Replies

1. 
   Mike_Smith | Feb 13, 2002 11:33pm | #1

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   eddie.... best ?

   nothing to do with best... just architectural style...

1. 
   eddie | Feb 14, 2002 12:32am | #2

   *ah mike, an answer please, i value your opinion's, otherwise i would not ask.what about the siberian larch?good luck

1. 
   david_thodal | Feb 14, 2002 05:07am | #3

   *eddie, how do you define best? Is best astheticly pleasing ? long -lasting? I personally like shingles and think that they may offer a bit better weather resistance, especially in maritime climates. In New England, clapboards were often used on the street or visible side of the home with shingles designatrd to the non-viewing side. A look of prosperity, historians say. Most of the barns and sheds as well as quite a few homes I have encountered were shingled, the more so if exposed to the elements. Either material, though if of good quality and properly installed and maintained will last quite a while. I have seen shingles (eastern whites cedar) that were well on to 150 years old still providing protection. They were worn pretty thin on the surface but the coursing underneath was still sound.I prefer penetrating oil for finish, but that is also a matter of choice.Siberian Larch, sold around here as a shelterwood. Looked up some sites on the ol'www. and seems it is quite popular as lumber in Europe. Assume it is similar to Western larch or Eastern tamarack, trees in the same family. We use alot of larch/tamarack for framing, timbers and board lumber. It has a tendency to splinter when dry. Assume Siberian is the same. Found one site offering boards and beveled siding vertical grain or quartersawn which would be more stable than flat sawn. Not sure how it would work as shingles, but it probably would work great as a board or beveled siding. Too thin though and I would worry about splitting.When are you planning on finishing your home? walk gooddavid

1. 
   Mike_Smith | Feb 14, 2002 05:13am | #4

   *eddie... ther is still no best...but knowing what i know now.. i'd choose Certainteed Fibercement clapboards....Factory FINISHED... or at least primed and prepainted..4" or 5" exposure in some parts of the US they are giving lifetime warranties on the paint jobs...and ... i like the look...

1. 
   eddie | Feb 14, 2002 10:55am | #5

   *david + mike, thanks for the info - so far.david, i am the only builder, so it will take a while to finish this, labour of love.mike, we can't get any man-made shingle or clap's in ireland. nice thought though.my choices are limited, i can get western red cedar shingles or clapboards, shingles are not to bad with price, the clap's (natural) are approx. 10-15% extra, but of course with long lenghts, i would need to employ a monkey to help me install them, where as the shingles, i can do myself.what is the best way to install shingles, i'll be installing 1" rigid foam on top of the ply sheathing.thanks againgood luck

2. 
   Mike_Smith | Feb 14, 2002 05:05pm | #6

   *eddie... blow ireland off and come work for me for about 3 months.. you can pick my brain clean in that time.....there really ain't that much there..did i ever tell u i hate 1" foam on top of sheathing ?

3. 
   eddie | Feb 14, 2002 09:05pm | #7

   *oh mike, another time and i would take that offer of your's with both hands. ah well!i'm thinking of using the 1" foam as a result of reading up on Joe lstiburek ideas and recommendations.what's your reason for discontent?good luck

4. 
   Mike_Smith | Feb 14, 2002 09:10pm | #8

   *.. i want the foam on the inside and the sheathing on the outside.. joe is not a builder..he's a sleuth.. having to nail thru 1" of foam for EVERYTHING is not good...if you want foam.. put it on the INSIDE of your walls and furr them out.... but .. ...i bet you don't have the climate that will justify the additional expense of foam on any part of your walls.... spend your insulation money on cellulose in the walls and a lot in the attic...read the archives on energy walls..

5. 
   eddie | Feb 15, 2002 01:27am | #9

   *i presume that cellulose is better per inch than FG then?regardless, there are no cellulose contractors here in good old 'traditional' ireland.your right with the foam price issue though, our climate is reasonably humid, about 30" of annual rain, and never goes below about 20 degrees f.what would you recommend for a good wall system?thanks and good luck

6. 
   Mike_Smith | Feb 15, 2002 02:32am | #10

   *eddie.. ya poor bastid... no cellulose ?your climate is about the same as ours.. seacoast.. 33 inches of rain.. humid summers.. dry winters..we're just a little colder than you..6000 Degree Days.. ok.... from the outside in....siding ..asphalt felt paper.. plywood sheathing.. studs 2x4.. or 2x6..6 mil vapor barrier.. plaster boardin the stud cavity.... i'd b blow fiberglass... two holes per bay.... no batts..either blown from the exterior, thru the sheathing ,b beforethe siding goes on...or from the interior, ( which i prefer ) after the gypsum board is hung and before the plaster is appliedand a vigorous program of controlling interior moisture.. so you have aa healthy interior relative humidity of apx. 40% during the heating season..vapor barrier over ground contact to prevent moisture from the earth.. this system will allow for and encourage seasonal drying to the exterior of any moisture in the wall system... and it will be very cost effective.. in the attic area is where i would concentrate my insulation R-values.. also i'd use an EPs foam in the foundation/floor system... watch out for the foundation / floor system.. it often becomes the weakest link in the insulation barrier... the Delta-T between the earth and the heated space is aproximately 35Deg. F. 24 hours a day.. every day of the heating season.. don't skimp on windows... you want a lot of light .. but good ventilation.. and the best R-value you can buy for your window dollar...and don't lose site of the fact that you live in the house for 12 months.. you only heat it for 6 or 7... so design it for year -round....good overhangs for shading and rain protection.. proper orientation for solar gain in winter...ventilation to enhance any prevailing winds in summer..

7. 
   eddie | Feb 15, 2002 11:11am | #11

   *mike, here is the plan so far.ground floor is slab on grade, we put in a double floor system, first some stone + dust mix compacted to 6", then 4" of subfloor concrete, then we put in a radon barrier which is also a vapor barrier, then a 4" finish floor with RFH pipes in the centre of this. just below this finish floor, we put in a layer of 2" foil-faced polyurethane rigid foam, there is also a band of edge insulation on the outside foundation walls.the overhangsare good and long, but the orientation of the house, not so good, and can't do much about it, the prevailing wind on this site must be sheltered from, and thus turns the house away from the solar gain.now your wall sounds easier and more cost effective alright, but i'm not sure if there is any contractor that offer blown in FG either. i'll look into this a bit better over the next few days.as far as the attic area goes, the average rafter size here is between 5" + 7", maybe 9". our roof system does not need to worry about ventilation, as this is done right under the roof tiles. but within this rafter space, what would i do? what about siding, clap's or shingles, would you use furring strips to install?man, i really appreciate the brain-pickin'.good luck