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Keeping it Real

Tue, 12 Apr 2022 04:55:46 GMT

Keeping it Real

"One of the most rudimentry human instincts is the need for somewhere to dwell, a home, a corner of the world where we belong. Yet a home is much more than a shelter; it's a place for, and if we are lucky, of our dreams. Homes that keep it real are made up of an eclectic collection of old , new , made-by-hand, hand-me-downs, worn and loved things. We need refreshing gentle antidotes to calm the uproar of our busy lives. Our homes comfort and protect us; they allow us to be at peace-not always an easy task. Beyond it's positive powers of solitude, a home tells it's owner's sacred story.

A home sweet home is made by living , not decorating. It comes about with participation in the personal , natural and real fun and rhythm of everyday life. Homes share all there is to know about your life and are at their best where they are places of non-fiction , rather than fantasy dream houses. Home is a place to inhabit gently; a place to make last; a place for finding balance , peace and quiet , rest , recovery and reassurance. It's the small differences that tell the story. Homes are places for sharing at will or however you want. Homes are like clothes-different in every season. The good ones rework traditions and come from a family of things that will never date , and so age well. new traditions can be good for the soul."

(real-living a balanced life- Victoria Alexander)

Energy Efficiency

Thu, 17 Mar 2022 06:13:03 GMT

The reference for the information in this blog is from the Australian Alliance to Save Energy website.

This article is about energy efficiency and how it is possible to cut our carbon emissions by using available resources and technologies..

Did you know that, if the population and businesses of Australia were to cut energy use on a large scale, 55% of Australia’s greenhouse gas abatement would be met by the year 2050.

You say how does this work and what are the benefits?

Your electricity bill would be reduced
Reduced greenhouse gas emissions
Reduce the need for more costly infrastructure
Use existing technologies while new are being developed

Energy Saving Tips – information found from various sources

Turn off lights
Turn off stand-by
Insulate
Install ceiling fans
Install warm light LEDs. They are expensive but as demand grows the price will come down.
Buy energy efficient white goods
Lap Top computers use up to 90% less power
Turn off your computer at night
Do you need to leave your illuminated business sign on all night?
Paint your interior walls a light colour
Businesses that use fridges – cover at night with thermal covers, this will reduce the amount of energy required
Install air curtains at entry ways – this will reduce the amount of hot air coming in & will pay for itself in no time

Fresh Air

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 04:48:23 GMT

Fresh Air

Modern homes are now required by regulation to be air tight to enhance the control of heat and cold transfer to and from outside of any residential building. This enables the interior of the building to be comfortable for the people living in it, and along with other passive principles creates the opportunity to reduce the consumption of energy that leaves a big carbon footprint. However if the air in the house is not exchanged with fresh air often, Co2 can build up in the house from our breath and also gases given off by floor coverings, furniture, wall paint and a range of other synthetic materials, which can lead to illness if not addressed. There are several types of technologies that can be used to provide fresh air and the energy to run them can come from solar electric power. Generally heat recovery ventilation systems (HRV), heat pumps and humidity controllers (ERV) create 5 times more energy than they consume. Interior climate control is not dependent on the outside conditions but tuned to the site specific environment.

Ventilation with heat recovery for efficiency

Ventilation units with heat recovery is key in terms of energy savings, as they ensure that the warmth carried by the exhaust air is not wasted, but first transferred to the incoming fresh air without the two air streams ever physically mixing. In extremely hot conditions, heat exchangers can also work in reverse so that the heat carried by the incoming air is transferred to the exhaust air and thus pre-cooled before entering the rooms. These systems should also be equipped with automatically controlled bypasses, thus allowing the incoming air to bypass heat exchange, for example, during the night at times when days are warm and nights are cool.

