Hello everyone - Great forum. I've been reading here for a couple of weeks while designing my house, and found a lot of great info (although a lot to absorb, and my eyes are starting to cross!)
I'll be building my own house soon (I'm a working small homebuilder) and I wanted to run my idea through this forum. First let me say that my house may sound pretty labor intensive, but my labor's free and my building fund is shrinking!
Basics -
Northwest Florida, 1/4 mile from coast. Footprint= 30' x 36' all walls concrete filled cmu's.
2 Story - Lower level garage with 12" cmu walls, no wall insulation, "water-proof" surface bond cement inside and out (think termites, hurricanes and storm surge).
Upper level house - R20+ open cell spray in floor joists/rim board, R20+ open cell to bottom of roof deck - no vents, and my question is the walls...
My plan is, from the outide to the inside - vinyl siding, 1/4" foamcore (taped seams), 1 1/2" eps between 2 by firring (foamed tight), weathershield peel-n-stick, 8"cmu with waterproofing paint on the interior and exterior, and...thats it (?)
So I'm wondering if I really need to fir out the interior and hang drywall (other that asthetics- sp?). I'm going for the thermal mass benefit, and don't know if a 1" interior airspace will help or hinder that or trap moisture. I don't need it because I can run my electric in the block (Yeah I know - work).
By the way, this house has a clerestory in the middle with awning windows along with small fans that draft each room into the clerestory (hard to explain), and I'm using a mini-split system and small woodburning stove (and stand-alone dehumidifier). Like others here have said, we are the type of people that leave our windows open year round until the humidity or cold gets unbearible.
I'm wondering if I'm creating a humid interior environment and also if I'll benefit from the thermal mass. I've researched building science website and can't decide. By the way, I've also researched ICF's (for a long time) and decided against them - no offense!
Thanks for reading and sorry it's so long - this is our "forever house" (ever heard that one?- lol) and want to get it right on the cheap.....again - thanks for any and all comments! (I'll try not to be so long-winded with my responses).
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