All houses built by GMHfH are five-star rated by Energy Efficiency of Vermont. But in the case of these two projects, Construction Committee members have sought to incorporate additional improvements to reduce the energy footprint of each. Working closely with Li Ling of Energy Efficiency of Vermont, inspection requirements have been met for drafts, air leaks, heat loss and more thanks to additional insulation throughout the house: vapor barrier between footings and walls in the basement; increased insulation at the concrete portions of the structure; two-inch foam beneath the slab for insulation and poly to isolate moisture. In addition to insulating the foundation, two-inch rigid foam blueboard rises up to the rafters along the entire outside wall of #4. Number 5’s 2X6 construction provides a larger interior cavity for insulation. All these measures taken together should help a great deal in creating a solid, air-tight house. And to balance the moisture, continuous duty fans are installed in the bathroom areas to exit excess moisture.

These houses, like all GMHfH projects, have been achieved by the hard work of talented and experienced volunteers.  Outstanding volunteers include architects who have worked to go far beyond house construction, to create a model for future building. For example, in the case of the Traya houses, Carl Frenning, volunteer architect, spent six months or more planning these structures to maximize energy efficiency; while Family Support and Family Selection leaders Jeneva Burroughs and Ruth Magill spent additional hours assessing the human factor -- how the house would actually function for the lucky family moving into the finished product. Such thoroughness (what my mother always called ‘going the extra mile’) is the current hallmark of quality of local GMHfH building – all achieved while keeping costs affordable for the home-owning family-to-be.

At the conclusion of each building season, Construction Committee members review and assess the year’s projects for lessons learned: what went well, and where efforts could be improved. At the conclusion of the current season, the experiences with these Milton houses will become the standard for building in 2010 and beyond.

For a variety of reasons, the final two houses (#4 and #5, as they are called within GMHfH) will both be completed by the end of October. At this writing, #4 has all windows, one external door and a fully shingled roof. Next up for #4 is hanging sheet rock. Meanwhile #5 is close to the same schedule, with sheet rock anticipated to be complete by early August. Workdays for #4 under the able guidance of Charlie Magill are Wednesday and Saturday; for #5, under Mike Welch’s practiced hands, Thursday and Saturday.

It is both exciting and gratifying to watch the process unfold and build upon itself from year to year: lessons learned, requirements exceeded, the personal touches and human element always in the forefront even as they strive to improve the efficiency and cost of each project. And, while reducing the energy footprint, providing a model for future construction. THAT is the GMHfH way!!!