Cold on the first floor?

We've definitely had a cold snap recently, as most DCists can attest while standing outside to watch many of the outdoor inauguration festivities. This past Friday I was having lunch with my close friend, Megan, and we were discussing our personal sagas living and working in old DC homes that are frigid on the first floor, and hot on the second floor.
Megan is an architect (doing some really interesting things with her firm Suzane Reatig Architects www.reatig.com) so we got to talking about the reasons and solutions for drafty and chilly temperatures on lower floors in many old homes in DC. Conversely, summer time can be brutally hot when your bedroom is on the top floor of one of these old structures.
Beyond the obvious- that heat rises- there are several things that contribute to the temperature differentials in homes, as well as opportunities for mitigating them.
Most importantly, it's important to realize that air is constantly swirling around within a home. It moves through cracks in walls, holes in drywall, gaps created by light fixtures, and poorly insulated floors, walls and ceilings. Most often, the cold air comes up through a cold unconditioned basement or through a vented roof eave.
On any given day when the temperature drops below freezing, our apartment (which we rent) might just be colder than our refigerator :). Unfortunately, the original contractor put absolutely zero insulation in the walls and flooring. The result- coldness. The solution- seal the basement with an air barrier insulation. This type of insulation- which is often sprayed by professionals will not only insulate (like traditional fiberglass insulation), but it will also prevent air from traveling from those cold areas into your home. Additionally, several options exist, including a product called Icynene as well Bonded Logic. These products are superior to traditional fiberglass insulation because of their ability to act as an air barrier. Some of these products contain high levels of recycled content and or organic material such as cotton.
Of course, during a renovation, whenever walls are torn down, always consider adding insulation with thermal and air barrier properties between wall cavities and floor cavities. The insulation will help reduce the movement and entry of hot and cold air that create uncomfortable (and inefficient) temperature variations in your home!

Green Construction and Rooftop Jacuzzis

Yesterday my wife, Christine, and I began the long, slow process of finding a new home. With a baby on the way in a few months, we decided to start exploring some different neighborhoods and homes to get a feel for where our future residence may lie.
House hunting (or browsing) gives me an opportunity to see what other folks are doing to their homes, and often provides me with inspiration for future design and/or build ideas. Yesterday was no different, with one home in particular really setting the bar. Upon walking in to this particular town home, the allure was immediate. The style was mostly modern, with a sleek, clean steel staircase inviting the inhabitant upstairs into an open plan with fantastic southern exposure. Without going into detail, the house was well designed from the layout to the selection of finishes and appliances. Although it was out of our price range, Christine and I could easily see ourselves in this place.
As we walked out of the house, I grabbed a final flier, and noticed that the place was advertised as a 'green project'. I wasn't entirely surprised to see this. I had noticed that the recessed lighting consisted of compact fluorescent bulbs, and that the appliances were energy star-rated. Also, the place was fairly close to the metro, which is certainly a 'green feature'.
However, as I thought about this label, I remembered seeing the rooftop with concrete pavers... with a jacuzzi.. operating full blast. There we several other building materials that featured prominently that I know (from experience) embody a pretty high carbon footprint.
As we left the place, the flier left a slightly sour taste in my mouth. Without taking anything away from the beauty of the place, I was disappointed with the marketing, since this is precisely the sales mentality that endangers the meaning of green construction.
The problem is that green comes in different shades, and those shades can be difficult to evaluate in terms of environmental performance. The fact that the project did incorporate some environmental elements was definitely a good thing, but I don't know if I'd have the jacuzzi running full blast in freezing temperatures (with nobody in the tub) if I wanted to call the place 'green'..