| Comments |
In a 32'x48' home, the doubled walls are 48' long by 6." an "extra" sunspace wall is
there anyway if you have a "sunroom." only the inner north wall is "extra" - 24 sq. ft.
in enertia homes, insulation is not critical - it does not work by heating or cooling air
and trapping it inside. it heats the timbers, which radiate heat to you in winter. in
summer the key is to avoid buildup of heat. heavy timber is not a fire hazard. after all,
which burns faster - a 2x4 stud, or a 6x6 timber?
qdewill on 2009, 10, 12
Love the ideas of these homes, not because i'm am so retarded as to believe in global
warming but the savings in energy bills would be great.
kdogksw on 2009, 10, 12
The use of heavy timber takes care of the fire problems that occur with 2x4 construction.
the airflow combats the liklihood of any mildew, although in really humid climates some
dehumidification might be used. and as for the timber, trees are replanted - many times
more than used. proper timber growing and harvesting processes are used, and while the
trees grow the clean the air. once in the house, their carbon content is sequestered.
qdewill on 2009, 04, 04
If there were no "envelope" in this house, this statement might make some sense. but,
with the "envelope" the house has its own buffer climate so that the true cold outside
does not penetrate enough at night to counter the warmth stored by the wood during the
day.
qdewill on 2009, 04, 04
It's a very interesting idea that might be worth developing for milder climates? the
concept of the envelope house was tried in the late 70's in wisconsin but had too many
drawbacks to catch on such as fire being able to travel through the wall cavities from
basement or crawlspace to attic (building code now requires fire dampers), mildew odor
during humid weather, and the advantages didn't justify the additional cost of
construction. and it does use too much lumber to be truly "green".
markhinr on 2009, 03, 23
|
|
