[Greenbuilding] 100 miles builds

[Kenn Brown]

All, 

one thing to remember; once you have the surface of porous materials clean,
wood in particular, should be sprayed with borate liquid, even the 20 mule
team laundry detergent, 1# per gallon of water, so it can soak into the
surface. This applies to structural members of a building before sheetrock
is applied. If you use hot water with a paint mixer and electric drill,
until it isn't cloudy, even brush it on or pistol grip bottle sprayer.  The
borate is a insecticide, fungicide, termiticide, when dry can and should be
finished.

 

Kenn Brown 

www.Environmentsensitive.com 

kenn at environmentsensitive.com

512 805 7777

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of
bilrob at silcom.com
Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2012 9:34 AM
To: Green Building
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] 100 miles builds

 

Living here in New Orleans there are many opportunities to use salvaged
materials; durable, materials.

And there are several places where salvaged stuff can be purchased:

The Green Project, PRC, Old City Building Center, Habitat Restore, The Bank
and Ricca's to name a few.

Not to mention the materials that can be salvaged from a rebuild.

 

Architecturally and environmentally outstanding.

 

However there are two real world issues that need to be addressed:

Lead paint and building to current hazard resistance requirements.

 

I will just look at the lead issue.

Using old materials, far better than what we can buy at any building supply
store stocking new materials,containing lead paint is a risky business.

 

Let's take it for face value that lead causes neurological damage to
children and even to adults.

Once there lead containing materials are reintroduced into the structure
there is an added exposure to the lead-based hazards. Especially friction
surfaces, doors and windows.

 

When proper precautions are not taken the persons using the structure are
exposed.

 

This is not meant to discourage building material reuse but instead to take
all of the implications into consideration.

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Corwyn" <corwyn at midcoast.com>

To: greenbuilding at lists.bioenergylists.org

Sent: Sunday, February 26, 2012 9:13:05 AM

Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] 100 miles builds

 

On 2/25/2012 10:14 PM, Jason Holstine wrote:

> Id argue that's overly generalist and not necessarily true. (a) better
they rebuild at

  net zero than trash, but putting that aside... The old home may have 

been a creaky sieve

  with asbestos and lead paint hanging out. How healthy and responsible 

is that?

 

The asbestos and lead paint are a bit of red herring.  They are often 

best left undisturbed, and eventually they will need to be dealt with no 

matter what you do.

 

But the issue of sieves is pertinent now.  A house which is consuming 

vast amounts of fossil fuels is not green.  It is an intriguing question 

when you are better off starting over rather than renovating what you 

have.  I am involved with a couple of projects to retrofit existing 

houses to Passivhaus standards.  While it certainly isn't as easy to 

accomplish as building from scratch, it is a lot less material 

intensive.  I am not seeing much of a correlation between the current 

efficiency or age of an existing building, and the ease of retrofitting 

it to be energy efficient.  Some of the easiest buildings are early 

1800's mansions with thick empty walls, while others are cheaply made 

buildings that just get wrapped.

 

I think we are once again, needing to examine the details of each case, 

and doing the right thing based on an intelligent analysis of all 

possibilities.

 

Thank You Kindly,

 

Corwyn

 

-- 

Topher Belknap

Green Fret Consulting

Kermit didn't know the half of it...

http://www.greenfret.com/

topher at greenfret.com

(207) 882-7652

 

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