The Extreme Green Makeover

of a Craftsman era duplex, built in 19296, 1549 sq ft, at NW 21^st and McKinley Street in Oklahoma City

There is a 2007 update at the end of this intro.

NEW! June 18, 2007: Summary charts for energy use, 2003-2006 . The result of these renovations, 2003-2006, was a 50% reduction in the BTU use at this house.

Pre-existing features. High ceilings, many windows, large overhangs, front porch.

Extensive shade landscaping, most of which is also edible. The house is shaded by mulberries, grape vines, redbud and some other miscellaneous trees and bushes. The lawn has largely been replaced by garden beds and clusters of edible shrubs. The beginnings of a hedge has been planted at the curb which eventually will help block heat coming onto the property from the street. At the height of the summer growing season, there are about 100 different varieties of edible or useful plants growing.

Ventilated attic. The attic has been ventilated with 12 soffit vents and 6 wind turbine vents.

Extensive caulking. Before proceeding with the insulation work, we used 90 tubes of caulk and 20 cans of foam. We suggest using the book "Insulate and Weatherize", a "Taunton Built it like a pro" book, as a guide to caulking.

Extra insulation. The attic has been insulated to R-50, and the walls to R-33, with cellulose insulation. To get this much insulation in the walls, we first filled the existing walls with cellulose insulation, then we built new interior walls 5 inches inside of the existing interior walls, all along the exterior walls of the house. We then filled those new walls with insulation, giving us 9 inches of insulation in the walls.

Windows and doors. We replaced our windows with double paned, argon filled, low-e coated windows. We replaced the doors with pre-hung insulated doors. We also installed storm doors over the exterior doors.

Solar sunspace. We converted our south facing utility room into a solar sun space. This involved tearing off the brick exterior and removing the wooden siding underneath that, building new headers to hold the weight of the room, and installing six floor to ceiling windows. These windows are all double paned, but they are not argon filled or low-e coated. Four of them were standard size patio doors, 2 of them are of the same style installed elsewhere in the house and are double hung so they open at the top and the bottom. This sunspace has two doors, one facing east, the other facing west. We also removed the wall that divided the area into two rooms (the house was once a duplex). Tom Temple assisted us in this renovation.

Ventilation. We installed a low-power whole house fan made by Tamarack Corp. We have several other fans scattered throughout the house, and each room has at least one ceiling fan (large rooms have 2). The whole house fan moves hot air out of the house into the attic and then out the vents.

Cooking and hot water. We decided to disconnect from the natural gas system entirely, so we installed an electric stove. However, we also picked up a table-top convection oven, crockpot, and electric skillet, and we use those for cooking as much as possible instead of the stove, they are more efficient for cooking. We installed an electric water heater, and had the electrician install an on-off switch so we can turn it on only when we need hot water. We wrapped it with fiberglass insulation. We generally only turn it on twice a week for 2 hours.

Typical household operating procedures. In the summer, we ventilate the house at night by opening all the windows and doors and turning on the whole house fan. We close the house up about 8 AM in the morning, turn off the whole house fan, but keep the ceiling fans and other fans operating in occupied rooms. We cover the south facing windows of the sunspace with sheets of rigid board insulation during the day. Although the sun does not hit those windows directly because of the roof overhangs, heat is conducted inside through those windows from the ambient heat outside. During the winter, we reverse this process, and cover the windows at night with the rigid board insulation but uncover them during the day so sunlight and thus heat will enter the house. In the summer we cook outside to reduce heat and humidity build up inside.

Performance thus far. During December, January, and February, on any day when the sun was shining early in the morning and all day thereafter, we did not need any back-up heat (our back-up heat is wood). One morning it was seven degrees outside and 61 degrees inside with no heat operating. During the summer, we are generally maintaining a 10 to 15 degree advantage on the outside temperature, which is further reduced ten degrees by our fans. We do better when the night-time temperatures are 75 degrees or lower, as our "system" is based on cooling the house at night and then resisting the infiltration of heat during the day.

Still on the drawing board. We have several projects yet to be implemented.

+ Porch-arbors over the southeast and southwest corners of the house. The southwest is the one part of the house that is not sufficiently shaded.

