Increasing Energy Efficiency with Advanced Framing Techniques

There are many things that go into building a green home. A truly efficient green home is initially designed on paper and then built on the site. There are many homes that have green features, but at Arlington Designer Homes, we believe that to realize a green home's full potential, you need to start at the beginning. Our green homes do much more that create an efficient, comfortable, and healthy home to live in. We also reduce, reuse and recycle our materials to make the whole process more efficient and sustainable.

When we clear a site, we use the trees that must be taken down on site as mulch for remaining and new trees. When we mulch these trees, it helps cover the soil to prevent contamination from entering our streams. The added mulch pad helps to protect existing trees' roots and improves the basic organic composition of the soil for years to come. All this, and we keep these trees out of the landfill. But as I said, that is just the start.

It is important to incorporate green principles from the construction of the foundation to the roof in green home design. Today I also want to talk about Advanced Framing Techniques (AFT). These techniques allow us to integrate green building into the entire home. Some of our AFT are no-brainers, and any team that is not doing them just doesn’t have basic technical knowledge. Some of these items are: insulated headers, ladder blocking and California “T” corners.

An insulated header is the area above a door or window that has added insulation. In standard construction techniques, carpenters put a ½” of plywood sandwiched in between the header material. The plywood is just a spacer, but to us, it is an opportunity. This is an opportunity to add more insulation and therefore efficiency to the house. We put in ½” rigid foam insulation (R-3). It isn’t a high R value, but it costs nothing to do and should be a standard part of an new home being constructed.

Ladder blocking is added where an interior wall meets an exterior wall. Rather than have the interior wall run into the exterior wall and end with three 2x4s in solid wood block, we create a ladder. We string 2x4s horizontally every few feet to fasten the interior wall to the exterior wall. This ladder is not directly in contact with the plywood that is the side of the house sheathing, so we can get insulation behind the ladder 2x4s and create a more efficient house. Where there used to be just wood block, we have eliminated the wood block and added more insulation.

California “T” corners are used where two exterior walls come together. Like ladder blocking, we try to eliminate a mass of 2x4s and wood block and create space where we can add insulation. We do this by doing just what the name implies, creating a T where the walls intersect. This T helps us to get insulation into the corner rather then blocking.

The three examples I gave above are things that all of us at Arlington Designer Homes consider ‘basic’ construction techniques that every house should be using. We use these AFTs, but also go above and beyond by eliminating headers where possible, and using less wood and more insulation in window and doors jacks, along with many, many other techniques that set us apart from those that ‘just build to code’. We build for what the code will be in 20 years.

Conserving Water and Preventing Run-Off

It has been a long road but we are well underway building what will surely go down as one of the most amazing and unique homes in Arlington.  We are excited to be working with many new and interesting systems. Because of the unique position this lot is in, we have worked to design the lot in such a way that there will actually be less storm water run-off post development than pre-development.

In this way we are truly ahead of our time. Arlington, Virginia, and all localities within the Chesapeake drainage basin have been working for years to reduce run-off from farming, industrialization and housing development. During our development process we had our civil engineers work to design the lot in such a way that we will be on the cutting edge of development technology in our area. The technologies we will use to prevent run-off and help do our part to preserve the Chesapeake Bay include:

1.       Rain water re-use

2.       Pervious pavers

3.       Green roof

4.       Bio-retention

5.       Swales

6.       Mitigate time for unexposed soils

7.       Shared trenches for utilities

8.       Area appropriate plantings

9.       Hydro-zoning

Not only will these technologies prevent run-off and pollution into Arlington’s storm water systems, they mean our new home will use less water. We will need less water for bio-retention, pervious pavers, and hydro-zoning, as well as the features going into the house.

The Truth About Trees

People often ask  ‘How can you consider your company green when you cut down trees?’ This always strikes me as a very narrow viewpoint. What we do as a green company is so much more than any one aspect of construction, and tree protection is a very big and nuanced issue. As a green company, we have to balance the needs of our customers, the neighbors, the community and the environment.  In planning for our projects, we take all these factors into consideration.

One of the first things we do when we start a project is develop a comprehensive tree plan. The first part of this plan is a tree survey. We identify all the trees on our property and adjacent properties that fall under our site plan. We identify the type of tree, assess the health of the tree, and desirability of having this tree on the site. Many people aren't even aware that we undertake these studies, but we do one for every single property, to help us protect not only our trees, but also our neighbors’ trees and our neighbors’ property. The studies help us determine which trees should be removed and why, which trees should be preserved and why, and which types of new trees should be planted.

