I think some people miss the purpose of such of Matt's videos .. it is not showing us what a "normal" built on a tight budget house is .. it is showing us the building science of what is possible. I think we can all take away a thing or two we can incorporate into our own builds - might not be everything or to the same scale - but a nugget or two. Keep up the good work Matt .. I love seeing the latest in building science.
Sure. But if you seen the homes Matt builds in Austin its night and day compared to this project. Matt build really nice looking homes, usually regardless of the budget (with the exception of the Perfect wall home). This Colorado home going to be very expensive and look well rather ugly in my opinion. I don't the owner will be able to sell if anywhere near the construction cost.
@@guytech7310 I guess (about the cost of sale), but like solar panels or electric cars .. people put value on different things beyond cost or making a profit .. in this case they really wanted a passive home :)
This is a passive house at any cost. Your second comment said different values. this house is not a environment value it is a look at me, no different than a jacked up truck. Both have there own little ozone hole following each of them. Sadly the only 2 nuggets I got from this 1 natural steel rust doesn't look natural :-). In two just because you have money doesn't mean you have taste ie hideous looking bark.
Perhaps, but 'what is possible' in many cases is completely out of the realm for most builds. However, I think for a passive home, there should be additional standards if the real point is to conform to saving the planet. For me and in no specific order ... 1. The size of these homes should be capped at perhaps 2000 sqft as larger homes are not needed and wasteful, if we are saving the planet then we should also be conserving these building materials for others and the cost of their transport etc. 2. No high ceilings and cathedral rooms. all the heat (from whatever source) goes into the peak. In fact it would work better if our ceiling were only 7ft instead of 8. There is less air to heat. Air has a specific heat about 1/4 of that of water and it takes some doing to heat it. 3. I think there should also be a very specific accounting of the GHG that is produced when the home is built. For example using electric machinery and tools instead of diesel. Small dimensional wood uses up the log more efficiently. So, why not double 2x4 walls with an air space? This would also include buying materials from farther away increasing the transport impact. 4. I think there should be a cost standard of the total $ put into the home to achieve PH or AH standards. This can be adjusted for local economies. 5. I think there should also be functions built into the PH standard that increasingly penalize larger areas or high ceilings. For example if you have a heat load of Q and an area of A then the load/area would be Q/A. I would suggest that the value of the area not be allowed to increase over the area cap listed above. So, then a larger home would be really pressed to make the standard. I would also increase the volume of air computation for what aspects of the ceilings that are over 8 ft and give a bonus to those less than. In general I think the PH idea is really cool(warm), BUT to present only gentrified examples, just tells the rest of us that we are not welcome as is often the case, In future can we see videos on: 1. How do we measure the energy parameters of our own homes ourselves? What are the specific procedures to assess what standards our homes current follow. 2. How to take a 15 year old typical sub-division home in Canada or the US and retrofit it to better standards without gutting it. How to assess the HVAC to see if it is adequate or one would really benefit from a change. 3. How to operate our homes using less energy by simple modifications and procedures. Thank you.
@@bac4998 New Zealand - Timber Lockwood House of the Year 2020.!!! th-cam.com/video/1d5-Zobr9Lg/w-d-xo.html lockwood.co.nz/#intro . lockwoodreadybuilt.co.nz/#readybuilt . th-cam.com/video/1d5-Zobr9Lg/w-d-xo.html ..!!!
@@LifeBloodMarketing Of course not, they don't want their clientele to know they spent so much only to be marginally more efficient than a traditional built house. I'm all for building science and finding more efficient ways but Matt touting stuff like this to be the future of home building is just BS. By the few numbers he puts out the owners of these air tight, super insulated houses should start seeing a return on their initial investment in 400+ years. Think i'm full of BS? here is some simple math. We will build 2 houses in Texas seeing as that is where Matt is from. Typical home built in 2019 in Texas averages $110/sqft, Matt shows houses and the price per sqft come over $200/sq ft showed a house a few weeks ago where they were talking $250+/sqft so in fairness well say you could get a super insulated house for $190/sqft. the average house in 2019 is 2400 sqft so you would be looking at $288K for a traditional house and $456K for a super insulated air tight house. Now the average electricity bill for a traditional 2400 sqft house with electric heat in Texas comes to $1650/year, heating and cooling is 22% of that for Texas. So well be very generous and well just say 50% and well say by magic a super insulated air tight house used no electricity on heating and cooling saving you a total of $825/year. so now we will take the difference of the 2 houses $168K and divide that by how much we magically saved in a year $825 on electricity and come to find we are looking at 203 years before you start seeing a return on your initial investment, and that is being VEEEEERRRRRY generous. So now we know why Matt lives in a 1970's house, Matt doesn't drink his own Kool-aid.
@@davidbuck9977 Except this house isn't in Texas, have fun heating a house with R13 leaky walls when its 17F outside. Its easier to get away with shoddy construction when you have cheap energy and it doesn't get very cold.
