Hello, I'm new to this forum and am hoping to learn some new info concerning energy efficient methods for residential applications. I am planning on building my retirement house in Haines Alaska (upper end of the inside passage) and have decided on using a modified version of the "Juneau House" http://www.buildingsciencecorp.com/designsthatwork/verycold/DTW_VeryCold_House_Plans.pdf
which uses Expanded Polystyrene in custom thicknesses for insulation. While SIP's might be a quicker way to finish the house it would be not practical in my instance because of the need of a crew and boom truck etc to position the SIP's. The Juneau House method of staggering the foam panels can be done by just myself and being retired I have more time then funds for this. My question is: Does anybody know of a good manufacturing source of EPS, preferably in the Seattle area, where I can order various custom thicknesses and densities to have barged up to Haines, AK?
Thanks for any help you can give.
Dave
Haines, AK

Dave,

Here is a web site I found in a quick search.  They show a EPS blower in AK and WA.

http://www.epsmolders.org/2-west.html

Good luck with your project.

Dave, I just attended Rich Seifert's cold climate retrofit class this last Saturday and I asked him about ICF my primary plan for a new (retirement) home in Wasilla. His coment was that concrete and foam are too expensive for the dollar return. He felt that the best was a double (offset set studwall) stuffed with celluose which is avaliable in Anchorage, but probably cheaper out of Seattle in your case.
http://www.uaf.edu/news/featured/06/cchrc/
At any rate I plan on building on a "frost protected shallow foundation".
Jim

Hi Jim,
Don't know a lot about the costs of ICF's but they do make a nice looking basement. Probably not necessary for your shallow foundation.

Thanks for the link to UAF.. was able to obtain a good deal of new info on what i am trying to do.
Dave