualities of stone/sand to moderate temperature changes makes for an extremely comfortable living environment. These “breathing” qualities also absorbs odors from the living space. Many a decorator familiar with American Clay will specify its use in a home with pets or previously occupied by smokers! Phew, now a solution for “fluffy” and “puffy”!

Now, a quality above, not as easy to explain is the “negative ionic charge”. Here is what the manufacture publishes on their website. “Natural clay maintains an incredibly dense molecular structure and shape, giving it the capacity to produce a self-generated negative charge upon hydration. Even the simple evaporation of water from clay has the capacity to produce negatively charged particles in the air. This means that when your walls breathe, or hydrate slightly with changes in humidity and slowly dry out, your interior space is being steeped in negative ions. The capacity of clay plaster to “breathe” and release negative ions is unique and not found in any other wall covering on the market today. Concrete, Gypsum, Marble, Lime, and decorative acrylic plasters do not release negative ions, breathe with changes in humidity, or resist dust. American Clay is unique in its ability to literally alter a space for the benefit of those inhabiting it!”

So, given all these great qualities, of no steamy bathrooms, no grungy fingerprints around light switches, absorbed pet odors, and absolutely beautiful walls, what is the next step? Figuring out how to get that stuff on our walls! The clay plaster is, well, a plaster. Most applicators trowel it on using a bucket and a plastic or steel trowel. It’s applied in two coats and then finished with a final compression step. The applicator, or do-it-yourselfer, can select a texture, a color, and an application technique that will offer limitless options. The clay plaster can also be applied using a spray technique, but this requires a thinner, pourable consistency, and then will be a smoother, less textured surface. If a commercial level of durability and speed in application is desired, a sister product to American Clay, called Enjarre is available. This too is sprayed on and back-troweled for texture. Many large commercial applications are using a combination of Enjarre for larger surfaces, with an American Clay color pallet selection for an accent wall.

The clay comes in three textures, a glassy smooth Porcelina, a molted crushed-sea shell Marittimo, and a very popular Loma. The applicator selects one of the 40 colors for the clay plaster, or two or more colors, depending on the look desired. The applicator then can apply the plaster with a super smooth finish, with a rough textured finish, or even add additional texture with additives like straw or more.

The colors range in depth from warm taupe, tans, golds and red, through cool greens and blues. Like many paint companies, American Clay too has fun with their color names like Tucson Gold, Austin Blush, Chocolatta, Painted Desert and Napa Olive. Just reading the color chart is like the blend of a map and a visit to the spa. Striking rich colors are available in the Natural Depths series. And, surprisingly, the clay plaster itself is a great fresh white color without any added pigment, great for contemporary looks or traditional white ceilings. Of course, one can pick from the 40 colors available. If a custom color is desired, the company has a color creation service for matching unique and custom colors for clients. They have already reported matching several Sherwin Williams paint colors for clients who want to maintain a specific pallet but want the qualities of the clay.

One question that I frequently get is: “Where should I start? The bathroom? Dining? Which room should I do first?”. This question is easy, it depends on YOU! The bedroom is great as it helps with temperature, dust and those awesome negative ions at work during the whole time you are asleep. The bath is great too! No foggy mirrors, no steamy clingy clothes! And the dining room? What better way to show off your great taste in food and décor! The reality is, many people start as do-it-yourselfers in powder baths, and quickly graduate to “whole house” American Clay converts

So, I think that pretty much “covers it” (opps, sorry another pun) We’ve covered the properties, the colors, the application, and the commercial Enjarre. Additionally, for those needing to know, American Clay qualifies for up to 5 LEED points for recycled content, construction waste, and low emitting content. Price points depend on color selection, application technique, and qualifications of applicator. American Clay publishes an “average application cost nationally of “$3 - $7 a square foot for American Clay and $2 a Square Foot for Enjarre”

I hope you’ve enjoyed this product post and I look forward to sharing some information that I’ve learned on the next product… hmmm… should it be paint, insulation, house wrap, or something really off-the-wall.