@@zilfondel Riiiiiiight, because Texas is known for it's mild climate... Houses built today are not the drafty houses built many decades ago. Colorado's electricity may cost more than Texas however Colorado's electricity is still below the national average. In fact, even with higher energy costs, the average person spends about 7% less in Colorado on heating and cooling than in Texas. I guess it's cheaper to heat a house 3-4 months out the year and rarely need A/C than need A/C 8 months out the year and rarely need heating.
That’s awesome! I had the opportunity to tour Greg’s house last week when it was much warmer and my first thought was that Matt Risinger needs to check this out... and then there you are.
This is almost the same way we build all houses in Norway. You should take the trip to the Scandinavian countrys and make a series of that. I'd love to see you look at the difference. Like the German trip. Maybe event looking closer at eg. the electric installs.
It wouldn't help. Ft Collins Co is an expensive area to build in n right now and it could change $200 sq ft in your area so its pointless to mention pricing. If you like it then consult a builder in your area for accurate pricing to see if you can afford it
@@1982MCI BS. It doesn't matter if costs vary between regions. The question is, how much more did it cost to implement these strategies on this particular house?
@@MrArcticPOWER With the siding at $6 sqft, I would think you're looking at 4X-5X the cost of a conventional developer build. This is out of the reach of 99% of home owners.
@@tylerdenio5433 I've fallen in love with them too. They seem difficult or out of the norm for some reason. They are thinker on the ends than is required for like a scissors truss which is the most efficient, but the room for insulation seems to make them perfect for highly insulation houses
@@Zorlig Yeah i'm in Alaska, and it provides a good energy heel. They are a little awkward to install (you have to make sure 6 points on the truss are aligned, the heel bottoms, the heel tops, the ridge bottom/top, so it is a little more work. Also the shear transfer from the roof sheathing to the shearwalls is unconventional with large truss blocking or little mini shearwalls in between the trusses. People just aren't used to it.
amazing! love this stuff! I am actually using the siga majrex for my interior vapor barrier on a small house build so it was great to see this before I get it up. Making me think a bit about the outlets and plumbing another time to minimize penetration. Invaluable what you are doing here, Matt! Thanks so much!
@@olteddersseams expensive for what is normally a waste product! But I'm wondering how practical it would be to try and harvest it themself! If someone could get a relationship going with a saw mill, press it flat while it dries out. I wonder if it were possible for someone, or at least that's what I would try!
Could you make a video sometime where you follow up on several of these projects you visit mid construction? You could just have the builders or owners send some photos or video clips of the finished houses, and then if they have full videos of their own, you could link to them. Thanks for sharing your work with us!
Matt I’m curious what’s the sqft build price on something like this versus a traditional build and how the heck do you sell and justify the difference of more than likely double the cost per sqft to your customers and how many yrs it would take to recoup your money back.
Well... Nice project and so nice to see that the owner uses a Swiss/European 🇪🇺 product for the air barrier, since this is one of the best company’s to do it 💪 Passive housing is the way to do it, for the future ✌️
The windows were arriving as Matt was filming, so we unfortunately did not get any install shots. But please do check back and sign up for our newsletter to follow the build (emu.systems/join/). Advantage Woodwork is the manufacturer of the Smartwin line of windows that helped make it possible for Greg to reach Passive level certification. They are beautifully crafted windows, you should definitely check them out.
This is great, I love when old rich hippsters spend there cash to educate our young tradesman. This will bring the cost down for future builders. Good on ya!
Rookie question: Is the Stego vapor barrier ran to the outside edge of the entire concrete form and then folded back and ran underneath the double wall assembly. And then turned up and taped to the interior wall vapor barrier?
Not sure if I have become completely fatigued by Matt's infomercials showcasing pricy Dorkin Delta products or are actually learning something. Definitely exploring the laws of diminishing returns on this build.
Thanks. I've been seriously thinking of building something energy efficient for a retirement home here in Northwest Montana. Not exactly PH but close. Love your show as always. God Bless.
Cool how you normally build in warmer climates Matt, but you're able to go to a cold climate build and still know a great detail about lengths, building practices and products!
Passive house seems like a way for +$1M home owners to feel better about their consumption. No one ever talks about the embodied energy in one of these houses.
Cement and steel often have the largest carbon footprint of all building materials (for now), but wood *removes* carbon from the atmosphere when sourced from sustainable forests. These luxury houses also act as testbeds for green products and processes that will one day become industry standards.
@Mykel Hardin @Lewis Renovation has a point, this a problem that most people are not thinking about when it comes to building to higher energy efficiency standards. The amount of embodied energy that goes into a house is a very significant factor that needs to be addressed more often in the conversations and the implementation of techniques regarding these kind of homes. publications.waset.org/7209/pdf I am no expert on any of this, I've only done just basic research online, but at the very least there needs to be more of a debate and acknowledgement of this aspect of building sustainable or more energy efficient buildings.
pretty sweet!...and looks EXPENSIVE too. lol, i lived in ft. collins for a few years in the mid 90s, and that area looks like over near the colorado state university ERC, like off overland trail? man, i used to love riding my bike out there in the evenings.
