if your going to build a new home

[heehaw]

i have an offer to make you folks: i have attempted to send folks to a guy here in Arkansas, that is doing some pretty good things for folks all around the country...saving them mega bucks on their heating and cooling bills..dougrye.com
anyway, i have purchused his video, dvd format: if you are about to build a house, and would like to view this video...let me know and i will send it to you...watch it, take notes, and return it...i think he can save you some $$$ on heating and cooling your new home, no matter what part of the country you live in. don't get me wrong, i get nothing out of this, and there are a lot of his things, that i really disagree with..like if natural gas is available, thats what i am going to heat with..where he says all electric is the best way..watch the video and make up your own mind.
heehaw

 

[Gary_in_Indiana]

My PM is already in your message box. Thanks. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[slowzuki]

I didn't read too far into it but a really energy efficent designed house cuts way more in costs than any possible efficent heating system.

Building with:
double layer offset 24" centre 2x4 construction
fiberglass and vapour barrier
putting a vestibule on all entrances
minimizing north,east and west side glazing,
even minimizing south glazing
Insulated foundation

2000 ft2, 2 storey built like this will cost very little (like 20-30$ a month) to heat or cool on electric. You will need an air exchanger though because it is so tight.

Be careful solarizing a super insulated as it can overheat quickly. You can't use a regular furnace either as it is WAY TOO BIG! 5 kW of electric heat is just enough in Canada for this type of house.

 

[_RaT_]

I'm currently in the planning stages. I have the plans, now I am fine detailing them. I need an engineers stamp here in California. We also must meet what is called Title 24, a standard we must meet . It is a sum total of points awarded for various things like high effieiciency furnaces, high SEER AC, low E windows etc. We have to mee t the title 24 requirements or we can't build it. I am planning on building our house out of Nudura ICF. I will check the website you mentioned. I am always looking for ideas. Rat...

 

[heehaw]

i think you would really be surprised to see this guys recommendations: not sure what part of the country your in, but for this area, Arkansas: 4 inch walls; with cellulose instead of fiberglass...he makes a good case for the cellulose.
heehaw

 

[slowzuki]

Cellulose, fiberglass, whatever, basically high r-value insulation.

I'm a firm believer in good insulation and design, however, the shop we are building is limited in this area because it won't be heated to the same difference in temp from outside.

We will be burning wood to heat water and heat the floors hydronically, super insulated houses and in-floor heat don't match as the floor will be barely warmer than the room.

Our house will be different, it will be well insulated and maybe heated by a small ground source heat pump.


I have seen some good comparisons between superinsulating and solar and other novel techniques. Good design and superinsulating is so much cheaper it ain't funny! Double 2x4 walls are almost the same price as the 2x6 16" centre walls common here to get the r-value. The double layer wall cut out cold short circuits so you get more than a straight thickness gain.

 

[RSKY]

What do you mean by double 2x4 walls?

 

[ScottAR]

I read his articles regularly in our local utility newsletter.

The Cellouse or Foam is right on and quite a bit more efficent than fiberglass as both have thousands more pores per inch of thickness. They also fill in all the crooks and crannies fiberglass doesn't.

Continous vapor barrier.

Radiant Roof decking which is basicly plywood or OSB with foil on one side.

High efficency windows.

Caulk anything that doesn't move out of the way.

Pretty simple. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[GerardC]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What do you mean by double 2x4 walls? )</font>

Sistering the 2x4's together. Gerard

 

[johnday]

GerardC; Sometimes it's done like that. But why not just use 2X8's to start with? You'll also gain an extra 1/4" that way. I've seen the 2X4 studs staggered, effectively doubling the wall thickness. Think of your outer stud wall, then the staggered section is another stud wall with the studs staggered so they fall in the center of the previous studwall cavities. This way you don't transfer heat to the inner wall thru the studs. A one piece stud whether wood or steel will conduct heat inward/outward thru the wall. Then, if you blow in cellulose, you'll have isolated any heat transfer. Cellulose is great stuff. I've used it in the last couple of houses I've done and it really makes a difference.

By doubling up the wall though, you have to greatly extended window jams. You can also have the drywallers, you know, the roofers that fell off the roof /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif, make drywall returns to the window jams. Or you can extend the jams yourself with the same material as the window maker uses, and have some nice deep window sills. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Clear as mud?