I am what some folks would call an “extreme do-it-yourselfer” and can tackle just about any home project. However, living nearly three hours away from this project has demanded I balance my desire to chip-in and tackle big portions of the … Continue reading
Energy Star Home Certification
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When I started the project I hoped to go for Passive House Certification or perhaps LEED certification. However, I quickly learned that both of these certifications were quite costly and required an enormous investments in time to ensure the right building … Continue reading
Construction Loan
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I have officially begun the construction loan process! After interviewing five local and national banks I ended up selecting Franklin Savings Bank for the construction loan. They had reasonable terms, understood the area, and were accustomed to working with my … Continue reading
SIPS Finalized
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The building envelope is only one piece of the puzzle to building a house. However, it is arguably one of the more important ones-it defines not only the interior space, but the comfort level of the house and informs the … Continue reading
Reclaiming Barn Boards
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We came across a 1700s era farm house and barn last week that was being torn down to make way for condos in Bedford, MA. It was quite sad to walk a now baron and decimated property where a once … Continue reading
Getting Ready to Build
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As I prepare to build my dream home from researching to interviewing builders, I realized there are very few resources available which explain the gap between “thinking about building a house” and “breaking ground”. While I still have a long … Continue reading
Design Completed
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I started this project believing a simple sketch of the floor plan and elevations would suffice for quoting and could later be refined by the builder. As I endeavored to drive advanced building techniques into the design to achieve superior … Continue reading
Pondering Doors
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I had a great meeting with Performance Building Supply last Friday to review the Window quote. The pricing was a bit higher than expected due to the 7 foot by 7 foot tempered glass windows I settled on for the … Continue reading
Window Selection
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With 300+ square feet in windows spec’d for the house, I have been doubtful about whether it would be feasible to stay within budget and specify high-performance triple pane window. However, today I got the answer to that question-a resounding yes! Intus … Continue reading
Structural Musings
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Deciding to use SIPS has freed me of the need to worry about creating drawings and specifications to ensure a tight building envelope. However, structurally supporting the roof is now becoming a significant issue. A conventional roof would be framed … Continue reading