I wonder If the T Stud naked stud product would have been a better choice? I don'y know again im not the engineer nor builder and designer. I like that product (T Stud) I see a ton of benefits in that system. Love that he's using such great performing products. please go back when its complete
No air space. It is all filled with high density blown insulation, like borax-treated recycled paper. Very resistant to fire. A blowtorch is needed to char it, but when removed, it extinguishes instantly. The insulation runs in a continuous layer from foundation to roof peak.
I like an overhang on a building and keeps the rain away from foundations. Overhangs are better built on the floor and installed after the protective membrane is finished..
only have R10 on mine :( wish i could have R30! but it makes no sense in putting more insulation with all the expense. R10 walls and R65 attic, currently only using 45 dollars of heat in January in NE USA ... so the ROI isn't there to uncover everything. If walls were open I would go for it!
@@wolfmannews that doesn't seem to make the best ROI ... My ROI stopped at R65 on attic. And I live in NE. I would have had to spend another $1000 dollars in cellulose to double the R. And for what? To save 30-50 dollars at most per year. That's a 25-30 year timeline. I doubt in this video the numbers would make it better or even sense financially
Great job Matt Suggestion: add source links to specialty products, like *bark siding*. I know we are all asking for more from you, & it becomes time consuming, but with growth comes growing pains.
hey matt love the videos been watching for a long time I have a question/suggestion for your videos. Is there any way every 2-3 months or so make a extended length video where you put in segments from videos like this one then also put in pictures that maybe you can request from these other people or from your own builds to show what the houses look like at the end in different areas of the house. I build and remodel houses but where im at we still do things very different from you and I love seeing what you and other builders across the country are doing. Only down fall is I dont get to see the finished product of all these amazing houses. The mock ups are great but they just dont do it for me. Please consider this
Nice Project. Similar wall build-up as to what we use here in Australia, but quite smaller in thickness. Normally a 140mm stud with 35mm battened service cavities. Also interesting to see the trusses with nail-plates being used in a Passivhaus, would have thought they would be a Thermal Bridge issue.
At 1:35, Greg says he needs overhangs on the southern windows. In a cold climate, you would want maximum solar gain from southern windows and overhangs would limit that. What am I missing?
@@JerryLevenson nah, it's probably the front ranges least best kept secret the weather is comparative mild, I'm from CO and my girlfriend from St. Louis was amazed by the mild winters!
I grew up in Ft. Collins. Our south windows made the back of the main floor bake in the summer. In the winter it was hard to get the house an even temperature because the thermostat was in the kitchen facing the windows. The main floor would be warm but my second floor north facing bedroom would freeze. The winters are normally relatively temperate. The south side of the house is not where you want lots of windows. Put the thermostat on the north side.
It's Colorado though, flat roofs always concern me with snow load, especially in valleys between two peaked roofs, also ice dams heaving the shingles on the peaked roof soaking the underlayment and inducing failure over time...short form...Flat roof here, bad idea.
Would there need to be some kind of insect / rodent screen where the siding comes within 1" of the foundation flashing? I wonder what could be used. I'm thinking of something similar for my mobile.
Hi , thank you for this house show. But he mentioned that he want to show more details of the windows and steel and the slab. Did you record that later? I notice that often you interupt the people when they want to say more. Those items are evenly important for a passive home. Can you elaborate more about this or does someone knows more about the slab and steel beams insulation? Thank you for the show and hope to get a responce.
Would love to get through a project like this n have it work. I tried but ended with a free heat option n a half ass accomplishment on the build but wow n pat urself on the back. As long as it’s Colorado u can really celebrate !!
If you think about it bark could be an amazing product in so many ways one think about what it does for trees it allows the tree to house water in winter and not allow it to freeze so bark must be something pretty magical and special
Guys... I (Todd) just reviewed this video again... and took a cursory look at the comments ... given the magnitude of comments and the various ornery comments... love how this turned out for you all. Great work! While there were a few ornery comments that had some merit, all is more than good.
Welcome from Colorado from a resident in Loveland. Interesting technology but being quite familiar with the area I have some concerns. Lack of overhangs means exposure to the elements, in particular hail. Frequent hail storms in our part of Colorado will negate a lot of the energy savings of this unique house by destruction of the triple pane windows, and of the bark siding. I also wonder in our age of worry about global warming about the impact of the utterly massive amount of wood used to help space the insulation - and I wonder the economics of using two or three times the timber over what is normally used, will negate any savings from not having to heat the house in the winter. And will cooling not be needed, for such a tightly insulated envelop surely will trap heat generated by appliances, people, and from showers or laundry. However, I do like proof of concept structures like this house that show what can be done to minimize energy costs. But is it worth the expense and extravagance? Hmm? Great review from Matt and presentation from the designer.
I was wondering the same. I imagine working out the cost/benefit ratio on how environmentally friendly this building is really comes down to how long it is used. If it somehow lasts for 200 or 400 years all these extra economic and environmental costs will be flipped to net benefits.
