Obama or not...

I'm still skeptical of politicians and promises from them...but hey, at least my alderman was nice enough to answer my long-ass email and tell me he'd look into the funding issue. That's nice of him. :) Here's the response...

Mr. XXXXXX,

Thank you for your email regarding the Historic Chicago Bungalow program, and welcome to Portage Park! I was unaware of the funding problem you referred to until you called it to my attention. I will make an effort to work with the HCBA and DOE to try to find the funds necessary to implement the goals of this very important initiative.

My office has been in contact with the executive director of the HCBA and we will keep you apprised of any developments. In the meantime, if my service office can assist you in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Ald. XXXXXXX, XXth Ward

It's gettin' hot in here...I hope...

So, after assessing the insulation quote we got, and then (as previously mentioned) finding out that the HCBA had run out of funding for its Energy$avers grant this year, we decided that insulating the first floor brick walls can wait. First of all, it would cost us as much as it would to insulate the portions of the second floor that need insulation, in effect, doubling our ultimate bill. Secondly, I'm not entirely sold on the effectiveness of insulating the gap between the lathe/plaster and three wythes of brick. I mean, these bungalows were built originally to be energy efficient, in a sense...the brick is thick enough to keep the air out, and I'm not sold on the fact that foam is going to make a major difference, honestly. Maybe I'm wrong...if I am, and there's some evidence out there that supports it, please, let me know. I'm just operating on common sense here! :)

So, we're gonna get the floor in between the first and second floors filled with ProPink blown-in insulation, the knee wall on the slanted side of the roof insulated and house-wrapped (though I need to ask them about what that might do to the storage in the crawlspace--make it cold? make it "damp"? That would be bad. Also, there are two areas that we currently do not have access to in the corners of the dormered side. They'll cut an access hole in the wall to each and insulate behind there and under the floors there too. The only "disappointment" is that they can't get access to the flat dormered roof...I was hoping to have that insulated as well...particularly in the hopes that it would help to soundproof it, since we hear the rain falling on the roof a lot of times, and that's kinda distracting, particularly at night when you're trying to sleep. But they couldn't do it, apparently...oh well.

All in all, I'm hoping that this, coupled with weatherstripping the stupid casement windows up there (I HATE casements, especially since they have no storms and the screens are on the inside of the windows), will help us out on our gas bill, and possibly on our electric bill in the summer.

The insulation company did tell us that a lot of the upstairs is insulated and that the kitchen addition is insulated also. So that's good.

In terms of the Energy$avers grant, we're hoping that next year, we'll be able to use it to replace our water heater, furnace or see about installing some sort of energy-efficient central air system. The grant is awesome, and I'd like to get as much money out of it as I'm eligible for -- which is probably what everyone did this year, and that's why they ran out. It's not greedy...it's smart! :)

Anyway, the insulators are scheduled to come the week after Thanksgiving, so we might even get to feel some positive effects of all the insulation this winter. And that's good! So we'll see how it goes...I will certainly keep you all posted!

Taking action...

I decided to post the letter I wrote to my alderman regarding the Energy$avers grant money running out...if you're an HCBA member and feel as though this crystallizes your thoughts, you're more than welcome to "steal" it, change the info and send it to your alderman as well. It's a bit informal, yes, but I'm not "defiant" about this. I understand they run out of money now and again, I'm just hoping that he'll push for more funding next year, to prevent this. I back-dated the post to Nov. 2 as well, to help differentiate it in case anyone is searching for info on it, somehow.

Dear Alderman XXXXXX,

My wife and I recently (well, 1.5 years ago) moved into our bungalow just a few blocks from your offices, actually, and were really excited about getting our bungalow registered with the HCBA (Historic Chicago Bungalow Association) and the pride that went along with it, as well as, of course, the grants and whatnot.

This year, the HCBA launched an Energy$avers Grant program that tied their previous multiple grants together into one easy-to-use, very generous but very necessary program. It made it very easy for HCBA members to be reimbursed for energy-efficient home improvements, up to $6,000.

I'm not one to complain about free money, mind you. I very much appreciate the program. It's a WONDERFUL program, and it's great that the program helps those of us who are not "disadvantaged" as well as those who really need it, financially. Many programs don't do that, and it's nice that this appears founded on the idea of conservation/environment rather than class and status.

My wife and I had our first child earlier this year, and with winter approaching, we were concerned about a lack of insulation in our 8-month-old's bedroom upstairs. Insulation projects qualify for the Energy$avers grant. So I was excited that I would be able to do this home improvement, for all the reasons you can imagine, as a homeowner yourself, I'm sure.