Angelique Grado
Green Builders Source
www.GreenBuildersSource.com

References for above article and more photos: www.americanclay.com

I am passionate about Feng Shui and Green Building and my goal is to create homes and master planned communities that incorporate the principles of both of these systems for the masses.  It is a marriage between two concepts that has culminated after a lengthy engagement!  For starters, let me teach you how to pronounce it.  Repeat after me: “Fung Schway”.  Feng Shui is the Chinese Art of Placement that is steadily becoming the method of choice for design control. 

Feng Shui is an ancient system of aligning a home’s design with the invisible life force known as Chi.  It was practiced in China for over 3,000 -5,000 years, before the Communist regime made it illegal.  It is a tool, that homeowners in America and all over the world are discovering as a way to improve their lives.  In Feng Shui, a home can be divided into nine life areas.  These include our Work, Relationships, Family, Health, Money, Service, Children, Knowledge, and Fame.  When people begin to discover that taking control of their lives means taking control of their surroundings, they are going to need options that include Feng Shui and Green building. 

Much emphasis has been made recently among builders to incorporate Green building into their home designs.  In fact, I suspect that pretty soon, it will be difficult to sell a new home that has not been designed with some level of Green building.  However, if a home is built with attention to the “Green” details, but ignores the importance of Feng Shui principles, there will be an overall lack of design harmony and this can lead to all sorts of problems.   

You may be asking yourself why “harmony” and balance are so important.  These are two words that start to sound pretty generic unless we add some real life examples to your understanding.  We have to take a step back and consider the impact of how a place makes us “feel” when we enter it.  This is essentially what Feng Shui is about.  Does it feel inviting, peaceful and pleasant or does it make you feel like your brain is being scrambled?  How could your financial success be impacted by one versus the other?  How about your love life or even your health?  If you think that these things are immune to the design of your surroundings, think again. 

How does a newly married couple with no debt experience a home that is missing two life areas that relate to money and love?  Two failed businesses and a divorce in less than six years might sound coincidental unless you recognize the impact of the home’s design flaws.  Even though the house was built with the highest attention to energy saving that was available at the time, it was not enough to save the businesses or the marriage of the couple.  My point is that building Green and not fusing it with Feng Shui principles is a mistake.  Divorce and business loss may be on the rise, but the marriage between Green building and Feng Shui is one that is poised to stand the test of time.

For more information about Logynn and building homes using Feng Shui and Green building, go to www.greenfusionfengshui.com or call her directly at 281-235-2382.

As a way to stay in touch with everything that is happening in the world of Green, I spend my time in the early morning catching up/reading some websites that have amazing information.  One article that I read today blew me away.  Free Green ‘Custom’ Home Design?  What?

I decided to go over to the site.  You know how it is.  You have to become a member to the site, so I do so.  Cruise around for a minute checking out what the company is all about…It’s rather impressive.  Their plan is to try and make Green Home Design Free for everyone. How?  I didn’t get that far.

I then hopped over to sign up to try and Win a Custom Green Home Design. Wow!  These guys are serious.  Now THAT is impressive.

They want to know details on your lifestyle, which we all happen to know is important in green homes.  They want to know a little about your Medical Background, Pets, Kids, Lot Size, Location, Topography, Budget, Oh my goodness!

I’ll have to think about this and get back to it.  I stopped when I read the section, what would make your home so special?  And then a really big box to write in.  If you are wanting to Custom Design a Green Home but don’t have the budget for the Design part of it?  You may want to join this group and try to win.  There are some restrictions such as land, time frame to build, etc.

Just thought I would share this with all of my readers.  If any of you sign up, let me know how it goes! I’d love to stay posted.

