porated passive and active , Agri-Panel construction, superinsulation, and radiant UPDATE AND . Here, options were more limited. We INSULATE had no control over the ’s orientation Reassembly and little influence on the square footage or The 1915 plan, shown with the and structures. dotted lines in the drawings We did, however, have a great site that was below, had already been altered. The latest remodel close to transportation, shopping, and exist- added a new and ing infrastructure. We had control over fin- extended the staircase on the Required ishes, material use, water conservation, and first floor. On the second, a indoor-air quality. We also had a unique sleeping was enclosed opportunity to see how far that we could and incorporated into the take the existing envelope. master , and a second With the help of Trip Renn and his crew at bath was added. The home’s double-hung were Actual Size Builders, we brought this leaky- swapped for energy-efficient as-a-sieve home up to a HERS (home-energy casements (Jeld-Wen Siteline rating system) rating of 61 (39% more effi- EX Wood series, photo left) cient than code), a LEED-silver certification, designed to mimic the originals. and a new life for the next 100 years.

Historic and energy goals align 1915 The first hurdle was getting through the floor plan Office Chapel Hill Historic District Commission, Mudroom whose approval is needed for any exterior F E improvements on structures within the dis- trict. With the of surrounding to draw on and a vintage Aladdin Up Up Dn Kitchen kit-home catalog in our hands, we had the C details we needed. Living Dining Because Melissa planned to keep within D the existing envelope and to restore the room exterior as close to the original as possible, B the commission welcomed our design. Mem-

bers were also open to our desire for energy Entry Entry efficiency and the use of modern construc- tion techniques. Details such as energy- efficient casement windows that look like A First floor before First floor after Photos double-hungs and superinsulated taken at that look like the original clapboards were lettered positions. welcomed as solutions that met both sides’ 0 2 4 8 ft. needs. Minor modifications, such as replicat- ing the original front-porch details on a new back porch and replacing existing rails with Bedroom nearly identical ones to meet code, demon- Bedroom Laundry strated that it’s possible to meet modern North he Bahansen-Herzenberg to the studs and all the mechanical systems requirements and still respect the past. was one of several kit homes built were accessible for inspection and testing, we Dn Dn Bathroom BY SOPHIE PIESSE in 1915 as part of the first subdivi- decided to take the home to LEED status. A tighter, better-insulated envelope sion in Chapel Hill, N.C. Built on The house might as well have been con- Compared to today’s standards, the existing Master bath Twhat was then a rural street, it’s now walk- demned. It was partially boarded up and had framing on this kit house was pretty mini- A gut remodel puts Bedroom Bedroom ing distance from a bustling downtown and missing windows and a crumbling . mal. Not wanting to demolish more than Closet Master a 1915 kit house the University of North Carolina. Despite the deserted supplies and necessary, we worked with what we had: bedroom Its owner, Melissa McCullough, had been the bathtub on the front porch, however, the 2x4 walls and 2x6 rafters. The siding was in on the LEED scale looking for a fixer-upper to make into a bones of a beautiful Arts and Crafts home disrepair and covered with lead paint, so it Sleeping while restoring its green home when she found this house, were apparent. was a simple decision to remove it. We filled porch which had been abandoned during a reno- Melissa and I had worked together before. the walls with open-cell spray-foam and Arts and Crafts charm vation. Because it was already gutted down In designing her previous home, we incor- wrapped the original sheathing with 1-in. Second floor before Second floor after

