March Block Lamp DIY Workshop @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

We kicked off our 2018 workshops with Tum-A-Lum Lumber with a kids DIY block lamp in Hood River! Everyone learned some basic design guidelines as well as tips and tricks for assembly, then got to work creating their own unique lamps. It was fun to see the creativity flow with no two lamps alike. Some participants even decided to build a removable top cap for their lamps so they can still access the bulb and also to direct the light more out the sides. Pretty cool! Our past projects have mostly offered personalization with paint colors so it was great to offer design personalization with this workshop. If you were unable to attend the workshop you can download the plans here and build it at home. Stay tuned for our workshops in Hood River AND Pendleton next month!

Upcoming Block Lamp Workshop @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

We are kicking off our 2018 DIY workshops with Tum-A-Lum Lumber next Saturday, March 31st with a block lamp for kids! Once again, this workshop is offered for free and will be held from 9-11am at the Hood River store. Preregistration is required to reserve your space and you can sign up by clicking this link. Can't wait!

Understanding Your Home Energy Report

After we complete your Home Energy Assessment, we enter all of your home's data into an online modeling tool which produces the Home Energy Report. For existing homes the report is 2 pages and for new homes the report is 1 page. In this blog post, we will help you understand how to read your report.

Page 1

At the top left of the first page, you will see the City of Portland Home Energy Score logo. At the center is the U.S. Department of Energy logo because they developed the scoring system. Your home's score is just below the U.S. DOE logo. At the top right is the your home's estimated annual energy costs. This top bar is a quick reference point to go back to for simple numbers.

Along the left side is a bar which includes the basic details of your home: address, year built, square footage and number of bedrooms. It also includes the assessment date, assessor contact information and the score's expiration date. *Note that the score expires in 8 years but the report expires in 2 years to take into account weather and utility rate changes. You can download a new report within the 8 year period for free from the Green Building Registry. If you make any energy upgrades to your home, you will need a new score regardless of when your existing score expires. And you will want to! Energy upgrades will likely increase your home's score, especially if you choose to make more than one improvement.

The remainder of page 1 includes the Home Energy Score scale, energy use breakdown and carbon footprint scale.

• The Home Energy Score scale indicates where your home is at today compared to the average reference home scoring a 5. Homes with lower scores are not poorly built, they were likely built at a time before code required insulation and high performing heating systems so they have more room for improvement than today's code built homes. Don't be surprised if your beautiful 1920's home receives a 1!
• The next section outlines the estimated annual energy use by fuel type; electricity, natural gas and other. These numbers are helpful to homebuyers so they can get an idea of what it will cost to operate their new home. This cost may vary due to occupant behavior just like a car's MPG. It also showcases renewable energy production that will help offset the utility cost.
• The last section shows where your home is at in regard to its carbon footprint based on estimated energy use. Part of the reason for the Home Energy Score requirement is to help Portland with its climate action goals.

Page 2

The second page is designed for existing homes because it offers suggestions for improving your score. Home improvements are not required to sell your home but could help increase its value. New homes will not have a second page because they are built to current energy code.

Once again, the top bar is a quick reference point to go back to for simple numbers. It shows your home's score today, score with all improvements, estimated annual energy savings with improvements and percentage of estimated carbon reduction.

The next section is a checklist if you would like to move forward with energy improvements. Congrats on checking off the first step! Enerstructa LLC does not install energy upgrades but can refer you to local contractors. We are also happy to talk with you to narrow down which improvements to choose first and which to do down the road. Financing options for improvements are available as well.

The following section lists the home's features we evaluated during the assessment, their current condition and recommended improvements. Keep in mind that the listed improvements must have a 10 year or less payback time. Other upgrades may improve the home's energy efficiency but are outside of that payback period.

Lastly, if you are a handy person like me, the report lists resources to learn more about how to do it yourself. As an Energy Trust of Oregon Trade Ally and having worked for the Community Energy Project, I highly recommend you check them out!

DIY Home Weatherization Workshop @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

Today we offered our 5th workshop in partnership with Tum-A-Lum Lumber. This time we discussed materials and methods for weatherizing your home! We talked about DIY air sealing, door weather-stripping and sweeps, insulation types, R-value, building science and more. Participants left with a better understanding of how to increase their home's comport and energy efficiency as well as a coupon good towards their next purchase of weatherization materials from Tum-A-Lum.

Bat House Workshop @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

Today we offered our 4th workshop in partnership with Tum-A-Lum Lumber. This time we made bat houses for Halloween on a beautiful fall day! Attendees were a mix of regulars and new faces which was great. See photos below and stay tuned for a DIY How-To Guide coming out this winter!

A few notes on building a successful bat house...

Size: 14" wide by 24" tall is the recommended minimum, depth can vary depending on number of chambers and size of bats that will use the house. The one we built has a single chamber.

Design: Must have an exposed landing pad at the bottom, 3"-6" tall is recommended. Both interior surfaces should be rough so they have something to grab onto. We used wire mesh for this. All seams should be sealed with caulk, especially the roof in order to trap the heat generated by the sun and body heat from the bats. Dark paint is recommended to help absorb heat.

Placement: 15'-20' off of the ground on a pole or south facing building to take advantage of the sun's direct path. Trees should be avoided because they harbor predators and may shade the house.

Check out these links for more information about bats!

Organization for Bat Conservation

Bat Conservation International

Framed Chalkboard Hanger Workshop @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

Today we offered our 3rd workshop with Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River! This one was open to all ages and most of the attendees were "regulars", having attended all of the workshops thus far. This time we built and painted a framed chalkboard hanger and everyone got creative with orientation, hanger locations and paint! Check out the photos below and our previous tool box, bird house and hanging planter box workshops.

Photo Tour

Kid's Tool Box Workshop @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

Today we offered our second workshop with Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River! This time we focused it on kids who learned how to hammer together pre-cut pieces of pine into their own toolboxes. Then they got creative with paint to personalize their toolbox. Stay tuned for a DIY how-to guide so you can make one of your own! Also, you can check out last month's bird house workshop here.

Bird House Workshop @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

Today the company I founded, enerstructa llc, offered our first official workshop in partnership with Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River, Oregon! Due to high interest in the workshop, we actually taught 2 groups of 10 people of all ages how to build bird houses. Tum-A-Lum provided all of the materials and tools for the workshop. Prior to the workshop, I pre-cut the pieces of each kit and then participants nailed the pieces together to form the birdhouse. We also used drills to screw on the bottom pieces so they can be more easily removed to empty out the next each year. Finally, everyone painted their bird house, getting creative with the red, yellow and blue quick drying paint. Stay tuned for a DIY how-to guide so you can make one of your own!

Workshop Kick-Off @ Tum-A-Lum Lumber

Hey everyone, sorry it's been a while since my last post. I've been busy working on starting my own business, enerstructa llc, which offers EPS home verifications, energy consulting and carpentry & home repair workshops. I am partnering with a local business, Tum-A-Lum Lumber in Hood River, OR, to offer monthly workshops which will be held on the last Saturday of each month from 9-11am. Today was their Founders Day event so I was there tabling to kick-off the workshop series. Participants were able to learn more about upcoming workshops as well as build and take home a hanging planter box. It was so much fun teaching people to build, especially the kids as they caught on so quickly! Check out the photos below. I'm excited for the first official workshop in 2 weeks, on July 29th, where parents can bring their kids to build bird houses. Space is limited and sign-ups will be managed by Tum-A-Lum. Once the event is created, I will post a link here to register!