LEED update

Bottom line: If anyone tells you LEED is impossibly difficult and you should pay them lots of money to help, they lie. If they tell you it takes some care and planning but you can do it yourself, they tell the truth.

Conservation Services Group paid us a house call today (more like an apartment call), and we had a meeting about our checklists, durability issues, and target levels. CSG agrees we should shoot for a Silver rating, with an estimated point level of 70. Our checklist calls for some special planning, but most of the items are covered by careful ductwork and SIP design. the geothermal heat system helps. We will have to build a good quality fireplace (would have, anyway). We will need to provide ventilation for the house (had to, anyway). And we will need to measure some things, like amounts of waste on the project (with SIPs, minimal). But here you go: If you build with SIPs, chances are you can get certified. With a little effort, you can get silver. If you stretch for every point, you can reach gold. And if you're rolling in dough and can afford all those special things like salvage flooring and beamwork, you could probably reach platinum.