best heating system

[_RaT_]

Your right Gary, rottable, moldable, seismicly weak walls above ground are much preferable. Of course I'm just funning you, but with the R value and the thermal mass of concrete curing in the second best know way to man, ICF is still the undisputed leader. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LarryRB]

Tomorrow, if I have time, I will take a picture of a brand new 7200 sq ft home, 2 1/2 stories high and 100% ICF styrofoam filled cement block house.. House is going up adjacent to our property. The girl felt the high winds off th reservoir dictated all ICF.. I guess she could be right and probably would live out a tornado better than the rest of us. Although the last tornado was 40 years ago and went through downtown Worcester ( a small city).. TO sse this home is amazing..

 

[Stonefox]

RAT, Yes, I also got a set of plans but I plan on making many floorplan changes to the upper level. I will be down sizing the total square footage from over 4000 sqft to about 2700 sqft just to make it affordable. The guy had grand plans for this place that I will not be able to meet. Yes, we typically will use a 3 coat plaster to cover exterior walls on adobe and other surfaces and will be using that coating here as well. One other use for the ICFs that I hadn't thought about before buying this place is he used these forms for building a 6' wall enclosing an acre around the house. Considering the lengths of continous wall there are only two or three small cracks in all the wall unlike alot of concrete block walls I've seen. Seems like an expensive wall to me but his loss is my gain. Sure, I'd be interested in hearing about the lighting system you mentioned. Feel free to PM me. My wife and I are currently living in a 800sqft care takers/in laws cottage that is completed on the property. But I am starting to feel pressured to get this home completed in the next few years since we are expecting our first child this November.

 

[_RaT_]

We are in a similar situation. We bought a place with no house, well, a old beat up mobile home that leaks, weeps and responds to the outside temperature within mere minutes. It is 900 square feet. We have a 3 year old. I'll PM you the address of the lighting company I've used in the past. What will the interior walls be finished in? Drywall or plaster?

 

[slowzuki]

I don't understand the people who claim the cost of radiant slabs is too high, mine has cost 0.25$ / sq. ft for materials and that is canadian $.

I can zip tie pex to mesh as good as the next guy so we will do that ourselves. Pex has a long lifespan when not exposed to UV.

 

[_RaT_]

I've seen bare bones estimates that PEX will easily last for a minimum of 200 years. I figure that if I used it in my floor, after 200 years, I'm not really going to concern myself with its condition. Besides, by then, I'll probably switch over the the new Tritium heating system. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[dmccarty]

slowzuki,

Putting in the pipe/PEX was cheap it was the cost of generating the hot water that was expensive. Gas/Wood/Solar water heaters where just too expensive to justify.

Now if we where farther north where it gets a lot colder for a longer period of time it would be a different story. But the cost for a total radiant heating system was at least 7K for a solar solution.

Later,
Dan

 

[Yankee]

"I've seen bare bones estimates that PEX will easily last for a minimum of 200 years."

That's something that I just don't believe, particularly surrounded by concrete (caustic) on one side and with hot liquid circulating on the inside. And who knows what deposits and scale will do to the stuff over time? I don't doubt that it will last longer than a lot of other materials, though.

 

[Stonefox]

I also estimated that it would cost about 7 grand to put in a solar heating system with a back up propane fired water heater and hot water storage tanks. Based on the solar providing 90% of my hot water needs and the current cost of propane, the system will pay for itself in approximately 5 years. Even though we are in the desert, the winter can get fairly cold, particularily at night with clear skys and living at a elevation near 5000'. Another benefit of radiant heating systems, if you are circulating water and not a glycol solution, is during the summer you can route the incoming, cool water, from your well and circulate it through your system to help cool your home. The cooling is a minimium benefit since it only cools when there is a demand for water in the home. A source that I am considering for my solar equipment is radiantsolar.com. There is a lot of information on solar heating and radiant systems if you are interested.
Stonefox

 

[Stonefox]

Rat, I haven't decided on a interior finish yet but I am leaning towards drywall since it will go up faster and leave a smoother finish, if I do it myself. I assume that you have to wire the interior walls also for the plaster to stick to the ICFs. I did notice that the plastic bracing in the ICFs do hold staples fairly well for attaching stucco wire so I assume you could just drive drywall screws in for holding up the drywall. I have been playing around a bit with the extra forms I have for putting in a dog fence/pen.
Stonefox