@@nobigting I agree. I think of what has actually been here for a long time: potato barns in San Luis Valley, and San Xavier Del Bac Mission in Tucson. Neither can burn down nor that complicated to build. Both have good thermal properties...
Hey Matt how about how much this cost compared to a 2x6 with r21 insulation. It seems to me that there are people out there that are having a contest to see who can spend the most. How long will it take for this to pay for itself. all of us watching this video will be dead before he breaks even on this system.
@@oltedders Actually, if you "google" bark siding, you'll see HUNDREDS of examples. The poplar bark siding seems to weather to a darker tone than the example in the video.
I know this is old now, but there is something I don't get. How do they vent the roof? The wrb is wrapped all the way around. But he did mention it will have a space for venting. I'm super confused.
The come-away:...”buy an Architech’s home when they are thru with using it themselves” Just awesome. 👍 Track home builders need to start adopting at least some of this stuff! People WILL pay extra if they realize the value...See Tesla.
@Steve Slade The expensive Teslas paved the way for current models that can be had for the same price as a Camry, with no rebates, and are roughly 4 times more efficient. People hate hearing the truth that their consumption habits are awful for the environment, so they make up BS excuses and go with the herd. Efficient housing technologies are currently more expensive because they are new and only used in low quantities, but will come down when the next less-corrupt administration transitions fossil fuel subsidies to green tech.
@Steve Slade That is some classic grade A rambling. Jumping from topic to topic, throwing out a ton of information, and acting like it all somehow proves your point. Then act like it's everyone else's job to prove you wrong.
Steve Slade, I bought a nearly $50k Chevy Bolt with ZERO government subsidies. I didn’t have any write-offs to take advantage-of. I bought the vehicle because it offered something MORE and DIFFERENT than the rest. Steve, you are WRONG. people WILL pay for VALUE.
Reply to Brad not Landa Walls without overhangs fail dozens of times more often. There are charts showing how much protection increases with increased overhang. Metal door pan is hell of a thermal bridge, but how do we avoid that?
oltedders if it’s installed on a rain screen it will last longer than the house. There are some houses up in Boone, NC that have the same chestnut bark siding when they were built in the early 1900’s. It’s expensive but the waste factor is almost nonexistent.
Info on the window manufacturer? I am really not digging this house. I see what he is going for but I would go at it in a different way. But non of this is surprising as Engineers and Architects do not always see eye to eye.
@@aayotechnology In a nut shell, I think has just made it far more complicated than was necessary to achieve his goals. I am sure he has his reasons and I can only speculate on them. But in the end, it's his house and he can do as he wishes.
We are the window manufacturer. Advantage Architectural Woodwork, we are the North American smartwin partner. These are made in USA, not imported from Europe, PHI certified windows and doors. Send us an email for more info www.advantagewoodwork.com or check out the European site also. www.smartwin.eu
I wished you would have asked how much more time and money is involved in constructing a house like this versus typical construction, and it would have been nice to see a finished picture of it, trying to figure out that bark siding.
Hi Matt Walls and windows keep getting better all the time. Why haven't doors progressed like the walls they are installed in? The walls have gotten thicker and better insulated but the doors have stayed essentially the same for decades. It would be nice to see doors 4 in thick or better. Engineers seem to be capable of designing almost anything. What is it that seems to be holding us back.
I think some people miss the purpose of such of Matt's videos .. it is not showing us what a "normal" built on a tight budget house is .. it is showing us the building science of what is possible. I think we can all take away a thing or two we can incorporate into our own builds - might not be everything or to the same scale - but a nugget or two. Keep up the good work Matt .. I love seeing the latest in building science.
Sure. But if you seen the homes Matt builds in Austin its night and day compared to this project. Matt build really nice looking homes, usually regardless of the budget (with the exception of the Perfect wall home). This Colorado home going to be very expensive and look well rather ugly in my opinion. I don't the owner will be able to sell if anywhere near the construction cost.
@@guytech7310 I guess (about the cost of sale), but like solar panels or electric cars .. people put value on different things beyond cost or making a profit .. in this case they really wanted a passive home :)
This is a passive house at any cost. Your second comment said different values. this house is not a environment value it is a look at me, no different than a jacked up truck. Both have there own little ozone hole following each of them. Sadly the only 2 nuggets I got from this 1 natural steel rust doesn't look natural :-). In two just because you have money doesn't mean you have taste ie hideous looking bark.
Perhaps, but 'what is possible' in many cases is completely out of the realm for most builds. However, I think for a passive home, there should be additional standards if the real point is to conform to saving the planet. For me and in no specific order ...
1. The size of these homes should be capped at perhaps 2000 sqft as larger homes are not needed and wasteful, if we are saving the planet then we should also be conserving these building materials for others and the cost of their transport etc.
2. No high ceilings and cathedral rooms. all the heat (from whatever source) goes into the peak. In fact it would work better if our ceiling were only 7ft instead of 8. There is less air to heat. Air has a specific heat about 1/4 of that of water and it takes some doing to heat it.
