HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2012-10-18, Page 15THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2012. PAGE 15.
Blair and Jessica Morrison of the
Lucknow area are building their new
home off the grid but that’s just the
tip of the iceberg when it comes to
how unique and green their home is.
The couple, who will be living on
passive and active solar power as
well as some true horse power to
keep them completely off the
electrical grid, are building their new
home out of things found in their
own backyard, literally.
The home’s walls are crafted and
insulated with straw bales that they
harvested from their own fields and,
through a construction company
called Evolve Builders in Guelph,
they were able to use the straw as
part of the structure.
“The house is built using what’s
called modified Larson Trusses,”
Blair said, adding that it allows for
better insulation and cuts down on
the amount of heat lost through a
wall. “There are almost no thermal
bridges in the wall so most of the
heat stays in.”
The straw walls are built, filled
with the insulation and then covered
in a plaster made of lime and cement
an inch thick on both the inside and
the outside of the home and,
according to Jessica, that’s where
most the weight goes.
“With the trusses being about 10
feet apart, a lot of the weight is on
the bales and the plaster,” she said.
Including the straw bales, the
couple has been trying to reuse or
locally source as many products asthey can.
“The beams we used were
reclaimed and a lot of other stuff will
be as well,” Jessica said. “Our goal
is to repurpose and reclaim as much
as we can. We won’t be using
drywall if we can help it, for
example, we’ll be using barnboard
or steel or whatever we can. It’s all
about being environmentally
conscious.”
The flooring in the building, for
example, is made of locally milled
ash trees.
Their energy batteries; 12 two volt
batteries which, when fully charged
will provide 1,200 amp hours of
energy; were bought second hand as
an example of repurposing
“We bought them from a remotetelecommunication station,” Blair
said. “They’re sealed batteries, so
they have about a 20 year life-time
on them. We spent a little bit more
than we had to because I liked that
system better.”
As for the cost of the system, Blair
says that they are currently sitting at
approximately $20,000 to live off
the grid. While that may seem
expensive, he has done the math and
figures that in about six years, the
fact that they aren’t buying
electricity will start saving them
money.
“It sounds like a lot, but when you
pay $5,000 to hook up to the grid
and about $2,500 a year in electrical
MS –There is no denying the
profound impact that the recession
has had on the real estate industry.
For the last several years, the real
estate market went from booming to
one characterized by homes sitting
on the market for months on end.
New home sales also have been
conservative and builders are cutting
back on some offerings that were
once commonplace.
While home sales have increased,
money is still tight in the building
industry and among home buyers.
As such, instead of over-the-top
features in homes that were once
becoming the norm, builders are
now focusing on more value-
conscious designs and offerings.
The list of add-ons also has been
reduced.
So what can buyers expect to live
without when buying a newly
constructed home? Here are a few of
the common features that are falling
by the wayside.
• Sunrooms: Although the “bring-
the-outside-in” movement was once
strong, builders are now focusing on
home features that immediately add
value and attract the eye of buyers.
Therefore, they’re putting their
resources into linen closets and
laundry rooms while de-
emphasizing sunrooms.
• Extended ceiling heights: It can
take a lot of energy to heat rooms
with 15-foot ceilings. As a result,
grandiose family rooms and two-
storey foyers are less attractive to
buyers focused on saving money.
Homeowners want spaces that are
easier to heat and cool.
• Luxury bathrooms: Many private
residence luxury bathrooms rival
those found at popular four-star
hotels. But luxury bathrooms are
being phased out in favour of less
expensive, more practical options.
• Outdoor kitchens: Although
entertaining at home is one way to
keep budgets in check, some
homeowners have realized they
don’t need a complete backyard
kitchen with a pizza oven and brick
fireplace in order to host guests.
According to several surveys,
outdoor kitchens are the second
least-likely feature to be included in
homes built in 2012.
• Media rooms: Individuals
certainly love their gadgets, but
many of these gadgets have become
smaller and more portable. That
reduces the need for giant home
theatres and gaming spaces.
While certain features are
disappearing, there are others that
are growing more and more popular.
Dual sinks in kitchens, walk-in
closets, extra storage areas and
hidden charging stations for devices
are likely to show up more and more
in new home designs.
The design of new homes is
changing to be more budget-friendly
and also represent the changing
priorities of home buyers. As a
result, today’s newly designed
homes will likely look much
different from homes built just a few
years ago.
Lucknow-area couple takes the green way
Green-friendly
Blair and Jessica Morrison from the Lucknow area have taken as many green measures as
they can with their new home project, including insulating it with straw bales. (Denny Scott photo)
Recession impacts new features
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