Passive House in the Woods

Final Blower Door Test

Tim Delhey Eian — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 22:47:08 +0000

Gary Nelson from the Energy Conservatory was gracious enough to perform the final blower door test today. We used the Minneapolis blower door with a duct-blaster and Tactite Software—following the PHIUS protocol and the DIN EN 13829 norm. The house performed better than during the rough-in test, which was to be expected since added finishes and completed window assemblies add to the tightness of the home.

The averaged result: 0.26 ACH50.

Gary Nelson and the Minneapolis Blower Door

Gary Nelson explaining the Tactite software

Both blower door tests have been a fun learning experience for the team and a big success, since the house performed remarkably better than the Passive House limit of 0.6 ACH50.

The team is watching the numbers projected on the wall

For those who think in CFM leakage numbers, the house averaged 70CFM—77 depressurized (0.28 ACH50), and 63 pressurized (0.23 ACH50).

Screenshot of projected image from Tactite software

For those who could care less this is a really, really tight house.

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Site impressions

Tim Delhey Eian — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:11:34 +0000

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Facade revealed

Tim Delhey Eian — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:11:41 +0000

This weekend marks a milestone in the build of the Passive House in the Woods. For the first time, the EIFS facade is revealed after months of “the cooler” (white EPS), and a short stint of lots of scaffolding.

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Save the Dates: Open House & Event Calendar

Tim Delhey Eian — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 01:10:17 +0000

Blower Door Test with Gary Nelson from the Energy Conservatory: 9/4/2010, 10 AM
Please RSVP: 612-203-1629 (Tim Eian)
Midwest Home Magazine Open House: 9/18/2010, 1 – 4 pm
Open to the public
Morr Construction & TE Studio Event: 9/24/2010, 4 – 7 pm
Please RSVP to amanda@morrconstruction.com
American Standard Event featuring fixtures by American Standard, Jado and Porcher: 9/30/2010, 4 – 7 pm
Details to be announced
MRES Solar Tour: Saturday, 10/2/2010, 10 am – 5 pm
Open to the public
Caring for Creation / Alliance for Sustainability Event: 10/10/2010, afternoon
Details to be announced
Energy Event with Enhanced Home Systems, Energy Concepts and Carol Chaffee: 10/14/2010, 5.30 pm
Details to be announced
Interiors Event with InUnsion Design and Room & Board: 10/16/2010, 1 – 4 pm
Details to be announced

Events are subject to change. Please check back.

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Open House Announcement

Tim Delhey Eian — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:09:50 +0000

Midwest Home is hosting an open house for the Passive House in the Woods on September 18, 2010 from 1 – 4 pm. We welcome you to join the design team and explore this one of a kind home. Please visit the Midwest Home website for more info.

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First Finishes

Tim Delhey Eian — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:59:35 +0000

This week we’ve gotten the first glimpse of the exterior finish. The color changes a bit with the exposure to sunlight, and the finish in the photo is not fully cured, yet. Nonetheless, the color is spot on and works perfectly with the setting as intended. This is an exciting step, as most of the team have gotten very used to the white of the EPS insulation over the last few months. As mentioned earlier, a lot is happening at the house. The next 2-3 weeks are going to present the biggest changes in terms of finishes the house has seen so far.

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KSTP Broadcast now online

Tim Delhey Eian — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:00:08 +0000

Click here to view the Channel 5 TV coverage of the Passive House in the Woods.

Just to be accurate, the waste-water heat recovery unit in the basement does not heat or cool the home, it pre-warms cold water going into the hot water system to reduce the need for water heating.

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Progress Report

Tim Delhey Eian — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 21:42:37 +0000

The final weeks of construction lie ahead of the team. The mechanical rough in work is essentially complete and finishes are now being installed.

On the inside, casein (milk) paint adorns the ceilings, while earthen plaster from American Clay is going on interior walls. Harvested oak from the site has been milled and finished by Wood from the Hood and will find its way back into the house as interior window sills, trim, and stair treads and risers. Cabinets from Partners for Design—manufactured by Crystal Cabinets—are under construction in their woodshops. The interiors were designed in partnership with InUnison Design, who are bringing a wealth of experience and style to this project. We are very excited to see one space after the next receive its final finishes, and the concept of “warm modern” come to life.

On the outside, the exterior insulation and finish system is being installed, exterior shades are being mounted, and some of the site has been graded. Laurie McRostie is working with Gary to finalize the landscape plan and the exterior steel structure is being prefabricated. The exterior work will eventually change the white styrofoam look that we have gotten so familiar with over the past six months, and give the Passive House in the Woods its final face.

The team is shooting for substantial completion at the end of the month. August will be an exciting month at the Passive House in the Woods. We plan to open the home up to the public again in September and October. Stay tuned for announcements.

Layered exterior insulation and finish system

EIFS detail at exterior window sill

Backup water heater inside closet

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KSTP Channel 5 News Coverage Tonight

Tim Delhey Eian — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:11:33 +0000

According to KSTP, there will be a blurb about the Passive House in the Woods project on Eyewitness News on channel 5 tonight at 4.30 and 6 pm. Following the news, it will also go on their website. We’ll post the link as soon as we have it.

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MPR Coverage of the Project

Tim Delhey Eian — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:13:14 +0000

MPR picked up on the Passive House in the Woods and conducted an interview with Gary Konkol, the owner. You can find the interview on MPR’s website.

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