3. I think there should also be a very specific accounting of the GHG that is produced when the home is built. For example using electric machinery and tools instead of diesel. Small dimensional wood uses up the log more efficiently. So, why not double 2x4 walls with an air space? This would also include buying materials from farther away increasing the transport impact.
4. I think there should be a cost standard of the total $ put into the home to achieve PH or AH standards. This can be adjusted for local economies.
5. I think there should also be functions built into the PH standard that increasingly penalize larger areas or high ceilings. For example if you have a heat load of Q and an area of A then the load/area would be Q/A. I would suggest that the value of the area not be allowed to increase over the area cap listed above. So, then a larger home would be really pressed to make the standard. I would also increase the volume of air computation for what aspects of the ceilings that are over 8 ft and give a bonus to those less than.
In general I think the PH idea is really cool(warm), BUT to present only gentrified examples, just tells the rest of us that we are not welcome as is often the case,
In future can we see videos on:
1. How do we measure the energy parameters of our own homes ourselves? What are the specific procedures to assess what standards our homes current follow.
2. How to take a 15 year old typical sub-division home in Canada or the US and retrofit it to better standards without gutting it. How to assess the HVAC to see if it is adequate or one would really benefit from a change.
3. How to operate our homes using less energy by simple modifications and procedures.
Thank you.
Ya, this guy has definately owned a few Saabs. True architect. Impressive!
Sabb with a bra, over glossed with armor-all.
Totally.
@@bac4998 New Zealand - Timber Lockwood House of the Year 2020.!!!
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lockwood.co.nz/#intro .
lockwoodreadybuilt.co.nz/#readybuilt .
th-cam.com/video/1d5-Zobr9Lg/w-d-xo.html ..!!!
I would love to see a follow up on this project during passive house testing.
I would too. It's shit.
Is there ever any follow up videos?
@@LifeBloodMarketing Of course not, they don't want their clientele to know they spent so much only to be marginally more efficient than a traditional built house. I'm all for building science and finding more efficient ways but Matt touting stuff like this to be the future of home building is just BS. By the few numbers he puts out the owners of these air tight, super insulated houses should start seeing a return on their initial investment in 400+ years. Think i'm full of BS? here is some simple math. We will build 2 houses in Texas seeing as that is where Matt is from. Typical home built in 2019 in Texas averages $110/sqft, Matt shows houses and the price per sqft come over $200/sq ft showed a house a few weeks ago where they were talking $250+/sqft so in fairness well say you could get a super insulated house for $190/sqft. the average house in 2019 is 2400 sqft so you would be looking at $288K for a traditional house and $456K for a super insulated air tight house. Now the average electricity bill for a traditional 2400 sqft house with electric heat in Texas comes to $1650/year, heating and cooling is 22% of that for Texas. So well be very generous and well just say 50% and well say by magic a super insulated air tight house used no electricity on heating and cooling saving you a total of $825/year. so now we will take the difference of the 2 houses $168K and divide that by how much we magically saved in a year $825 on electricity and come to find we are looking at 203 years before you start seeing a return on your initial investment, and that is being VEEEEERRRRRY generous.
So now we know why Matt lives in a 1970's house, Matt doesn't drink his own Kool-aid.
@@davidbuck9977 Except this house isn't in Texas, have fun heating a house with R13 leaky walls when its 17F outside. Its easier to get away with shoddy construction when you have cheap energy and it doesn't get very cold.
@@zilfondel Riiiiiiight, because Texas is known for it's mild climate... Houses built today are not the drafty houses built many decades ago. Colorado's electricity may cost more than Texas however Colorado's electricity is still below the national average. In fact, even with higher energy costs, the average person spends about 7% less in Colorado on heating and cooling than in Texas. I guess it's cheaper to heat a house 3-4 months out the year and rarely need A/C than need A/C 8 months out the year and rarely need heating.
I'm in Canada, definitely need more cold climate vidz!
I'm right next to Colorado so we'd love it as well.
I plan to build in the U.P. of Michigan. I need all the cold climate info I can get!
@@brockm4047 ICF construction seems the way to go. Simple removing many steps and materials
This is a premium build. Great to see things done the best possible way! Excellence!
That’s awesome! I had the opportunity to tour Greg’s house last week when it was much warmer and my first thought was that Matt Risinger needs to check this out... and then there you are.
A lot of details to get to that 0.6ACH Passive House standard! Thanks for showing.
this kind of building have been around since the 1980"s , I built like this in michigan , no furnace homes . Thanks for sharing you work .
This is almost the same way we build all houses in Norway. You should take the trip to the Scandinavian countrys and make a series of that. I'd love to see you look at the difference. Like the German trip. Maybe event looking closer at eg. the electric installs.
Welcome to my hometown! Pretty cool to see creators you follow somehow end up in your town. - It's a small world after all.
More video like this please I love seeing the different passive houses
Love these cold climate videos. Keep em coming.
Thanks Matt, performance details are so important. It would help to talk about the costs of construction
Conspicuously missing in these types of videos...
