photo of heavily treed building site

Straw

Phase change materials

Sustainable towers

Bees and biodiversity

Sustainable materials

by Andy Pearson.
On January 18, 2011, in Observations, by Bob Borson – What is creativity? That was the question presented to a group of us who participate in a event where we are write on the same topic. It is an interesting exercise and one that I take part of quite frequently. So what is creativity? That is a leading question simply because creativity can manifest itself in many forms. Writing this blog 3 or 4 times a week takes an obscene amount of creativity if I do say so myself. In an effort to help define what creative can define, let’s consider some synonyms:
I started thinking that creativity has more to do with how a person thinks, views, and processes information rather than their ability to draw or paint well. As a result I think some of the most creative people are scientists – people who don’t generally come to mind when the topic of creativity comes up. These are people who conceive of the unthinkable and envision the unknowable. People like Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr, and Robert Oppenheimer, among many, many others. If you are unfamiliar of these men and what they did, take some time and look them up on Wikipedia. If all you know is their work on the Manhattan project, you are considering only a small part of their story. Besides developing concepts that made things like the atom and hydrogen bomb a reality, these people were visionary thinkers.

TIP 1 – Re-evaluate the Space You’re Working With


TIP 2 – Get an Energy Audit

TIP 3 – Invest in Quality Over Quantity

TIP 4 – Use Lighting to Amplify Perspective

TIP 5 – Enhance Your Space With Color

Green Remodeler – Sarah Susanka

  • Buyer Benefits: Two years ago, Norm Abrams of This Old House stated on TV and wrote in articles that he wouldn’t build his own house any other way than with SIPs. See the reasons below
  • Builder Benefits: SIPs can be a little intimidating to builders who haven’t used them. But experienced SIP contractors sing their praises. Many have switched exclusively to panels,citing the following reasons for their decisions.

SIP Benefits for Buyers

  • Extremely strong structure. There is considerable evidence that homes with SIP wall and ceiling panels have survived natural disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, straight-line winds and earthquakes better than traditional stick-framed homes right next door.
  • Lower energy bills. Discounting the “human factor”-thermostat settings and so forth-a number of side-by-side tests show that between 15% and 40% less energy should be needed to heat and cool a home with SIP wall and ceiling panels. In tests by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, SIP walls outperform fiberglass walls by over 50%.
  • Improved comfort. Thanks to extra R-values and tight construction, the wall and ceiling surfaces in a SIP home will stay warmer than in stick-framed homes. The warmer those surfaces are, the more comfortable the home is.
  • “Freeze proof.” What happens if the power goes down? During the late 1990s, several New England SIP homes survived over a week without power or a wood stove and never came close to freezing.
  • Indoor Air Quality. While there is no guarantee here, most homes built with SIPs are tight enough that builders can’t ignore upgrading mechanical ventilation compared to that found in a standard home. In many studies in North American housing, the best indoor air quality is found in homes that are tight and equipped with upgraded mechanical ventilation.
  • Green building product. On a life-cycle basis, a more energy-efficient house built with SIPs will be less damaging to the environment, in terms of overall resource consumption. Much less dimensional lumber is used in a SIP home than in a traditional framed structure.
  • Interactive systems benefits: For example, a more energy-efficient home may cost slightly more to build but in turn can be heated and cooled with smaller equipment that costs less to install.

SIP Benefits for Builders

  • Speed of construction. You can order the panels with all pre-cutting performed in a factory. They show up on the jobsite all pre-numbered, ready for assembly corresponding to numbers laid out on a set of shop drawings. On most jobs you should be out of the weather and dried in sooner. Time is money.
  • Fewer framers. A crew can consist of one lead framer assisted by minimally skilled helpers. Whenever a job involves craning panels up to frame a roof, it helps to have two people familiar with panels: one on the roof and one on the ground.
  • Shell installation option. If you’re having a tough time locating skilled carpenters, a growing number of manufacturers have regular crews who will install a shell on your foundation for you to finish.
  • Rigid frame. It’s easy bracing SIP walls. In fact, once you have two corner panels up, you can lean a ladder against the panels when needed.
  • Less jobsite waste. If you’ve ordered a set of panels with all rough openings for windows and doors pre-cut at the factory, the only true waste you’ll have is taking a few cases of empty tubes of adhesive caulk containers to the dump. And the factory can efficiently collect and recycle their cut-outs much more effectively than you can at the job site.
  • Less theft. While 2x4s and 2x6s are prone to “walking off” unsecured job sites, panels are too specific to the site’s building system to be worth hauling off somewhere else.
  • Cost competitive. While most builders say they pay a little more for SIPs than for the comparable framing and insulation package in a stick-built home, as a group they believe the benefits are worth the costs. The amount extra they pay varies; while a few say it costs them an extra $1 per square foot of finished floor area, the amount may be higher when roof panels are used. However, when roof panels enclose extra living space in a loft, the price per square foot is surprisingly competitive. If at the design stage you optimize a structure to use panels, the most experienced SIP builders then say a house framed with SIPs should cost about the same as a house framed with comparably sized dimensional lumber, and maybe even a little less.
  • Easier to hang drywall. There is solid backing for all drywall against exterior walls, which means there is less cutting, faster attachment and less waste material.
  • Fewer framing callbacks. Wall panels go in plumb, square and straight. Once in place, a SIP won’t warp, twist or check.
  • Increased referrals. A fair number of small builders report their marketing efforts have decreased ever since they started using SIP building systems.

Stick frame has some benefits

  • Most construction trade people understand the system, no new learning or tools are needed.
  • Re-tooling is not necessary
  • Architects understand the system and can accomplish many difficult designs using stick frame and trusses.
  • Last minute changes during the construction cycle are relatively easy.
  • The system does not need to be explained to anyone.
  • Building Inspectors know what needs to be done and how to inspect it.

Stick frame also has some significant drawbacks

  • It is nearly impossible to insulate stick frame properly
  • There is insufficient trained trade labor to properly build with stick frame
  • It is extremely complicated as a structural system, with too many trades involved- too easy to miss the mark.
  • Moisture infiltration into the wall, roof, and ceiling systems almost assure mold and mildew problems.
  • The guys at the end (plumbers, electricians, HVAC guys) have a tendency to cut up the structure dangerously.
  • Structural material quality has eroded substantially over the past ten years.
  • It’s very easy to downgrade the specification without the owner’s knowledge.
  • It’s a thirty year system.
  • Cathedral ceilings are weaker, poorly insulated, and slow to build.Use beyond thirty years results in substandard housing.

In Addition, there are a number of excellent options

  • Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) exceed specification for stick frame in every respect (strength, insulation, tolerance) and can be used for walls, roof, ceiling, and roof.   They are pre-cut to fit on site and greatly reduce on site labor hours and skill levels necessary.  A 100 to 150 year system.
  • Steel frame is quicker and stronger.
  • Engineered lumber floor trusses are faster
  • Insulating Concrete Form (ICF) wall systems are stronger, better insulated, have good thermal mass, are quicker to build
  • Aerated concrete blocks are strong, have good thermal mass, and are quick to build with.
  • Cast in Place concrete is strong, has good thermal mass, and is a 150 year structure.

The Real Cost of Stick Framing

  • Poor constructionA short life span- under forty years
  • Over budget and not on schedule
  • Horribly insulated
  • Weak, especially in high winds or snow load