When I contacted the HCBA, however, they told me that because of demand, the grant's funding had completely run out. I was shocked, and I'm quite a bit perturbed about it. Although my wife and I hold stable jobs and have steady incomes, we probably could not afford to properly insulate our home without the help of the Energy$avers grant. I'm sure there are folks who are in much more "dire straits" than we are in this realm. I've attached the letter they've sent out to people applying for the grant and I've also pasted in my correspondence with the very helpful XXXXXXX at the HCBA, below, for context if you need it.

I'm not writing to complain. I'm not writing to bash the HCBA or the city. In fact, quite the contrary. The HCBA has been marvelous, fantastic and great, and is a great, great resource for those of us who own bungalows in the city. I'm also not writing you to say that my wife and I deserve anything more than others (because, truthfully, there are people probably in more need than we are) or that we need someone to go to bat for us. Not at all.

I am asking, however, that you to do everything in your power to persuade your fellow council members and/or the mayor that this program needs additional funding, either emergency funding this year (apparently, HCBA has a backlog of people who applied for the grant already and have to WAIT for approval -- which is required for the projects they want funded -- to be eligible for the grant money), or simply more funding next year in response to this year's "run on funds."

I know that the city has been all over the news for deficits, layoffs, funding, etc. I know there probably isn't much money out there. However, at the very least, I hope that when budgeting rolls around in 2009, the bungalow owners of the XXXXX Ward (which are many, given the Bungalow Belt's swath through the ward) can count on you to make our case for additional funding. Energy efficiency helps not only homeowners, but also the utilities, the municipalities and the communities, when adopted across many households. This might be only a drop in the bucket, but for this city, which hasn't been top-of-the-line on recycling/conservation like many others, this would be a good "show of force" to convince some people to minimize their energy use.

I appreciate your time and what you do to keep our neighborhood clean, safe, friendly and a nice place to live. I grew up on the Southwest Side, in a neighborhood that was once like this, until gangs took over. That neighborhood hasn't recovered since, and it's unfortunate. I hope to be able to do my part as an adult to help keep Portage Park and the XXXX Ward as good as it is, for my family and those around me.

Thank you for reading this email, and all the best to you...

Sincerely,
Andy

Another insulation disappointment...

Let me start off by saying this: I'm not complaining. I'm not saying that we need financial help more than others, because, honestly, we don't.

However, I was disappointed to hear that, after I got a quote for insulating pretty much every exterior wall and the floor between the 1st and 2nd floors, that the Energy$avers grant that the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association (HCBA) offers has completely run out of money. Therefore, they're giving no other grant money this year. Meaning, we can wait until next year, but there's already a backlog of requests that get "priority" over any new request...basically, it's a "get in line" scenario.

Now, I love the HCBA...I've professed that in previous posts. I think it's an awesome, awesome association for an awesome cause. But I was kind of disappointed that they'd not said anything about it, particularly on their Web site (which, honestly, looks nice, but isn't updated that often and could be better in terms of content, overall).

So, I decided to write an email to my alderman, letting him know that I hope he can push for additional funding for this grant next year. I can't imagine actually NEEDING this funds from this grant to fix my bungalow and stay warm (like some disadvantaged folks might have to do). It's just a shame I won't be able to reap the overall rewards of having the whole house insulated this winter.

As such, I will probably have the insulation company come out and insulate all the 2nd floor stuff, as it's not as expensive as insulating the 1st floor (between the plaster walls and brick). Pending, of course, whatever else happens around here.

First time for everything...

I just went to the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association's Insulation seminar today and, for the first time on anything HCBA has done that I've participated in, I was quite disappointed.

I was late, but apparently so was the speaker, as he was setting up when I walked in, about 10-15 minutes in. But, that I can forgive...not a problem.

Problem was, he didn't seem prepared enough. He asked a few questions of the group to start, answered those questions and then just meandered, train-of-thought-style, through tangent after tangent, many not even touching upon insulation and air-sealing. Further exacerbating the problem was the thing I hate MOST about these types of seminars. People ask questions of the speaker during the presentation that are so detailed and specific that no one else in the room could possibly benefit from the answer. I HATE that. Not that those people shouldn't get answers to their questions, but wait until afterward or the Q&A session to ask that stuff. This only really tends to happen when the speaker simply can't command the room with a well-put-together presentation or speech. And that's what happened here, in my opinion.

I just recently got a quote from an insulation company on doing pretty much every wall and floor/ceiling on the 1st and 2nd floors, and I was hoping to hear some good info to let me know if every aspect is worth it, or if I can buffet-style pick and choose projects. So now we'll see...I'll have to figure it out.

I also need to find another good insulation company or two to get a quote from...I've had one company out here, and although I'm pretty cool with the price they quoted me, I'd like to get another perspective too. So we shall see!

Phew! Kinda...

After some searching, I found their city permit...it's not a teardown, thankfully.

