The following is the final installment of a four-part series of one man’s personal journey to salvage a 1910 barn in Southwest Michigan while keeping it as green as possible.
Catch up on last past installments here.

A very important part of any home building project, in my opinion, is hot water for personal use. Think about how much you use on a daily basis: showers, laundry, dishwashing, cleaning, etc. Now think about how that water is stored. Usually in one of those big cumbersome tanks in which water is kept heated at a constant temperature. That takes a lot of energy. I’m going to be installing an on demand system, also known as a tankless water heater. As opposed to having the water sit in a tank, when needed the water is super heated through a system of coils. The water travels to the shower, sink, and washer while you’re using it. When you’re done it shuts down. People I know who have these systems LOVE them. They are pricey compared to standard water heaters, but again, the savings comes down the road and much energy is saved. (more…)

The following is the third of a four-part installment of one man’s personal journey to salvage a 1910 barn in Southwest Michigan while keeping it as green as possible.
Catch up on past installments here.

By December, the foundation was poured and we were ready to move the timber frame from its location onto its new site. The original foundation of the barn was loose fieldstone so I needed to re-site the barn. I also wanted it turned 180 degrees to take full advantage of the sun’s path and prevailing winds. Rather than saying that it was impossible, or that it would be too much work, we took the challenge and found a way to lift the entire frame (by some estimates several tons) in one piece, turn it, and place it on a new foundation six feet away without incident. Granted, we were all holding our collective breath when the crane began to lift the frame off the ground, but everything they said would happen – happened. (more…)