360 Winnett » Financial

The Cost Of Windows

jeremybell — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:15:05 +0000

In what I expect will be an ongoing series of cost-related posts, today we’re going to a closer look at the windows we selected and their associated costs.

We have a total of 35 windows in the house, plus one sidelight next to the front door and two french doors in the kitchen. All of the windows (including the french doors) are Marvin Integrity, with the exception of the clerestory windows, which are higher quality Marvin windows.

To be honest, I’m not entirely sure how the Marvin windows differ (other than price), but as I mentioned previously, the Integrity windows have pultruded fiberglass exterior frames, wood interiors, dual sealed insulating glass with an Argon gas fill, and a Low E II coating (which means they’re all Energy Star rated). From an energy-saving standpoint, I would have preferred something like the triple glazed Thermotech fiberglass windows, however we simply couldn’t afford the added costs. We evaluated a number of products, but from cost to performance standpoint, the Integrity windows are hard to beat.

Given the amount of sun exposure and potential heat gain, we felt it was important to have 2 operable windows in the clerestory. The windows sit on opposite sides of the clerestory, which will allow for thermal-venting and cross-ventilation. However, this proved easier said than done, as the standard Integrity windows require a pole-crank to open and close them… which isn’t exactly practical, what with them being 23’ off the ground. If we wanted power-operated windows, we had to upgrade to the pricier Marvin models.

For the price difference, I’m a little disappointed in the controller unit. I was under the impression it was going to be some sort of proprietary Marvin-specific device, but it’s actually something that can apparently be retrofitted to any number of awning windows. I have to wonder if it would worked with the Integrity windows as well?

The Sentry II, consists of 2 components: A wall mounted control panel and a motor unit that simply connects to the existing crank mechanism on the window. The motor unit is a little clunky, but it doesn’t even remotely compare to the horrifically-ugly control panel. I’m at a loss for where to put it in the house… I certainly don’t want to put to in plain view where I’ll have to look at it everyday. You’ll have to take my word, ‘cause I just did a quick Google search and I can’t seem to find a photo of it (which doesn’t surprise me… I wouldn’t exactly show it off either).

All in all, we definitely spent more on the windows than we had originally anticipated, but I’m quite happy with the final result.

Grand total: $28,525.25

Of Insulation & HVAC

jeremybell — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:08:33 +0000

One of our goals with this project has been to construct the most energy efficient and eco-friendly building envelope possible. This has required that we pay close attention to the various insulation values and invest in the most efficient HVAC system we can afford. Regarding the insulation, it’s looking like we’ll have the following:

Basement Walls: R-22.4+ (ICF)
Headers: R-36.4 (2” exterior rigid + 4” sprayfoam)
Exterior Walls: R-32 (2” exterior rigid + interior Roxul)
Roof: R-40 (6” sprayfoam)
Overhangs & Garage Ceiling: R-62 (9.5” sprayfoam)

Under Garage: R-10 (2” rigid)
The R-value of the overhangs and garage ceiling seems like overkill to me, however our mechanical engineer insists that we completely fill the void to eliminate air movement and reduce the potential for mould buildup. It’s obviously hard to argue with that. We had originally planned on using a closed-cell sprayfoam everywhere, however that proved to be far too expensive. As a result, we’ve decided to use 2” rigid panels on the exterior, plus Roxul on the interior.

We also need to make some decisions in regards to the actual equipment. We had originally considered geothermal as a possible solution, however it was incredibly cost-prohibitive when we ran the numbers (cheap to run, expensive as hell to install). As a result, we decided to go with something a little more traditional and we’re currently leaning towards the Carrier family. Specifically, we’re considering the following:
Infinity Zone Control
Infinity 96 Gas Furnace
Infinity Series Heat Pump
Performance Heat Recovery Ventilator
Performance Series Humidifier

Infinity Air Purifier
I’m not 100% sure if we really need an air purifier, but it would be an obvious plus. I’m also unsure about the heat pump. As I’ve mentioned before, a heat pump works as both an air conditioner and a heater. However, it only operates as a heater in “cool” temperatures which means it’s unusable when the temperature drops below -3°C. Given the Canadian temperatures, I’m unsure if the heat pump really makes sense or if we’d be better off relying solely on the furnace for heating and a more efficient air conditioner for cooling?

