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White Crane Construction, LLC.

5001 28th Avenue S., Minneapolis, MN 55417
Phone: 612-827-3800
Website: www.whitecraneconstruction.com
Email:

It was spring of 2002 when Bruce and Tricia purchased their 1954 rambler–style home in south Minneapolis. They were drawn to the house because of its open floor plan and the neighborhood near the lakes in south Minneapolis.

After two years in their home, they decided to finish off the basement to make room for their growing family. It only took another year for them to start considering a more significant remodel to their home.

White Crane Construction was chosen as the contractor for this project, which would include a complete first–level remodel and the addition of an entire second level to their one–story home.

Bruce and Tricia knew that there were certain Green elements they wanted to integrate into their remodeling project. Bruce had some previous knowledge of the LEED for Homes program, but both he and Tricia were fairly green to Green. They did know what they wanted from their newly remodeled home though: clean indoor air, energy efficiency and a finished project that made as little of an impact on the environment as possible.

These were the concerns voiced to Susan Denk, President and Owner of White Crane Construction. Susan suggested that they follow the Minnesota GreenStar Remodeling Program for their project. MN GreenStar is a Green building standard and certification program for both existing and new homes that promotes healthy, durable, high performance homes. Because MN GreenStar was still in its infancy, their project would be part of GreenStar's Pilot Program.

In early meetings with Susan, Bruce and Tricia discussed many of their goals and concerns involving the remodeling of their home. With two young children in their home, indoor environmental quality was very important. They were concerned about the presence of allergens, mold and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in their home and the short– and long–term effects this could have on them and their children. "Off–gassing from paints and finishes and certain wood products seems like an unnecessary introduction of chemicals into our living space," Bruce said.

They took a multifaceted approach to combating these airborne pollutants. To assure proper heating, cooling and ventilation, a 92 percent efficient Lennox gas furnace was installed along with a Lennox 13 SEER condensing unit and a VenMar air exchanger. To reduce the introduction of chemicals into their home, low VOC products were used whenever possible, including paints, stains, caulking and even urea formaldehyde–free cabinetry in their kitchen. The home tested well below the action level of 4.0 picoCuries/liter (pCi/L) so a radon eradication plan was not necessary.

Bruce and Tricia were also concerned about how the remodeling of their home would affect the environment. In order to make less of an impact, they decided to reuse and recycle throughout the project. All construction waste was sent to Atomic Recycling via their roll–off containers. By the end of the remodeling project, 68 percent of the construction and jobsite waste had been recycled. Scherer Brothers Installed Flooring Services removed the hardwood flooring from the home during the demolition process and reinstalled it in the main living area on the first floor. Lumber, also removed during the same process, was set aside and used for blocking and bracing in the project. Old oak church pews were purchased and milled into what is now the second–floor trim and baseboard through Scherer Brothers Millwork Solutions division. Finger–jointed studs were used throughout the home during the project. Jointed and glued into studs from scrap cut–offs and smaller trees, finger–jointed studs have less impact on the environment and are also straighter than regular studs. The project also took advantage of FSC–certified lumber and sheathing in all new construction to the home.

Not only does the HVAC equipment mentioned earlier in this article help bring clean, fresh air into Bruce and Tricia's home, it does so in a very efficient manner. This energy efficiency was another reason for remodeling Green. A Marathon 85–gallon water heater with a .92 efficiency rating was installed allowing for a rebate through the Wright–Hennepin Water Heater Rebate Program. They are also saving money through their new Maytag ENERGY STAR rated refrigerator that has a projected operating cost of only $51 a year.

Kohler dual–flush toilets were install on both the first and second levels to aid in the conservation of water. Rain barrels are also being installed below the gutters outside the home to collect water that can then be used for irrigating flowers and shrubs on the property.

Low–E Marvin Integrity windows replaced all but one window in the home, supplying ample natural light in all of the rooms while also providing high insulation values. Speaking of insulation, the new second–story attic has an R–Value of 44 while the walls are an R19. The existing first–floor walls are an R13.

The new second–story addition to the house was designed with wide eaves placed just above the second–story windows in the Frank Lloyd Wright style. This design allows for passive solar heat during the winter months when the sun is low in the sky, but also helps cool the home by shading the windows during the summer months when it is higher in the sky.

Other products with Green attributes that were installed during the remodeling project were a Cambria quartz countertop and kitchen island and Forbo Marmoleum flooring.

Both Jeff and Tricia were pleased with the product knowledge that White Crane Construction provided during their remodeling project. "A number of the products, including the lumber, we would have had no idea what or where to look. With some of the products (like appliances and the furnace) we could make choices, but appreciated the direction we got from the folks who work closely with those products," Bruce said.

White Crane was also helpful when plumbing had to be relocated. "We had to make a few adjustments to keep piping out of the external walls. White Crane did a great job of dealing with those in a way that did not compromise the design," Bruce said.

When asked if they had any regrets about deciding to go Green in their home remodeling project, Bruce said: "No regrets. I very much hope that many of the Green things we did become industry standard in the near future, such that there won't be anything remarkable about our home or how the remodeling was done."

This project was featured on KARE–11's Blueprint for Green

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