It wouldn't help. Ft Collins Co is an expensive area to build in n right now and it could change $200 sq ft in your area so its pointless to mention pricing. If you like it then consult a builder in your area for accurate pricing to see if you can afford it
@@1982MCI
BS. It doesn't matter if costs vary between regions. The question is, how much more did it cost to implement these strategies on this particular house?
@@TheBighatter I wouldn't be surprised if it's at least 60% more. It's going to take over 50 years to pay off the difference in electricity bill.
@@MrArcticPOWER
With the siding at $6 sqft, I would think you're looking at 4X-5X the cost of a conventional developer build. This is out of the reach of 99% of home owners.
I love that parallel chord truss detail. No ridge beam!!
I have the same trusses in the house that I am building. 2'-6" deep trusses. I don't understand why its not more common.
@@tylerdenio5433 I've fallen in love with them too. They seem difficult or out of the norm for some reason. They are thinker on the ends than is required for like a scissors truss which is the most efficient, but the room for insulation seems to make them perfect for highly insulation houses
@@Zorlig Yeah i'm in Alaska, and it provides a good energy heel. They are a little awkward to install (you have to make sure 6 points on the truss are aligned, the heel bottoms, the heel tops, the ridge bottom/top, so it is a little more work. Also the shear transfer from the roof sheathing to the shearwalls is unconventional with large truss blocking or little mini shearwalls in between the trusses. People just aren't used to it.
amazing! love this stuff! I am actually using the siga majrex for my interior vapor barrier on a small house build so it was great to see this before I get it up. Making me think a bit about the outlets and plumbing another time to minimize penetration. Invaluable what you are doing here, Matt! Thanks so much!
Bark siding sounds awesome! Nature's finest siding!!!
$6 sqft.
@@olteddersseams expensive for what is normally a waste product! But I'm wondering how practical it would be to try and harvest it themself! If someone could get a relationship going with a saw mill, press it flat while it dries out. I wonder if it were possible for someone, or at least that's what I would try!
@@ericmcginnis9413
Someone has already got the jump on that. I'd like to see a video of how they manufacture it.
Could you make a video sometime where you follow up on several of these projects you visit mid construction?
You could just have the builders or owners send some photos or video clips of the finished houses, and then if they have full videos of their own, you could link to them.
Thanks for sharing your work with us!
Matt I’m curious what’s the sqft build price on something like this versus a traditional build and how the heck do you sell and justify the difference of more than likely double the cost per sqft to your customers and how many yrs it would take to recoup your money back.
If your client is doing it to save money, it's not going to work out for them.
Hahah @ the snow description! Love the cold(er) climate vid!!! Thanks Matt you rock!
Really like this design, and am a big fan of the colder climate! Awesome project.
Well...
Nice project and so nice to see that the owner uses a Swiss/European 🇪🇺 product for the air barrier, since this is one of the best company’s to do it 💪
Passive housing is the way to do it, for the future ✌️
Except when it burns to the ground. I love passive houses don’t get me wrong.
Great video, though I was hoping to see the triple pained windows. I would love to see a tour of this finished.
There is a window on the floor, 3 second view. 😆
Please contact us for more information regarding the windows. We are the North American smartwin partner that supplied the windows for this project.
advantagewoodwork.com
Pane
The windows were arriving as Matt was filming, so we unfortunately did not get any install shots. But please do check back and sign up for our newsletter to follow the build (emu.systems/join/). Advantage Woodwork is the manufacturer of the Smartwin line of windows that helped make it possible for Greg to reach Passive level certification. They are beautifully crafted windows, you should definitely check them out.
This is great, I love when old rich hippsters spend there cash to educate our young tradesman. This will bring the cost down for future builders. Good on ya!
Great house. Love the bark and so will the wood peckers(?).
Rookie question: Is the Stego vapor barrier ran to the outside edge of the entire concrete form and then folded back and ran underneath the double wall assembly. And then turned up and taped to the interior wall vapor barrier?
Good question! I'd like to know too.
Stego under slab, connected to concrete. Concrete connected to wall air barrier. Continuous air barrier!
Thank You Both !!!
Any and every CAT you saw in Colorado has my family’s logo. WAGNER!! 😊 multi generational CAT equipment dealer.
Not sure if I have become completely fatigued by Matt's infomercials showcasing pricy Dorkin Delta products or are actually learning something. Definitely exploring the laws of diminishing returns on this build.
Thanks. I've been seriously thinking of building something energy efficient for a retirement home here in Northwest Montana. Not exactly PH but close. Love your show as always. God Bless.
How does radiant slab cooling work without causing condensation problems?
thats really similar to how we normally build in northern sweden
Cool how you normally build in warmer climates Matt, but you're able to go to a cold climate build and still know a great detail about lengths, building practices and products!
Matt come back to this house if you can later in the construction phase - this is neat!
And Austin just received snow on November 11th! Good thing you were acclimated!
Thanks, I love your perspective on construction.
Awesome house!
Passive house seems like a way for +$1M home owners to feel better about their consumption. No one ever talks about the embodied energy in one of these houses.