Protection against mould

In order to avoid the build-up of moisture and mould, continual aeration with a mechanical ventilation system, good thermal protection and a thermal bridge free structure, all hallmarks of the Passive House Standard, are a must. Window and door frames must be well insulated. Double or Triple low-e glazed window panes with noble gas filling should be used, although double glazing may be sufficient in hotter climes. Thermally separated, non-aluminium spacers at the glass edge seal are also important.

Organic houses

Mon, 20 Nov 2017 04:53:14 GMT

Organic houses

Houses that reflect their natural environment......

Organic houses

Houses that reflect their natural environment and its geological features, constructed from natural materials such as rammed earth, hay bale, natural stone, and timbers from managed forests. These houses can be designed as a reflection of the owner’s dreams and their intuitive sense of the land that they had chosen to be their home. Using natural developed shapes such as; hyperbolic paraboloids that can be created using straight timbers gradually inclined, metal roofs that can bend enough on their own, and post and beam structures that allow organic material infills-materials that have great insulating properties, and in combination with thermal mass elements such as concrete floors, stone or rammed earth walls, and natural air flow to higher windows that allow hot air to escape in summer. in Winter reverse cycle ceiling fans that can circulate retained warm air that is released from thermal capture during the day and released at night reducing the difference in di-urnal interior room temperatures.

Quin Wyatt

Freedom

Mon, 11 Apr 2016 05:02:26 GMT

Freedom: an allergy-free, eco-friendly home.

by Michellina van Loder.

Ecological, eco-design, green, earth-friendly, natural: often these words are used liberally within the building and building manufacturing industry; consequently, as a consumer it can be difficult to assess their true value.

They can be used as a marketing tool to bump up prices, making one resource seem better than another simply because they are sold as earth-friendly. But are they? And if they are, are they human-health friendly, also?

For those of us who need these products and services, equally as much for our own health as for that of the environments, houses designed and built using materials based on environmental science are essential to a healthy home. Some of us just need a place to live that’s created from non-toxic, low allergenic products; a place that’s health-friendly and eco-friendly!

Materials containing high percentages of petrochemicals, solvents or formaldehyde will release these into the home living space via a process called outgassing. This is where they are released into the air in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Buildings that have been water damaged or built too tight without adequate ventilation can have mould, which releases its own VOCs in the form of mycotoxins. For people who have asthma, chemical sensitivities and/or allergies, all these can impact markedly upon their health. Some people desperately need a home free of chemical irritants.

I am one of these people. For the last decade I’ve suffered with a health condition diagnosed as inhalant allergies to various chemicals—natural and synthetic. (Most problematic are moulds, petrochemicals, solvents and fragrances.) Two of last four homes I’ve lived in have been mould affected. The beach house where I’m living (while wait to build our home) fairs better because of the sea air, however, gaps and cracks within the building fabric allow outdoor moulds inside during the wetter months of the year, along with neighbours’ wood smoke during the cooler ones. On smoky evenings I’m often found sealing up doors and windows with painters’ masking tape to keep out the smoke. Additionally, the pine floors release terpenes into the air, which, when the sun comes out, inflames my upper respiratory system (or, it could be that they’ve been cleaned with cleaning products containing chemical irritants; or both of those things); we’ve had to cover the floor with aluminium foil. These are measures which make this rental property liveable. Taking into account these experiences, I knew that I needed a house that was made using low-VOC, low-terpene, non-petrochemical based materials, and one that seals exceedingly well against outdoor pollutants, yet still allows for good ventilation so as to avoid the build-up of mould.

When my partner and I first had the idea of building a house, we couldn’t help but think of all the items we’ve tried to air out over the years… cars, shoes, couches, exercise equipment, bean bags, even toilet paper that had absorbed VOCs from the cleaning isle. Items that had picked up fragrances in the shops; items that continued releasing irritants into our home; items that were new and we really wanted to keep—these all have had to go. In our garage, still sits a huge set of beautiful guild framed mirrors still emitting (VOCs) from the solvents used in the gold paint; we hope they outgas enough to be able to, one day, bring them inside. Our main concerns with building a house are there’s so many things that we either give away to charity or sell second-hand because they affect the air quality, further impacting on my health, so we had to wonder: how in bejesus were we supposed to go about building a whole home with new materials?