Similarly, while I’m digging the Carrier products, our HVAC installer is recommending KeepRite instead. Everything I’ve read online suggests that they’re decent (and cheaper), but not as good as the Carrier offering. I’m not exactly looking for the best of the best, but I really like what the Infinity line have to offer. In particular, the control unit supports up to 8 zones in the house and can independently control every facet of the system (heating, cooling, humidity, fan speed, ventilation, etc.) Obviously this requires that each unit be part of the Infinity line, but it’ll mean the system is also working as efficiently as possible. They may be cheaper, but I can’t imagine the KeepRite products are really comparable in this regard?

Photo via Flickr user targophoto.com

The Cost Of Water

jeremybell — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:10:54 +0000

We’ve made significant progress in the past week, although the sky opened up on Saturday and I fear the rain may slow us down over the next few days. Regardless, the walls are all up on the second floor and I managed to slip in over the weekend to snap a few pics. I actually visited the site a few days prior, although it was quite late (read: it was pitch black and I was using my iPhone as a flashlight), and not exactly the safe (read: the temporary stairs had been installed, but not the railing). Probably not the smartest of things to explore after dark, but I couldn’t resist going upstairs and having a walk around.

Now that the walls are up, we’ve realized that we want to mildly adjust the layout of the bathrooms and our closet area. Nothing too major, but we felt some of the walking areas are a little tighter than they should be. Other than that, everything is looking great. And I must admit, the framers are doing a fantastic job. Our contractor had insisted that they did great work, but thought for sure I’d be walking around each day with a level and measuring tape, ensuring everything was in order. After the first few days however, it became quite clear these guys knew what they were doing. If all goes according to plan, hopefully we’ll have the roof up before weeks end, and the windows in sometime next week. Given the temperature forecast, I think the timing might just work out.

Framing aside, I also stopped by Toronto Water Services this morning to pay for the reconnection fees. Prior to construction, the city didn’t charge us to come and disconnect the drainage and water supply. I didn’t really think much of it at the time, but I kept waiting to see a bill in the mail afterwards. Clearly the City understands that you’ll eventually need to reconnect everything, ‘cause they get you on the back end. The process was quite painless, although it was also quite expensive.

Drain Installation: $6750
Water Installation: $2175
Water Disconnect: $300
Sewer Disconnect: $650

“Other”: $660
Grand Total: $10,535

Yes, it costs over $10K to get new water services.

The racket here is that you can’t negotiate. You can’t shop around to find a more competitive price. The City gives you a price and they inform you which company will be doing the work. And that’s that. I can appreciate that the City needs to ensure that quality is controlled, but this just seems like extortion when compared to the other costs we’ll need to cover during the project. Purely from a cost:effort standpoint, the amount seems incredibly exorbitant… and don’t forget, we still need to account for hydro and gas reconnections.

Photo via Flickr User Chad Ingraham

Tree Protection

jeremybell — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 14:51:42 +0000

One the reasons we were originally attracted to our home was the large maple tree that sits in the front yard. It’s quite large and quite beautiful, but we’ve come to realize that a large maple tree equals mountains of leaves in the fall and dead grass around it (who knew grass needed light to grow? Shocking, I know.) Regardless, we knew the tree was something we wanted to keep when began this renovation. What we didn’t realize was that we don’t actually own the tree, we had to erect a protection wall around it, and we needed to provide the city with a $5,089 deposit.

Trees protected by city by-laws may not be removed, injured or destroyed in any way without written authorization from the city. And that covers all parts of the tree—roots included. Tree pruning and root cutting may only be done by the City of Toronto, Urban Forestry Services. No exceptions.

Trees situated on City property are obviously covered by these by-laws, but in some instances trees on private property are covered as well. In our case, we had a smaller tree next to our garage that needed to removed before we started construction. To determine if we could actually remove it, we needed to measure the diameter of trunk at 1.4 meters off the ground, which was (luckily) 28cm. Had it been 30cm or larger, we would have needed to apply for permission and possibly paid a fee for its removal (had we been allowed to remove it at all).