78 FINE HOMEBUILDING Drawings: Martha Garstang Hill. Before photo: courtesy of the author. www.finehomebuilding.com ENERGY-SMART HOMES 2013 79 Dow Styrofoam to reduce thermal bridging and achieve an R-value of 19. We then added furring strips over the foam to create an air- space over which we mounted new Nichiha cementboard siding. We ended up with a much-better-functioning envelope consistent with the look of the original house. The original windows had been removed, and most had been left inside. They were covered in lead paint and had single-pane glass, and few had their original frames. New windows were a simple choice. We chose casement windows over double-hungs not only for their tighter seal, but because they could catch more of the breeze for cross ventilation. The aluminum-clad units will not rot or need paint, and their double-pane, low-e insulated glass provides maximum R-value and solar control. While not iden- Waste not, want not. tical to the original 1915 windows, the new Aladdin’s 1915 catalog units fit the Arts and Crafts style in appear- extolled the thrift of kit homes and their efforts to ance, yet meet the energy demands of today. avoid waste. The model Built with 2x6s, the roof framing needed for Melissa’s home was extra support as well as insulation. By air- known as The Sherwood, sealing with open-cell foam up to and over and came with a branded knocker (inset). the rafters, we gained an R-value of more than 20. The original asphalt shingles were replaced with a 5V metal roof with a baked- on coating. The light stone color is Energy Star rated and reflects 51% of the sun’s heat, Green before their time reducing the heat load on the house. It was a delightful experience to give this simple Chimney condition forces a choice Aladdin kit home a new life. In planning the renova- Melissa wanted a heat-generating tion, we talked about energy and water efficiency, in the living room, but the existing chimney superinsulation, natural ventilation, and the ways we and fireplace presented a host of challenges. could make this 100-year-old structure green. In addition to being covered with lead paint, When we looked through the original kit-home the chimney was too short and too crumbly information, we realized that these were the original to function safely. Given its condition, ret- green homes. Although Aladdin and other kit makers marketed rofitting it would have been expensive. We their homes as being of low cost and high quality, their docu- solved the problem by swapping the living- mentation’s emphasis on reducing waste and saving energy and dining-room spaces, keeping the origi- means that they were selling green. They minimized waste by nal fireplace in the and building thoughtful cutting of trees into the most efficient selections of a new, efficient fireplace directly opposite it Smarter board feet, and of the board feet into framing members. The in the living room. open up the wood was cut in the factory, minimizing job-site waste. The EFFICIENCY VS. AUTHENTICITY space. Extend- Having these two visually identical yet climate-controlled environment of the factory yielded dry, stable functionally different enabled us to Unable to restore the original living-room fireplace to working condition, the ing the staircase to the far wall lumber that was bundled up and sent directly to job sites for improve traffic flow, take advantage of the author installed a new, efficient direct-vent gas fireplace directly opposite, then (photo above) fast construction. latest technologies, boost energy efficiency, sealed the old fireplace and gave it a to match the one on the new gas introduced light These were mass-produced, so the kit makers could ameliorate the effects of a humid climate, version. Although the look of the original exposed-brick chimney was sacrificed into the stairwell specify exact quantities of paint, plaster, nails, hardware, and and still adhere to Arts and Crafts styling by encasing it in drywall to provide a thermal break and improve insulation, and created space for a per- trim. The kit makers may not have considered insulation, but and details without breaking the budget. some charm was regained by building a false chimney structure on the opposite sonal art gallery. they discussed the use of quality plasterboard on the inside and wall to match the old. Matching mantels made from the builder’s stockpile of Moving the land- the sealing of all joints to make their houses tight. We may think Improving mechanical efficiency red oak were designed to integrate with surrounding built-ins and, in the case ing to the end of that green building is new, but back in the 1910s, low energy the living space When it comes to LEED, tightening up the of the new fireplace, a remodeled staircase. The transformation was completed costs, minimal waste, and quality construction were sold as com- also improved building envelope goes hand-in-hand with by matching the new to the existing brick hearth and surrounding both traffic flow. mon sense. choosing the right mechanical equipment. In fireboxes with recycled-content tile.