Due to his interests in environmental issues, Draftsman and Eco-designer, Quin Wyatt, has been absolutely instrumental in helping us achieve the task of designing an allergy-free, eco-friendly house. In a vineyard in the Hunter Valley of NSW sits Margan Winery, another building Quin designed. It has beautiful rammed earth walls making up the building’s fabric; due to their inertness and thickness, not only are they a natural product, but also act as the thermal mass, containing the ability to keep the space cool in summer and warm in winter. When we first asked Quin to design our home, we wanted the walls to be made out of rammed earth. But apart from that, I didn’t have a clue as to what other materials to use. Due to block size and budget constraints, rammed earth was out of our spatial and financial budget.

Quin helped us with all of these issues: right from the time we gave him the brief, he gave my health requirements considerable consideration; and for every material and product that went into the design, he went above and beyond, patience and care wise, when offering suggestions: no concern of ours was too small to worry about.

Right now, as building is about to start, nearly every single product has been tested for suitability. Hardwood and tile are inert materials that I knew I’d be okay with, but for everything else I wasn’t sure about; we organized to contact the manufacturers and ask for samples and/or Material Safety and Data Sheets (MSDS) for the products

The brief we gave him, which apart from the request for rammed earth walls, was devoid of visual structural details (it just hadn’t occurred to me to think about how the house actually would look): all I wanted was a home that wouldn’t make me sick; instead, second to be being eco-friendly—because why help save the earth if I can’t help myself first?—were listed all the elements I had thought about:

airtight construction
impenetrable by wood-smoke, outdoor moulds and neighbours’ lawnmowers fumes
good airflow and ventilation when fresh air is available
designed to be built using low VOC products
little or no petrochemicals outgassing into the living areas
constructed so as not to go mouldy
bathroom (due to previous mould issues) and closet (due to VOCs from shoes and clothes) well away from the main bedroom
hydronic heating—as suggested by my treating Allergist and Immunologist
garage with a breezeway separating it from the house

To our surprise, within a few weeks we received back a design that was not only exactly what we needed but also one we fell in love with.

Starting with my favourites, here are just some of the awesome elements Quin implemented into our design:

a walk-in closet with Velux roof window (with rain sensor), designed to release the build-up of vapours from shoes, clothes—even though I repeatedly wash and air all new items, during the warmer weather, going into my closet causes headaches and aggravates sinus pain;
adjoining the closet is a small dressing room, which itself, adjoins the en-suite bathroom, which also has a roof window. Wonderfully, both these areas are connected to the main bedroom yet designed so as to not share the common airspace with the sleeping area. Coupled with the roof windows and some small windows along the upper east side of the house, they serve the purpose of cross ventilating and exchanging air when there’s available fresh air outside. These features also save on energy due to their passive lighting and cooling factures!
Velux skylights in main living areas to allow for cooling, ventilating and natural light;
a butler’s pantry in the Galley-style kitchen (which we now realise is perfect as a ripening room for all our fruit and veggies) with a small window for passive lighting, and airing;
concrete slab serves as the thermal mass, absorbing and holding the heat that comes through strategically placed double-glazed windows on the northern side of the property;
under the staircase sits a heat shifter for moving the air during key times when we open the windows to exchange air, coupled with strategically placed windows placed for all-important cross-ventilation;
building envelope has an air-gap so as to insulate and increase the R-Value;
windows are double glazed with appropriate ‘U’ and ‘SHGC’ values (SHGC stands for ‘Solar Heat Gain Co-efficient’: the lower the number, the less heat is transferred during summer; while a U indicates heat escaping in winter (and cold entering in),) and seeing that up to 40% of a home’s heating energy can be lost during winter; while up to 87% of its heat gained through windows and doors, these windows are a huge factor in making our home eco-friendly;
hydronic heating panels throughout, which are low-allergy, don’t burn dust and help heat the thermal mass (the slab) on cold days when there’s little or no sun;
adjustable shading in the form of a Vergola on the front, north facing balcony allowing sun in during winter and shade in summer;
Air lock at the entrance, which also serves as an attractive feature because the wall that divides the entry from the staircase is actually a floor to ceiling glass window and glass sliding door.

