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@@MRAROCKERDUDE That's a great perspective!

Yes. Either the TSS from Simpson, or some Ice and Water Sheild

@sanic5946 I hear what you're saying, but the problem is exacerbated by the greater insulating value of the triple glazing. Thus an even better window will have this problem more.

nope, the more efficient the window the more likely to see exterior condensation.

@@gregcorwin8316 Exactly

@@freddietoliver7173 It is cast in place walls. I would have loved to use ICF, but they wanted it pretty cold....so we only insulated the lid.

Yikes! We educate our home buyers on it, but that is a great tip: we need to place a warning label in the mechanical room as well.

Nope. It can be handy for a quick temporary fastening while setting trusses, but that's about it. This is a far stronger connection.

Yes. You're rarely critical of your own work!

This was a "professional" installation in a DIY home. What I mean is that the homeowner hired a subcontractor to help him with the footing installation. But in general, I've never been called to fix a great installation, so no examples of that. There are plenty of examples of professionals doing poor work. I'm confident you could watch YT videos of that for hours. I've posted a couple myself.

Not so in West Michigan, but prices are definitely regional and in constant flux

Check out the comments below for how to get a copy.

I expect to have it available on our website for download in the future, but for now I can send you a copy. Either post your email address here, or fill out the contact form on our website and ask for it there. www.rvaluehomes.com/contact

There are a lot of great choices out there. A reversible flat wall to start. Second is local support. open.spotify.com/episode/796ShD0Mmj5XpvjoFBCbt8?si=2fa8d03e329e4771

Glad to help out! I'll have to create more one of these days.

Mix performance varies widely from one supplier to the next. If you are new to concrete, or to this particular supplier, caution is the word of the day for your first pour--best not try 100 yards. But I do prefer to use a 5/8" diameter stone and a mid-range water reducer.

Cool idea for the involved homeowner (which I am). But had I built them shorter or higher from the get go, they would do everything I needed them to so without any intervention; thus truly "passive".

That means a lot coming from you Bill. Thank you!

It sure is. It was a challenge to get the rainwater system working properly, but we figured it out!

Lol! I suppose it's true what they say: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

I totally should've added juggling and oversized shoes. Thanks for the tip!

I wouldn't! They called me after their DIY project went sideways almost immediately.

Drain tile is below the foam-we want to keep the footing dry. Stone on top of and around the foam allows water from above to reach the tile.

@@RValueHomes isnt any water that hits the foam board just gonna shed to the low side of the foam?

Yes, it will shed to the stone and drain tile.

You might want to measure your tile floors...If its 68° in the house, your floor is definitely not warmer than that. Nevertheless, I get it. There's nothing like a warm floor!

That is the Evolution Thermostat from Bryant/Carrier. Unfortunately it doesn't store much data, that would be 1 thing I would love to change.

Radiant heat is awesome, I agree. We also target r-20 under the slab, with a radon barrier.

Godo questions! In short, no. I take it your example is attempting to ensure the incoming cold water is the same temperature throughout the test. First off, we have a pretty large pressure tank. Secondly, I ran the test twice; so if there was a measureable difference, it would have been picked up in the second test. However, there was none.

Absolutely. I'm glad it was helpful!

I'll be curious to see the result. It can't mitigate the cold surface for condensation, but what will happen? Stay tuned.

Is that normal in triple pane windows? I live in a very cold climate, and triple pane windows are a must-have option, but lots of people complain about the condensation. Is it due to a manufacturing defect?

​@@zob79he explains it in the video

@@zob79 Nope, it's physics. Exterior window condensation is due to dew. Exterior window condensation is no different than the condensation (dew) that you see on car windows, or on lawns, or on concrete or metal surfaces. Perfectly normal.

​@@zob79Triple glazed windows prevent condensation inside but it does occur outside. It is better to have water outside than inside. This is a normal phenomenon.

Nope, just busy work...

It's early winter and we needed to keep the ground fron freezing. The straw waa later removed.

LOL, thanks. We use Nudura almost 100% of the time and LOVE it. This project was a DIY gone bad, and he hired me to put up the forms he purchased.

Glad it was helpful!

Thank you for your kind words Jay!

The short answer is that we used long structural screws to pull the corner boards back together, then finished the pour. After the pour there will be a lot of rasping.

Ha! In this case we were pouring the wall the homeowner built....so that wasn't going to happen!

For a third level 20' above grade? More like, another reason to send the wet truck back (which we did).

​@@RValueHomesyes. While the truck being too wet is an issue your walls are less likely to blow out using aluminum forms with pins and wedges granted the dumbasses setting the wall actually put ties where they need to be

Funny! We didn't brace this job--we were called in to pour it......

@@RValueHomes figures... Always nice when you gotta fix someone else's crap job to be able to do yours.

There are a number of factors there, including concrete mix design and weather. But in general, by the time you have built the subfloor, the lower level concrete has cured enough to be ready for the weight of the next level concrete.

You have not answered the question. The reason why I'm asking is because I need to build 33fts above flood level.

@@hungha8081 Then you might consider hiring a local professional. There is no one-size-fits-all answer.

Thanks Randy--I'll keep that in mind!

Moving the woodstove is a great idea we have discussed a lot. It might happen one of these days. However, the on-demand is a big no-no for a net zero home.

Great question Paul! There are the original reasons, and there are my reasons today. Originally, we would have to 1) Pay for a furnace & 2) Get a propane tank in the yard. All to potentially save a little cash. We decided to first see how much we actually spent on backup heat, then decide if propane backup was worth it. We had $79 in backup heat last year, and that has been our costliest year to date. Reasons today include 1) I can't generate gas with PV panels, so can never get to net-zero with it. 2) Gas introduces the possibility of carbon monoxide and gas leaks. 3) Backup heat usage isn't enough to justify it.

Yikes! I'm glad you were able to find solutions Steve. I cringe every time I see a print with living space under a deck.

Have you heard of Alchemco Techcrete 2500?

@@robnowe5464 Nope

Concrete that is 4400 psi or higher is considered waterproof

@@Jerry-ko9pi Actually it isn't that simple...It has to be consolidated properly for one, and secondly it must be monolithic. An ICF wall has thousands of plastic ties that pass through from one side to the other, which could easily present a problem for waterproof concrete.

You don't cut them with a hand saw like the other guys, but they are very strong!

Thank you Byron!