education. #passivehouse

Adam Cohen, our architect and co-owner of Structures Design Build, explains passivhaus technology; commonly referred to as "passive house" technology in the United States.

drywall. #passivehouse

It's starting to look more like a home inside.  As of Monday, the last blower door test passed at this phase in the build so Structures Design Build started hanging drywall today.  We're anticipating installation, mudding and sanding of drywall to be complete with a week and a half unless something else comes up.  After that, siding and exterior color selections.

[Stairwell.]

[A master bedroom.]

[Hallway w/closets in master bedroom.]

[A guest bedroom.]

ceilings. #passivehouse

So, how do you eliminate thermal bridging in the ceilings of a passive house?  Hang 2x2s.

[A view of our master bedroom.]

 

In order to maintain the envelope of our passive house and minimize thermal bridging, OSB was nailed to the rafters on the second floor.  The seams were sealed and 2x2s were screwed into the OSB.  From here, drywall will be fastened to the 2x2s creating a small pocket for wiring to be run across the ceiling.

[A closer look.]

vapor barrier. #passivehouse

Just when we thought this house was air tight, it got a little tighter.  Structures Design Build has been had at work sealing off the interior insulation.  Every exterior wall is receiving CertainTeed MemBrain a vapor barrier to help prevent moisture build up in the walls.

[CertainTeed MemBrain vapor barrier.]

[Sealed at every window.]

insulation. #passivehouse

Last week Structures Design Build arranged for thermal imaging to analyze the building envelope of our passive house. Prior to the thermal imaging tests, over a foot of cellulose insulation was blown into the attic.

I'm hoping we can get some thermal image shots of the house.  From the sounds of it, the results were very good; just a few cold spots.

[Lots of dense dust.]

 

solar thermal.

The bigger part of the passive house standard is energy efficiency. Installing EneryStar appliances and CFL/LED lights help meet the passive house requirements, but heating water can be an energy hog. That's why we've opted to install a solar thermal water heater on our roof. I won't get into the details of how it works, but the idea is to cut water heating out of our electric bill.

Roanoke's Renewable Energy and Electric Vehicle Association (REEVA) is helping us with this install. REEVA is a local group of energy aware individuals with the soul purpose of helping "to install as many renewable energy systems as possible to reduce our demand on carbon fuels, save money and protect the environment."

You can learn more about REEVA on their website, or contact me and I'll ks possible to reduce our demand on carbon fuels, save money and protect the environment." You can learn more about REEVA on their website, or contact me and I'll get you in touch with the club.

windows.