The whole concept is creative and original. From the fig tree and the vegetable garden in the north-facing front yard to the outdoor bathroom, it’s the precise details Quin has designed around my health needs, our habits, personalities and passions that stand out.

Finally, that one part I didn’t dare think about: the house’s visual appeal. I mean what’s the point of focusing on how something is going to look only to find it impacts on my upper respiratory system and my health won’t tolerate it? (As I’m sure other chemically sensitive people understand, it’s a recipe for disaster!) Over the last decade I’ve learnt not to make decisions based on visual appeal alone. So while I’ve been concerned with elements of function and tolerance, Quin has designed a house that meets these fundamental needs while also being earth-friendly and stunningly beautiful. It’s almost hard to believe that we’re building a home that’s looks lovely, is allergy-free and eco-friendly.

The completed two-story design is an eclectic mix of free form stone walling in Howqua by Eco Outdoor; oversized bricks in Florentine Limestone by Boral; natural wooden cladding and decking in spotted gum, pre-coated in Intergrain low VOC finish by Woodform Architectural Timber; corrugated iron for the Japanese-gable style roof and the cladding along the sides of the house, in Jasper by Colourbond.

How does it feel to be building a non-toxic, allergy-free home? It feels as if we’re on the road to freedom.

Some additional precautions:

Wood smoke has been a huge issue in the past, entering into the house via a backdraft through exhaust fans. To counteract this, the bathroom exhaust fans will have DraftStoppa Tophats (these close against the outside air when the fans are not in use) installed so the only airflow (in and out) is when they are actually running. Additionally, these make the house even more eco-friendly because they stop warm air entering in warmer weather and cold air in winter.

As far as I’m aware I don’t suffer any health effects from pesticide exposure; ergo, still, as a precaution, we’re using Termimesh instead of toxic sprays. This is a stainless steel mesh that’s glued onto the building materials making them termite proof.

Electromagnetic fields (EMF) can be a problem for people who have severe chemical sensitivities. I personally don’t experience any problems EMF type symptoms, however, one thing I have requested is that the meter be placed on the garage—it’s just a precaution.

Testing Materials

For anybody contemplating building a low-toxic house, testing the building materials is essential; personally, I chose to do this myself as I’m the one who has to live with the consequences if they’re not okay. Due to allergy testing with two different doctors, an Allergist/Immunologist, and a Kinesiologist, I already had a clear idea of what substances to avoid, so I was only testing things I was pretty sure I’d be alright with. Many companies were kind enough to give us samples of their products. Obviously, this is great for aesthetic appraisal but dually favourable for checking to see if they inflamed my airways. Waterproofing products, glues, paints, these were all painted onto a piece of tile by my partner, left to dry, then bought inside where I kept them next to me. If there were no symptoms, I put it on the bedside table overnight.

Materials (and brands) tested:

Insulation: Earthwool , which is a ‘glasswool insulatution’ product, that’s undyed and untreated.

Building wrap- Kingspan Insulbreak 65, which is 3-In-1 Insulation, Thermal Break and Vapour Barrier.

Internal walls and ceilings: ModakBoard also known as Magnesium Oxide Board (MgO board), which is mould, termite and fire-resistant; it also increases the R-value (R-value being the measure of thermal resistance within the board). (Instead of plasterboard, particularly the use of other types of Fibrous Cement in the wet areas, which are coated in plastic (aka VOCs outgassing!)).

