Middletown Springs, Vermont

What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?

Built to LEED Gold standards, formal certification is in process. Achieved a "5 Star Plus" Energy Star rating. Built-in energy savings and high durability for long-term economical living.

Siting: surrounded by windbreak trees, snuggled in a small hollow facing south. Site for vegetable garden and room for animals. Commonly-owned conservation land borders two sides of the 5 acre lot. Beautiful and secluded, yet near neighbors and the village center.

Heating system: soapstone woodstove w/ direct vent combustion air. Dual flue chimney allows for a wood-fired cook stove to be installed, if desired. Rinnai direct vent propane-fired convenience heater. Passive solar orientation with majority of glazing facing south.
Cooling not required in this climate.
Highly energy efficient, only 1 cord of firewood heats the house for one season.
Integral woodshed provides under-cover access to firewood.
Heat recovery ventilator for constant, controllable ventilation.

R10 foundation, (XPS) R 30 walls,(cellulose w/ XPS on exterior) R50 roof (cellulose).
Marvin aluminum-clad double glazed windows with screens; tuned glazing having highest solar heat gain factor on the south and east elevations.
Advanced framing techniques to save materials and minimize waste. Almost no thermal bridging in walls. Tightly built and draft-free. Rain screen construction protects the solid wood siding. All exterior siding and trim pieces are painted on six sides.
Very long lasting steel standing seam roof.

Solar Domestic hot water w/ electric back-up.
Water saving fixtures, dual-flush toilets. Gravity sewer and private septic system.
Energy star refrigerator, dishwasher, and clothes washer. (Energy Star does not rate Electric range and microwave/hood included)
Exterior pulley clothesline from the back door and interior drying rack.

Grid-provided electricity, house is ready for individual roof mounted photovoltaics, however, a ground-mounted community net metering system may be more economical. Call for details.
Energy star lighting, including recessed led fixtures.

Pre-finished ash hardwood floors: no VOC’s
“Marmoleum”all natural sheet flooring in bathrooms.
Second floor ceiling natural spruce planks and beams. All other walls and ceilings painted sheetrock.
Low and no VOC paints and urethanes.
Low formaldehyde all wood maple cabinets: no particleboard. Countertops formaldehyde free.
Site- sourced wood accent elements: posts, beams and railings.

Property Description

Sundog Lane saltbox style house.

LEED certification and Energy Star rating pending
Built new in 2008.
1750 sq. ft., three bedrooms, 1 ½ baths, plus full walk-out basement and finished attic.

5 acre lot, drilled well, underground telephone and electric service.
Fourth home in a community of eight eventual homes

Neighborhood Description

Set on the outskirts of a small Vermont village, a 10-minute bike ride to the town green. This house is part of a planned community, the fourth of a possible 8 homes. The community owns 50 acres of conservation land, which borders all the lots on two sides. This is old farm land, last worked seriously about 25 years ago. Since then the meadows have been hayed, and the forest have been left alone. The larger community includes a library, two churches, an elementary school, trails and hiking club, town market and organic food buying group. All manner of outdoor activities are readily at hand.

Market Area

The house is located in Middletown Springs, VT, birthplace of "SolarFest" and home of a well-established, successful whole foods buying cooperative. Located about 1/2 hour from Rutland, VT and Granville, NY, and 40 minutes from Manchester VT. Green Mountain College, specializing in environmental education, is 10 minutes away.

School District

Rutland Southwest

Community

Sundog Lane Community

Location of Home or Land

Rural

Elevation of Home

Mountain

Energy & Water