80 FINE HOMEBUILDING www.finehomebuilding.com ENERGY-SMART HOMES 2013 81 Melissa’s house, we installed a Lennox XP17 Antique silver: Taking a remodel to LEED (17 SEER) air-source heat pump, with a sepa- rate heat pump for the area, which We chose to pursue LEED certification because it is a nationally recognized, all- we separated from the main floor by insu- encompassing program that addresses not only energy efficiency but also site lating with EnGuard, a product made from selection, water efficiency, and indoor-air quality, and it encourages the use of recycled soda bottles. Surrounded by masonry locally sourced, reused, and recycled materials. Going through the process has given walls and two-thirds below grade, the base- me a better understanding of what we should do in all our projects, whether we are ment acts very differently from the main and aiming for LEED or not. upper floors. It also affirmed a lot of Because LEED also rewards water effi- what we already do. LEED scorecard ciency, all fixtures are low flow or Attaining LEED for a LEED-H SILVER points required: 62 WaterSense rated, which means they’re third- single-family residence party certified to meet EPA specifications for that was also a renova- Size: 2794 sq. ft. (including finished basement) efficiency. A Rinnai on-demand water heater tion wasn’t easy. For Cost: $187 per sq. ft. saves energy by heating water only when starters, LEED requires Completed: 2011 · Location: Chapel Hill, N.C. needed rather than keeping a whole tank of a large amount of : 4 · : 3 water hot all the time. documentation, which Architect: Sophie Piesse is disproportionate to a Builder: Actual Size Builders Restored through reuse project of this size. LEED also encourages using reused and We also found that the Insulation: Spray foam and rigid foam (walls, R-19); RECYCLED recycled materials as well as local sources theories behind LEED spray foam (roof, R-20) (within 500 miles). Materials original to the did not always meet Heating/cooling system: Lennox XP17 (17 SEER) AND R E U SED house include the five-panel (stripped with reality. One heat pump Melissa’s kitchen is a model of lead paint), the porch , and the example is the required Windows: Jeld-Wen Siteline EX Wood series of reuse and local sourcing. claw-foot tub, which was sitting on the front calculation-of-waste fac- casements Wall and base cabinets were porch when Melissa bought the house. The tor. A strong component Estimated annual energy costs: heating, $359; recycled from other projects; builder, Melissa, and I pooled our resources of LEED is minimizing cooling, $85; hot water, $222; lights and appliances, the island was built using to see what we could bring to the renovation. material waste. $644; service charges, $214 (total: $1524) scrap lumber stockpiled by Tile, bamboo flooring, and kitchen cabinets To demonstrate that the builder. The storage wall were salvaged from other projects. Locally you are minimizing CATEGORY POINTS EARNED/AVAILABLE (photo right) is a mélange of found old heart-pine flooring was worked waste, LEED requires Innovation and design 4.5/11 salvaged windows, recycled seamlessly into the existing floors where that you show how Location and linkages 10/10 cabinets, and inserts devised needed. When reuse was not an option, new closely the amount of by the builder. The vintage products were selected for their recycled con- wood estimated for your Sustainable sites 10/22 cast-iron sink (below) was tent, such as the fireclay tiles on the fireplace project compares to the Water efficiency 3/15 purchased at a local salvage and the Richlite countertops in the kitchen. actual amount used. In Energy and atmosphere 20/38 yard. Richlite, a composite We used no-VOC Mythic paints through- a renovation like ours, Materials and resources 9.5/16 material that contains recy- out the house. The floor finish was Loba in which the envelope cled paper, was used on the Hybrid, a rich oil finish that brings out the was almost intact and Indoor environmental quality 14/21 kitchen countertops. color in heart-pine floors better than water- we tried to reuse what Awareness and education 1/3 based polyurethane and has no chemical we took out, it was near emissions. We introduced this product to the impossible to make this Total score 72/136 floor finisher, who now uses it regularly. comparison. Because LEED also encourages the use of lumber it’s a LEED prerequi- that is certified by the Forest Stewardship site, though, we had to figure it out. With a renovation, that meant comparing the Council (FSC). Because it’s not readily avail- amount of lumber required to build the house new with the amount we used to able here in the small quantities we needed, renovate it. The local lumber store estimated that the framing package to build new we decided to go a different route: We found would cost $36,000. Our renovation cost $9000. We far exceeded the requirement, local yellow pine farmed and milled within but it took a lot of time to make what seemed like an unhelpful comparison. 100 miles. We could buy in small quantities LEED also has an adjustment for home size to encourage smaller homes. We had and get just what we needed. It was not FSC- no control over the size of this home, but were penalized because it was more than certified, but we gained LEED credit for sup- LEED required per bedroom, even though we used the existing space wisely. On the plus side, starting with an existing structure did gain us some LEED points porting a local business. □ by reducing site disturbance—our site work consisted of digging one footing—and, therefore, storm-water problems. The property also had mature vegetation that Sophie Piesse is an architect in Carrboro, kept erosion and water runoff to a minimum and eliminated any heat-island effect. N.C. Photos by Debra Judge Silber, except where noted.

82 FINE HOMEBUILDING www.finehomebuilding.com ENERGY-SMART HOMES 2013 83