Green Means

Wood Stoves that Are EPA Certified

By Shannon Scott

            Can using a wood stove be green? 

            It depends.   

            Oil, gas, coal, and wood all emit carbon dioxide when burned, however, if one tree is planted for every tree that is burned this offsets CO2 emissions.  Trees absorb CO2 and produce oxygen. 

            Wood burning emits microscopic particulates that can cause serious lung and circulatory problems.  This is one reason it’s essential to use a newer Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rated stove that burns more efficiently reducing these particulates.

            New wood burning stoves have lower emissions, and fewer air pollutants than older ones, but can still emit up to 100 times more pollution than some gas or oil furnaces.  Some counties have banned wood stoves for this reason. 

            The following tips will help you select an efficient, clean burning wood or pellet stove. 

EPA Rated

            Don’t use an older, pre 1988, wood stove that vents straight up a chimney.  Older stoves can emit up to 300 percent more soot than newer ones.  Check the back of your current stove.  The date of manufacture along with a permanent EPA tag ought to be there.  EPA ratings differ depending upon size and model.  Check and compare.

Size Matters

            Wood stoves need to be burned fairly hot.  Burning at close to stove’s maximum temperature rating ensures efficiency and burns up as much soot or creosote as possible.  Select a stove based upon the square footage it will heat at maximum Btu output. 

            If your home has an open floor plan, then consider all the square footage the wood stove’s heat will reach.  If rooms are more enclosed, select a smaller wood stove.  If a home is huge with an open floor plan, high ceilings, and excellent breeze pathways you may select a larger stove.  If you can’t decide between two sizes, go smaller.

            Don’t install a big stove in a small area, only to burn it at half capacity.  This not only burns fuel less efficiently and creates a greater build up of soot, but you’ve wasted your money on a too-big stove. 

            Never buy a big stove just to open windows if interior space gets too hot.  This is wasting wood, and not a sound environmental practice – don’t’ do it.  Think green.

            Our home is 2,888 square feet, but the main area the wood stove heats is about 1,200 square feet – the larger common room, entry, and library.  We selected a Vermont Castings “Resolute Acclaim” non-catalytic model that is rated for 1,600 square feet.  On cold winter days and nights, we burn it hot, around 500 degrees.  It’s efficient, and it’s just right.           

           

            I recommend double walled pipes for safety, even if your local codes don’t mandate them.  Double walled chimneys get hot, but if someone does accidently touch them they won’t get severely burned as with single walled pipes.

            Stoves are labeled with their EPA efficiency rating and the amount of heat they’re capable of producing.  You can compare manufacturers and models on line then locate a dealer for the model you choose.  Shop wisely.

Catalytic or Non-Catalytic

            Catalytic stoves have converters inside that re-burn gasses and particulates that would otherwise go up the chimney.  Catalytic stoves cost more, and the catalytic feature must be replaced every five years or so for an additional expense, use of resources, and recycling issue.  The converters can be damaged by foreign matter like plastic or other refuse that should not be burned in a wood stove – or anywhere else.

Wood or Pellets

            Pellet stoves don’t require you to head out wood cutting or buy cord wood.  These stoves burn small compacted wood or corn pellets, purchased by the ton.  They generally burn cleaner and convert more energy to heat than wood stoves.  Pellet stoves don’t always require a standard chimney as they can be vented outdoors through a pipe in an outside wall.  As a result these stoves can be installed in nearly any room.  These stoves are a little more complex in that they have thermostats and require electricity to feed the pellets.  They lack some of the esthetics of wood stoves and release more dust into indoor air. 

Installation

            Wood stoves can be installed by savvy do-it-yourselfers.  They must be placed on noncombustible materials, such as tile, brick, or stone.  Clearances from walls will depend upon installation instructions included with the wood stove and local codes.  Wood burning and pellet stoves must be placed away from anything combustible or flammable.  Pipes and chimneys must also be installed properly.

           

Clean Equals Safe

            Chimneys need to be cleaned annually.  Built up soot can cause chimney fires and catch your house on fire. You can buy chimney brushes, hop on the roof and do it yourself, or hire a chimney sweep.

            Winter’s coming.  Burn clean and think green.