Floors For the upper-floor, instead of using particleboard, which outgasses VOCs such as formaldehyde, we’re using Modakboard.

Paints In the past, I’ve been able to use Wattyl ID low VOC paints; however, because the last house had a mould issue, and because acrylic paints don’t breathe, we’re using Volox clay paints.

Treehouse weekender

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 05:05:43 GMT

This cute treehouse is nestled in the treetops at Rye and is hand made from natural timber products includng polished timber floors, bespoke baltic timber kitchen, and western red cedar weatherboards.

The occupants enjoy a connection with nature living up in the canopy with the local bird life.. see the TreeHouse Article by Sam Landy, 24th Jan, 2016. "-built by Mornington Peninsula designer Quin Wyatt in 1998 and occupied since- as a weekender".

The original brief was to design an affordable small cottage suitable for a couple or small family made from natural timber and to sit comfortably in the treetops, so the task was to haul heavy oregon beams and framing timbers up the hill by hand to build the frame which proved to be very difficult but rewarding in the end.The kitchen was made on site using baltic pine for benchtops and cupboard doors.All the timber windows were designed and positioned to maximise framed views of particular boughs in the canopy.

Margan Winery

Wed, 27 Jan 2016 05:04:14 GMT

Rammed earth walls in an ittallianette style feature in this Hunter Valley winery.

The winery was owner built- see article in the ' Owner Builder Magazine ' .........The original brief was to create a functional building servicing the need for tempreture control for wine making. Rammed earth was chosen for its ability to influence the internal di-urnal tempretures inside the barrel room and also have an aesthetic appearance to the great wineries of Italy. The application of rammed earth in residential building also works to create a comfortable environment.

Selecting Effecient Glazing

Fri, 20 Mar 2015 05:07:54 GMT

Glazing as part of the external fabric of a building is used to allow natural daylight to enter living spaces and utility rooms inside which contributes to the well-being of the occupants and reduces the energy used for artificial lighting.

It is important that the glazing system enables daylight to enter without the detrimental heat and glare that can accompany direct sunlight. There are many ways that this can be achieved.

When properly selected and orientated, energy efficient glazing can help provide year round comfort and reduce air conditioning energy consumption.

The main factors are:
The size and orientation of the windows,
The amount of shading applied either internally or externally
The type of glass that is used in the windows.

Windows and other glazed external surfaces have a significant impact on the energy efficiency of a building helping to reduce the overall need for energy consumption. A distinct improvement in comfort levels can be achieved by selecting a beyond compliance solution to glazing for a new or retrofitted development.

Other considerations:

Northern orientation of living rooms
Minimising east and west facing windows
Wider eaves and awnings for shading to control sunlight where needed
Natural ventilation through windows and doorways
Increased insulation in the roof space and walls
Treated glazing, particularly for windows facing west and north-west
Light coloured roof and external walls where possible
Ceiling fans in living areas and bedrooms
Well-designed and located outdoor living areas e.g. decks, verandahs and patios.

Types of Glazing:

Low E Single Glazing
Double Clear Glazing
Low E Double Glazing
Gas filled Double Glazing

Building Fabric

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 05:19:59 GMT

The building fabric is an essential component of any house, because it plays a major role in regulating the flow of energy in and out of the building.

Optimal design of the building fabric can provide significant reductions in heating and cooling loads which in turn reduces demand on mechanical equipment and the energy the required to drive it. The cost of efficient external materials is offset by the savings in reduced energy consumption and also reduces the negative impact on our living environment. External materials are considered for their fitness of purpose and life cycle cost. In modern design window walls have become a recurring feature so it is important to design highly efficient glazing systems that provide low emittance values (U) and higher solar heat gain factors (SHGC) and so contributing significantly to the thermal efficiency of the house. Unconditioned utlity rooms can be isolated with insulation to internal and external walls to reduce their impact on the entire building.

