January 14-January 27, 2008

The energy performance of the house continues to be outstanding. The only heat source in the house is a little kerosene heater that is still being kept at it's lowest possible setting. With some very cold outside air temperatures such as five degrees, the house temperature will be 65 degrees F. If the outside air temperature goes to above twenty degrees, the house will be 69-70 F degrees.

Construction is moving forward with organization and planning to finish the home. Landscaping stone has been selected and ordered, the paint has been ordered, and the trim is scheduled to be delivered this week.

Judy Doll (right) talks to The Ohio State University students who are in charge of O.S.U.'s effort to build a solar decathlon home to be place on the national mall. These students toured the house to gain any information that will help them in their efforts.

Their concept seems really outstanding.

Go Bucks!


Interior of basement with finished drywall.








Our living room with the only heater that is heating the house.









Thermometer reading 68 degrees with an outside temperature of twelve degrees Fahrenheit and some windows cracked upstairs.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

• Thanks to Edwards/Mooney and Moses, the house has been extremely well insulated. This company is extremely knowledgeable, does top quality work and knows about green, high performance building.
• Our insulation was "soy-based" with a cellulose (ground up newspaper) cap.
• The drywall will start to be finished.
• The landscaping should start this week.
• With just a small heater in the house the house stays warm. One of our volunteers will be happy to know that our thermometer (visible in the picture) does go past forty degrees and was sixty degrees in the house today when the outside air temperature was forty degrees.

The house has the drywall hung.









Same shot as above but with just the insulation and the ceiling drywall.







Looking from the master bedroom towards the front of the house.










Something to be careful of. When the drywall scrappers came to the house, they were going to put the drywall into this truck and take it to the landfill. Lucky we were on site and were able to catch them before they did that. We had them put the scrap into our dumpster so it can be reclaimed.




Great pains were taken to seal and insulate all cracks. This is around the front door.







All of the electrical boxes were sealed.








All of the ceiling penetrations were also sealed. This is the foam that has "oozed" out of the perimeter of the box.








A snowy Saturday when we came out from working on the house to take this picture. Within forty-five minutes from when the snow started, all of the streets had become very, very slippery. Later, some had said this these were the biggest snow flakes they had ever remembered seeing. In the picture are a mentor, adult volulnteer, teacher, and a Home B.A.S.E. student from 2007.