Cement and steel often have the largest carbon footprint of all building materials (for now), but wood *removes* carbon from the atmosphere when sourced from sustainable forests.
These luxury houses also act as testbeds for green products and processes that will one day become industry standards.
@Mykel Hardin @Lewis Renovation has a point, this a problem that most people are not thinking about when it comes to building to higher energy efficiency standards. The amount of embodied energy that goes into a house is a very significant factor that needs to be addressed more often in the conversations and the implementation of techniques regarding these kind of homes.
publications.waset.org/7209/pdf
I am no expert on any of this, I've only done just basic research online, but at the very least there needs to be more of a debate and acknowledgement of this aspect of building sustainable or more energy efficient buildings.
Matt, how about a followup tour of this passive house, lessons learned, etc.?
pretty sweet!...and looks EXPENSIVE too.
lol, i lived in ft. collins for a few years in the mid 90s, and that area looks like over near the colorado state university ERC, like off overland trail? man, i used to love riding my bike out there in the evenings.
A ton of great information Matt. Thanks for capturing all of it. This one will warrant a view views to take it all in.
I wonder If the T Stud naked stud product would have been a better choice? I don'y know again im not the engineer nor builder and designer. I like that product (T Stud) I see a ton of benefits in that system. Love that he's using such great performing products. please go back when its complete
Awesome project! I hope you return to see the finished product!
What an awesome project. I hope there is a follow-up on the house. Super cool video!
Any concern for fire racing up the air space of those double frame walls?
No air space. It is all filled with high density blown insulation, like borax-treated recycled paper. Very resistant to fire. A blowtorch is needed to char it, but when removed, it extinguishes instantly.
The insulation runs in a continuous layer from foundation to roof peak.
Watching this in 2023, that intro is foreshadowing.
I'd like to see how this build turned out because it looks like a house only an architect could love lol.
I like an overhang on a building and keeps the rain away from foundations. Overhangs are better built on the floor and installed after the protective membrane is finished..
R50 is insane! I’m jealous of all your R-value
Lol right
I was sooo proud of my R30’ish exterior walls!
Jeff Losey I couldn’t imagine having 30
only have R10 on mine :( wish i could have R30! but it makes no sense in putting more insulation with all the expense. R10 walls and R65 attic, currently only using 45 dollars of heat in January in NE USA ... so the ROI isn't there to uncover everything. If walls were open I would go for it!
@@wolfmannews that doesn't seem to make the best ROI ... My ROI stopped at R65 on attic. And I live in NE. I would have had to spend another $1000 dollars in cellulose to double the R. And for what? To save 30-50 dollars at most per year. That's a 25-30 year timeline. I doubt in this video the numbers would make it better or even sense financially
Great job Matt
Suggestion: add source links to specialty products, like *bark siding*.
I know we are all asking for more from you, & it becomes time consuming, but with growth comes growing pains.
haha double studded R50 in sunny and warm Colorado. Up here in Canada with -40C they barely do exterior sheathing insulation!
I would like to see more about the construction of this house!
I want to see the home after it is competed, especially the bark siding.
hey matt love the videos been watching for a long time I have a question/suggestion for your videos. Is there any way every 2-3 months or so make a extended length video where you put in segments from videos like this one then also put in pictures that maybe you can request from these other people or from your own builds to show what the houses look like at the end in different areas of the house. I build and remodel houses but where im at we still do things very different from you and I love seeing what you and other builders across the country are doing. Only down fall is I dont get to see the finished product of all these amazing houses. The mock ups are great but they just dont do it for me. Please consider this
Nice Project. Similar wall build-up as to what we use here in Australia, but quite smaller in thickness. Normally a 140mm stud with 35mm battened service cavities. Also interesting to see the trusses with nail-plates being used in a Passivhaus, would have thought they would be a Thermal Bridge issue.
At 1:35, Greg says he needs overhangs on the southern windows. In a cold climate, you would want maximum solar gain from southern windows and overhangs would limit that. What am I missing?
Jerry Levenson my guess is to shade the windows in the summer without blocking the lower angle winter sun.
With R-50 walls that house does not need any solar gain in the winter, but needs to keep solar gain out.
@@guytech7310 I always thought winter in Colorado lasts 13 months.
@@JerryLevenson nah, it's probably the front ranges least best kept secret the weather is comparative mild, I'm from CO and my girlfriend from St. Louis was amazed by the mild winters!
I grew up in Ft. Collins. Our south windows made the back of the main floor bake in the summer. In the winter it was hard to get the house an even temperature because the thermostat was in the kitchen facing the windows. The main floor would be warm but my second floor north facing bedroom would freeze. The winters are normally relatively temperate. The south side of the house is not where you want lots of windows. Put the thermostat on the north side.
Overhangs keep the windows and frames from rotting out. Think 1940s bungalow. I guess if you don't have windows on the gable ends.....
not if you have pvc windows and do the flashing right
Very useful information here. The steel supported flat roofs are an interesting and functional feature.
