Speaking of cool attics, if I went with foam, I probably would elect against cathedralization but I would definitely get my HVAC unit within the conditioned space.
Speaking of cool attics, if I went with foam, I probably would elect against cathedralization but I would definitely get my HVAC unit within the conditioned space.
i built a 2200 sq ft house in piedmont . geo thermal heat / air. wet blown cellulose in walls and 3/4 in. foam over osb on the outside . brick veneer. total electric home. electric bill averaged 89.00 per mo. talk to og+e they can help you calculate . i used foam in my current house . been great so far
Also look into the Mitsubishi Mr. Slim ductless HVAC systems.
I'm a huge fan of these mini split heat pumps. I've seen them in action enough to know that I will be using them on my next home. Simple, quiet, and efficient. Of course I don't have a mansion (nor would I ever want one), but even still these system can work with larger homes. But it can get pricey.
Let's say a 1,500 sq. ft. home needs 3 tons with normal insulation and 1.5 tons with foam. Even if you use 2 mini splits I don't think it will distribute the air in a manner that would supply comfort in the complete house. Just my opinion.
In 2010 I built my home that I intend to never move from. We had Agile spray foam all exterior walls and the rafters. Here is what I have noticed and what I can confirm:
1) The HVAC techs stated my units will run more efficient because the temp in the attic is almost same as house. Last year when it was a scorcher I could go up in my attic and it would be around 71 degrees (we keep our house on 69/70).
2) My old house (built in 2006) was about 1000 sqft less, houses facing almost same direction and is 1.5 miles down the road. My electric bills are about $100 cheeper in the new house.
3) Noticeable less dust and bugs in new house.
4) The comment above about moisture, I agreed to pay for the equipment that conditions and exchanges air through the house because of the advice of the HVAC company. Chris with Agile and the people who did the load calculations said I didn't need it. I have about 2600 sqft of hickory flooring so I wanted to do as much as I could to control the elements as they had been described to me. I turned that unit off last summer because it was throwing some codes in the control panel and I actually think the house felt more comfortable.
5) last but not least, my old house had one 3 ton unit. The house had several spots that would never get to temp. It always seemed in winter we had cold spots or in the summer we had hot spots. New house has two 2.5 ton units. Nobody notices spots in the home that have variations in the temps. My home feels like you are in a huge igloo cooler (probably because it is built like one).
Hope this helps.
1) The HVAC techs stated my units will run more efficient because the temp in the attic is almost same as house. Last year when it was a scorcher I could go up in my attic and it would be around 71 degrees (we keep our house on 69/70).
2) My old house (built in 2006) was about 1000 sqft less, houses facing almost same direction and is 1.5 miles down the road. My electric bills are about $100 cheeper in the new house.
3) Noticeable less dust and bugs in new house.
4) The comment above about moisture, I agreed to pay for the equipment that conditions and exchanges air through the house because of the advice of the HVAC company. Chris with Agile and the people who did the load calculations said I didn't need it. I have about 2600 sqft of hickory flooring so I wanted to do as much as I could to control the elements as they had been described to me. I turned that unit off last summer because it was throwing some codes in the control panel and I actually think the house felt more comfortable.
5) last but not least, my old house had one 3 ton unit. The house had several spots that would never get to temp. It always seemed in winter we had cold spots or in the summer we had hot spots. New house has two 2.5 ton units. Nobody notices spots in the home that have variations in the temps. My home feels like you are in a huge igloo cooler (probably because it is built like one).
Hope this helps.
How does foam hold up longevity-wise? I realize it hasn't been used widely all that long, but is it going to develop cracks and fissures in 20 years that make it useless (well... less advantageous) at that time?
I had thought about using the spray-in plastic made from old recycled soda bottles. Supposedly it is very thin, like 1/4-1/2", but has a high R-rating. Anyone looked into that stuff?
I had thought about using the spray-in plastic made from old recycled soda bottles. Supposedly it is very thin, like 1/4-1/2", but has a high R-rating. Anyone looked into that stuff?
I sell Ductless units...Samsung at the moment. www.quietside.com If you all have any questions, I would be more than happy to help you all out. I have them running in my office and they truly are great, efficient, a/c systems. I'm in Tulsa BTW.
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