+ Move our summer kitchen from the front porch (which is on the opposite side of the house from the inside kitchen) to the southeast corner, but we need a porch there to do this.

+ Install a rainwater harvesting and storage system.

+ Build a root-cellar/tornado shelter.

+ Interior vents to facilitate the movement of air (these will generally be above each interior door).

+ Interior shutters to replace the large sheets of insulation we are moving around.

+ Replace freezer and refrigerator with more efficient models.

+ Install a solar water heater.

+ Crawl space. We have not at this time developed a plan for the crawl space, but we are working on it.

2007 Update:

I am studying to become a certified permaculture designer with Dan Hemenway of Barking Frogs Permaculture ( www.barkingfrogspermaculture.org ). As part of that process, I am preparing a permaculture design report for our property, with a detailed 5 year plan to complete this 'extreme green renovation'. Here is the present Table of Contents (draft IV).

Table of Contents

1.0 INTRODUCTION 15

2.0 DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS 24

2.1 NUTRIENT CYCLES 24

2.1.1 Soil Management 24

Soil 1 Build low walls at the curb and along the sidewalks. 24

Soil-2 Build a swale and berm system in front of the house. 24

Soil-3 Build retaining walls west and north of the house. 25

Soil-4 Replace Bermuda grass with other ground covers. 26

Soil-5 Mulch areas not planted to ground cover. 26

Soil-6 Convert an old bathtub into a vermiculture project. 26

Soil 7 Compost in place. 27

Soil 8 Grow additional compost crops. 28

2.1.2 Food Production 28

Food-1 Increase the area for food production. 28

Food 2 Replace the rectangular beds with circular beds in the garden area west of the house. 29

Food 3 Use all of the growing season. 29

Food 4 Make a plant spacing grid. 29

Food 5 Use companion planting techniques. 30

Food 6 Increase the vertical growing area. 30

Food 7 Use your sun porch as a greenhouse. 30

Food 8 Make cold frames to increase winter food production. 31

Food 9 Preserve heirloom plants and save seeds. 31

Food 10 Increase production of food producing legumes. 31

Food 11 Increase your production of multiplying onions. 31

Food 12 Plant and cook alternatives to summer squash 32

Food 13 Keep good garden records. 32

Food 14 Add more perennial food producing/useful plants to the garden. 32

Food 15 Learn good pruning and grafting techniques. 32

Food 16 Make improvements to the fruit tree area north of the house. 32

Food 17 Increase production south of the storage building. 33

Food 18 Use the perimeter of the property for food production. 33

Food 19 Build more vertical growing structures. 34

Food 20 Plant a medicinal garden. 35

Food 21 Monitor the shade cast by the perimeter hedge. 35

Food 22 Build a planter box by the sunspace. 35

Food 23 Make a container garden on the driveway. 36

2.1.3 Food processing and storage 36

Cook 1 Build an outdoor kitchen and deck. 36

Cook 2 Build a root cellar/tornado shelter. 37

Cook 3 Pending construction of the cellar, use pit storage for winter vegetables. 40

Cook 4 Create a solar oven cooking area. 40

Cook 5 Build a hot-box/hay cooker. 40

Cook 6 Get the equipment you need for food processing and preservation. 40

Cook 7 Build a solar food dryer. 40

Cook 8 Create a food preparation area in the kitchen. 40

Cook 9 Create more food storage places. 41

2.1.4 Human Excreta Management. 42

Waste 1 Use urine as fertilizer. 42

Waste 2 Build a sawdust/straw toilet. 42

2.2 SHELTER 42

2.2.1 The house 42

Shelter 1 Develop better accommodations for guests and travelers 42

Shelter 2 Decorate walls with musical instruments. 43

Shelter 3 Don't tear out the natural gas chimneys and fireplaces. 43

Shelter 4 Plan for meetings and acquire suitable equipment. 43

Shelter 5 Enclose the front porch. 44

2.2.2 The storage building 44

Shelter 6 Repair the Storage Building Roof with an eco-friendly roofing material. 44

