So many choices
Last Post 22 Jul 2019 01:43 AM by Unretarded. 2 Replies.
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mean-geneUser is Offline
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18 Mar 2019 09:31 PM
I am building a new home in northern MN next spring and keep tossing back and forth various ideas and just want to get others opinions and maybe see if there are things I haven’t taken into consideration. My plan is to build an ICF basement and then either full ICF above grade, or 1.5” Zip R with R21 batts / smart poly, or just traditional light construction. I’ve thought of exterior rigid insulation but with adding exterior jamb extensions and strapping for LP smartside, just not sure if that’s the better option either. I’ve taken cost, parallel r-values, durability, sound, etc into consideration and they all seem to have pros and cons just not sure what is overall the best score. The other question then would be regarding the attached garage (semi-heated space with a unit heater). Use IcF foundation or CMU block with rigid foam. This is my forever home and want to build it right. Thank you for your insight!
rvalueUser is Offline
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19 Mar 2019 12:12 AM
If durability, noise reduction, and/or disaster resistance matter at all to you; use ICF for the above grade walls.
Furthermore, if you are targeting a particular ACH, and hiring contractors unfamiliar with paying attention to such details; ICF eliminates many of the chances for error. DIY with plenty of time is another story....you can probably do pretty well sealing it up.

For an occasionally heated garage skip the foundation insulation and spend the money you save on the home's insulation. If it will always be heated, but just to a lesser degree; you are still probably better off putting insulation under the slab than on the foundation if your budget is tight. But don't forget to insulate the edge of the slab.
Details matter!
Jake Vierzen
R-Value Homes
Grand Rapids, MI
616.299.3654
UnretardedUser is Offline
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22 Jul 2019 01:43 AM
While many thing influence what we do,.....you need to figure out a goal and then pick based on what accomplishes the goal in the manner you want.


For me it was performance, so I selected the cheapest way to get the most performance to meet my goals of reducing monthly bills to a minimum, while not shooting the moon on budget. I also wanted some durability.


Everyone climate/circumstances are different, but here is what I selected,.....just getting ready to break ground on it...….


Double wall construction,12 inches thick cellulose,....simple, easy and cheap...….Foamboard on the outside with a radiant barrier, then furing strips and wood siding over the top...….windows and doors account for about 50% of your heating and cooling load, so no reason in my situation to do more than about R-50 in the walls. My climate is mixed humid zone 4 Kansas,...….about 0 in the winter and 100 in the summer......if it was 40 below winter and 120 summer temps, I might have done more....but at a certain point it costs a lot to do more and the monthly bill savings is not much after a certain point.


This will let you play around with different construction options to see how it reduces monthly bills for all types of construction...…

https://beopt.nrel.gov/

If that's your sort of thing, it provides some great info on savings VS costs...….
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