NewFrameworks URL

www.newframeworks.com

Natural Design/Build and New Frameworks merge

In case you haven't heard, I have partnered up with Ace McArelton and Jacob Racusin of New Frameworks Natural Building to form NewFrameworks natural design/build.

This actually happened last year during the St Johnsbury Deep Energy Retrofit.  I have been a little late in updating this site but have kept it alive as its been around a while and my intention now is to direct people to the newframeworks.com site.  There is a blog there that I am now working with.

There's still lots of good info on this site, but please check out the other site for more updated info and current contact.

Thanks,
Ben

Next step for windows: vacuum insulated

In the foreground: Two models of vacuum insulation glass on the fair glastec06 in Düsseldorf, Germany

© ZAE Bayern, Würzburg

Vacuum instead of inert gases - with this technological development, glazing could take another great developmental stride. However, at 10 tonnes per square metre, the atmospheric pressure on evacuated flat glazing is immense. And for evacuated glazing, the same applies as for vacuum panels: only a lasting vacuum guarantees good thermal insulation. Now, this research project is to provide evidence that evacuated glazings with special functional layers are technically feasible for architecture.
It is estimated that the price of evacuated glazing will be comparable to that of triple glazing today, i.e. approximately 80 euros per m². 

For more info:
http://www.enob.info/en/new-technologies/projects/details/next-step-vacuum-insulation-glass/

Review: Maine built PH doors?

This is a review of entry swing doors made by Linwood Windows and Doors out of their shop in Rockwell, Maine. Linwood is a classic small shop with an interesting story and a good vision for high quality and performance. According the owner Richard Cohen, they bought a german tooling system for their windows and doors that are apparently certifiable in Germany for Passive House projects. The company is new and you can follow their progress on their blog.http://linwoodwindows.blogspot.com/

We ordered two entry doors for a 1840's farmhouse deep energy retrofit. It was important to have well insulated doors with high performance windows. Cohen said he could deliver doors with R5+ thermal performance but has not done any testing of the doors to provide any data for heat transfer or air leakage for their doors as a unit.

The design of the door is a rebated, double gasket European style door with classic raised panel and 1/2 glass. The raised panels have 1" of EPS foam with 3/4" of Doug Fir on either side.

The triple paned windows are quoted to have SHGC of .56 and Uvalue of .155 or R6.4. Richard thought that the whole door Uvalue would be better than the raised panel section but failed to explain how a 80"x36" door with 46% of the door only 2.5 inches of Doug Fir at ~ R3. I am assuming the glass has warm edge spacers.
 I would put the overall thermal performance of the door at around R4. This doesn't take into account the door frame or losses from air leakage.

We did install 1" polyiso foam around the frame to lessen the heat loss around the frame. The door frames and door construction are designed and built well.

A few complaints: we ordered the door without a finish and had to sand off a bit of glue stain and we had to take off the hardware to clean out the mortises of sawdust that was clogging the mechanism.  Everything fit well including the Zenit ball bearing adjustable hinges. Their were 4 hinges to secure the very heavy 3" door. We installed the door very easily and were happy with the squareness and ease of fitting.

 The biggest problem was the hardware.  Apparently the hardware company and Linnwood were not on the same page as the lock cylinders did not fit.  We got a replacement set that didn't fit and another that was stainless steel to match the oil rubber bronze handles.  So we sent those back and found the right fit and finish on our own.  The GU multipoint system was also a little futsy.  As I have used Hoppe systems as well, I would probably trade them out.

After it was all in, we inspected the air-tighness of the doors during a blower door test and found small leaks in both bottom corners of the door where the double gasket transitioned to the sweep sealed door bottom.  Minor, but considering I was able to completely seal all around conventional doors with off the shelf weatherization components, I would expect more from a $2300 door.

George of the Jungle

For anyone that wants an account of my recent vacation here is an accurate video documentation.

A look at the VbC Village Gathering 2012

SBF #26 Retesting Envelope Air Leakage

Our 2nd blower door test was conducted by Jacob Racusin, who is recently BPI certified and who did it as a part of the Yestermorrow Sustainable Design Certificate course with a group of students.
We got 770 cfm @ 50Pascal which gave us a new number for ACH50 of 1.8, improved from 2.1.  The difference was sealing off the chimney cleanout door, which was roughly 8"x12".
We noted a good leak at the mud room door from a warped door that used old barn boards that should have been kild dried, and  one on the bulkhead door.  These we knew about and could use attention.  There was also small leakage around the stove pipe connection to the chimney.

Fixing these might improve the leakage rate to 1.5ACH50.