The deposit acts as a form of insurance against damage, and is held until construction is complete. It includes the appraised value of the tree (as determined by the city), plus the costs required to remove and replant a replacement. So if the tree is harmed in any way, the city will keep a portion—or all—of the deposit, depending on the type, duration and impact of the damage done.

To help safeguard the tree, you must also erect a protection wall. Depending on the size of the tree, the wall must sit a minimum distance around the trunk. In our case, it needed to sit 3m away, stand 2.4m high and be made of plywood.

Definitely a lot of effort to ensure the safety of the tree… but I’d say it’s worth it (even if I’ll have to climb on the roof and shovel off mounds of leaves at least once a year!)

10K in Rebates? Not exactly.

jeremybell — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:20:30 +0000

Well, for those that watch the evening news, you probably just found out that we don’t exactly qualify for the ecoENERGY rebates that we once thought we did.

I’d been contacted by CityTV a number of weeks ago about wanting to come and record the demolition of the house. After it went down, I was interviewed about the project and what we were planning. Of course I spoke about the website and our green plans, but I also mentioned that we qualified for about $9,500 in government rebates. Well, that doesn’t exactly turn out to be true.

As I mentioned earlier, I was originally skeptical if we’d actually qualify for these rebates. Their documentation definitely makes it seem as if we qualified, I mean it clearly says:

If you live in Ontario and own a single family home you are eligible for the Home Energy Retrofit Program.

I suppose that should read:

If you live in Ontario and own a single family home you are eligible for the Home Energy Retrofit Program UNLESS YOU TEAR IT DOWN COMPLETELY.

Before having the energy audit, I had contacted 2 independent sources about the project and had made it quite clear what our intentions were. Both confirmed that we would indeed qualify for the rebates, but only for what we were replacing. For instance, any additional windows or toilets or square footage would NOT be covered. However, they stated that we’d still see a rebate when we replaced our old boiler with a new furnace, etc.

Apparently you don’t qualify for anything if you completely tear down the home.

Now, it’s still a little unclear where the line between “renovation” and “new home” blurs. For instance, we could have maintained our old foundation and a few walls, and it would have been considered a “renovation”. However, EVERYTHING would be new. New insulation, new furnace, new windows, etc. I obviously have to question the logic in this, as we’ve actually taken the extra step (or like ten) and our building envelope will be far superior.

I also have to wonder if I should attempt to contest this, or if I should just let it go?

Regardless, we’re still moving ahead as planned. I hadn’t included the rebates in our budget, as I didn’t exactly want to count my chickens before they hatched. But it’s definitely a little painful to have $9500 dangled in front of you, only to have it taken away.

Drain Water Heat Recovery

jeremybell — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:14:47 +0000

I’d read very little about drain water heat recovery (DWHR) systems prior to this weekend, but after seeing it referenced in some Energy Star documentation I decided to look into a little further.

Put simply, a DWHR unit captures heat from your waste drain water and redirects it back into system. It’s estimated that it can recycle up to 60% of the wasted heat, save up to 40% on water heating costs, and reduce your home’s overall energy consumption by 5-10%. It would be entirely cliched to say it’s saving money from going down the drain, but that’s more or less what it’s doing.

The technology is actually quite simple, and I must admit that I’m surprised it’s not mandated on all new home construction. A portion of the main-stack drainpipe is removed and replaced with the DWHR unit. The unit itself is simply a large copper drainpipe wrapped with a series of smaller copper tubes. The smaller tubes are connected to the cold-water supply, and the water running through them will see a temperature increase of up to 14°. This decreases fuel consumption simply because it requires less energy to heat the warmer water. Similarly, it works incredibly well with tankless hot water systems, which are known to perform poorly when the groundwater is overly cold.

I don’t believe there are many drawbacks with such a setup, although I’ve read claims that water pressure will drop once the device is installed. Apparently the “second generation” units present no noticeable drop in pressure, and I doubt they’ll have an affect on the PEX manifold system we’re considering.

From what I can gather, there are 3 different models available in Canada:

LC-GFX [from GFXTechnology]
The systems all look more or less the same, although there are a few key differences. The Power-Pipe appears to have more transfer tubes running in parallel, which I believe helps maintain pressure. The LC-GFX site actually scares me a little, and I couldn’t help but notice the conspiracy propaganda that litters it (stolen trade secrets, Energy Star hoaxes, and fraudulent tests?!). That said, it is significantly cheaper… although one has to wonder why (I picture an angry old man, bitter at the world, building these things in his basement).

Prices seems to range from $400 – $1200+, but they qualify for up to $260 in government rebates. To qualify for a rebates, the DWHR unit must be at least 30% efficient (43% for the maximum rebate), and to qualify for the Energy Star certification, it must be a minimum 48” in length.

Energy Audited

jeremybell — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 04:49:35 +0000

In order for us to qualify for the ecoENERGY grant program, Dritan Sahatci of GreenTech came by the house today to administer an energy audit.

The audit was incredibly straightforward, cost $341 (although we’ll get $150 back) and took all of 90 minutes to complete. Dritan inspected the insulation in the basement, walls and attic (which was apparently substandard or entirely nonexistent). He also did a walk-around inspection, plus a “blower door” test to find air leaks.

Dritan also confirmed that while we do qualify for the rebates, in some cases we only qualify for what we replace. For instance, it’s looking like the new home will have a total of 54 windows, but we’ll only be compensated for the existing 13. That said, we’ll probably get the maximum rebate for insulation improvement, what with us more or less starting from zero.

We won’t have the initial report for a few weeks, but based on his preliminary assessment (and assuming we go ahead with the various upgrades we’re planning on), it looks like we’ll qualify for $9000+ in government rebates.

Not bad for an audit that cost $191.

Window Update

jeremybell — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:09:38 +0000

I just got back from a meeting with the architects, and I’ve got a few updates to share.

First, we’ve decided on the windows – it’s looking like we’ll be going with Marvin Integrity windows throughout. They have pultruded fiberglass frames, plus dual sealed insulating glass with an Argon gas fill, and a Low E II coating (which means they’re all Energy Star rated). We got a range of quotes from a number of sources and for the price vs performance, the Integrity windows were the best option by far. Grand total is $23,860.03.

Because we decided upon the Integrity windows, we also needed to alter our elevations to accommodate their standard sizes. For the most part, everything is pretty much the same – however, the width of the living room windows changed considerably, and we also needed to separate the large clerestory window into 2 separate units. It definitely changes the overall appearance, but I’m still quite happy with it.

Check out the latest elevations on the Documents page

$10K in Rebates? Yeah, we qualify.

jeremybell — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:55:17 +0000

I dug a little deeper, and it looks like we do indeed qualify for the energy rebates I mentioned a few days ago. Because the property has a preexisting address, utility connections, etc., any work done to the house (regardless of the scale) is considered a “renovation”. So ring the bell, it looks like our project just got a little cheaper.

Next step is to schedule an audit and get the ball rolling.

$10,000 in Rebates*

jeremybell — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 03:05:47 +0000

The Canadian and Ontario governments are now offering up to $10,000 in rebates when you improve the energy efficiency of your home. If you were considering an energy-efficient upgrade, this is definitely something you should look into.

The program is actually pretty simple—your house first undergoes an energy audit to determine what its “EnerGuide” rating is. It then undergoes another audit when the renovations are completed, and the rebates are issued based on the percentage-increase of the EnerGuide rating.

The audit itself also appears to be pretty straightforward—An auditor comes to your home and inspects your insulation, heating & cooling systems, windows, doors and water consumption. The audit should cost around $300, and the government will reimburse you 50% of the cost.

Fantastic opportunity… but do we qualify? According to the Ontario Home Energy Audit website we do:

If you live in Ontario and own a single family home you are eligible for the Home Energy Retrofit Program.

However all of the documentation is written for retrofits or renovations, and I can’t get a sense of their definition of “renovation” is.

Their FAQ says the following:

Are homes that are currently being built eligible for the programs?
No. New homes are not the program’s focus because they are already quite efficient.

The emphasis is mine, and clearly the answer is a bit grey. Our house isn’t “currently” being built, but it will be a “new home” when it’s complete.

So I’ve just stumbled on a potential gold mine… but I can’t tell if we actually qualify for it.

Update – I dug a little deeper and yeah, we qualify!

For more info about the program, you download a PDF here or visit any of these websites:

http://www.homeenergyontario.ca
http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca
http://www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/corporate/incentives.cfm?attr=4#newhousing