I think I'm building a house! - Page 8

Fordguy64 · 07-25-16, 08:41 PM

Thanks again to all that have added to this thread. I will be taking it all in and try to apply it all as much as I can.

Update on the selling of my house! The realtor stopped by today to help me decide on how to finish some of the projects and things in the house and she had all the good news I wanted. So the plan is to have this place on the market by spring! If it all goes as planned I should walk away with a good chunk of cash! Fingers are crossed!

We are currently working on trying to get funds together for a down payment on the property. I will keep you all posted

Fordguy64 · 03-13-17, 06:50 AM

Well the house is finally pending. Waiting on the buys inspections to come back and then decide what to do from there. I just emailed a local sips builder trying to get a general idea of cost. If I can get that out of him lol

We are still sticking with a ranch style house with a basement 3bed 2 bath. Nothing fancy just nice and energy efficient

Elcam84 · 03-13-17, 08:49 AM

Cool, progress is good. I wish more houses had basements. They are nowhere near as common common as some think. Last I saw any numbers it was only around 30% of houses in the us have them and that number is dropping fast as more people are moving to the inhospitable regions of the us like here in Tx.

If builders only realized how much energy a basement would save save a house here and it doubles the square footage of a house very cheaply. Course the cost of a house would go up considerably as they are already higher due to brick or rock exterior being required by code and only minimal siding allowed (usually 20% of the exterior). That brick also holds heat and radiates it into the house all night where as siding doesn't hold that heat.

Fordguy64 · 03-13-17, 11:18 AM

Brick is not required in my area. I would be going with metal roof and siding

DEnd · 03-21-17, 07:38 PM

I'm getting more and more leery on SIPs. My main concerns are that installers have issues with air sealing them at the joints, which then drives moisture to the exterior OSB causing rot. The other issue I have is that most (if not all) manufacturers don't have a way to repair them.

I recommend reading through Green Building Advisor and get a good handle on their issues, then have the contractor explain how he deals with them. This is a good article to start with: How to Make a SIP Roof Better | GreenBuildingAdvisor.com

Elcam84 · 03-21-17, 08:02 PM

The most experience I have with sips is with commercial construction. Chick fil a tried them for a short time and they were horrible. They didn't fit at all and required lots of time consuming rework on site and many places will not allow them for commercial applications. They were made to the plan by the sips manufacturer but anyone in construction knows the plans can never be trusted, one sheet shows one size another sheet says something different...

Remember there is nothing special all but sips they are just osb with a layer of foam inside. Just an extremely overpriced ice cream sandwich. I prefer 2x6 construction but use 2x4's for the studs. Reduces thermal bridging and sound transfer as well as easier to run wire than sips.

Fordguy64 · 03-22-17, 07:45 AM

Good info. I've currently been getting some prices on modular homes. I have a place locally I've been working with. They are pretty flexible on the level of finish. They are currently working on a quote that has the two extra bedrooms and bath not finished(just done to the studs)

I've also gotten a very rough quote on icf basement from another small local company. He said the average is usually 10-12$ a sqft of wall. That's them putting it up plus rebar,concrete, doors and windows openings. Obviously that's minus the slab for the basement floor and excavation. He said he can't quote excavation because of to many variables and that's totally understandable.

Will keep you guys posted as this all unfolds

DEnd · 03-22-17, 01:52 PM

Modular homes can be very good. When talking with the manufacturers I'd make sure they are putting in R-10 to R-15 continuous exterior insulation (or about 1/2 the whole wall R-Value). You could probably get away with a bit less, but I know that level works just about everywhere except for the coldest of climates. I'd also want some sort of guarantee about their level of air-sealing. Basically the same things I'd want from a site built builder.

Fordguy64 · 03-22-17, 06:22 PM

The place I'm looking at has r21 in the walls standard.. I'm going to ask about spray foam

DEnd · 03-22-17, 07:15 PM

I know it's a cost issue, but I would much rather have continuous exterior insulation. It brings the structure of the house more inside the thermal envelope, keeping it better conditioned. This increases it's longevity, decreases the possibility of rot (assuming levels are appropriate), decreases movement, and almost eliminates thermal bridging.

For example a 2x6 wall sprayed with closed cell foam (with a 25% framing factor) only has a clear wall R-Value of ~R-15. The 2x6 with well installed fiberglass batts will have a clear wall value of ~R-13. Adding 4" of XPS adds a bit more than R-16 to that.

I'd rather see you spend the money on more insulation where it matters than on fancier insulation.

