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Subject:
From:
Mary Tegel <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
The listserv where the buildings do the talking <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:22:03 -0700
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John
You went right to the heart of the matter-- how does the heating atthe  
Grange support human activity. I am with you and I think the Grangers  
are too that heating per se includes ALL the components-- from the  
comraderie and winter urgency experienced in bringing in the wood, and  
all the steps from that to feeling the warmth. They have big and small  
gatherings there, and they burrow in to make their art (see Beehive  
Collective on the web). When I read about your marble-playing, I  
rembered seeing the artists: on the floor with their large canvases
on the floor too!  That's probably why they want floor heat!

I don't think we have to worry that decentralized heating will lead to  
isolation: they would have both kinds of heat. They love their  
gatherings(see Blackfly Ball on the web).

And, we both know that anyone who's ever lived with a free-standing  
woodburner goes to the stove no matter what.  And they do hunker  
around the stove when they do their art. It's just not sufficient on  
the shoulder days when a little fire to take the chill off. They don't  
live there-- but maybe they need a dwelling spot for a live-in  
woodstove tender.

If they were to install radiant floor heat, my questions (voiced by  
Rudy and others) are: how would they do that without compromising the  
structure or their glorious floor? Maybe their monster stove can
be retro-fitted to have a boiler -- but steam rather than hot water is  
better in a cold climate (freezing issues when the building is closed  
up). I think they need to talk about how they want to use the building  
and what are the consequent stewardship tasks. I think they're already  
talking now that they've had a few winters  ll try to seed their  
conversation with the excellent ideas that have come
from this group. And I will try to get a gig with them to write a  
building program, then match them up with the experts they'd need--  
engineering (what about the sprung floor etc.?) and the trades. I  
still think a JL workshop-something has promise.

In the end, it's up to the client. Meantime, for me it's a balance  
between know-how and hubris, when to speak up and when to go silent.

Yes, work safely and happily!

---Mary


hands-on impresario
Tegel  Design +  Planning

On Apr 21, 2009, at 7:06 AM, John Leeke  
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> >>It doesn't make sense to fire up the monster free-standing wood
> stove when it takes hours to heat the place. That would work for a a  
> big
> gathering.<<
>
> This indicates a conflict to me, between an old-timey way of life  
> and modern concepts of whole-building heating.
>
> The monster wood stove provides radiant heat at a central point in  
> the building, which brings people physically close together  
> promoting more intimate social interaction.
>
> If you install a spread-out heating system, say radiant panels  
> around the perimeter, then people will tend to disperse all around  
> next to the walls where it's physically warmer, but perhaps socially  
> cooler.
>
> The warm floor idea is interesting. I grew up in a house built in  
> 1951 that had radiant floor heating. During the long, cold Nebraska  
> winters and blizzards us kids spent a lot of time on he floor where  
> it was nice a cozy, rolling around, shooting marbles on the carpet,  
> "camping out" all night under blanket tents, etc. When one of us was  
> sick the doctor would visit and say our radiant floor was good  
> because the germs were not blown all around the house like a forced  
> hot air system would do.
>
> I can imagine coming late to a dance at the hall and finding all the  
> grangers rolling around on the floor.
>
> John
> m h h
>
> --
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