Here's the description: INTERIOR ALTERATIONS AND A SECOND FLOOR ADDITION ON EXISTING 1 1/2 STORY HOUSE PER PLANS, INCLUDING REPLACEMENT EXISTING GARAGE WITH NEW DECK ON THE GARAGE AND AN OPEN PORCH AS PER PLANS

So now I'll have something to look at on my commute every day, and say either it's beautiful or it's totally ugly. I'll have to check some online architects too and see if I can find the plans. (Isn't it interesting, to some extent, that this stuff is public record? Who knew?).

Update: Even worse possibility...

I drove by the bungalow this morning and got a better look, because traffic backs up right there, and I believe my absolute worst fears came to a head: I think this is actually a TEARDOWN. I didn't sit there long enough to see or confirm it for sure, but it looked suspiciously like the back of the house had been torn out already. Hard to tell, but man, this will be even worse if they put up a whole new building or condos or some crap. More later, after I pass by again on the way home.

I don't know why, but this has virtually ruined part of my day. What does that mean? Does that mean I should be doing something else with my life? Really, it shouldn't be my business, and I'm not looking to make it my business, but what does this total disappointment mean? I can't figure it out...I shouldn't be affected by this as much as I feel I am, especially since I have no PERSONAL connection to the house. It'd be a different situation if, say, this were my former residence or my grandparents' house or something like that, but it's not. It's not even close to where I grew up and not very close to where I live now. So what gives?

UPDATE 7 p.m. Tuesday: Well, I drove by the house on the way home, went around the block and approached the house from the back. If it's not a teardown, it's a complete and total gut job. As best as I can see, there is nothing left inside, really, except the brick walls, the floors and a few support posts. However, the back is semi-closed off, so maybe, just maybe, this is a complete gut job. I'd almost rather see that than a teardown, even if it means an ugly-ass addition to the top and/or back. More as events warrant.

A bungalow scalped...

My daily commute takes me from the Northwest Side into the northern suburbs, and from where I am, I'm too far away from expressways to make them worthwhile. Though the traffic does keep me away too. So I take surface streets.

In the past, I've noticed a really cool five-home set of Chicago-style bungalows on the corner of Nagle and Palatine. There's nothing particularly special about them -- if you know anything about Chicago-style bungalows, they're very pretty, and this sort of "repetition" and "similarity" happens a lot, particularly in the city's Bungalow Belt.

Anyway, if you go to Google Maps and use the Street View function, you can see them. Well, today, I noticed, surprised, on the way home, that the corner house had the entire second floor (attic space) completely removed. It was basically the house was scalped. Now, I've seen pictures of this type of thing happening before on architectural sites and whatnot. But, to see a bungalow that you actually thought was kinda pretty-looking (at least outside--who knows what's going on inside) get just scalped with your own eyes, it was a bit on the jarring side.

I'm hoping against hope that this home will retain its bungalow flavor, especially for the simple sake of the fact that the five homes pretty much went together. Just like Chicago-style bungalows, several of them were carbon-copies, with subtle variations (see the gable roofs on each, for example). Together, they completed a beautiful picture. Furthermore, this is the corner house -- the focal point when coming from the north.

I'm hoping that this person is an HCBA member and has a real love for the Chicago-style bungalow and an appreciation for what his/her home means to the others next door. But I just have this sinking feeling that it won't be that way and some monstrosity of a top floor or addition or whatever is going to spring up on top of this thing. And, yes, this homeowner is obviously free to do whatever he/she wants, and who am I to judge, right?

But anytime I see a siding-clad, pathetic attempt at a second-floor addition or dormer, it saddens me ever so slightly. I really should have been an architect or an architectural historian or something along those lines. I'm sure most of you, who read this blog and have blogs along these lines would agree. I'm going to try to take pictures of this place some time, but given it's high-traffic, low parking-space location, I can't promise anything. And I'll be sure to post those pics if I get them.

For now, pray that my assumptions are wrong and that this place will only improve with whatever addition they're building.

Expo greatness, and some work finally done...I hope...

First of all, the Chicago Bungalow and Green Home Expo was FANTASTIC. If you did not attend, you missed out, seriously. They said there were something like 10,000 people there, and it sure seemed like they weren't lying. The exhibitors were wonderful, and we got some great leads and even some coupons and stuff on furniture, gardening places, tankless water heaters, stained glass windows, etc., etc.

One of the seminars we sat in on was a landscaping seminar, describing how they landscaped the front and side yards with a prairie replica and a rain garden with a french drain between the houses. This is, more or less, what I wanted to do with the area between my house and the neighbor to the west. Not all the way along the houses, but definitely where our downspout comes out into the grass. Hopefully, she will be keen on the idea, or I'll just have to dig on my side of the property line. Either way, I got some great guidance for that project, so I'm psyched about it. All in all, it was really, really good. I even got some serious interest on the side "business" I was thinking of starting with a coworker. I didn't walk around promoting it, but I did bounce the idea off folks who seemed as though they might be interested, and they were. So, I'm excited about those prospects now too.

