Engineered Hardwood Installation

Saturday morning we got an an early start at 7am, took measurements for the hardwood, picked up sub-flooring from Lowes with a rental truck, and then stopped by Hardwood Floors of Lancaster. I had previously and talked to the owner, Tom, on the phone and he took me for an experienced contractor and promised me a deal...so when we met in person he was a little surprised at my age. Either way, we talked extensively about our options and we settled on Brazilian Cherry Engineered Hardwood. It's a darker choice with great contrast in the dark and lighter areas.



Installation isn't too bad, as long as you take your time and make sure the boards are tight. It's looking much lighter than in the store, that's because when we put the sealer on it - it will get a darker, richer look. I spend some time showing Erica, Ralph, and Matt how to install it. Matt is Ralph's lounge manager and has been really stepping up to lend a hand.



While doing this, my allergies were getting really bad. At the end of the night I could barely breathe. Then I broke out in hives on my chest, back and neck. I must have been allergic to something in the wood, possibly the glue. I really need to look out more and get proper breathing equipment when dealing with something I'm not familiar with. Matt and Ralph were able to make a lot of progress throughout the week after I had to leave on Sunday.

The next step to finish is put quarter-round around the edges, then we seal it. I'll be looking forward to posting the finished product.

Hardwood, Engineered, or Laminate Floor on a Budget

Chances are you're familiar with this question: Hardwood or Laminate Flooring?

For the front part of the lounge in Lancaster, we have about 750SF of the cafe/coffee shop area. Ideally, we would lay natural, high-quality hardwood down, but everyone knows the price of doing so can be high. In the last property we renovated two years ago, we used the cheap laminate flooring that comes in at around $1 a SF and is about 1/4" thick. Under heavy use, it's opened up in a few areas in the butting areas, and has also chipped where furniture has been dragged across the edges. For these reasons, we should go with a higher quality material for this location, but as always, cost is an issue.

I recently read Green on Montrose's post about their choice of American Black Cherry because of it's a high quality material, locally produced, and comes from a company that is conscious of the environment, . It looks beautiful installed, but they were able to spend a bit more than we have in our budget. So what are we going to do?

There are higher quality laminate floor options, the engineered hardwood which is a blend of the best of both worlds. It has layers of engineered wood to increase flexibility and decrease shrinkage and expansion, it has up to 3/8" thick wood on top that will look and feel like natural hardwoods, and will also have the option to be refinished once.

I'm still looking into these and finding the best options. I'll try and post some photos of the available options and of the space we're covering...

--Friday 5/22/09 Update--

I've been in contact with local flooring store in Lancaster. The manager is very knowledgeable and told me they have a number of FSC Certified hardwood and engineered hardwoods available for under $3SF. I'll be stopping in tomorrow to look with Ralph, and we'll be making our selection. I'll try to take some photos of all of the options.

Responding to My Own Questions

I sent a message to the MSSD Program Co-Directer, Professor Flemming, around three weeks ago. Since there's been no response I figured I'd give it a shot and play prof, answer myself, and see if my conclusions will change over the next two years. What the hell, right?

Hey Rob,

I love the radio show, thanks for putting on a great discussion every week. I met with you about two months ago about the MSSD program and was just offered acceptance a few weeks ago! I'm really thrilled and can't wait to get started. I have two questions for you though:

1. Do you see a pull-back with the term "Sustainable" anytime soon? As Architecture and Engineering Programs acknowledge the need for sustainable design take these principles and incorporate them into their studies, will the MSSD Program continue to be competitive in the years ahead? This specific article got me thinking about the issue http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/mocoloco-dumps-sustainable-design.php

2. I noticed on the PhillyU website that there may be a 12 credit Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Practices offered. Would this be separate than the MSSD Program and does it offer a lot of the same education? As someone looking for a career change, would it benefit me to look into this also as I want to move into this exciting field as soon as possible.

Thanks again,
David Ross

My Answer to Question 1: While the term "Sustainable" is used a little too freely, it's not something that is as easily accomplished. Yes, companies and educational institutions are taking steps to incorporate greener learning and business methods, but sustainability is an ongoing challenge. The term sustainable is not going anywhere, but public perception needs to change to understand that it's a movement. It's about being as efficient as technologically possible, minimizing usage and waste of resources far further than current levels. All the while, maintaining a comfortable standard of living for the masses. So yes, it's going to be a challenge for a long time.

Also, as other institution and career fields embrace the sustainability movement, there will be more doors opened. Philadelphia University will be providing access to architects and engineers on the edge of this movement, so it's your responsibility to get the most you can out of them. Therefore, I wouldn't be afraid of the MSSD Program being less competitive at all, in fact, possibly the opposite. By blending students with different backgrounds, you'll get a better understanding of all the facets of sustainability in a variety of fields.

My Answer to Question 2: Since there has been increased interest in the program, we are taking steps to get people into the growing green economy as quickly as possible while still providing them with a good education. The Graduate Certificate Program is not as in depth or thorough as the MSSD program, but it will prepare workers to take the step from blue collar to green collar jobs. It's really up to you.

