Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
I read through this and a few things.that popped up.
Average Humidity levels will play a factor in the cooling system you choose. If your region is humid, radiant cooling is NOT for you, it will create damp conditions in spots often resulting in Black Mold which is really really bad.
Radiant Heating is seriously the BEST and most especially for Old Bones. That can be accomplished with Heat Pumps (Air or Ground Source) that can also provide you with standard Hot Water. High efficiency units are available and in the US qualify for IRA $ and you'd be surprised at what you can get from the IRA when it comes to heat pumps, heat pump water heaters (Ultra Efficient) and so on.
First Rule of Efficiency is Passive !
Preventing the summer heat and the winter cold from invading your house is just as important as keeping the heat/cool inside. Thermally Broken Walls & Roof Systems can and do resolve several of those issues right away. Thermally Broken structures prevent heat or cold from passing through the structural components. There are many ways to accomplish this and most do depend on the region/location. The most common method which has been used for millenia (yes you read that right) is to use an Air Thermal Break. This is also the most flexible and works in virtually all regions.
Roofs: A Cool Roof system as shown by @upnorthandpersonal is an excellent solution as it prevents heat transfer in/out of the house and actually keeps the attic / 2nd floor much cooler as a result.
CASE IN POINT: At the ridge vent in Mid Summer (35C outside) I see 55C Temps, at the peak of the Loft inside it is 25C while on the ground level of the main floor is 24C. The convection occurring pulls the hot out of the roof and it never gets inside. In winter the snow is kept 4cm (2") from the actual roof structure so no cold gets transferred. SEE ATTACHED PDF (Note company owner died from Covid, Company is gone but this is a really great explanation)
Walls: Thermally broken walls also prevent heat transfer between the building & the exterior. There are also several methods to accomplish this but for North America the most common is the "Rain Screen Siding" system that provides a 2"/4cm air space between the structure wall and exterior shell. When coupled to a Cool Roof system that utilizes natural Convection to move the air up to the Ridge Vents it keeps any humidity/damp away and the air break prevents heat transfer.
These TWO Systems CAN cut your heating & cooling costs IN HALF ! I use BOTH working in tandem. It reaches 105F outside and it is 77F inside with NO AC ! and that is with the windows open no less. In winter -35C/-31F my home is @ 25C/77F with a Frost Protected Slab Foundation and that only runs for 4 hours in a 24-hour period to maintain the heat.
The FPSF Foundation is the Kicker ! As the heat source in winter it is a marvelous regulator and everything in the home is warm ! Bed, Clothes, Furnishings etc... In Summer it IS the regulator as it's temp drops to 15C/60F so the slab keeps everything cooling as it cannot gain exterior heat. My FPSF Foundation does have 4" Thick HD-XPS foam under it and along the sides plus with 20" frost shield wings (I am in Algonquin Park Region) to prevent frost creep under the slab.
Insulation: My home uses only FOAMS but I used HD-XPS, EPS-II and PolyISO is "sheet" form as I built my walls in a modular fashion similar to SIPS. (Structural Insulated Panels). Spray foam (Commercial) was used only to seal in the sheet panels and to fill any gaps. The Foam Sheets I used are sadly not available in Retail Land. IE: My PolyISO sheets where 3.5 & 4.0" thick in 4'x8' sheets. My EPS-II foam (used in walls) is 5.5" thick an come in a 4'x4' T&G format. This material was sourced from Commercial Roofing Companies. NONE of it is "retail" and wait till you see what the price markup is to retail... You'll have a flip... up to a 500% difference ! I am NOT kidding !!! Retail = Gouged to death !
* Fiberglass Insulation is BAD ! Use Rockwool which is Hydrophobic, Pests/Rodents/Bugs HATE IT. it does not burn (it is rock wool afterall) has higher insulation value per inch and will not flop or compress like FGlass. Do seriously look at ROXUL if you will not be using Foams.
* Spray Foam: This is tricky. DIY kits exist but they not what many think. The cleanup after if not properly prepped can be a tremendously nasty mess. Some Foams used Soya & Other bio materials that turned out to be "critter attractants" and they are off market now (Thank Goodness). Most are now Synthetic Chemicals so as a result they will continue to offgas for a while, it can also be quite costly.
ERV/HRV is Critical else you will end up with a Sick House with moulds & mildews and worse.
Most systems nowadays do Heat Recovery during the air exchange. When you have a "Tight House" you must exchange air regularly to keep the indoor air quality. There are so many varieties that can do all sorts of things like dehumidify, pre-heat or pre-cool incoming air and more... Of course prices go accordingly BUT BEWARE ! Passive or Semi-Passive ERV's cost very little energy but Active systems with pre-conditioning and extra filtering can be Power Hogs too.
BTW: Heat Pump Water Heaters are finally hitting the North American Market en-masse. These are the Cat's Meow when it comes to energy-efficient hot water generation. I am getting a RHEEM 120V model. In USA, the IRA can pay for a good part of it too.
Also have a look here:
Hope it helps, Good Luck
Average Humidity levels will play a factor in the cooling system you choose. If your region is humid, radiant cooling is NOT for you, it will create damp conditions in spots often resulting in Black Mold which is really really bad.