We were sent excellent question this past week and one that I personally believe that about half of the entire City of Houston probably has this time of year.  Clayton Farmer with Alternative Power Solutions and Kathleen Reardon with RDArchitecture both hopped in to answer right away…

Here was the Question:

Hi, I need to change the Air conditioning / Heating system in my home but I would rather consult with someone besides a salesperson that is simply trying to sell me a product instead of a real solution. I have a thirty year old two story home that has the typical problems of a system that was installed in an era of cheap energy (i.e. very inefficient) but I think its overall operation could be improved with the right system. I am hoping that you could refer me to someone that could help me find a good, affordable solution. So, if you know someone, could you either forward this email with your comments or reply back and I would appreciate it very much

This is a question that has several different answers to it and one that is not answered easily.  Kathleen is quick to mention that it involves the Envelope of the Home (air that leaks into and out of the home) along with the A/C Ducts, etc. Here is Kathleen’s explanation:

The best solution to this one is a combination of things.  Make sure the duct system is not leaking and is well insulated.  If not – repair it, or consider replacing it.  Ideally duct work insulation should have an R value of 8.  Install a new a/c system with 16 SEER or greater.  And then make sure the home is well insulated, walls and attic.  Check for air leaks between the air conditioned space and attic or outside.   I’m not sure about the affordable part – I think just put the specifications together and shop around. A good a/c company will be able to do a manual J form to size the system well, which is important.  A system that is too big will not provide dehumidification.

Clayton replied with a lengthy and extremely informative response that brings up a bunch of good points so I will post the whole comment here:

I certainly agree that it is best to consult with a professional who understands the principles of building science and HVAC load calculation & performance rather than a sales person who is most likely not familiar with these concepts.

Houses built prior to mid 1990’s exhibit a large amount of air infiltration primarily due to an insufficient air barrier. Evidence of this can be easily found throughout the home. It is also true that these homes have large amounts of HVAC system leakage from the inefficient design and inadequate installation of the ductwork, air handlers, and plenums. An energy audit can help identify these locations and provide a plan of action for addressing all significant deficiencies. Typically, these homes suck in a great deal of outside air thru the air infiltration points when the HVAC system is running because the home becomes negatively pressurized and the neutral pressure plane rises to the top of the home. This is most commonly due to duct leakage, air flow constriction and static pressure. A quick explanation: your air return draws air from the home into the HVAC system thru the ductwork into the coils and out thru the supply ductwork back into the home. Along the way some of this air is lost and expelled into unconditioned space as well as being slowed down by turns in the duct work and long runs to the extremities of the home. The outside air must be sucked in to equalize the pressure imbalance from the outdoor environment. This greatly effects indoor air quality, HVAC efficiency, and utility usage. A well installed HVAC system will help lower the neutral pressure plane  within the home when the system is running. When your new system is installed, make sure you request a “duct leakage test “ or a duct blaster test” to ensure your HVAC system has less than 5% leakage.

The next thing to consider is system size, system efficiency and runtime. The primary purpose of an AC system in this climate is to remove moisture within the home, a byproduct of this is cool air. Having an oversized system (which is very common on homes older than 10 years) causes the unit to “short cycle” (running for 15 minutes and shutting off for 5-10 minutes then kicking on again and repeating the cycle). This “short cycling” causes the home to meet your temperature preferences before it sufficiently removes the moisture. It also causes hi utility bills since the amount of power required to start the stationary compressor in the AC condensing unit is massive compared to the amount of power it actually takes to run the system after start up. It is similar to automobiles in that you get better gas mileage on the highway than in the city because of all the starting and stopping.  I would recommend having your contractor resize your system using current residential load calculation software. This will minimize “short cycling” and maximize moisture removal within your home. Since you are planning to change the system then it would be a great time to upgrade to a more efficient unit(s). However, it does not make a lot of sense to install a good high efficiency unit(s) if the home itself is inefficient. It is important to ensure that the thermal barrier is aligned properly and the air barrier is performing at peak efficiency for your home which will help maximize the efficiency and value of your new HVAC system. This involves other contractors and very reasonable cost but will greatly benefit the home and the HVAC system by reducing thermal loss and air infiltration. Correcting these type of deficiencies will increase the overall value of your home, lower energy usage, and reduce payback time.

