Replies

1. 
   jesse | May 04, 2007 11:58pm | #1

   Where in MT?

   I have seen quite a few ways to do it besides SIPs: ICFs, infill with 2x4 walls and spray foam (bad idea, this), and most commonly, simply building with 2x6 walls outside the frame. You can elmininate most structural headers, double plates, etc. if you are doing a full frame that accomodates this.

   Personally, I think this is biggest bang for your buck these days. Conventional 2x6 walls with polyurethane spray foam outside the frame.

1. 
   badlybent | May 05, 2007 04:09am | #5

   The house will be in Livingston. I don't know much about spray polyurethane. Can you tell me how it works? I was thinking rigid foam, outside the 2x6s, to stop thermal bridging.

1. 
   caseyr | May 05, 2007 06:40am | #6

   If you are interested in adding what might be considered a standard framed wall outside the frame and are concerned about thermal bridging, you might want to do a search on previous articles here on Breaktime on "Mooney Walls". Piffin should be able to give you more details of this style of wall construction.

2. 
   Piffin | May 04, 2007 11:59pm | #2

   Timber frames are definitely expensive.

   I am thinking that unless you have free labour anything other than SIPs wil cost you more, and you will continue to pay up in energy costs down the road.

    

    

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3. 
   frenchy | May 05, 2007 03:16am | #3

   badlybent.

    If you go to the archieves you'll see my timberframe.

       First I must question you regarding the cost of SIP's.   I paid slightly over $3.00 a sq.ft. for my six inch ones for the walls and about $4.00 per sq ft for 12 inch ones for the roof..  That's raw material costs a couple of years ago.

    Currant ICF  material costs including all concrete, rebar, forms etc is right around $6.00 a sq.ft. and labor shouldn't be more than two or three dollars more per sq.ft.

    ICF's are one of those things were just about anybody can do. If you can put together leggos  you already know how to build with ICF's   The only physicallly demanding work is when the pump truck hands you the hose and you've got to strain to keep it moving and filling evenly. I would definately recommend you hire some big healthy kid and pay him well. You might hire two.. to do that portion.

    I just helped a friend build his place with a timberframe, ICF walls, SIP's on the roof, and etc. and he spent a shade under $100,000 for the materials and built a 4000 sq.ft. house. 

     He and his friends and family did all the labor and they were excellant at seeking out alternative sources for materials..  

    If you insist on shopping at the lumberyard or the big box stores like home depot you can double that pretty quickly. 

    If you want to sit back and write checks double it again..

    

    

4. 
   tom21769 | May 05, 2007 04:00am | #4

   There's the "wrap and strap" method Timberpeg uses.
   SPF tongue and groove panelling nailed to the outside of the timber
   (or use blueboard);
   then closed cell foam board ;
   then strapping over foam;
   then siding.

   That will make about a 4" thick wall package outside the frame
   (more if you use more foam).

   With t&g and labor, maybe not any cheaper than SIPs.
   But if you do it yourself with friends and family you might save.

   Another alternative is an insulated Larsen truss system.