Demo Continues, Electrical and Drywall Work Begins

This weekend was my second in Lancaster and most of the insane ripping and tearing had been already been completed. So this time I was able to focus on knocking a door through where the café and prep areas are going to be. Once I opened up the wall, I was greeted with a multitude of wires that needed to be moved - that took a whole day's worth of work.

Ralph and myself also got started on some drywall work, in particular where we went a little demo-crazy by the bathroom, and the ceilings near the fireplace. All in all it was a pretty smooth weekend with few hiccups. This coming weekend Erica will be down to assist me, as well as Ralph's girlfriend from out of town. We should have a healthy crew to knock out a lot more work.

Demolition Weekend: Lancaster

Ah, a little bit of hard construction work feels good once in a while. In this case, it was a fun weekend of demolition. Ralph, a great friend of mine, has been running a hookah lounge in Reading for almost two years. He's been looking to move into Lancaster, PA, and found the perfect property about a month ago to open his second place. We talked about the options after acquiring the blueprints from the city, I made a few sketch-up designs to show an architect and the city. Permits approved and we were ready to roll.

This weekend we started renovating the large property in downtown Lancaster. It's a 3500 SqFt property that had around 6 offices that needed to be removed. They were all non-load bearing, steel-frame construction, so they came down easily once we figured out how to do it properly. You can see from the pictures that there was a lot of steel, wood, and drywall that came out of it

Now as I've stated before, I'm keeping documenting stuff here to track my progress into the Sustainable Design Program and beyond. The whole time I've been on site I've been looking for ways to minimize our trash, and use less new materials to rebuild the place. I was able to salvage enough steel studs to create a small office with the scraps, the only thing we needed to purchase was the track pieces. The rest will be recycled. The trim and wood will be re-used where possible. The drywall is pretty much a lost cause, I don't know of anything that can be done with it off the top of my head. Any ideas are welcome. So this is the project for the next few weeks. I'm looking forward to publishing more.

MSSD Application Response...

This Saturday night on my way back from dinner with friends, I received notice on my early admissions application to Philadelphia University. Six weeks of running to read the mailbox everyday has come to an end in the form of a small envelope...I'm in! A letter stating my acceptance to the MSSD program starting this Fall and running for 27 months. Fist is pounding in the air, I'm screaming a little bit. I don't know if I've ever been so excited or felt so confident of being on the right track. This is really going to help position my career long-term with where my passion has been all along.

Now, I really need to start focusing because it is quickly becoming a reality. My math skills are below par and my only construction experience over the past few years has been side projects for friends and family. I know that I've got a bit of work cut out for me to get up to speed, but this is a challenge I'm fired up for. I don't just want to come into the program with an understanding of sustainable design and building practices, I want to be well-versed and current enough to make compelling and educated arguments that show my passions. This is going to be a fun ride!

Go Green Expo, More of the Same

This Sunday afternoon I went downtown to The Philadelphia Convention Center to check out the Go Green Expo that has been advertised in local media and sustainable networks. I was really looking forward to seeing some new ideas, small companies and visionaries who were helping shape Philadelphia's sustainable future. What I found was pretty disappointing. While I did find about four booths of inspiring companies and ideas, the rest fell short. It wasn't too different than the Valley Forge Convention Center Home Show, which feels like a bland blend of infomercials and large companies just setting up booths for the sake of it.

The Go Green Expo calls itself "The Nation's Premiere Eco-Friendly Tradeshow", but in reality it was a mostly a sales pitch for companies public relations departments.

The Good:
Grid - GridPhilly.com - A new local magazine focusing towards a Sustainable Philadelphia. I read both of the first two issues on my train ride home and it's very well written with great sustainable ideas.
SOLIBS - Building Green on Montrose - The small firm has a very interesting project going on over at their blog. I was able to talk to one of the partners, Christopher, and picked his brain for a little bit. They are very socially conscious and are building this project with a lot of emotion, sweat, and hard work. I wish them the best of luck.

The Bad:
WorkGreen - Workgreen.us - a company from LA pushing a green social network. "Really?" I asked, "are you doing anything different to set you apart from other social networks". Their answer was No. Basically an off-the-shelf, generic comminity site. Nothing is customized, they are just trying to get by on the word green alone. This is everything I hate about greenwashing. The sad thing is, this site will probably limp on for a while and they might make some money.

Preparing for a Change

Hello world, my name is David Ross and I'm your average young guy from Philadelphia. Yep, pretty damn average as in I'm a die-hard Eagles and Penn State fan. I've been a a web designer for about 5 years now and I finally have a great position at a small company that really gives me the freedom and creativity I've always looked for. The problem is, I just don't feel the same fulfillment I get when I'm doing hands-on carpentry or construction management type work. Something about the tangible results gives me a great sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. I've finally got to the point where I realize I've got to get on track and change something now. I'm intrigued by sustainable design and construction management and "green" technologies. I've just applied to the MSSD Program at Philadelphia University after following it for almost two years. So here on Blogger, I plan on documenting my journey; from mid-level web designer - to sustainable design professional...