Gnarliest Fence Ever

What's the grossest thing you can think of? Perhaps the long, goopy hair ball that you manage to pull up from the shower drain every year or so with the end of a wire hanger? Well, that tangled assemblage has got NOTHING on the fence that we've mostly finished demo-ing. Composed of what looked to be wood from Naoh's ark and 40 year old tarp, this home-made enclosure was really a piece of work. Yeah, it was hard work pulling out ancient plastic sand pails, possible forensic evidence, and other bits and bats while dodging rusty nails and other instruments of torture. The previous owners did a proper job constructing this fence that incites fear. I was surprised that I didn't find a dead body stuffed between the layers of tarp, decaying tree limbs and tangled rope. I simply don't know how the neghbors have put up with this eyesore for such along time. I can't wait to install a new fence to house a craftsman home with some integrity.

Got Trash?

Yes I do. And I'll now be recycling 80% of it, thanks to my shiny, new dumpster from Waste Management Company. This gives my project green points.

Let's Roll Up Our Sleeves and Get Started!

Welcome everyone!  This is an exciting moment for me, since it's my first blog.  (Bear with me on just about everything.)  This is going to be a great adventure in every way.

My ambitions for making this house green are pretty big, and I'm not sure that I'll be able to fulfill all of them. But I'm knocking on wood (I mean fiberglass). I'll be up front with you about all the costs and obstacles that I face and how my plans for this project may change along the way as a result.  Here's a list of my green goals:

1. Wrapping the house in insulation to exceed the R-values required by LA City code.
2. Installing a grey-water recovery system that also includes rainwater capture.
3. Incorporating a solar thermal system for hot water and radiant floor heating.
4. Setting up both a photovoltaic and a wind turbine system to supplement electrical energy from the grid.
5. Replacing existing windows with Marvin's Integrity line of dual-glazed low-e fiberglass windows.
6. Using an underground irrigation system (tied to the grey-water recovery) that drastically reduces runoff and evaporation and, therefore, the amount of water needed to grow a green lawn.
7. Improving water conservation through a dual-flush toilet, low-flow shower head and faucets, and a tankless water heater (to be used as a default to the solar thermal system).
8. Using LED lights instead of fluorescent or incandescent light bulbs and installing dimmers.
9. 80% recycling of hauled debris.
10. Painting walls with low or no VOC products.
11. Remodeling the kitchen with low-impact appliances and finish material (Energy Star, etc.)
12. Having the house certified by LEED and/or Build It Green.

While I was thinking about this blog, I was also laying the groundwork for beginning this green remodel. Thus far, I've:

• Cleaned up site (removed debris and dead shrubs).
• Connected with LEED Accredited Professional/architect Shuji Kurokawa and architectural colorist Karen Kurokawa of Impact Design, Inc. (http://www.impactdesigninc.com/) to discuss the remodel.
• Drew plans of existing house, site and proposed changes (no added square footage).
• Engineered underpinning and shear panels.
• Submitted plans to Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, addressed corrections, and received permits to start the remodel.

But I haven't started yet.  Why you may ask?  I want to ensure that this project is safe for those who will work on the house, those who will eventually live in the house and for the environment.  Therefore, due to the age of the house, I needed to test the old paint for the percentage of lead content and the kitchen's vinyl floor for asbestos content.  Samples were taken from the interior and exterior and sent to a lab for analysis.  I just received the results today.  Big surpise!  This old house has asbestos and lead. Now I've got to find the right contractor to safely remove and dispose of these materials.