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07-25-16, 08:41 PM	#71
Fordguy64 Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cincinnati ohio Posts: 338 Thanks: 40 Thanked 35 Times in 31 Posts	Thanks again to all that have added to this thread. I will be taking it all in and try to apply it all as much as I can. Update on the selling of my house! The realtor stopped by today to help me decide on how to finish some of the projects and things in the house and she had all the good news I wanted. So the plan is to have this place on the market by spring! If it all goes as planned I should walk away with a good chunk of cash! Fingers are crossed! We are currently working on trying to get funds together for a down payment on the property. I will keep you all posted

03-13-17, 06:50 AM	#72
Fordguy64 Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cincinnati ohio Posts: 338 Thanks: 40 Thanked 35 Times in 31 Posts	Well the house is finally pending. Waiting on the buys inspections to come back and then decide what to do from there. I just emailed a local sips builder trying to get a general idea of cost. If I can get that out of him lol We are still sticking with a ranch style house with a basement 3bed 2 bath. Nothing fancy just nice and energy efficient

03-13-17, 08:49 AM	#73
Elcam84 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: TX Posts: 275 Thanks: 2 Thanked 31 Times in 24 Posts	Cool, progress is good. I wish more houses had basements. They are nowhere near as common common as some think. Last I saw any numbers it was only around 30% of houses in the us have them and that number is dropping fast as more people are moving to the inhospitable regions of the us like here in Tx. If builders only realized how much energy a basement would save save a house here and it doubles the square footage of a house very cheaply. Course the cost of a house would go up considerably as they are already higher due to brick or rock exterior being required by code and only minimal siding allowed (usually 20% of the exterior). That brick also holds heat and radiates it into the house all night where as siding doesn't hold that heat.

03-13-17, 11:18 AM	#74
Fordguy64 Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cincinnati ohio Posts: 338 Thanks: 40 Thanked 35 Times in 31 Posts	Brick is not required in my area. I would be going with metal roof and siding

03-21-17, 07:38 PM	#75
DEnd Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: NC Posts: 117 Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 25 Posts	I'm getting more and more leery on SIPs. My main concerns are that installers have issues with air sealing them at the joints, which then drives moisture to the exterior OSB causing rot. The other issue I have is that most (if not all) manufacturers don't have a way to repair them. I recommend reading through Green Building Advisor and get a good handle on their issues, then have the contractor explain how he deals with them. This is a good article to start with: How to Make a SIP Roof Better \| GreenBuildingAdvisor.com

03-21-17, 08:02 PM	#76
Elcam84 Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: TX Posts: 275 Thanks: 2 Thanked 31 Times in 24 Posts	The most experience I have with sips is with commercial construction. Chick fil a tried them for a short time and they were horrible. They didn't fit at all and required lots of time consuming rework on site and many places will not allow them for commercial applications. They were made to the plan by the sips manufacturer but anyone in construction knows the plans can never be trusted, one sheet shows one size another sheet says something different... Remember there is nothing special all but sips they are just osb with a layer of foam inside. Just an extremely overpriced ice cream sandwich. I prefer 2x6 construction but use 2x4's for the studs. Reduces thermal bridging and sound transfer as well as easier to run wire than sips.

03-22-17, 07:45 AM	#77
Fordguy64 Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cincinnati ohio Posts: 338 Thanks: 40 Thanked 35 Times in 31 Posts	Good info. I've currently been getting some prices on modular homes. I have a place locally I've been working with. They are pretty flexible on the level of finish. They are currently working on a quote that has the two extra bedrooms and bath not finished(just done to the studs) I've also gotten a very rough quote on icf basement from another small local company. He said the average is usually 10-12$ a sqft of wall. That's them putting it up plus rebar,concrete, doors and windows openings. Obviously that's minus the slab for the basement floor and excavation. He said he can't quote excavation because of to many variables and that's totally understandable. Will keep you guys posted as this all unfolds

03-22-17, 01:52 PM	#78
DEnd Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: NC Posts: 117 Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 25 Posts	Modular homes can be very good. When talking with the manufacturers I'd make sure they are putting in R-10 to R-15 continuous exterior insulation (or about 1/2 the whole wall R-Value). You could probably get away with a bit less, but I know that level works just about everywhere except for the coldest of climates. I'd also want some sort of guarantee about their level of air-sealing. Basically the same things I'd want from a site built builder.

03-22-17, 06:22 PM	#79
Fordguy64 Journeyman EcoRenovator Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Cincinnati ohio Posts: 338 Thanks: 40 Thanked 35 Times in 31 Posts	The place I'm looking at has r21 in the walls standard.. I'm going to ask about spray foam

03-22-17, 07:15 PM	#80
DEnd Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: NC Posts: 117 Thanks: 6 Thanked 27 Times in 25 Posts	I know it's a cost issue, but I would much rather have continuous exterior insulation. It brings the structure of the house more inside the thermal envelope, keeping it better conditioned. This increases it's longevity, decreases the possibility of rot (assuming levels are appropriate), decreases movement, and almost eliminates thermal bridging. For example a 2x6 wall sprayed with closed cell foam (with a 25% framing factor) only has a clear wall R-Value of ~R-15. The 2x6 with well installed fiberglass batts will have a clear wall value of ~R-13. Adding 4" of XPS adds a bit more than R-16 to that. I'd rather see you spend the money on more insulation where it matters than on fancier insulation.