Deck Design of the Week
Green Building in Michigan
Today’s Deck Design of the week is a two-parter. We’re going to look at the before and after phases of building a green home that has some wonderful sustainable and eco-friendly features.
The mind behind this home’s beauty is Danny Forster, host of Extreme Engineering and Build it Bigger on the Discovery Channel. He’s also a Harvard grad and, as evidenced by the lake front home in Michigan, a heck of an architect.
Today, we’re going to see Danny take you through a behind the scenes look at how a Green home is constructed. This Omena Lake front home is also going for either Gold or Platinum LEED certification, so you can tell that there are some serious and revolutionary design and architectural elements being used for this home.
As you can also see, there is no shortage of ipe being used in this home. Danny Forster has used both ipe decking and ipe siding in ways that are, at once beautiful, but also eco-friendly.
Tomorrow, we’ll see the finished product. If you’re planning to build a green home or are curious about LEED for homes, you’ll definitely want to take notes. You’ll also get some wonderful design and energy-saving ideas that are truly unique.
We are replacing our sinking thrice mudjacked cement porch with an Ipe Ironwood porch and steps. I was upset to learn our contractor wants to use treated lumber for the substructure. If I touch treated lumber I get a rash and just walking by it makes me ill and groggy. Can the substructure be made of Ipe Ironwood? What would you reccomend? Surely the understructures of Ipe docks are Ipe. I realize it is harder to work with and costs more, but it will last longer and be better for the environment.
Lila, thank you for your inquiry. Hopefully, our conversation was informative. We will continue to provide you with assistance whenever possible. Best wishes with your deck building project.