With the house we are building at 2617 Nottingham Street in Arlington, one question I heard many times was "What can we do to save the trees?" In my opinion, the question should have been “Should we save these trees?”  In this case, the answer was most definitely no. Most, if not all, of the trees on the property that we cut down were infested with a contagious, deadly canker disease. The best thing we could have done for the other trees on this property and for the neighbors' trees was to remove them before they contaminated other trees.

In our tree survey, we were able to identify trees that pose a danger to other trees or personal property and remove them. As I drive or walk through Arlington, I see all sorts of trees and properties that would benefit from having an arborist take a look at them. Some are in simple need of having the English Ivy pulled off of them so they don’t choke to death. Others need more TLC, and yet others are dangerous or diseased and should be removed. Our tree survey helps us to identify and remove dangerous and infected trees.

We also look at the desirability and viability of a tree. Many of the trees that we have in our area are invasive non-native species. These species can threaten the health of native plants and animals. That is why as part of any green program you are encouraged to plant native species. We believe in removing invasive species as needed, and planting species that will help support native wildlife, that are disease and drought tolerant, and that have a proven track record in the area.

The viability or life span of a tree is something else that is taken into account when deciding which trees stay and which trees go. The simple fact is, trees have a certain life span and sometimes when you are at the end of it, the best thing we can do is replace an old dying tree with a tree that will be strong and healthy for years to come.

Most of the trees we removed from the property at 2617 Nottingham St. were either diseased, invasive, or at the end of their healthy lifespan. We took our arborist’s expert council and removed the less desirable trees so that we can start to implement our more comprehensive and appropriate tree plan. The tree plans we execute are based upon creating vibrant, lasting trees that will benefit native species along with the homeowners and neighborhood for many generations.

Some interesting and useful related links:

Virginia Tech Cooperative Extension Guide to Problem-Free and Native Trees for Virginia

Virginia Department of Natural Resources Native Plant Finder

Virginia Native Plant Society (has lists of nurseries)

Follow the Construction of our Newest Green Home

Arlington Designer Homes, Inc. is proud to announce that we have submitted our building permit for a new single family home that we are building at 2617 N. Nottingham St. You might have seen us and this property in the news recently. This pipestem lot was created in 1969 and has been taxed as such since its creation, but in 2003 the Arlington County Board changed the building application rules for these types of lots.

Last summer, we became the first applicants in Arlington to file for a type of Special Use Permit under the new application rules for this type of lot. Arlington was a little unsure how to proceed with this new type of permit application, and so out of an abundance of caution, they chose to defer the decision until February. Throughout this time we worked diligently to develop a plan that would meet the needs of our customers, the neighborhood and Arlington County.

Through this process, we came up with a design for the home that will make this a truly unique North Arlington home.  This home will feature a flat green roof, pervious pavers, a bio-rentention area, designated rain gardens, and many, many more features that will help address future rain runoff issues. We plan on creating a site where there is less outfall (runoff water) after the home is built than before. This is just one of the many factors that will make this house so unique, and we are really excited to have the opportunity to build such a one-of-a-kind home here in Arlington County.

We anticipate this new Green Eco-friendly home being built to the Gold standard for both The National Green Standard and Arlington County Green Home Choice standards. This sustainable new home will be a joy to build and an even bigger joy to live in! We anticipate putting the home on the market in January 2013.

Because there's been so much interest in this unique lot and building process, and because this house will have so many special green features, we're going to post a weekly construction blog throughout the duration of the building process. We hope it will be useful resource for other homeowners and builders in Northern Virginia, and for anyone interested in green homes. Stay tuned!

As Featured on CNN...

We're very pleased to report that William and Sheila Moore’s elegant and eco-friendly home, located at 4719 North 24^th Road, was recently featured in a CNN special report on green building features and options. Our family-owned company, Arlington Designer Homes, designed and built this one-of-a-kind green home in 2007.  It features energy-efficient windows and doors, EnergyStar appliances, recycled carpets, reclaimed hardwood floors, low VOC paints, an advanced insulation package with spray-foam insulation, and a geo-thermal heating and air conditioning system. 

CNN hosted the national report, which showed examples of green, energy-efficient building techniques and features being used around the U.S., from inside the Moores’ home, highlighting how well the home’s green features blend in and actually enhance the warmth and livability of the house.

One of the most important things this house demonstrates is that ‘green’ doesn’t have to be boring or utilitarian. The home on North 24^th Road features reclaimed wood floors, and a gorgeous and rare salvaged walnut countertop in the kitchen. In the entryway, we embedded fossils in a recycled stone tile wall for a truly unique and beautiful look.

