First, truss walls and double walls can be built outward if an existing foundation limits the usable square footage. Although the concrete-block foundation is well made, it’s not necessarily well matched to the double 2×4 walls she’s hoping to use. Superinsulation Nick Baxter where have you been, I need back up. This site has info on the Mooney Wall with blown cellulose. getinthetrailer.com - Browse photos of double wall construction helps save heating with resolution 660x372 pixel, filesize 0 KB (Photo ID #9345), you are viewing image #16 of 19 photos gallery. There are two recent publications that everyone here should read if they haven't yet: I have a copy if someone has a place that I or they can put it. I understand the idea of the Riversong Truss now (having looked at Robert's link)--using the inside chord of the truss as the bearing wall. There are a couple ways you can construct the double stud-wall as explained in the Canadian Home Builders Association’s Builders Manual. Why not use SIP panels, cost effective, easy to put up on exisiting block foundation, meets or exceeds the required R value, less waste at job site. We pay $0.0694 per kW.h for electricity. The prefabricated panels comprise two slabs separated and connected by cast-in lattice girders. Also wanted to point out that the greatest wall assembly won,t be effecitvie without a good air seal. To me, all the critical comments about SIPs are good, but the biggest reason for not using them is overlooked: they are unfriendly to owner-builder low-cost homes. It has the advantage over typical double-wall systems that it creates a continuous thermal break and exterior insulation cavity. Performance is in the details, air seal and insulate everything well. I hope my post adds facts and value to the discussion. Roxul is a little more rigid than standard fiberglass and was wondering if it would be difficult to install. All wiring is run in the 2x3 so there is no penetration of the vapour barrier. Now what? builditsolar.com also has a good article about RR's framing, etc. wall thickness RE: Alan Crouse basement questions There is another link to a second sample. (I don't know where he found them.) It also has the advantage of being a lot less itchy than fibreglass. http://www.cchrc.org/docs/snapshots/RS_2010-03_Exterior_Insulation.pdf First, glad your alive Robert Riversong, I couldn't generally agree with you more. In my house I put up the first wall, then installed the trusses on top of those and then built and lifted the second wall inside the house, leaving a gap between the walls for insulation. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation supports the Government of Canada policy on access to information for people with disabilities. An improvement is what I will call the "Canadian Wall", developed in the seventies by Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. SIPs! Types of wall construction. The electrical wiring is run between the exterior and interior walls. What is clear is that walls in almost all climates need a thermal break. Five true believers in "better living through chemistry" assault us with the misinformation and distortions that are all-too-common in the petrochemical foam industry. The Larsen trusses hang off the outside, only supporting the siding. Harold Orr gave permission to SESA to provide his powerpoint presentation to the public but they have taken it down. Source: LowesLet’s jump into our discussion of different types of walls by differentiating between two perspectives. This feature has been temporarily disabled during the beta site preview. This would work fine for Karen's existing foundation as well. I prefer foam over a 2x6 advanced framed stud wall. double-stud wall has an R-value of about 45. And the time will come when a more natural OSB will be available. On March 10, 2010 Harold Orr made a presentation detailing the retrofit that he did to a 4 plex in Saskatoon, SK to the Solar Energy Society of Alberta (SESA) and showed a Larsen truss wall which he supported with stainless steel supports that were shaped like short hockey sticks except that they had a flat piece instead of a blade (slide 17 of his powerpoints). Some climates can easily justify a "double wall" Outside Canada call 613-748-2003 or fax to 613-748-2016. @Alan, for a natural cellulose basement material look into Durisol, which is a wood chip cement slurry based ICF block, and Faswall, which is identical to it but made in Oregon, where as Durisol is made mostly in Canada. I built my double wall house, 1294 sq ft, 30 years ago. This simplifies a lot of things-drywall install, taping the foam, etc. Prolly not green though. I am just looking at the KISS principle to get a total system that will require a minimum of learning curve for the contractors and get me a good home value. Keep it simple Tom M: I see that no one SIPS for instantce leak like crazy and have inherant problems in cold climates because of the lack of attention to air sealing the home after trades, durring construction, and sealing the chases they engineer into the system. Bean helps clear up some confusion over exactly what climate zone Glacier is in; it turns out that the site is relatively cold. Because it was his first time framing a double wall, Adam estimated that the process took him about an extra 50% in time to frame the walls this way. Here is a link for our environmentally award winning project in Austin, TX-completed 2002: http://www.housingzone.com/pb/article/extreme-building This project, although built in a Hot climate-used SIP urethane wall panels of R28 (4.5") with R 37 (5.5") roof systems. AJ, I'm not dead set on SIPs, and see much value in a few other wall systems, but I think urethane-injected SIPs have their place in any discussion of high-performing high R-value systems. How is it made "dense"? AND, it doesn't enter the home into the tenuous situation of potentially having two vapour barriers on your wall: on inside, one outside (from exterior foam). Essentially, we are using a double masonry wall system that is closed over on the ends. 40 yrs of SIPs...wall moisture The spacing between the double walls depends upon the desired wall R-value. We’ve discussed the possibility of putting Roxul in the cavity. Another advantage is that the amount of insulation is doubled with only using 25% more lumber. 