UPDATE TIME

The Seattle Department of Construction and Development got back to me, and my official intake date is May 31st.  What the hell does that mean?  It means that my design team and I have to have every single detailed drawing, etc. submitted on that day.  Then the city goes over our plans and makes corrections (if needed) based on the rules of construction for the city of Seattle.  Other cities and towns have their own building standards and codes, so this process is unique to each location. 

I have been debating about whether or not to go with traditional stick construction vs SIP (Standard Insulated Panels).  They each have pros and cons.  I am going to a SIP manufacturer in Puyallup (Premier SIPs Building Solutions - Stronger. Straighter. Greener) for a tour of the plant and hope to get all of my questions answered as it seems architects/designers, green build peeps think the panels are great (long term energy efficiency) but can't answer any of my practical questions about long term care, install and retrofit possibilities.  I'm pretty excited for the tour and hope it helps me make a quick decision.  

I also plan on interviewing Puget Sound Solar (Solar Energy Solutions | Puget Sound Solar LLC) to find out if solar is truly beneficial or if it is about bragging rights.  I have a cabin in Ocean Shores and had a family-owned wind turbine install business come out to put together a quote for installing a wind turbine as the ocean is incredibly windy and wind power seemed a good idea.  They told me it would be $100,000 to install and $1,000 per year in maintenance (my place has 1,200 square feet of living space so not big.)  I said 'no fucking way' as that amount is bullshit...it would never pay for itself.  There are companies in California that are installing wind power in neighborhoods for $8,000 per house and that was 20 yrs ago.  I guess we need more family-owned businesses doing this kind of work in order to throw off those monopolies.  I am still not sure if install fees, maintenance fees and replacement fees are worth the cost of installing solar panels.  If it costs $10,000 to install, $500 or more for yearly maintenance and $10,000 to replace panels and I only make $300 per year in energy-buy-back from the city and some kind of one-time small energy efficiency tax rebate, then how is that economic?  At that point it is just bragging rights and not worth it to me. 

Remember those crusty old doors I told you about a few months back?  Well, Alberto is here, and he is making those doors beautiful again.  These are the two doors I saw leaning against the house of one of our neighbors on 22nd.  They sold them for me for $25 each but I paid $50 each because these doors are amazing, and I am looking forward to seeing what they look like when Alberto is finished with them.  My stain-glass lady is ready and starting the stain-glass art which will replace the glass that is currently in the doors.  So cool!  Below are images of what the doors look like now and I will post what they look like when Alberto is finished with them and then again when the stain-glass is installed.