NARI METRO DC CHAPTER – GREEN BUILDING AWARD FOR LANDIS CONSTRUCTION’S LEED PLATINUM PROJECT
Landis Construction won a NARI Metro DC COTY (Contractor of The Year) Finalist award in the category of Green Remodeling Entire House for its LEED-H platinum level.
When you close your eyes and imagine a “Green House,” you may get an image of either a hot house for growing tomatoes, or a super modern boxy structure with solar panels on the roof. Our “Green House” renovation took place in vigilantly historic Georgetown and proves that green construction and historic renovation can blend together with extraordiany results.
Part of the difficulty of a “Green Home” goes to the very question of what is a green home. Several third party organizations such as the US Green Building Counsel, with its LEED program, have addressed this issue by creating a system of metrics and a third party planning and evaluation system for certifying a home’s level of green. Through LEED’s rigorous planning, testing and documentation process, special attention was paid from design through completion of construction to ensure the home: (1) is exceedingly well constructed; (2) greatly exceeds current energy efficiency standards; (3) manages water resources; (4) promotes healthy indoor air quality (IAQ); and (5) produced a limited waste stream during demolition, construction and the life of the home.
The project all started when Landis Construction’s clients, the Walters, purchased a relatively neglected 100+ year old home with the goal of transforming it into just such an example of Green Construction meets Historic. With some research, they decided to make the investment in a LEED-H certified house.
As Landis’ first LEED certified project, this renovation produced many challenges we had never encountered before.
Four of the biggest green related challenges came from:
(1) Integrating 21st century building science into a historically protected 19th century home.
(2) The LEED process required us to fundamentally change the way we go about designing, planning and producing a renovation. LEED puts significant emphasis on the planning, designing and documenting portion of the project. Everyone involved in this project entered this project with a mindset open to learning the principals of sustainable design and construction.
(3) During the project, we expended a large amount of time and effort educating ourselves and our trade partners and vendors about the fundamentals of sustainable design and construction.
(4) The documentation requirement of the LEED process is not required on standard remodeling projects. During this process we were required to complete:
a. Durability Report – Documentation that a number of best practices were followed including flashing, air sealing, proper installation of insulation, some structural details along with water infiltration prevention detailing.
b. Duct Blaster Test – ensuring ductwork was properly sealed.
c. Blower door test – documenting the improvement of air leakage before and after, as well as to ensure that we had achieved a consistently tight thermal envelope.
d. Commissioning of HVAC system included balancing all of the air supplies and returns and verifying that all equipment was working at or above manufacturer’s specifications.
e. Submissions for LEED platinum – producing specific documentation for every point (there were dozens of them making up the 102 points we received) including photographs, manufacturers’ specifications, receipts, and written verification from third party testers.
Below are highlights of some of the “green” strategies employed in the renovation of this home.
Demolition, Excavation, and Site Work:
• Deconstruction
• Donation of salvageable materials
• Recycling of construction and demolition waste
Concrete and Block Foundations:
• Concrete with high fly-ash content
Rough Framing
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified dimensional lumber throughout
• Borate-treated, FSC dimensional lumber
• FSC, formaldehyde-free plywood for subflooring
• No added formaldehyde OSB board for sheathing
• No-VOC adhesives
• Optimum Value Engineered (Advanced) Framing Techniques were employed to save wood, limit thermal bridging and optimize size of insulation cavities
• A number of engineered wood beams in the house were used instead of steel.
Exterior Windows and Doors
• Historically-correct Energy Star Jeld-Wen windows and doors at rear and side of the house.
• Restored original front façade windows re-weatherstripped for energy efficiency with high quality wood storm windows.
Exterior Finish: Trim, Siding, Soffits
• Hardi-plank siding salvaged from side of neighbor’s addition was reinstalled at the new rear elevation.
Roofing
• New, sun-reflective “cool roof”
Masonry: Brick or Stone Veneer, Chimneys
• Salvaged historic bricks
Plumbing
• Fusiotherm piping was used throughout rather than copper
• Highly water-efficient bath and kitchen faucets, toilets and showerheads
• Solar thermal hot water
HVAC
• Very high efficiency (96% efficient) gas furnace
• Very high efficiency (21 SEER) AC unit
• Ducts sealed with mastic rather than tape to minimize leaks
• Ducts kept sealed during construction to minimize contamination
• Energy Recovery Ventilator installed to bring in fresh air and pre-heat or pre-cool that air with the exhausted air.
• Very high 16-MERV air filters installed to maximize removal of air contaminants
Electrical
• LED lighting throughout home in the form of recessed cans and under-cabinet lighting
• Some CFL and fluorescent tubes used in closets and stairwells
Insulation
• Demilec open-cell, high soy-content spray foam for non-basement walls and roof rafters.
• Demilec closed-cell, high soy-content spray foam for basement walls.
• Careful air sealing throughout the house around all penetrations
Gypsum Wallboard
• High recycled content gypsum and paper wallboard
• No-VOC joint compound
• No-VOC drywall adhesive
• Drywall scraps were recycled
Fireplace
• Closed-combustion, low-emission, high-efficiency, gas fireplace
Flooring: Hardwood, Vinyl, Carpet
• No carpet used
• Engineered salvaged heart pine flooring installed on middle and upper floors
• Solid, woven bamboo installed in basement
• Low and no-VOC adhesives and/or finishes used on the flooring
Stairs, Railings & Interior Trim
• Interior stair systems used all FSC and salvaged woods (This was the first ever built by our partner stair company.)
• Exterior stair and railing wood was either borate-treated pine (for structure) or locally salvaged (Bethesda, MD) and milled white oak for other components
• Interior trim was locally milled from urban forested lumber (Poplar trees certified as being locally salvaged by our sawyer/miller).
Tile: Walls and Floors
• Local and/or recycled content tiles installed in bathrooms, foyer and laundry areas
Painting: Interior and Exterior
• Green Seal certified primers and paints
Cabinets
• Cabinetry – Greentech super green cabinets.
FINAL RESULTS
The renovated home honors the elegant detailing and finishes of its historic period. However, below the surface, the home boasts many cutting edge building technologies. The house is more than twice as energy efficient as a home constructed to today’s energy code. The home is durable (low maintenance) and operating costs will be very minimal for many years. Because of the building materials and finishes used and the HVAC energy recovery ventilator, the air quality in the home is superior.
The clients are very happy that their home achieved a high LEED platinum rating (102 points, 9 points over the threshold). The homeowners have also more than satisfied their LEED educational requirements, by having several well attended events at the home and more are planned.
With its generous well-proportioned spaces, rational flow, and openness this historic and sustainable home will provide current and future owners with a wonderful place to live and welcome friends.