The above is just a brief description of things to consider while undertaking your project. My goal was to be informative and brief, I can certainly provide much more detailed and technical information if you would like.

I have had the pleasure of working with many terrific HVAC companies during my time in the home building industry. I can definitely recommend a few that are well trained, educated on current technologies and building science concepts, and most importantly honest with great customer service. I am not sure if it is appropriate to recommend specific individuals through this unbiased informational site. I will leave that up to the moderator. Please feel free to contact me at the below number/ email if there is anything I can help you with. Thanks you for contacting us and I hope we have been helpful.

Contractors:

Air Team- Darrin Curtis, owner

AirTron (Sterling Air)- Glen Pollock, General Manager

I hope that this clears up some confusion and helps out a little bit.  If you have any questions…leave a comment, start a discussion.  This is a tricky subject, for sure.

Thank You to Clayton, Kathleen and Sam for emailing in the question.  Did we leave anything out?  If anyone has a reputable A/C Contractor that you would like to recommend, feel free to comment in the sections below.

Clayton Farmer
Alternative Power Solutions
Phone: 281-802-1224

Kathleen Reardon
RDArchitecture

Discovery Green Park in Downtown is really a special place. We have been a couple of times and it is always fun, exciting and breathtaking at the same time.  What you will find is a 12 Acre park smack in the middle of Downtown Houston.  As you walk in to the Park, it appears to be like any other park that you have been to, but there is so much more.

Discovery Green is actually a LEED Certified Park!  You will find 250 Solar Panels, a Green Roof, Gorgeous Architecture and all of this right across the street from the George R Brown Convention Center and about a block away from Minute Maid Park.

Other things that are there are a Dog Park, a Lake with Remote Controlled Boats, Playground for the kids and splash pad for hot days. Or maybe you would want to go visit the Gardens and take a look at Native Plants, have a bite to eat in one of the two restaurants or picnic at one of the many tables.

To the right you will notice the Outdoor Stage where occasionally there is Live Entertainment or you can host an event.  Speaking of events, there is a Calendar of Activities being offered for both Children and Adults on about every day of the week.

Here is the Calendar

There is so much to do, it can keep you busy for hours.  Don’t Forget, it’s Green in more ways than one. It’s also right in line with Public Transportation, but parking is available-Of all places, right underneath.

You may have to pay for parking but Admission to the park is always FREE!

For a view of what is down there, you make like the slideshow below.

Hi Shawn,

For an extensive green remodel like yours we use the ReGreen Guidelines of the USGBC & ASID.  They sound perfect for your home.  You can visit www.regreenprogram.org for more information.  The new NAHB Green Building and Remodeling Standards are also brand new to the market but you likely will not find a contractor familiar with them on the Houston area.

Michael Strong, CGP, CGR

NAHB 2008 Green Remodeling Advocate of the Year

Vice President, Brothers Strong, Inc.

michael@BrothersStrong.com

This is just Part I of a series aimed at helping Home Buyers around Houston stay up to date on homes available.

The Green Building Movement is moving forward like crazy in Houston right now.  For the moment, it sometimes seems that the consumer demand is by far outpacing the construction from Developers and Builders. For this reason, it can be tough to tell people exactly where to find a ‘Green Home’ and at the same time, there is a home out there for everyone.

One item that makes it difficult is because ‘Green’ means something different to everyone.  Some believe that it is the materials being used to construct the home, others mean a High Performing and Energy Efficient home while some want Organic Gardens and Rain Water Capture.  All of which are phenomenal Green Features.

Let’s go over some price ranges to know what you are looking at right now, today, when it comes to buying Green.  This is not a reflection on what I believe Green is, this is what I am actively seeing in Houston’s Green Home market.