Radiant Heating is seriously the BEST and most especially for Old Bones. That can be accomplished with Heat Pumps (Air or Ground Source) that can also provide you with standard Hot Water. High efficiency units are available and in the US qualify for IRA $ and you'd be surprised at what you can get from the IRA when it comes to heat pumps, heat pump water heaters (Ultra Efficient) and so on.
First Rule of Efficiency is Passive !
Preventing the summer heat and the winter cold from invading your house is just as important as keeping the heat/cool inside. Thermally Broken Walls & Roof Systems can and do resolve several of those issues right away. Thermally Broken structures prevent heat or cold from passing through the structural components. There are many ways to accomplish this and most do depend on the region/location. The most common method which has been used for millenia (yes you read that right) is to use an Air Thermal Break. This is also the most flexible and works in virtually all regions.
Roofs: A Cool Roof system as shown by @upnorthandpersonal is an excellent solution as it prevents heat transfer in/out of the house and actually keeps the attic / 2nd floor much cooler as a result.
CASE IN POINT: At the ridge vent in Mid Summer (35C outside) I see 55C Temps, at the peak of the Loft inside it is 25C while on the ground level of the main floor is 24C. The convection occurring pulls the hot out of the roof and it never gets inside. In winter the snow is kept 4cm (2") from the actual roof structure so no cold gets transferred. SEE ATTACHED PDF (Note company owner died from Covid, Company is gone but this is a really great explanation)
Walls: Thermally broken walls also prevent heat transfer between the building & the exterior. There are also several methods to accomplish this but for North America the most common is the "Rain Screen Siding" system that provides a 2"/4cm air space between the structure wall and exterior shell. When coupled to a Cool Roof system that utilizes natural Convection to move the air up to the Ridge Vents it keeps any humidity/damp away and the air break prevents heat transfer.
These TWO Systems CAN cut your heating & cooling costs IN HALF ! I use BOTH working in tandem. It reaches 105F outside and it is 77F inside with NO AC ! and that is with the windows open no less. In winter -35C/-31F my home is @ 25C/77F with a Frost Protected Slab Foundation and that only runs for 4 hours in a 24-hour period to maintain the heat.
The FPSF Foundation is the Kicker ! As the heat source in winter it is a marvelous regulator and everything in the home is warm ! Bed, Clothes, Furnishings etc... In Summer it IS the regulator as it's temp drops to 15C/60F so the slab keeps everything cooling as it cannot gain exterior heat. My FPSF Foundation does have 4" Thick HD-XPS foam under it and along the sides plus with 20" frost shield wings (I am in Algonquin Park Region) to prevent frost creep under the slab.
Insulation: My home uses only FOAMS but I used HD-XPS, EPS-II and PolyISO is "sheet" form as I built my walls in a modular fashion similar to SIPS. (Structural Insulated Panels). Spray foam (Commercial) was used only to seal in the sheet panels and to fill any gaps. The Foam Sheets I used are sadly not available in Retail Land. IE: My PolyISO sheets where 3.5 & 4.0" thick in 4'x8' sheets. My EPS-II foam (used in walls) is 5.5" thick an come in a 4'x4' T&G format. This material was sourced from Commercial Roofing Companies. NONE of it is "retail" and wait till you see what the price markup is to retail... You'll have a flip... up to a 500% difference ! I am NOT kidding !!! Retail = Gouged to death !
* Fiberglass Insulation is BAD ! Use Rockwool which is Hydrophobic, Pests/Rodents/Bugs HATE IT. it does not burn (it is rock wool afterall) has higher insulation value per inch and will not flop or compress like FGlass. Do seriously look at ROXUL if you will not be using Foams.
* Spray Foam: This is tricky. DIY kits exist but they not what many think. The cleanup after if not properly prepped can be a tremendously nasty mess. Some Foams used Soya & Other bio materials that turned out to be "critter attractants" and they are off market now (Thank Goodness). Most are now Synthetic Chemicals so as a result they will continue to offgas for a while, it can also be quite costly.
ERV/HRV is Critical else you will end up with a Sick House with moulds & mildews and worse.
Most systems nowadays do Heat Recovery during the air exchange. When you have a "Tight House" you must exchange air regularly to keep the indoor air quality. There are so many varieties that can do all sorts of things like dehumidify, pre-heat or pre-cool incoming air and more... Of course prices go accordingly BUT BEWARE ! Passive or Semi-Passive ERV's cost very little energy but Active systems with pre-conditioning and extra filtering can be Power Hogs too.
BTW: Heat Pump Water Heaters are finally hitting the North American Market en-masse. These are the Cat's Meow when it comes to energy-efficient hot water generation. I am getting a RHEEM 120V model. In USA, the IRA can pay for a good part of it too.
Heat Pump Water Heaters for your Home - Rheem - Rheem Manufacturing Company
Rheem Heat Pump Water Heaters are the most efficient water heaters on the planet - browse our entire line today.
www.rheem.com
Also have a look here:
The 10 Best Heat Pump Water Heaters (Plus Heat Pump 101) - LeafScore
Heat pumps might seem new to some homeowners, but they have been around for decades and are a proven, reliable…
www.leafscore.com
Hope it helps, Good Luck