Steve_S
Offgrid Cabineer, N.E. Ontario, Canada
I live in my place 7/24/365. NO AC here, don't "need it" as the house design helps o keep it cool. IE: 35C outside and it's 27C inside with doors/ windows open. My region can swing from -35C / -31F in Winter to 35C / 95F+ in summer with some crazy humidity at times. But I built this and located the house specifically to take advantage of the big Spruce Trees for southern shading (besides, I am in a forest so it's cooler to start with). Can get pretty humid on occasion but it's not terrible. That said, I built the house with a "Cool Roof" based on this method (great site / good explanation) http://www.houstoncoolmetalroofs.com/cool-roof-information/cool-roof-design-texas/ That in conjunction with the Rain Screen Siding method, it makes the home very liveable, far exceeded expectations for performance & comfort. https://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/all-about-rainscreens The roof REALLY makes a HUGE difference in home comfort overall and totally worth it.
Word on Insulation. If you have to use BATT insulation, use ROCKWOOL like Roxul. Bugs, Mice and critters HATE IT, unlike fiberglass which they will nest in. Rockwool is also hydrophobic, meaning it will not hold nor transmit water / moisture, whereas fiberglass will hold it and wick it.
For my own build, I bought foam sheet insulation. Normally this is crazy expensive especially in retail land which can see 500% markup ! YES, 500% ! some even higher. I bought all of my Foam Insulation from a "commercial roofer" (malls, schools office buildings), as "Take Off" insulation. When a large commercial reroof is done, here, by law, all removed insulation must be recycled. I purchased perfectly good (as new) insulation prior to starting my build so I knew I would have enough. Now get ready for the shockers
2'x4'x4" HD XPS Foam used for the FPSF (Frost Protected Slab Foundation),: COST $10.00 per sheet.
4'x4'x5-1/4" HD EPS-II Foam used between 2x6 wall studs. Walls are framed 24OC using Advanced Framing Method. COST: $10.00 ea sheet
4'x8'x3-1/2" PolyISO COST $7.00 per sheet,
4'x8'x4" PolyISO COST $8.00 per sheet, POLYiso used in Cathedral Ceiling @ 7.5" thick.
Because these are all Rigid Foam Sheets, I had to cut and hard press fit between studs & rafters and then seal any spaces" with commercial spray foam. This was an extremely long & tedious 2 person job and NO FUN AT ALL ! I got stuck doing it this way because our Bldg Inspector was "new to using all foams" and I even had to educate him on vapour barriers in regards to foam insulation (the foam IS the barrier & ISO breathes). IF using Foam Sheets, it's far better to prebuild the walls with insulation installed and then raise & set walls in a new build.
Finishing.... as mentioned I live in a Forest... North Eastern Ontario near Algonquin park. We have a LOT of small scale logging here, Red / White Pines, White Cedar and of course the usuals that go with that. As a result I acquired a lot of locally milled lumber. Siding is Live Edge White Cedar, ceiling are 6"x1" thick white pine T&G, floors are red pine & ceramic at the woodstove. Cupboards & Cabinetry I made ou of 7/8" Rough Face showing (one side) pine * Rough Face, meaning circular mill saw cut marks visible. All beams and posts are rough mill cut pine. Counter tops are 12x24 glassified ceramic. 6" Baseboard & 4" casings are all handmade & routed out of yellow pine. All wood finishes are water-based Polyurathane,
My home is very airtight and obviously seriously insulated, so I built an Air-Exchanger (very low power) to exchange air in the house. I built one because the commercial ones are oversized and most are energy pigs. Once you seal up a house well, you need air exchange otherwise you'll end up with a "sick house" and sick occupants. Air has to be freshened and he humidity etc has to have a way out.
Hope that helps, good luck.
Word on Insulation. If you have to use BATT insulation, use ROCKWOOL like Roxul. Bugs, Mice and critters HATE IT, unlike fiberglass which they will nest in. Rockwool is also hydrophobic, meaning it will not hold nor transmit water / moisture, whereas fiberglass will hold it and wick it.
For my own build, I bought foam sheet insulation. Normally this is crazy expensive especially in retail land which can see 500% markup ! YES, 500% ! some even higher. I bought all of my Foam Insulation from a "commercial roofer" (malls, schools office buildings), as "Take Off" insulation. When a large commercial reroof is done, here, by law, all removed insulation must be recycled. I purchased perfectly good (as new) insulation prior to starting my build so I knew I would have enough. Now get ready for the shockers
2'x4'x4" HD XPS Foam used for the FPSF (Frost Protected Slab Foundation),: COST $10.00 per sheet.
4'x4'x5-1/4" HD EPS-II Foam used between 2x6 wall studs. Walls are framed 24OC using Advanced Framing Method. COST: $10.00 ea sheet
4'x8'x3-1/2" PolyISO COST $7.00 per sheet,
4'x8'x4" PolyISO COST $8.00 per sheet, POLYiso used in Cathedral Ceiling @ 7.5" thick.
Because these are all Rigid Foam Sheets, I had to cut and hard press fit between studs & rafters and then seal any spaces" with commercial spray foam. This was an extremely long & tedious 2 person job and NO FUN AT ALL ! I got stuck doing it this way because our Bldg Inspector was "new to using all foams" and I even had to educate him on vapour barriers in regards to foam insulation (the foam IS the barrier & ISO breathes). IF using Foam Sheets, it's far better to prebuild the walls with insulation installed and then raise & set walls in a new build.
Finishing.... as mentioned I live in a Forest... North Eastern Ontario near Algonquin park. We have a LOT of small scale logging here, Red / White Pines, White Cedar and of course the usuals that go with that. As a result I acquired a lot of locally milled lumber. Siding is Live Edge White Cedar, ceiling are 6"x1" thick white pine T&G, floors are red pine & ceramic at the woodstove. Cupboards & Cabinetry I made ou of 7/8" Rough Face showing (one side) pine * Rough Face, meaning circular mill saw cut marks visible. All beams and posts are rough mill cut pine. Counter tops are 12x24 glassified ceramic. 6" Baseboard & 4" casings are all handmade & routed out of yellow pine. All wood finishes are water-based Polyurathane,
My home is very airtight and obviously seriously insulated, so I built an Air-Exchanger (very low power) to exchange air in the house. I built one because the commercial ones are oversized and most are energy pigs. Once you seal up a house well, you need air exchange otherwise you'll end up with a "sick house" and sick occupants. Air has to be freshened and he humidity etc has to have a way out.
Hope that helps, good luck.