Homes under $175,000-  This price range happens to be an extremely active one.  The Green Features that are easiest to find at this price point are Energy Efficiency.  Based on the Year Built some will be more efficient than others.  Other items such as Indoor Air Quality, Rain Water Capture, Gardens, Materials Used, etc. can be difficult to find still.  However, when I search through homes for clients and potential clients this is something that I keep in mind.  These are also items that are easier to change after you purchase the home.  Keep in mind, the ‘bones’ of the house are hard to change…along with being expensive.  The ability for the home to be Energy Efficient is the beginning and possibly most important anyhow.  What makes Energy Efficiency Green is that the CO2 released is considerably less than that of a home built not Energy Efficient PLUS, it saves you money on Utility Bills.

Homes from $175,000 to $400,000- Now we can get in to some ‘Greener Features’.  At this price point you can find Higher Efficiency Air Conditioning Units, Solar Panels on New Construction, Healthier Products used inside the home, larger yards for Organic Gardens and so on.  There are many builders out there staying ahead in this price point in most areas of town.

Above $350,000- At this price point a Home Buyer could consider building to a LEED level depending on the features that you desire.  This is where it helps to know the inventory, builders, developers that are actively looking to Green up their product.  Many of the new construction homes available at an extremely high performing and Green level have just recently broken ground or are about to.  I will get in to retrofitting homes in another part of the series.  There are also existing homes with some’ ‘Green Features’.   Again, it depends on what you are looking for.

As homes become available and more builders begin new projects, I keep my list of homes updated.  However, it is important to find out what features are most important to you, the home buyer, when looking at what is available.  It is also important to know what options you have when looking and that is where efforts are being placed when viewing with buyers.  This could mean that remodeling or retrofitting a home is the best thing and most cost effective approach to take.  It all depends on your needs as everyone is different.

As we move through this series I will touch on different options available for homeowners while wanting to go Green.  In the mean time, to stay up to date with new and upcoming developments you can subscribe by text on the right side of the page, or send me an email with details on what you are looking for through the Contact Us link at the top.  I would be more than happy to help with what options may be available for you.

Regardless of price range, it is possible to go Green with your home in Houston right now.  Any shade of Green is a positive one.

When a Builder or Developer is considering taking a project Green, especially to a LEED level, there are so many possibilities that can come to mind.  Often times the shade of green that you choose to go is directly related to the amount of money one would want to spend.  Unfortunately.

However, one opportunity that I would like to see Builders and Developers take more advantage of is that of Brownfields.  Brownfields are parcels of land that one either knows for a fact has contaminated soil or has reason to believe that there may be contamination there.  For example, a mysterious black sludge creeping out of ground.

Ok, that is usually not the case, but let’s take for example something that may be a little more realistic in Houston, close to Downtown.  How about a seemingly abandoned warehouse or building.  Great location and you can picture either a phenomenal Commercial Building on it, or maybe a Multi-Family Sustainable Development.  But there is a little concern.  There are barrels dumped on the property, looks like maybe some underground storage tanks.

Sometimes this would push away a Developer or Builder.  Dreams shattered.  Let’s move on, find another property.  Testing and Clean Up can be costly.

Well, Redeveloping property as an Urban Infill is a great GREEN thing to do.  As a matter of fact, Brownfields development can get you up to 3 LEED Points.  That could be the difference between LEED Silver or Gold.  If cost is the only deterrent, the City Of Houston wants to help you.  Actually, they not only want to help you, they want to pay you.

The City of Houston is willing to PAY for the Phase 1 and Phase 2 testing, and cough up up to $100,000 in clean up.  What a phenomenal opportunity!

Are you afraid that people will not want anything to do with the property afterwards?  Not true.  In fact, I have been in one of Houston’s largest Brownfields countless numbers of times.  It’s a place I go to have fun, take the kids, spend the day.  The times I have been there, so have Thousands of others.

I’m referring to Minute Maid Park-Home of our Houston Astros!