Shelter 7 Renovate the porch and exterior of the storage building. 45

2.2.3 Privacy Improvements 45

Shelter 8: Reinforce your perimeter hedge 45

Shelter 9 Hidden Courtyard Patio 45

Shelter 10 Build a front gate. 46

2.2.4 Other Shelter Issues 46

Shelter 11 Finish the unfinished projects. 46

2.3 Access 46

Access 1 Choose more eco-friendly methods of travel 47

Access 2 Refurbish the electric assist bicycle and ride it. 47

Access 3 Bicycle route to Bob's work 48

2.4 Energy 48

2.4.1 Passive heating and cooling 48

Energy 1 Do a Home Energy Audit of the house. 48

Energy 2 Learn how to operate your passive solar heating and cooling systems. 49

Energy 3 Install grills to facilitate ventilation and heat transmission 49

Energy 4 Grow more summer shade. 50

Energy-5 Create shade for the solar sun porch. 50

Energy 6 Make some improvements to the house's insulation. 50

Energy 7 Use area rugs in the winter. 51

Energy 8 Make R-20 insulating shutters for the windows. 51

Energy 9 Trim the elm tree to allow more winter sunlight to shine on the sun porch 52

Energy 10 Optimize the efficiency of your solar sun porch. 52

2.4.2 Wood stove 52

Energy 11 Follow important wood stove safety recommendations to protect the household. 52

Energy 12 Obtain the wood supply from a sustainable source. 53

2.4.3 The Storage Building 53

Energy 13 Build an alternative energy system for lights in the storage building. 53

Energy 14 Build a passive solar sunspace for winter heating

for the storage building. 53

Energy 15 Use an alternative insulation strategy in the storage building. 54

2.4.4 Recycling and Waste Management 54

Energy 16 Create a recycling center in the utility room. 54

Energy 17 Place additional recycling containers in areas of high use. 54

2.4.5 Other Energy Issues 54

Energy 18 Monitor appliances' energy consumption 54

Energy 19 Improve the household's laundry arrangements. 55

Energy 20 Install a solar hot water system. 55

Energy 21 Recharge small batteries with solar power. 55

2.5 Water 55

Water 1 Install a rainwater harvesting and storage system. 56

Water 2 Develop an appropriate gray water recovery system. 57

Water 3 Find the hand pump wells in the neighborhood. 57

Water 4 Develop a household water purification system. 57

Water 5 Use water pots or jugs in the ground to water plants. 57

2.6 Community 58

2.6.1 Markets, job opportunities 58

2.6.2 Implementation skills available for hire or barter. 58

Barter 1 Trade skills to save money on renovation. 59

2.6.3 Material resources for design implementation and management 59

2.7 Economics 59

2.7.1 Budget and narrative 60

2.7.2 Analysis of on-site income potential 60

Econ 1 Make and sell artistic rosaries. 60

Econ 2 Sell plants that are not normally available from local distributors. 60

Econ 3 Present "Permaculture in the Kitchen" workshops as a source of income. 61

2.7.3 Economic contingency plans 61

Econ 4 Make additional principle payments on the household debt. 61

2.8 HAZARDS 61

2.8.1 Tornadoes and straight-line wind storms 61

Hazard 1 Build a tornado shelter/root cellar 61

Hazard 2 Update your tornado contingency plans pending the construction of the tornado shelter. 62

2.8.2 Lightning 62

Hazard 3 Maintain your Uninterruptible Power System 62

Hazard 4 Suspend outdoor activities when lightning is present. 62

2.8.3 Fire 62

Hazard 5 Acquire additional emergency equipment 63

2.8.4 City code enforcement, 63

Hazard 6 Place flower pots along the perimeter of the property. 63

2.8.5 Interruption in regular food supplies. 63

Hazard 7 Support your local food system 63

Hazard 8 Store 2 year's supply of food. 63

2.8.6 Fuel storage (wood and propane) 63

Hazard 9 Store at least one cord of wood. 63

Hazard 10 Store propane. 64

2.8.7 Severe cold, blizzards, ice storms 64

Hazard 11 Prepare properly for winter travel. 64

2.8.8 Power failure 64

Hazard 12 Develop a backup electrical system. 65

2.8.9 Chemical releases 65

Hazard 13 Store materials for sheltering in place 65

Hazard 14 Know the hazards of your area. 65

2.8.10 Loss or contamination of the city water supply 65

Hazard 15 Increase your household water storage. 65

2.8.11 Mature trees 65

Hazard 16 Trim limbs that threaten the property. 66

2.8.12 Crime 66

Hazard 17 Install locked gates to protect wood supply. 66

2.9 Staging 66

YEAR I: The Year of Getting Ready 66

YEAR II: The Year of Moving Earth 71

YEAR III: The Year of Water.

