#1920sMakeoverATL Learning + Showcase House [Building Science + Luxury Design]

History

For over 40 years, SawHorse has been known as “The Sign of Renovation in Your Neighborhood.” We introduced game-changing concepts in Atlanta, such as “Design + Build” and “Earthcraft House Renovation.” Now we demonstrate how ALL-Electric homes can be better for indoor air quality, human comfort and health, and low energy costs.

Design

We collaborated with our strategic design partners, LG Squared, known for “high performance” home designs.  We invited our top manufacturing partners and local certifiers to create this showcase house with the hashtag #1920sMakeverATL.  Rate It Green, the top green building rating directory, hosts the virtual tour, creates content for its members, and promotes our scheduled events.  We will build this house to Earthcraft House and Passive House standards.  Our partners will work with us to demonstrate how to make this home more energy-efficient, have clean indoor air, and go all-electric, making this house solar-ready.

Features

• Energy Efficiency–  This house will have more insulation than any other house in the zip code.  This will ensure minimal loss since the whole house will be wrapped on all sides with ROCKWOOL insulation.
• Luxury Design– High-Performance construction pairs well with luxury design.  We are partnering with the top brands such as Cosentino, Helvex, Georgia Blinds, and Interiors,
• Comfort– Energy efficiency does not mean comfort is compromised.  This house will have controls that maintain proper temperature and humidity for maximum comfort year-round.  Ductless mini-splits by Mitsubishi plus whole-house dehumidifiers by Aprilaire will keep the latent and sensible loads at their designed set points.
• Indoor Air Quality– Recent world events have brought terms like “filtration” and “ventilation” to our vocabulary.  We will make sure the air in the house is properly filtered with Aprilaire filters as it circulates through the house and as it enters our “fresh air” intake.  Energy recovery ventilation by Panasonic will remove the bad air while bringing in fresh air so the new owners can breathe easily year-round.
• Durable Design and Construction– This house was originally built 100 years ago and is in disrepair.  The materials and techniques that we are using will allow this house to last 200+ years.  The key is moisture management around the foundation, in the walls, and on the roof.  Moisture destroys buildings, and a well-designed system will allow a wood structure to last centuries.

Showcase House as an Evergreen Learning House

To show how this house works, we partnered with Mythos Media to create a 360-degree self-guided virtual tour of the house.  This means that you can follow along step by step with us through 3 major phases of construction.

The current tour shows what the existing house looks like.  We have created lots of content regarding what we have found behind the walls and some of the design solutions we have to fix the current problems in the house.  As we progress with construction, we will create 2 more phases for the tour, including pre-drywall and the final reveal.  You will be able to click on a button to phase through time to see how we fixed the existing issues on the house to ultimately create a high-performance masterpiece.

Most of the materials and designs are cutting edge, so that this tour will be live for 10+ years.  We will embed new content and updates once we get more feedback from the owners as they live in and enjoy the house.

Scroll to the bottom of this page to see all of the content already created for this house to teach others about resilient design and construction.

Structure and Building Envelope:

• Windows

• Exterior Doors

• Sheathing

• Framing

• Weather Resistant Barriers

Finishes:

• Hardwood Flooring

• Interior and Exterior Paint

• Bathtubs

• Gypsum

• Door Hardware

• Cabinet Hardware

Mechanical Systems:

• Water distribution

• Kitchen Ventilation

• Recessed Lighting

• Decorative Lighting

• Kitchen Appliances

Exterior:

• Roofing

• Siding

• Decking

• Railing

• Paint

• Stone Masonry

• Brick Masonry

• Landscaping

We just launched and already have lots of content created by our media partners and other content creators.

Webinars:

• SawHorse, Aprilaire and NWFA- “Humidity, Hardwoods, and Homes – The Building Science Approach to Protecting Your Investment”
• SawHorse, LG Squared and ROCKWOOL- “ROCKWOOL “Behind the walls” #1920sMakeoverATL”

Articles, Discussions @ Blogs:

Rate It Green:

• Our Path to Choosing Green Building Certifications: A Passive House and Earthcraft Home Renovation
• Common Framing Problems with Older Homes can Lead to High Energy Bills
• “Gas vs Electricity” Misperceptions Still Tipping the Scales?
• The Pre-Construction #1920sMakeoverATL Virtual Reality Green Building Tour is Live!
• Discussing Air Tightness and Blower Door Testing with Corbett Lunsford, Matt Hoots, and Chris Laumer-Giddens (Video)
• Asbestos Testing at the #1920sMakeoverATL Deep Energy Retrofit Project
• Radon and Vapor Control Layers in the 1920sMakeoverATL Showhouse: Pre-Project Testing (Video)
• Visit the #1920sMakeoverATL Showhouse with Chris Laumer-Giddens of LG Squared
• The Rheem ProTerra Hybrid Water Heat Pump – A Great Fit for the #1920sMakeoverATL Project (Video)
• Air Filtration at the #1920sMakeoverATL Showhouse – It Can Only Get Better from Here (Video)
• Going Electric for Heating and Cooling, and Water Heating, in a Residential Retrofit – #1920sMakeoverATL (Video)
• Showcase Opportunity – Join Matt Hoots on an Exciting 1920s Deep Energy Retrofit! Follow along with the #1920sMakeoverATL Project!

Videos:

Preconstruction- Design and Testing:

• FULL playlist of ALL of the videos created by SawHorse and partners
• Virtual Deep Energy Retrofit of 1920’s House in Atlanta, GA
• Leakiest House In Atlanta || Blower Door Test by Corbett Lunsford
• Mythos Media creates self-guided tour for Atlanta House
• Tour of 1920s Makeover ATL Project – Before
• Asbestos Testing to protect workers & homeowners from Mesothelioma
• Converting Furnace and Water Heater to ALL ELECTRIC
• The Importance of Air Sealing and the Leakiest House Ever Tested
• Advanced Blower Door Testing Tips for Historic Home Renovation
• Radon and Vapor Control Layers in a 1920s House || Clean Vapor
• Office and Sunroom Tour {Before}
• Whole house air filtration designed for PM 2.5 || Aprilaire MERV 13 Filters
• Too many levels in the existing basement || Simple New Design
• Basement Stair Renovation Plans || Too many stairs & A Surprise Under the Floor
• Come Learn about continuous insulation with ROCKWOOL || Behind the Walls
• Hybrid Heat Pump Water heat for 100-Year-Old House || Rheem

In The News:

Rate It Green Newsletters

• “Choosing Green Building Certifications: A Builder’s Perspective”  – July 2021
• Important Conversations about Electrification – June 2021
• The #1920sMakeoverATL Project – Now a Passive House! – May 2021