KAYLOR BUILT, INC.
Portland, Oregon
Article from the Portland Oregonian
April 3, 2003
LITTLE RANCH IN THE BIG WOODS
Author: RUTH MULLEN - The Oregonian
Edition: SUNRISE
Section: HOMES & GARDENS OF THE NORTHWEST
Page: 12
Estimated printed pages: 4
Article Text:
Summary: A forest setting sets the tone for a conservation-minded remodel
The winding drive lined with 100-year-old cedar and fir trees took their breath
away. Never mind that the house itself had suffered so many add-ons over
the years that they had trouble finding the front door. Cheryl and Jim Coon
were sold before they even stepped inside. "The setting just blew us away,"
says Cheryl. "In August the foliage was very lush and full and a lot of flowers
were out."
The Coons made an offer that day on the rambling 1953 daylight ranch, nestled
deep in the forest a stone's throw from Forest Park. Both attorneys couldn't pass
up nine acres of forest eight minutes from downtown Portland. Jim, an avid bike
commuter, could pedal a good portion of his trip through Forest Park. And
Cheryl knew the woods offered an endless playground and open-air classroom
for their children, Eli, 11, and Nora, 14.
As for the house, well, they knew it needed some updating, especially the living
room; small, drafty windows and uninsulated walls made it one of the least
comfortable places in the house.
But they also wanted to be sensitive to the environment while remodeling, even
if it meant an extra drain on their budget.
Over the years, both Cheryl and Jim had worked on environmental protection in
a variety of ways, she with endangered species, he with the Clean Water Act. And
Cheryl, a longtime legal advocate for the spotted owl, was adamant that not a single
virgin fir tree be cut for materials for their eight-month remodel. Their dilemma?
The couple both love the look of natural wood - Douglas fir, to be exact - and
wanted to fill their new home with it.
Ultimately, they chose reclaimed fir, far more expensive than freshly cut lumber,
and the single most expensive item in their remodeling budget. But both agree
the home's custom fir trim and cabinetry was money well spent, and is probably
its most stunning feature.
"It defines the project," says Jim. "Everywhere you look is wood. I like the holes
in it, the blackened wood around the nail spikes, the so-called imperfections that
give it all its character."
Even their four-paneled doors were hand-crafted from salvaged old growth, the
rich vertical grain and random nicks and scratches adding a singular beauty that
comes only with age. Their next challenge: finding an architect who shared their
passion for sustainable building.
"We were only going to do this once," says Jim. "We know that this house is where
we're going to stay until we can't manage it anymore, so we were going to do it
right."
They took an immediate liking to Greg Acker, a longtime Portland architect who
in 1992 constructed the city's first demonstration "green house," now the staff
architect for Portland's Office of Sustainable Development. Acker, in turn, hooked
them up with contractor Matt Kaylor of Craftsmen Unlimited, who specializes in
green remodeling. (Note: Craftsman Unlimited is now Kaylor Built, Inc.)
Acker made sense of the home's hodgepodge of add-ons. A real stumbling block
was a greenhouse that doubled as the main entrance - one that was sweltering
in summer and chilly in winter. Other challenges included a dark, inefficient
kitchen, and living room windows that failed to take full advantage of the rolling
acreage just beyond the front door.
"The view was new to us, and we wanted to see it all the time," Cheryl says.
After three designs and months of discussions, the Coons decided to scrap more
complex architectural plans and stick to the original footprint of the house. Both
had read "The Not So Big House," by Sarah Susanka, and were conscious of not
creating more rooms than they really needed.
"I don't like living in houses that make you feel intimidated when you walk up to
them," Cheryl says. "I wanted it to stay a little house in the woods."
In the end, they simply opened up walls and changed circulation patterns to make
better use of the living room, kitchen and dining areas. They also embarked on
an extensive interior face-lift that included hydronic-heated tile floors, all new
windows and custom fir trim.
The main wing - about half of the 3,400-square-foot house - was to be essentially
deconstructed, sorted and reconstructed again. This way, original beams could
be salvaged and reused, and waste minimized. Anything that couldn't be reused
was broken down, sorted and taken to the Rebuilding Center in North Portland.
Even the endless piles of pulled nails were sorted and recycled - a five-gallon
bucketful by the end.
"It was definitely a process where we explored other things and came back to
the original house," Acker says. "The lesson of this house was restraint, and
knowing when to stop."
As a result, many of the most costly changes were significant but not flashy: a
new metal roof, skylights, wall insulation, a gas-powered heating and cooling
system to replace the old oil furnace, and energy-efficient windows and doors.
In addition, the Coons landscaped with native plants and screened the garage
with more than a dozen trees and shrubs so visitors wouldn't keep mistaking
it for the main house. They ripped up a blacktop driveway and concrete pathways,
reusing the concrete as landscape retaining walls. The new design also took
advantage of passive solar heating by opening up views to the south.
Perhaps no one appreciates this nature-powered warmth more than the three
family dogs, who know all the best spots for a sunny afternoon snooze.
"We really just wanted it to be an enchanted house in the woods," says Cheryl,
adding: "They can bury me here."
Ruth Mullen: 503-294-4059; ruthmullen@news.oregonian.com
Green features:
*Lumber from deconstructed house now frames new spaces. Remaining materials
donated to the Rebuilding Center.
*Hydronic in-floor and radiator heating replaced oil furnace.
*Opened south side of house for passive solar effect, added skylights for additional
light in the forest setting.
*Nine acres restored and maintained as native forest.
* New energy-efficient windows and entry doors.
* Clean-burning wood stove in living room replaced an old wood stove.
*Renovated on-site wastewater disposal.
*Permeable driveways, paths and parking areas, allowing rain to
percolate down and avoid runoff to nearby Balch Creek.
*Cabinet frames made of wheatboard, a wheat-straw material.
*Blown-in cellulose insulation made of recycled newspaper.
*Recycled Metro paint on exterior.
*Low-toxicity interior paints.
*Removed asbestos floor tiles.
Caption:
9 Color Photos by SERGE McCABE - of The Oregonian staff
Copyright (c) 2003 Oregonian Publishing Co.
Record Number: 0304010090