I would love some advice on how to manage a few aspects of a build. I have narrowed down major pieces of the puzzle, but there are a few things that I'm trying to figure out.
We're in eastern NC, climate 3 hot/humid. I looked at SIPS, steel framing, CMUs or AAC blocks, and finally decided on concrete. We're going with a concrete slab and concrete walls. We're doing somewhat of a passive solar design as well, using that to create shaded areas and manage power use. Ideally, we would like to have PV solar on the roof, but we're not sure about how much that will work in the budget.
A few preferences on details and end results:
-concrete floors with rugs rather than attached flooring
-single-story, likely a simple rectangle (or very close to that)
-no "wall cavities" in the interior
-exterior stucco or architectural stucco with weep screeding to drain - either way, large roof overhangs all around the house
-reflective roofing
-cathedral ceilings - no attic space
-minisplit (Mitsubishis) in 2-3 different locations rather than ductwork, supplemental freestanding dehumidifiers and ventilation pathways/fans to move through interior rooms
The questions that are stumping me right now:
-Metal-skin SIP roofing or ICF decking? I like the idea of the decking with a second roof (both for the sun deflection and the second-floor covered deck), as well as the continuity of the tight building envelope and solidity. How would we attach solar panels to metal SIPS without adding something else that's difficult to maintain (climbing on a sloped roof to care for). Is the cost difference worth it - I'm assuming metal SIPS would be less. I haven't researched it as much as the others.
-How do I manage the cold joint where the walls meet the slab? I really would love to virtually eliminate the ant highways as much as possible. I know that probably sounds like nitpicky overkill, but with a son with autism and his reactions to bugs (like trying to drown them by pouring cups of water down the 2nd story bathroom door frame) - I could really do without having the uninvited company. Would a continuous bead of some sort of intense flexible adhesive work if it's applied to the slab along the entire exterior wall line, to fall in the middle of the joint? I realize nothing will ever be perfect, but that sounds like it would give us an extra edge (1/4 inch bead line?) unless it further diminishes the integrity of the joint?
-Would it be better to just float the slab between ICF foundation walls?
-Buildblock has a product that allows for retaining the exterior EPS foam, while using detachable interior formwork. It looks pretty interesting, especially since the plywood could be reused for something else on the property when finished. I like the idea of getting the eps out of the interior, using a concrete stain and eliminating much of the interior wall cladding work, and even using some of the mass wall thermal properties of the concrete by eliminating the eps interior barrier. Anyone see problems I don't see coming?
We're in eastern NC, climate 3 hot/humid. I looked at SIPS, steel framing, CMUs or AAC blocks, and finally decided on concrete. We're going with a concrete slab and concrete walls. We're doing somewhat of a passive solar design as well, using that to create shaded areas and manage power use. Ideally, we would like to have PV solar on the roof, but we're not sure about how much that will work in the budget.
A few preferences on details and end results:
-concrete floors with rugs rather than attached flooring
-single-story, likely a simple rectangle (or very close to that)
-no "wall cavities" in the interior
-exterior stucco or architectural stucco with weep screeding to drain - either way, large roof overhangs all around the house
-reflective roofing
-cathedral ceilings - no attic space
-minisplit (Mitsubishis) in 2-3 different locations rather than ductwork, supplemental freestanding dehumidifiers and ventilation pathways/fans to move through interior rooms
The questions that are stumping me right now:
-Metal-skin SIP roofing or ICF decking? I like the idea of the decking with a second roof (both for the sun deflection and the second-floor covered deck), as well as the continuity of the tight building envelope and solidity. How would we attach solar panels to metal SIPS without adding something else that's difficult to maintain (climbing on a sloped roof to care for). Is the cost difference worth it - I'm assuming metal SIPS would be less. I haven't researched it as much as the others.
-How do I manage the cold joint where the walls meet the slab? I really would love to virtually eliminate the ant highways as much as possible. I know that probably sounds like nitpicky overkill, but with a son with autism and his reactions to bugs (like trying to drown them by pouring cups of water down the 2nd story bathroom door frame) - I could really do without having the uninvited company. Would a continuous bead of some sort of intense flexible adhesive work if it's applied to the slab along the entire exterior wall line, to fall in the middle of the joint? I realize nothing will ever be perfect, but that sounds like it would give us an extra edge (1/4 inch bead line?) unless it further diminishes the integrity of the joint?
-Would it be better to just float the slab between ICF foundation walls?
-Buildblock has a product that allows for retaining the exterior EPS foam, while using detachable interior formwork. It looks pretty interesting, especially since the plywood could be reused for something else on the property when finished. I like the idea of getting the eps out of the interior, using a concrete stain and eliminating much of the interior wall cladding work, and even using some of the mass wall thermal properties of the concrete by eliminating the eps interior barrier. Anyone see problems I don't see coming?