100k House tried them and abandoned them, here's more info: http://greenbuildingindenver.blogspot.com/2010/05/walls-for-new-construction-state-of-art.html, SIPs In the outer wall for both inside and outside corners, nothing will be attached to the inside of that wall, so a 2 stud corner is fine. This will maintain the floorspace but will be more difficult to construct. But $/SF is nothing more than a convenience of the real estate market. You will be shouted down by the foam hating police. I spent 2010 pricing SIPs construction, modular homes, ICF foundations and never felt as though I was getting the best bang for my buck regarding energy efficiency. j. It also provides a 9" cavity to dense pack cellulose into, with very little thermal bridging. Lots to learn, for me anyway. With this design you can get true value upwards of R47, almost twice what Ontario Building Code requires. When we built, a single 2×4 stud wall with 16″ spacings was considered sufficient for structure, so the second stud wall just was redundant structure. Likewise for inner walls, nothing is attached to the outside of … Would this even be practical? Additionally, by using a reduced size wall thickness due to the higher R values, you gain approximately 64 square feet of net useable space (the size of a large bathroom) within the structure of an average 1,000 square foot home (6.4% sq ft increase in same size shell). Higher R value? Excellent article. Exterior finsh is stucco on w/l over building paper and fibre board sheathing. Installed Insulation R-value: The thickness of double stud walls varies; however, walls with overall insulation thickness of 91/2” appear to be most common. A 6" wall is rated at R43 in the raw with finishing moving up from there depending on choices. Because you have the foundation in place you have the advantage of using actual built dimensions to order your SIP package, either for the foundation wall or for a sub-floor. © 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Search here for more info, and there are videos on youtube of cats dense packing. Lightweight framed homes can range in appearance from the ultra-modern to the traditional weatherboard bungalow. The various double wall and truss wall systems, filled with cellulose insulation, offer a green alternative to the status quo. This is part of the reason to go to a 24″ spacing of the 2×6 studs if possible, as it will increase the overall R value of the wall. The cost for the CFI on this design would be less than $2500.00 for an average sized house. The only option is to add insulation to the exterior or to the interior. It's time we consign the missionaries of plastic to history and take a step toward a sustainable way of life. An amount … If the walls are being insulated with cellulose, you need to choose … (We have successfully built affordable housing using the same structural system.). Inspired by my pole barn shop, next I want to try the following: eliminate the studs. A 5-inch gap between 2×4 walls provides room for 12 inches of cellulose, yielding an R-value of about 40. This won't delete the articles you've saved, just the list. 6" clearance to combustible materials. Your home’s thermal envelope is arguably the most important aspect of making a home energy efficient and comfortable and is also a key element in making a green home a healthy home. No ceiling lites or outlets, all done from the basement. They are the most expensive way to insulate a house, in spite of some potential site time savings (which are far less than advertised because of the amount of cutting, melting, splining, fitting, drilling and sealing that is required - in addition to crane time). Second, moisture is what can kill a wall system, and there are certain wall systems that have much higher potential for moisture problems in cold climates - cellulose packed wall systems are one of them, and urethane-injected walls are not. If you were having the house built, it would probably be more cost effective to consider other methods such as Structured Insulated Panels (SIPs). Yes, SIPs can be a hassle for owner-builders or small contractors to erect, but given either a small crane or tele-handler and crews of local village laborers, we've had buildings erected in less than a week. On the homes we designed and built for Habitat this way-the ongoing savings of operations alone reduced the mortgage by 8 years over the traditional construction methods! The wall in the picture I agree that SIPs are the way to go-providing they are of urethane foam-These have significantly higher R-values per inch (6 in wall systems has an R-43+ typically) -virtually no thermal bridging, with much longer span capability-reducing the amount of board footage of lumber required in the frame. If Roxul is used, a solid top plate is not required, as the Roxul provides the fire barrier. Going green is a path like life. Great blog, I agree with most all of it. Less waste? Newer construction homes are double wall homes. Hire someone to provide thermal boundary inspection and insulation inspection ( HERS rater) and blower test in the end. Sorry fiberglass boys, Sips, ICF, double wall, fiberglass, cellulose, all good products, but you have to install them correcty so they work. 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