Green Means

By Shannon Scott

 Green Home Owner, Designer, Builder

Beware the VOCs!  VOCs are volatile organic compounds a whole class of carbon based chemicals that give off vapors at normal indoor temperature.  Part of making our homes greener is eliminating materials that off-gas or emit VOCs into interior living spaces.  Eliminating VOCs helps to protect not just our health, but soil, water, and air quality.  Opt for family-safe biodegradable cleaning and finish products in your home.  Local stores now carry low or no VOC paints and biodegradable cleaning supplies – because there is demand.  Elko residents are greening up!

Last week I mentioned the passive solar matrix for helping home owners and owner-builders save money when remodeling or building.  Keep the passive solar element of breeze pathways and ventilation in mind for improved indoor air quality. 

The most common VOC pollutant in indoor air is airborne formaldehyde.  Remember the FEMA trailers after Hurricane Katrina?  The adhesives and vinyl used in manufacturing the trailers made residents ill with headaches, nausea, and nose bleeds.  High formaldehyde off-gassing in a small area coupled with poor ventilation, created yet more problems for those poor hurricane victims. 

Urea-formaldehyde containing materials may include: vinyl clad windows, particle board, plywood, paneling, flooring, shelving, furniture, spray foam, carpet pads or backings, and older insulation.  Rid what you can, and if you are in the process of remodeling or building use responsibly sourced and manufactured products such as Sierra Pacific windows, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified lumber, and particle boards with zero VOCs such as Kirei, Agriboard, Teramica, and others.

If you’re not ready to incur the expense of replacing vinyl clad windows with exterior clad aluminum wood ones, or get rid of glued-down linoleum, or replace nice hickory cabinets that were new ten years ago, then make sure you have plenty of ventilation.  Indoor air quality can be improved simply by using exhaust fans vented to the outdoors on a regular basis and opening windows for breeze pathways. 

Mold spores are another indoor air quality hazard.  Mold thrives in warm, moist conditions, so don’t give it a chance to grow.  When showering, bathing, or cooking, always turn on exhaust fans to eliminate moisture.  Keeping your home dry and aerated will help your family breathe easier. 

Gas appliances such as stoves, ovens, clothes dryers, and heaters emit carbon monoxide as a byproduct of the fuel they burn.  When running any gas appliance make sure interior areas are well ventilated.  Turn on exhaust fans.  When breathed in, carbon monoxide fills cells needed to carry oxygen – thus it replaces oxygen.  Carbon monoxide poisoning causes flu like symptoms, headaches, nausea, confusion, and irritability.  At increased levels it causes vomiting, brain damage, and death.   Ventilate.

Tile, and hardwood floors that have been sealed with non-volatile organic chemical sealants, are far better for reducing indoor toxins and pollutants than carpets.  Anyone who has shampooed or replaced indoor carpeting knows how much dust, dirt, and filth embeds in carpet fibers and padding underneath.  Vacuum or mop regularly to reduce outdoor contaminants from floors.  Keep a mat or shoe rack by doors so dirt and pollutants don’t get tracked inside.  Make those dusty miners brush off or strip down before entering.

All cleaning products have clearly labeled warnings.  Be selective by buying safer, biodegradable, earth friendly products.  Many local area stores, especially Raley’s, are now carrying green cleaning products that are safe for children, pets, and the environment.  Just like when you buy food, read labels carefully and choose wisely. 

When remodeling or building choose high cubic feet per minute (CFM) fans with low sones ratings (sound).  Poorer quality fans may move a lot of air, but are often noisy.  Loud, irritating fans do not get used.  A good fan will be Energy Star rated for efficiency, move more than 200 CFM for a standard full size bathroom, approximately 100 square ft., and have a sone rating of less than 2.   Panasonic and Fantech make some excellent quality exhaust fans and can be ordered through Western Nevada Supply. 

So open your windows, turn on the fans, avoid harsh chemicals, and make the family take off their shoes.  Training the dog to keep the dirt out might be a little harder, but keeping a towel by the door to dust off Rover may be a fine start. 

Green Means

By Shannon Scott,

Green Home Owner, Designer, Builder

            Kermit the Frog said, “It’s not easy being green.”  I like Kermit, but have to disagree with him on this point.  Building and living “green” is a lot easier and cheaper than people may think.  Building a green home, or living greener in an existing home, will save money, make you and your family feel better, and help to sustain the natural environment.

            Going green includes: increasing energy efficiency, using renewable energy sources, reducing fossil fuel dependence; using products that are sourced or manufactured using environmentally sustainable practices; and creating healthier indoor and outdoor home environments.