After the Expo, we had a Halloween party to attend...everyone voted me the party winner for my excellent White Goodman (from the movie Dodgeball) costume. I cobbled it together, drew and constructed the chest plate and belt "buckle," (Gina sewed the shoulder pads to the shirt...thanks honey!) and generally did a great job, honestly. Thanks, Luis, for the boots...they were perfect! Here's a picture of me and Gina, who played Kate Veach, the chick from the same movie:

This morning I woke up and decided today was the day to patch the concrete around the stairs and the wing walls as best as I could. So I went to Home Depot and bought some simple Portland Cement and filled in the cracks and attempted to rebuild the crumbled portions of the wing wall foundation. Here's a pic of my haphazard attempts at holding the concrete in place...also, obviously, I don't care if the cement matches the concrete or not. I just care that it is solid and doesn't let anymore seepage into the basement room underneath the stairs. We don't get much, but if water gets in these cracks and freezes, it'll get worse before it gets better.

So we'll see tomorrow how it holds up...if it holds up at all. :) Oh, and last but not least...Gina learned a hard lesson about why you don't leave a real pumpkin out on the porch before Halloween...at least the squirrels got to it before the neighborhood kids did. That may have ended up being worse.

Thank you, HCBA...

...because of you, I no longer have to deal with a side-by-side fridge.

Today, we went and bought ourselves a new fridge with the HCBA's appliance voucher. Here's a picture, and a link to the site. It's a really nice fridge, obviously. We had a little money saved up too, so we were able to splurge. Thanks to all of you who gave us any kind of monetary gift for our housewarming--you can see where the money went! :) Seriously, though, I'm sure I thanked you, but thank you again. We get our beautiful new fridge on Thursday.

Now, we need to do something with the former fridge. You see, it's a really nice fridge, and it isn't that old, I don't believe. It works perfectly fine...for someone who wants a side-by-side. I CANNOT live with it. Personal preference, of course. So, we're not even putting it in the basement to replace the ancient top-freezer fridge down there. What's the point? If it's going to be a storage-only kind of fridge, what could we truly store in a side-by-side, really? Sheet cake? NO. Frozen pizza? NO. Leftover pizza? DEFINITELY NO. So screw it. I think we'll just clean it out a little more (it was cleaned when we moved in) and sell it...if I can get a few hundred bucks for a nice fridge (did I mention it has a wood facing on it...to match cabinetry?), then that's fine with me.

So if anyone is interested here and can wait a little bit, please let me know...you'll have to pick it up yourself, sorry...but it's a good fridge (for those who can deal with side-by-sides).

Otherwise, I've spent much of the down time this weekend researching stuff for my aquarium...more than doing house stuff, that is. Although, in an indirect way, that is house stuff, since it'll lead to the 125-gallon tank being taken care of sooner than later. Anyway, for those who like pictures, here's one of my 38-gallon tank, for which I just bought a new, brighter light fixture (since all the plants except for the really tall one on the left are live plants).

So that's about it for now. More as further events warrant, of course. :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Round One: Bungalow 2, Roofers 1...

So, the roofers have been out and did a solid job from what I can tell in terms of quantity of work done. Although I can't tell much, since I can't actually get up on the roof. Here's a pic taken by my mother-in-law mid-day to give you an idea of the madhouse it is, apparently, when roofers take over the outside of your house. :)

That said, they made a big boo-boo today (thus the score of Bungalow 2, Roofers 1)...we'll see how the owner responds. If he's as reputable and as good as I've heard and as his company's supposed to be (it was a recommendation too), then I'm guessing there won't be a single problem.

If he's an ass, well, we have pictures. ;)

Also, but in the good news department, we received our Appliance Voucher from the HCBA (really, from the city through the HCBA), so we can go out and buy a new refrigerator now! No more stupid side-by-side (some people like them, I can't STAND it, particularly the freezer). Hooray for that!

Benefits of being certified...

Well, I'm about to leave for a four-hour seminar hosted by the Historic Chicago Bungalow Association on "Caring for Your Bungalow." It's a hands-on seminar at an actual bungalow...they're supposed to show how to take a survey of the bungalow and develop maintenance plans and such. Should be interesting to say the least. Hopefully it won't be a waste of time...though I doubt that is the case.

Meanwhile, things have moved along...planted a garden, of which I'll post pictures sooner than later (just like I said I'd post house pics too, right!), and have pretty much narrowed down our list of roofers to the guy we want to use. Same with the windows. Now we just have to call them and figure out when all this can go down. More later...