This is just part one of a series.  Soon to follow is an interview with the City on how they are looking for partners to Green up Houston, Brownfields success stories in town and potential opportunities for anyone that feels this may be something of interest.  Stick around, subscribe…this will be a fun series.

Welcome as one of the First to view the NEW TurningHoustonGreen.com!

I am excited to announce the changes here and I hope that everyone enjoys it.  I would like to take a minute to go over some of the additions to the site!

Probably the biggest change is that I have invited several Experts from around the City to join me to share their expertise you.

• I personally work with Home Buyers and Sellers to buy and sell homes.  The advantage of a Certified EcoBroker is that I can help to guide you to noticing the ‘greener’ features in your home to get ready to sell, and I work with Buyers that are wanting various shades of green.  Knowing the inventory around town, it helps to make that happen.  I will be writing about the Trials, Tribulations and Joys of buying and selling Green.
• Michael Strong with GreenHaus Builders and Brothers Strong is joining the site for the expertise on Building, Remodeling and other True Green Aspects of homes, as well LEED Cerification information.
• Ralph Parrott with Alternative Power Solutions is joining the site as our Renewable Energy Guru!  He will write and tell us about up to date information and trends on Solar Products and how to prepare your for optimum efficiency.
• Angelique Grado with Green Builders Source has joined us to keep us up to date on Products that go in to Green Homes or Products that can be used to Retrofit homes to be Green.
• Kathleen Reardon with RD Architecture will be writing on how to Design a Home to Build or Remodel as Green.  It really does start on the Paper that it is drawn on with the whole systems approach.

I am so happy to have all of these Professionals here.

Another change that you will notice across the Top is Ask The Expert.  It was suggested that there be an opportunity for Readers to be able to email questions that they may have regarding anything Green.  I have a team of Experts around town that have agreed to share their Knowledge with YOU.  Have a Question?  Just submit it through the Ask The Expert section.  Literally, anything green related.

Green Service Providers-  If you are a regular visitor to the site, you know that the list has grown to tremendous lengths over the past year.  The new link above has sorted it out by section to make it easier to find what you are looking for.  Just update your Bookmark to the Page and you are good to go.

Local Green Events-  This page has a Calendar on it to keep you posted on Green Events in or around Houston.  Check it often.  My green home tours will be on there, open houses, expo’s, Home Shows, you name it.

Subscribe- To the right you now have options to subscribe to the site by Text, Email, or RSS Feed if you need to feed your reader.  If you were a subscriber on the old site, you will need to update it.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

Search-  The search bar has been moved to the Top Right corner for convenience if you are in a Hurry.

Items that are still coming- Although I do have some surprises lurking around behind the scenes, you can look forward to hearing about Special Offers for Turning Houston Green Readers and my clients, Green Homes-this page is under construction but will have Featured Green Homes on it, and more!

Subscribe for updates so you don’t miss anything.

Last but not least.  The Contact Us button at the top has made it easier to send us an email.  Just fill out the form the best you can and we will get back to you promptly.  Make sure you put in there who you are contacting and information on how to contact you.  Looking to buy, sell, build, install solar, design..you name it.  That is what we are here for.  Feel free to call or email anytime.

And as always, Thanks for stopping by!

Solar pool heating is clearly the most cost effective use of solar energy on earth. These systems save home owners hundreds of dollars monthly by replacing up to 80% of pool heating cost.

Solar pool heating systems can be designed for both indoor and outdoor applications and typically use low cost polymer “unglazed” collectors. These collectors are typically mounted on the roof of a home or a nearby support structure.

The basic components of a solar pool heater are the solar collectors, an automatic control system, diverter valve, and associated piping. These components are simply added to the existing pool pump, timer and filter.  A conventional back-up heater can be added or the existing pool heater can be used to back-up the solar system on cloudy days or evenings.

During summer months the solar pool heating system can be used to cool outdoor pools with the simple flip of a switch.

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