Building a new home, any advice on best insulation methods?

[jaspermac]

We foamed ours last year. Open cell all around. We needed 2 units and the foam reduced it down to one unit. We had one bill that was around $120, everything else was ridiculously low. Get an updated thermostat that will tell you the humidity of the house and will allow you to do a manual dehumidify. Ours is a carrier brand.

[Gummi Bear]

I like closed cell foam insulation.

The guys who mentioned needing to get with your AC guy above, are spot on. Since your house is now basically a walk-in freezer, controlling your humidity will be a factor to consider. Where you are will determine what you need. Active humidification may be necessary during part of the year, with dehumidification for another part. With a truly air tight structure, you really are in control of the interior climate.

I am not necessarily attached to conventional stick framing these days either.

SIP panels are pretty freakin awesome, and strong enough to allow you to make some tremendous free spans for open floor plan concepts. It is mind boggling how quickly the house goes together with them. (One was dried in, including roof in one week!)

ICF is another neat method. Basically you wind up with a concrete house, with closed cell foam on both sides of the concrete panel.

I've worked on a couple of each style. For exterior finish, you can do pretty much anything. One was cultured stone, another was a stucco finish, and a couple were sided with Hardiboard. Brick or natural stone wouldn't be any issue with either, if that is your preference.

[GUT_TRAIL]

Well ok I'm pretty sold on foam. But open or closed cell? I have an open cell guy coming today but lots of folks seem to favor the closed cell. Thanks

[GUT_TRAIL]

The sprayers I have talked to are basically pushing open cell foam. Due to cost

[txfireguy2003]

I like closed cell foam insulation.

The guys who mentioned needing to get with your AC guy above, are spot on. Since your house is now basically a walk-in freezer, controlling your humidity will be a factor to consider. Where you are will determine what you need. Active humidification may be necessary during part of the year, with dehumidification for another part. With a truly air tight structure, you really are in control of the interior climate.

I am not necessarily attached to conventional stick framing these days either.

SIP panels are pretty freakin awesome, and strong enough to allow you to make some tremendous free spans for open floor plan concepts. It is mind boggling how quickly the house goes together with them. (One was dried in, including roof in one week!)

ICF is another neat method. Basically you wind up with a concrete house, with closed cell foam on both sides of the concrete panel.

I've worked on a couple of each style. For exterior finish, you can do pretty much anything. One was cultured stone, another was a stucco finish, and a couple were sided with Hardiboard. Brick or natural stone wouldn't be any issue with either, if that is your preference.

My brother did an addition to his house a few years back, or I should say, WE did it with the ICF. We more than doubled the size of his house, from about 1400sf to over 3000sf with an upstairs and half basement (basically, it's now three levels, game room is half underground, original house is on grade, master suit, nursery, laundry above game room). We placed the ICF blocks ourselves, basically like leggos, tied the steel ourselves etc, then had a contractor come out and pour the concrete and another one to do the interior/roof framing/drywall etc. His electric bill, in an all electric house, went down! If you build an entire house out of ICF, you basically end up living in a concrete walled styrofoam cooler. Warm in winter, cool in summer, and you don't need much HVAC tonnage to control it at all.

[elkbowhunter]

heard some good and bad things on spray foam. For sure it can be done wrong.
Here is an example.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2ns7mXG_-E"]Dangers of spray foam insulation The National - YouTube[/ame]

[GUT_TRAIL]

My brother did an addition to his house a few years back, or I should say, WE did it with the ICF. We more than doubled the size of his house, from about 1400sf to over 3000sf with an upstairs and half basement (basically, it's now three levels, game room is half underground, original house is on grade, master suit, nursery, laundry above game room). We placed the ICF blocks ourselves, basically like leggos, tied the steel ourselves etc, then had a contractor come out and pour the concrete and another one to do the interior/roof framing/drywall etc. His electric bill, in an all electric house, went down! If you build an entire house out of ICF, you basically end up living in a concrete walled styrofoam cooler. Warm in winter, cool in summer, and you don't need much HVAC tonnage to control it at all.

Pretty darn impressive !

[GUT_TRAIL]

Bump