4 ms·
So's labor, and building anything slightly odd adds even more to costs, for a bunch of reasons. Just building a standard house with somewhat upgraded R-value in
by handrous 5y ago
So's labor, and building anything slightly odd adds even more to costs, for a bunch of reasons. Just building a standard house with somewhat upgraded R-value insulation, solar panels, and a "geothermal" heat-pump, would be a hell of a lot cheaper. Plus you'd actually be able to sell it in a normal time-frame and for a normal price, if you decide to move.
- PaulDavisThe1st 5y agoR-value doesn't really address thermal mass issues. I live near Santa Fe, NM and given our daily temperature swings (up to 40F!) and annual variation (100F to 5F), comfortable housing here benefits from both insulation and thermal mass. Geothermal heat pumps seem less practical than air-source right now, and a 6.6kW array turns out not to be enough even with Mitsubishi units to keep out (adobe) home warm in the winter. Stud-based construction is quick and relatively quick, and might even be appropriate in the right climate. But in places like this (and many others), it's a mistake that you can ameliorate (e.g. with insulation) but cannot actually fix.