YEAR IV: The Underground 73

YEAR V: The Final Touches 73

3.0 APPENDICES 74

Appendix 3.1 Client Survey

Appendix 3.2 Resources (places to get info and skills support) 124

Appendix 3.3 Suppliers 128

Appendix 3.4 References 133

Appendix 3.5 Species lists 134

Appendix 3.6 10 years of climate info on rainfall, wind, and temperature 148

Appendix 3.7 Existing features of the property. 161

Appendix 3.8 Notes on the Social and Economic History of the Area 162

Appendix 3.9 Bus route information 165

Appendix 3.10 Resources and plans to assist in implementing this design 166

Appendix 3.11 Bibliography 167

Appendix 3.12 Calculations for determining heat loss through walls and the benefit from various levels of insulation. 173

Appendix 3.13 IDEAS FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 175

Develop urban permaculture demonstration sites. 175

Use your memberships, leadership roles, and community contacts to involve your community in permaculture. 175

Support the local food system. 175

Host teams of students for "alternative spring break" programs. 175

Assist gardeners in low income areas. 176

Develop a "Permaculture in the Kitchen" workshop. 176

Appendix 3.14 Soil Test Reports 177

Appendix 3.15 Index 178

List of Pictures, Maps, and Sketches

Figure 1, Clients

Figure 2, Base Map 15

Figure 3, House Base Map 15

Figure 4, Detail map, north of house 16

Figure 5, Detail map, west of house 16

Figure 6, Detail map, area between house and storage building 16

Figure 7, Detail map, west of storage building 16

Figure 8, Detail map, south of storage building 16

Figure 9, West of house, looking north 17

Figure 10, From front porch, looking north 17

Figure 11, Looking east across front yard 18

Figure 12, view from the south at front yard of storage building and sun porch of the house. 18

Figure 13, Sun porch 19

Figure 14, front view of the storage building plus south end of house 19

Figure 15, full view of west side of house 20

Figure 21: Map showing location of swale/berm 23

Figure 22: Location of the west side retaining wall and growing area. 24

Figure 23: Location of Worm Ranch 25

Figure 24:Drawing of tub showing pallets/hose/jar 25

Figure 25: Sketch showing additional growing areas. 27

Figure 26: A sample plan for the intensive garden area using circular beds. 27

Figure 26: Yard with water tanks and garden beds. 31

Figure 27: Location of new arbors. 32

Figure 28: Design of sun porch arbors. 33

Figure 29: Design of arbor in front of house. 33

Figure 30: Design of arbor in front of storage building. 33

Figure 31: Location of medicinal plant garden. 33

Figure 32: Location of summer kitchen. 35

Figure 33: Floor plan of summer kitchen. 35

Figure 34: Location of cellar and storage space for the urbanite. 36

Figure 35: Front view of shelter showing roof pitch. 36

Figure 36: Underground drain system for cellar. 36

Figure 37: Stair and door location for cellar. 36

Figure 38: Escape tunnel. 37

Figure 39: Floor plan of cellar. 37

Figure 40: Kitchen floor plan. 39

Figure 41: Location of fence, cellar, and new courtyard sitting area. 44

Figure 42: Locations for ventilation grills. 47

Figure 43 Location for storing sun porch shutters. 49

Figure 43: Location of storage building sunspace/heat-grabber. 52

Figure 44: New location of clothesline. 53

Figure 45: Location of water storage tanks. 55

Figure 46 Location for gates 62

For more info, visit www.bettertimesinfo.org , www.energyconservationinfo.org or call Bob Waldrop, 405-613-4688