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You should still use reinforcement in the concrete: Use basalt rebar instead of steel; it will not corrode. Use a nylon fiber in the mix to protect against impa
by DiffEq 5y ago
You should still use reinforcement in the concrete:
Use basalt rebar instead of steel; it will not corrode.
Use a nylon fiber in the mix to protect against impact and spalling from fire.
Use 5000 psi concrete instead of 2500. This is much stronger and will be less likely to break down under any environment.
Use a vapor barrier underneath to help prevent moisture and gas from coming up into the house.
Put the foundation on 8 to 10 inches of 1" rock. This will help protect against soil expansion and allow water to quickly flow underneath or out of underneath the house. It will also prevent critters from digging into any possible underground utilities, etc.
Any cracks after the concrete sets, fill and then seal the entire pad.
Be sure to keep the concrete wet and covered for 30 days to aid in maximum strength.
Instead of a steel frame, use insulated concrete forms, again using basalt rebar. This makes a concrete walled house. Use stainless steel trusses (or onsite galvanized steel) for the roof or build a concrete roof with similar construction methods as the insulated concrete forms.
The siding of the house should be concrete board or other non combustible material (brick or stone)..or both where it makes sense. But be careful on the mortar used..seal it at least if you expose any of it to the weather.
Make sure the eaves are at least two feet out and the eaves over doors more than that. This keeps water away from those areas and the house as a whole.
Make sure you have gutters...good ones.
Make sure your land around the house moves water around it - even in flash flood events.
Have real shutters for your windows.
Where it makes sense, especially those areas exposed to weather, do not use wood.
Instead of slate..use aluminum shingles.
Forget the fireplace...too many potential issues with fire, leaking, etc. They are hard to build for 20 years let alone 1000.
Use Fiberglass windows. The best ones will outlast any hardwood.
- boringg 5y agoWhy do you need shudders for your windows? Is that for hurricane/storm protection?
- arethuza 5y agoOut flat in Edinburgh New Town had built in shutters on the inside of sash windows - these were actually really effective at helping to keep the place warm - far better and easier to care for than curtains. Edit: I should point out that the Edinburgh New Town is quite old, but not as old as the Old Town, obviously.
- LunaSea 5y agoBut wouldn't that be an apples to oranges comparison because shutters are fully opaque while curtains are only partially opaque? I would also expect outer shutters to insulate the window a little bit and thus limit the heat loss no?
- arethuza 5y ago"curtains are only partially opaque" Not any curtain I've ever encountered - people used to have net screens for privacy and curtains for warmth. But that's going back a bit (i.e. my youth).
- LunaSea 5y agoIndeed that's what I'm thinking about where the curtains are open most of the day but the net screens are always closed. It is still a decently common practice in a lot of European countries. Other option would be to use rolling window shutters on the outside.
- DiffEq 5y agoYes. And if a window is broken long term (who knows what 1000 years may bring) the opening can be somewhat protected still and easily so.
- GavinMcG 5y agoIt's "steel" here, and "shutters"
- jdmichal 5y agoI think the constraint of expanding the house prevented a build like you're suggesting. I personally think it's a silly constraint when the plan is already 3000+ sqft, which is larger than anything used as non-communal shelter by humans for our species' duration. I also dislike how the author completely punted on insulation. I think that's a very important part of any new building. It's easy to insulate your proposed design.
- DiffEq 5y agoYes, insulation is very important. I actually built this house for myself. Took 2.5 years...the insulated concrete forms I used have built in insulation for the walls...and for the foundation I used special foam around the edges of the foundation to help with that. A commenter mentioned elsewhere that you would not be able to find contractors to build a house like OP designed - that is a true statement even with my build and that is why I had to build 90 percent of myself (my sons and wife helped too).
- jdmichal 5y agoThat's awesome! It's a dream of mine to someday design my own home, though more from an architectural perspective and not a technical one like this. Will likely be unrealized, though, for financial reasons. Unless I win the lottery or something, but it's kind of hard to do that when you don't play ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- jacquesm 5y agoAnd build it either on bedrock or on a stable sand layer. The foundation is key.
- LunaSea 5y agoThanks for all the insights! I have a few questions regarding your suggestions: > Instead of slate..use aluminum shingles - Is this purely a question of price? > Use Fiberglass windows. The best ones will outlast any hardwood. - Wouldn't long term exposure of the fiberglass windows to the sun weaken the fiberglass (this effect seems to be called "Fiber Blooming")? Finally, do you have any links to share regarding these topics for people wanting to build a house but without the technical background?
- DiffEq 5y agohttps://www.nudura.com/products https://www.nudura.com/products https://vulcraft.com/Products/JoistGirders https://vulcraft.com/Products/JoistGirders https://www.neuvokascorp.com/ https://www.neuvokascorp.com/ Cold roof Design: https://www.cor-a-vent.com/s-400.cfm https://www.cor-a-vent.com/s-400.cfm First layer https://www.homedepot.com/p/TECHSHIELD-LP-TechShield-Radiant-Barrier-7-16-Roof-Sheathing-Panel-Application-As-4-x-8-39960/202106242 https://www.homedepot.com/p/TECHSHIELD-LP-TechShield-Radiant... Foam Layer: https://universalconstructionfoam.com/ https://universalconstructionfoam.com/ Second Layer: https://www.homedepot.com/p/5-8-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Zip-System-Oriented-Strand-Board-Roof-Sheathing-1012110/204836689 https://www.homedepot.com/p/5-8-in-x-4-ft-x-8-ft-Zip-System-... Outside walls, roof eaves, etc: https://www.jameshardie.com/ https://www.jameshardie.com/ Concrete: https://cor-tuf.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-concrete-strength/ https://cor-tuf.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-concre...
- DiffEq 5y agoSlate can be easily damaged by hail and your kids baseballs. Aluminum will be resistant to all the sizes of hail except biblical sizes. Aluminum also will reflect pretty 100 percent of the heat from the sun - allowing you to have an insulated/conditioned attic if you want. As to cost - aluminum shingles are pretty expensive too so probably no cost savings there. The higher quality fiberglass windows have resins and treatments that are pretty much impervious to UV light...so that has been a problem with fiberglass windows but not so much anymore. Another option are steel or aluminum windows. There are some very high quality windows made out of that material as well. I do have links...will post them later.