Archive for the ‘Energy Efficiency’ Category

Grandscapes' Stone Masons Mark & Sean

The Charlestown Package Store marries traditional forms with energy efficient technologies and building systems.  Grandscapes’ stone masons Mark & Sean are building a stone wall along Old Post Road with native field stone and granite columns salvaged from the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

Oyster Works’ commitment to environmentally friendly design began with how we understood the site.   Landscape architect Jenn Judge developed a plan utilizing non-invasive native landscaping, permeable paving stones, and natural stone walls.   We are very pleased to have a Charlestown based company, Grandscapes, doing all the landscaping, building the stone walls, and laying the permeable paving stones.

The store is being sided with NuCedar, a Leed eligible recycled PVC product that is factory finished with a solar reflective ceramic coating.   Painted to our specifications and installed by Charlestown’s T & J Construction, NuCedar is a new product that promises to be virtually maintenance free.

Stone Walls and Recycled Siding

The Charlestown Package Store is located at 4625 Old Post Road in Charlestown, RI.  Scroll back through earlier postings for a complete history of the construction.  For an overview of the design and approval process see the blog entry  on the Oyster Works website.

We are siding the south and west sides of the store and think it looks great!   We are using NuCedar siding which is a product made out of recycled PVC and painted to our specifications.

Ezra, Breck, and Jimmy at the end of the day.     Oyster Works’ Jeremiah Bowman watches as Ezra and Tim install the exterior door to the loading area.

Yesterday we poured the cement slab in the retail area of the store.   After installing the drywall we will strap the floor with 2×4 sleepers, cover the sleepers with 11/8″ Warmboard, install radiant heat, and then a wood floor. But first, before we poured the slab, we had to put in all the pipes and wires!   Planning, coordination, drilling holes in the foundation……

Once the floor is poured, all the pipes and wires will be encased in concrete and correcting mistakes or making changes will be difficult.  First thing yesterday morning the concrete arrived and now we have a floor.   Take a look.

We are very excited to be among the first projects in RI to use NuCedar Siding.   Made of recycled PVC NuCedar is beautiful, well engineered, and maintenance free.  We are using three different siding profiles – a panel system (pictured below), board and batten, and traditional clapboards.  Special thanks to Tim, Breck, Ezra, and Jimmy from T & J Construction for taking the time to learn how to use this product and for doing such a thoughtful and careful job! And check out the standing seam metal roof – a tip of the hat to JC, Glen, and the crew from Bradford Standing Seam!

We are also in the midst of installing a denitrification septic system – sized to handle the Charlestown Package Store and a future building that will go up on the site of the old store.   This system is essentially a miniature sewage treatement plant that filters and treats the waste water to make it safe for the environment.

Tim Van Wormer applying silicone to the plywood backer board.

We are using Eagle HarborMaster Windows – special thanks to Chris Burgess of Eagle Windows for helping us with our order!  The construction and glazing of these windows is designed to stand up to a hurricane.   Testing  includes firing a 2×4 into the glass (the wood is shot out of a canon at 50 feet per second) and repeated pressure changes (up to 9,000 cycles) to simulate hurricane conditions. Needless to say – we want to put them in right.

First we use a laser level to establish a line that runs all around the building.   Next, we build out around the windows with 1/2 plywood to allow the siding to properly align with the trim.   Then two beads of silicone caulk are applied to the plywood and the window is set and fastened through the nailing flanges.

Window fastened through nailing flanges

After the window is nailed to the wall the entire nailing flange and backer board is covered with Vycor – a thick piece of rubber backed with adhesive.  While the window is being installed from the outside Breck Tully makes sure that everything is square and true on the inside.

Finally the window is fastened to the  framing with metal straps that are visible in the inside photograph.  The straps are to prevent the windows from blowing out of the building due to the severe low pressure that accompanies a hurricane.

Breck Tully centering the window

Vycor over the window flange