When choosing structural systems and external claddings it is also important to allow adequate space in voids and cavities for thermal insulation and air gaps. The thermal efficiency of any product or material usually requires a minimum air gap to optimise its R value (R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow through a given thickness of material). The choice of the approprate thermal insulation will depend on the design of the bulding in relation to element of the building fabric, and also the inherint values of the material itself. The building fabric in conjunction with other elements such as solar orientation, summer shading, air movement, etc, contributes to the holistic energy performance of the entire building.

Natural lighting at Design Stage

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 05:21:35 GMT

Sunlight is the cleanest and cheapest method of lighting your home during the day. Using passive lighting uses no electricity and is a great way to reduce carbon emissions.

If you are building or renovating, see if you can add well-designed windows or skylights to bring more sunlight into your home. Properly designed, these additions won’t make your home too hot in summer and can help to warm your home in winter.

Light tubes are another cost effective option to replace the need for interior lighting and make the most of natural light. A light tube or pipe is used to bring daylight from the exterior of your home inside and can easily be retrofitted to lighten existing dark rooms or fitted at the time of building. This technology avoids some of the disadvantages associated with conventional skylights and may be cheaper to install. Look on the internet for more information.

You might also think about painting your interior walls light colours, especially in the south facing rooms. This will reflect more light inside your home and reduce the need for artificial lighting.

Use Passive Solar Building Design

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:24:09 GMT

Position your house to collect the sun’s energy in winter and reduce your need for carbon producing, man-made energy for heating - a cost saving benefit to you and to the environment.

In summer, designed shade elements such as pergolas, extended eaves and low emission glazing will help reject solar heat – another cost saving benefit to you and the environment.

To maximise winter solar heat the house needs to be ideally orientated with as much shaded north facing glass as possible. Double glazing and low emission glass used in conjunction with a concrete slab or “thermal mass” element, encourage internal heat gain that can be retained inside longer in winter. In summer thermal mass elements can also have a cooling effect.

Healthy Houses - Air

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:29:53 GMT

With the advent of stricter controls over air infiltration to the interior of homes, air that previously would have escaped through uncontrolled cracks and gaps is being trapped inside for longer periods of time.

This air can absorb dangerous gases released at room temperature from interior paints and finishes that contain "VOC"s (Volatile Organic Compounds), typically petro-chemical based products such as paints, carpets, particle board flooring,etc. This is known as "Sick building syndrome" and can contibute to toxic build up in the people living in the house.

Low toxic finishes and natural paints are now available to counter act this problem. It is important for the inhabitants of the house to open up the air vents and windows to flush out stale air reguarly. Controlling the air infiltration is also important to help control energy loss in all seasons.

Eco Friends

Thu, 07 Apr 2011 05:48:18 GMT

"Eco" is an abbreviated word that has become synonymous these days with anything associated with preserving our planet, and as such needs to be used responsibly by manufacturers.

Some products use the term very loosely, giving the impression that they may be good for the "Ecological sustainabilty" of our planet, where as in fact on closer inspection, some of the elements used could be Toxic!

Branding used for selling products is a powerful selling tool that does not always tell the truth about its safe use. When searching for suitable materials to use in our homes we need to look for our "Eco friends", that have the least negative impact on our natural and designed environment.

gqjbyz0olpk538gm

Keeping it Real

Keeping it Real

Energy Efficiency

Fresh Air

Fresh Air

Ventilation with heat recovery for efficiency

Protection against mould

Organic houses

Organic houses

Freedom

Freedom: an allergy-free, eco-friendly home.

Some additional precautions:

Testing Materials

Materials (and brands) tested: ﻿

Treehouse weekender

Margan Winery

Rammed earth walls in an ittallianette style feature in this Hunter Valley winery.

Selecting Effecient Glazing

Building Fabric

Natural lighting at Design Stage

Use Passive Solar Building Design

Healthy Houses - Air

Eco Friends

Materials (and brands) tested: