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Shelter Ecology Showroom
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Shelter Ecology’s healthy home design principles involve a tight, energy efficient envelope with properly sized mechanical ventilation, heating and air conditioning along with the use of natural and not-toxic building and interior design materials within standard construction perimeters.
Address:
43 Pine Ridge Dr.
Asheville, NC 28804
Buncombe County
http://www.shelterecology.com
Click here for detailed contact information
Stucco split-level home.
- Owner: Cindy Meehan-Patton and Patrick Patton
- Occupant: Cindy Meehan-Patton and Patrick Patton
- Use/Occupancy: Business
- Construction: Varying
- Completed: 2002
- Size: Under 5K sq. ft.
Under 1 acre
Site Conditions: Sensitive habitat, Extreme slope/hill, Suburban residential, Previously developed land, Limited site disturbance, Limited building size, Located near mass transit, Supports use of bicycles, Supports pedestrian use
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The Shelter Ecology Showroom.
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| (Photo: Cindy Meehan-Patton) |
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Project Image Gallery
(Click on the thumbnail photo to enlarge and see caption.)
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Green building techniques, strategies, and technologies
(Click on the paperclip to view attached Power Point presentations, documents, and images.)
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Quality management
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Energy
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Technology |
Description |
Docs |
| 1 |
On-demand water heating |
All their domestic hot water (including the heaters) is powered by a state of the art German based water furnace called Seahorse. This furnace is mounted on the outside of the house - which was great for the Pattons because they had limited space in the 900 square foot space. A propane line feeds this heater, but the other selling point of this awesome furnace is that no gas enters the space. All combustion processes take place outside at the heater itself. The Patton’s bought a low boy Home Depot water heater that simply acts as a transfer device to send the water out as needed. It is tucked in a corner inside a kitchen cabinet; which would have been wasted space otherwise. This is an on demand heater (meaning it heats up the water and uses it as you need it rather than storing it), so the Home Depot water heater is not even used as a storage tank.
For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Highly efficient lighting system |
Compact Fluorescent dimmable 2 piece light bulbs were used in all fixtures in the Master Bedroom. The 2 piece system allows you to replace the bulb without having to replace the ballast too. I’ve had mine for 2+ years and still have not had to replace them!For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Energy recovery system |
A super efficient, high quality -energy recovery unit (ERV) was used in the phase 1 renovation and addition called Ven-Mar. This unit has an enthalpic wheel within it that claims to help dehumidify the fresh air coming into the house. While not really impressed with the performance of dehumidification in this unit, the Pattons are very impressed with the balanced amount of fresh air flow they get with the Ven-Mar, along with the fact that it is very quiet. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Materials
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Technology |
Description |
Docs |
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Salvaged building materials used |
Salvaged doors were used on all exterior (4 total) and most interior openings. Some were taken from the Pattons’ previous home and others were gathered through friends and family. All doors were stripped down to their original wood. New hinges, thresholds, and doorknobs were installed. Recycled (old) cypress is used for all the interior trim details. This cypress was deconstructed from an old aqueduct in Tryon, NC, which had water running through it for over 100 years. In addition, recycled (old) redwood was milled into floor joists for the loft. This redwood was deconstructed from a World War II ammunition holding tank. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Recycled materials used in structural |
MicroLam, an engineered wood beam made partially from recycled wood chips, was used to carry the load of the house. This large structural component was obtained locally. There is an accessible walkway into building made from Trex (recycled plastic lumber). The shower and woodstove hearth tile are made from about 75% recycled automobile windshield glass. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Recycled materials used in doors/windows |
100% wheat straw panels were used for the kitchen cabinet doors and cabinet crown molding. It was chosen for its renewable properties and for its earthy aesthetic. It smells like a hay field and machines like wood. Now available locally through Shelter Ecology. For more information contact Shelter Ecology. |
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Recycled materials used in finishes |
E-Coat recycled paint was applied to the Hardi-plank and Hardi-panel. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Recycled materials used in furnishings |
Ceramic tile made from over 60% recycled automobile windshield glass was used for the bath shower. In addition, 100% compressed sunflower hulls & agricultural flour make up the bathroom toiletry shelves and the lower cabinet that holds all the clockwork for the radiant floor and domestic water heating. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Local material use |
MicroLam(R), an engineered wood beam made from rotary cut veneers, was used to carry the load of the house. This large structural component was obtained locally. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Rapidly renewable material use |
Bamboo flooring was shipped in from the Northeast and laid by a local installer. The 2-ply engineered tongue and groove floor (not laminated) was chosen primarily because it meant using fewer trees.
The Patton’s have had a lot of problems with their bamboo floors. The problems started with the fact that the tongue and groove of the planks (upon arrival to the site) did not meet up, resulting in an uneven floor. The sanding process was extensive in trying to get these seams to meet, resulting in cupping and warping of the planks- which are engineered (glued up) layers of bamboo. Over the first 3 years after installation, the bamboo cracked, nicked and scratched easily, separated and delaminated. This flooring has truly been a nightmare to deal with. They just had it refinished after 3 years of wear- because they just could not stand it anymore! There are some good bamboo flooring companies out there who are not reselling China made material. (China lacks in quality control and has severe social economic problems as we all know.) Refer to my web site for Bamboo Hardwoods, which is made in South Viet Nam instead of China-where the quality control is more carefully monitored.
Cork tiles covering the bathroom floor were chosen because of cork’s renewable nature and because it creates a thermal cushion that ceramic tile does not. It also looks beautiful against the bamboo. The 12” x 24” tiles were shipped in from a Southeast distributor.
100% compressed sunflower hulls & agricultural flour make up the bathroom toiletry shelves and the lower cabinet that holds all the controls for the radiant floor and domestic water heating. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Certified wood use |
The stair treads were custom made by a wonderful family owned business in Rogersville, TN called Full Cycle Woodworks. All Full Cycle wood is sustainably harvested including the ash the Patton’s chose for their stair treads and the cherry they chose for their stair risers. All the interior trim in the phase 2 addition is cypress and the interior doors and jambs are Pine. Cindy wanted folks who tour her home to see how easy it is to combine different species of wood resulting in a very warm environment. Reclaimed or sustainably harvested wood was the only wood used throughout the interior finishes of both building processes, with the exception of Southern Yellow Pine for doors in phase 2, jambs and exterior fascias. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Indoor environment
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Technology |
Description |
Docs |
| 1 |
Construction IAQ strategies |
All walls and roof were reinsulated with Icynene Spray In Foam, which is CFC, and HCFC free, certified as environmentally safe and makes a huge contribution to the overall energy efficiency of the home.
Wall paints and furniture finishes are water based and contain no harsh chemicals (low to no VOC’s). The flooring is a 3 ply of Bamboo (solid bamboo, no veneers). The floor has 3 coats of the awesome Poly BP from AFM. (water based, no harsh chemicals). For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Low-emitting paints & coatings |
3-coat cementitious stucco and low toxicity paint were integrated into the final coat and chosen for the majority of the exterior sheathing due to the clean and contemporary aesthetic, low maintenance, and durability. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Low-emitting composites |
Formaldahyde-free medium density fiberboard (MDF) ended up being a great source for the interior shelves and casework of the kitchen cabinets. Fortunately, there was enough left over for the clothes closet shelf and laundry shelves. This is great cabinet and shelf grade material: it is very strong and has virtually no smell. This was obtained regionally and is cost competitve with other standard MDFs made with formaldehyde base glues. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Innovative low noise system |
A 14 SEER Heil electric heat pump was installed in the stair core, so that it would not take up room in the small basement. This location was also ideal for distribution of the air to all levels of the home. All ducts and equipment (with the exception of the condenser) are located indoors in the basement. The ceiling of the basement is insulated (for soundproofing mainly since it is below Dr. Patton’s office) with cotton batting, which allowed for the ducts and plumbing pipes to be exposed. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Low maintenance materials |
Metal roofing, even though it is very expensive, was chosen mainly for its ability to withstand 50 – 100 years of weather without needing any maintenance. A light color was chosen to reflect the sun’s heat in the summer, keeping the house naturally cooler, and more efficient. For more information contact Shelter Ecology |
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Other Innovations
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Description |
Docs |
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The Envelope - The building envelope works very efficiently because of the all the components of the “systems approach” the Pattons chose for this phase- working together including the Poly Icynene insulation, the radiant floor heat, high quality mechanical ventilation system, the dehumidifier and air conditioner. The windows in both building phases are the same: double paned, low-e, argon fill glass from Malta (who has now gone out of business –and the Pattons can see why. They are very disappointed in the quality of their windows). For more information contact Shelter Ecology
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Contact Information
| Specialty Contact Information |
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Click on the specialty technology in the table above to see contact and other information |
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| General Project Contact |
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Cindy Meehan-Patton
Shelter Ecology
Phone: 828-713-4500
Email: sheltereco@charter.net
Relationship to the project: Owner
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| Project Team |
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Involvement |
Stage |
Name/Address |
Phone |
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Owner/developer |
N/A
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Dr. Patrick and Cindy Meehan-Patton
43 Pineridge Dr.
Asheville,
NC
28804
sheltereco@charter.net
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828-713-4500 |
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IEQ consultant |
Design/Construction
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Cindy Meehan-Patton
43 Pineridge Dr.
Asheville,
NC
28804
sheltereco@charter.net
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828-713-4500 |
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Contractor - general |
Design/Construction
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Stuart Zatin
NC
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828-277-7574 |
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Contractor - plumbing |
Design/Construction
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Beech Barrett
Therma Craft
NC
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828-231-5030 |
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HVAC consultant |
Design/Construction
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Dan Garvy
Correct Heating and Cooling
NC
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Environmental building consultant |
Design/Construction
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Cindy Meehan-Patton
43 Pineridge Dr.
Asheville,
NC
28804
sheltereco@charter.net
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828-713-4500 |
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Interior designer |
Design/Construction
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Cindy Meehan-Patton
43 Pineridge Dr.
Asheville,
NC
28804
sheltereco@charter.net
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828-713-4500 |
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Salvaged Materials Expert |
Design/Construction
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Jim Stowell
Whole Log Lumber
NC
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828-697-0357 |
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Carpenter |
Design/Construction
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Carl Gleisherslage
Wildwood Cabinetry
NC
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828-299-8696 |
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