            My husband and I built our own energy efficient green home a few years ago.  I designed the home and the two of us built it with zero hired help.  We filled our 250 gallon propane tank in the fall of 2008 and just had it filled for the second time last month.  This made our average propane cost over the last three years $12.50 per month. 

            We use electricity from the grid, but the three primary factors that make our home efficient are passive solar, active solar, and energy efficient appliances and fixtures. 

            The most critical, influential element for energy efficiency is sound passive solar design. Passive solar differs from active solar in that there are no solar collectors, no moving parts, and no mechanical features – except maybe an attic fan.  Passive solar elements must work together in what I have termed a solar matrix.  Solar features will not be effective in isolation. A passive solar design matrix includes:

Southern Orientation

            If you are designing or planning to build a home, orient the longest wall along an east-west axis so that the wall is facing as close to true south as possible – within 15 degrees either way is good.   For our northeastern Nevada location, orienting slightly to the east keeps hot afternoon sun out during late summer and early fall.  Our home is oriented 12 degrees east of true south.  We capture grand views of the Ruby Mountains and the open spaces south of Spring Creek.

 Adequate Glass

            Glaze the south wall (glazing is another word glass) with 7-12% of the home’s total square footage. Windows must be energy efficient, low-E, double or triple paned, argon filled and not vinyl clad.  Windows that are vinyl clad on the interior give off airborne urea-formaldehyde and pollute indoor air quality.  I’ll write more about indoor air quality in a later column.  Use top quality wood windows with aluminum exterior cladding.  Good windows make a house.  Spend the money.  In our home the south wall has 11% glazing, 264 square feet of glass, which includes big windows and a couple of French doors.  This affords good winter sun penetration and connection with the outdoors.

Appropriately Sized Roof Overhangs or Eave Depths

            Sun is highest in the sky during hot summer months and lowest, traversing the southern horizon during winter. To keep hot summer sun out you need adequate or roof eaves depths.  Correct eave depths are based on the height of window sills off the porch or base of the wall, and the site’s latitude.  For our Elko location, about 41 degrees north latitude, with a sill height of 2 ft. above the floor, and an 8 ft. wall to the roof, eave depth should be about 2’8”. 

Thermal Mass

            Thermal masses are dense, medium to dark colored floors and walls that absorb sun’s heat as it enters south facing windows during the day.  The mass, such as concrete or tile, holds heat and radiates it back into the room after the sun has set.  We built a concrete slab 2 ft. above grade, and tiled the entire floor with Mexican Saltillo tile that is a medium terra cotta color.  6 inches of base sand, 4 inches of concrete (thicker on edges), and slightly more than 1 inch of tile make 11 inches of heat retaining mass.

Breeze Pathways

            In our high desert environment we don’t need air conditioning if we incorporate adequate breeze pathways throughout the house.  Floor plan layouts should allow breezes to circulate from room to room, or across rooms, so prevailing breezes flush the home with fresh cool air.  During summer months, windows should be opened at night and shut first thing in the morning.  Breeze pathways also help improve indoor air quality.

Beefy Attic and Wall Insulation

            Insulate the heck out of your attic.  Use R-50 or greater Green Fiber cellulose, Whisper Wool, Warmcel 100, Ultratouch, or other green, sustainably manufactured, family safe insulation.  We opted for Green Fiber insulation blown in deep enough to achieve a value of R-60.  Walls are 18 in thick, tightly compressed, straw bales for an approximate R-40 value. 

Reflective Roofing Material Color

            Roofs should reflect heat up, not absorb it into attic or living space.  Choose a light colored and/or reflective roof material.  We used ASC’s Galvalume.  It’s excellent quality, silver-grey in color, and fits well with our rural environment.

Tight Building Envelop

            Seal windows and doors well with non urea-formaldehyde caulk and/or weather stripping.  If there are unwanted drafts in a home find the source and seal appropriately with green, family safe, materials.  BioBased Insulation is a soy-based spray foam for spot sealing and other applications. 

Well Ventilated Attic

            If your home has a ridge vent do not install an attic fan, as it will reduce the draw effect of the ridge vent.  Attic fans make for cooler attic space so the heat does not migrate down into the home on hot summer days.

            These are the essentials of an efficient passive solar matrix, the single biggest step to living greener and saving money.  If you are an owner-builder, fear not and venture forth.  Your energy efficient home will be fabulous.