At the same time, the green features included in this home will combine to reduce energy costs by up to 50%, prevent toxic off-gassing, seal out mold, allergens and pollutants, and significantly reduce the homes’ carbon output.

We'll have the video up on our website soon - stay tuned!

Keeping Your House Cool (Without Cranking up the AC!)

What a crazy summer it’s been here in DC! We survived an earthquake, a hurricane, and brutal, record-setting high temperatures. But even with temperatures routinely creeping over 100 degrees, I’m happy to say that our clients remained cool and comfortable in their new and remodeled homes.

At Arlington Designer Homes, we create efficient housing that keeps you warm during the winter and COOL during the summer. Part of our process is using 3^rd party raters to help us identify any issues that could compromise the integrity of the building envelope and affect your comfort during extreme temperatures like those we have had here over the past two years.

Even a small oversight in the building envelope can lead to major climate changes within the house. For example, a small nail hole in the siding can allow heat and cold to enter the house. It can also provide an entrance for undesirable creatures like termites or ants, and it can provide an opening for water and humidity to enter the house, leading to mold and other hazards. We have all our homes tested to 3^rd party raters, who check the building envelop in a number of ways to ensure there aren’t any holes or gaps. (And if they do identify any problems, we are able to fix them before our clients move in.)

We also use the finest materials and the most up-to-date technologies to ensure your comfort while keeping your home green and energy-efficient. For example, the installation of Energy Star roofing shingles helps to mitigate heat gain during the summer and heat loss during the winter. Energy Star-approved shingles help to reflect UV rays that cause heat gain and can help keep your house cooler during hot summers. This means you won’t have to crank the air conditioning up as high, saving energy and money. Our systems are designed to operate as efficiently as possible when the climate is at its most inefficient.

We take precautions to ensure that during the most extreme times, our homes still perform the way that we expect them to and the way our clients have come to expect.

The Green Building Certification Process

As you know, Arlington Designer Homes just recently certified another Gold house to the National Standard (see our last blog post). After certifying the first Gold NAHB Research Center house in Arlington, we have been lucky enough to work with our customers to certify the first NAHB Research center Gold home in Falls Church too. This is 1 of the 3 Gold homes by Arlington Designer Homes, Inc. and only the 5^th certified home in the entire state of Virginia (3 of which are by Arlington Designer Homes).

Certifying a home to the National Standard is a complicated process that involves three distinct stages. The first stage is the research and planning phase, the second stage is construction of the house and the third and final stage is the third party inspection and certification. All are critical and important aspects of not only certifying a house but also being able to prove that it performs to the highest standard that we expect from all the homes we build.

In the planning stage it is important to select appropriate materials that qualify for points in the categories that you will need to collect points in. The National Standard has 6 chapters. Chapters 1-4 deal with the now phased out National Guidelines. The National Standard chapters are:

            5- Lot design, preparation and development;

            6- Resource efficiency;

            7- Energy efficiency;

            8- Water efficiency;

            9- Indoor air quality;

            10- Operation, maintenance and building owner education.

Each chapter has a required number of points that you must achieve to be able to claim Bronze, Silver, Gold or Emerald. If you fall below a certification in any category, your whole project drops to that lowest certification. You must keep your eye on the goal throughout the entire project because it is a complicated process.

During construction you must make sure that all aspects of the design are being incorporated and document the whole process. We take pictures, get signatures, bills of lading, certifications from owners, arborists, supervisors, all sorts of things that we will be required to document in the final phase of the process. It is important to make sure that all parties involved in the project are aware of the end goals in the certification of the house. Each member of our team plays an important role in every aspect of the green certification process.

Blower door test during green building certification process

The final phase of the process is third party certifications. This entails calling in a HERS rater to do duct blower tests on our HVAC systems and a whole house air leakage test. As luck would have it our HERS rater is also our NAHB Research center certification expert as well. So my rater and I conduct extensive tests on the system to determine the HERS score and then we go even further, and get into more detail to analyze all the documentation we must provide to become certified.

To become NAHB Gold certified my rater and I spend hours going over every point of the house, from recycled content in the drywall to how our HVAC ducts are run. I show up with my files and am prepared to explain how every aspect of the house that I built performs to the standard I claim it does. While all aspects of this process are extremely important I think that this one is especially important. Many people say that they are building green, but can they prove it? That is what third party verification does. We have two third party entities, our HERS rater and NAHB Research center independent monitor, that oversee our green ratings. To me this is the mark of a true green builder, someone who is able to prove how their house performs and back up all of their claims with hard evidence.

Arlington Designer Homes is proud to be a part of the process and particularly proud to certify another Gold home in Northern Virginia.