It's Colorado though, flat roofs always concern me with snow load, especially in valleys between two peaked roofs, also ice dams heaving the shingles on the peaked roof soaking the underlayment and inducing failure over time...short form...Flat roof here, bad idea.
R. Gilman Perhaps, but depends.
Thank you to Greg for letting us see his home. I hope to see it as he is doing the inside insulation.
Everything's coming up Mill House!
Hilarious 😁
Would there need to be some kind of insect / rodent screen where the siding comes within 1" of the foundation flashing? I wonder what could be used. I'm thinking of something similar for my mobile.
Insects don't like bark. That is why trees use it for a barrier, and why it is ground-up for covering tree bases and under shrubbery.
OSB everywhere. The material that swells like a sponge.
As long as AdvanTech is done properly it doesnt swell like the cheap OSB
Hi , thank you for this house show. But he mentioned that he want to show more details of the windows and steel and the slab. Did you record that later? I notice that often you interupt the people when they want to say more. Those items are evenly important for a passive home. Can you elaborate more about this or does someone knows more about the slab and steel beams insulation? Thank you for the show and hope to get a responce.
Would love to get through a project like this n have it work. I tried but ended with a free heat option n a half ass accomplishment on the build but wow n pat urself on the back. As long as it’s Colorado u can really celebrate !!
With no overhangs, what is the vent detail for the roof?
Where are the links to his rendering? Another great video Matt! Thank you!
If you think about it bark could be an amazing product in so many ways one think about what it does for trees it allows the tree to house water in winter and not allow it to freeze so bark must be something pretty magical and special
Bark is fragile, it's only use is looks for people who are into the live edge fad.
love this tour!
Guys... I (Todd) just reviewed this video again... and took a cursory look at the comments ... given the magnitude of comments and the various ornery comments... love how this turned out for you all. Great work! While there were a few ornery comments that had some merit, all is more than good.
Welcome from Colorado from a resident in Loveland. Interesting technology but being quite familiar with the area I have some concerns. Lack of overhangs means exposure to the elements, in particular hail. Frequent hail storms in our part of Colorado will negate a lot of the energy savings of this unique house by destruction of the triple pane windows, and of the bark siding. I also wonder in our age of worry about global warming about the impact of the utterly massive amount of wood used to help space the insulation - and I wonder the economics of using two or three times the timber over what is normally used, will negate any savings from not having to heat the house in the winter. And will cooling not be needed, for such a tightly insulated envelop surely will trap heat generated by appliances, people, and from showers or laundry. However, I do like proof of concept structures like this house that show what can be done to minimize energy costs. But is it worth the expense and extravagance? Hmm? Great review from Matt and presentation from the designer.
I was wondering the same. I imagine working out the cost/benefit ratio on how environmentally friendly this building is really comes down to how long it is used. If it somehow lasts for 200 or 400 years all these extra economic and environmental costs will be flipped to net benefits.
@@nobigting I agree. I think of what has actually been here for a long time: potato barns in San Luis Valley, and San Xavier Del Bac Mission in Tucson. Neither can burn down nor that complicated to build. Both have good thermal properties...
I would love to see this house as it progresses. Keep us updated
You should make a trip back to this location and film a update!
Nice Barn
I'd sure like to see a follow-up video on this project!
I need to take some of those classes.
Our May 2020 class is filling up quickly, but we have another in November. We'd love to have you! emu.systems/buildpassive
Is there a revisit to this project?
Hey Matt how about how much this cost compared to a 2x6 with r21 insulation. It seems to me that there are people out there that are having a contest to see who can spend the most. How long will it take for this to pay for itself. all of us watching this video will be dead before he breaks even on this system.
Passive house typically comes in 3-7% higher from what I’ve seen, because they’re also saving on the hvac system.
Welcome to Colorado Matt!
Did you ever post an example of what the house and bark siding will look like when its done? You said you would.
You can go online and see some examples. I put in poplar bark siding for my search. Pricey. $6 sqft.
@@oltedders Actually, if you "google" bark siding, you'll see HUNDREDS of examples. The poplar bark siding seems to weather to a darker tone than the example in the video.
Where can you find the information of how thick your wall should be to meet the passive house requirements in your area?
Wall thickness depends on what insulation fill is used. Go for R60 until the spec changes.
Great info 👍
A Texas boy in the snow,how many rental cars do you go through? 😂🤣
Welcome to Colorado!
Can you get finished pictures of the home? I would love to see how it looks.
I know this is old now, but there is something I don't get. How do they vent the roof? The wrb is wrapped all the way around. But he did mention it will have a space for venting. I'm super confused.
The come-away:...”buy an Architech’s home when they are thru with using it themselves”
Just awesome. 👍
Track home builders need to start adopting at least some of this stuff! People WILL pay extra if they realize the value...See Tesla.
@Steve Slade The expensive Teslas paved the way for current models that can be had for the same price as a Camry, with no rebates, and are roughly 4 times more efficient. People hate hearing the truth that their consumption habits are awful for the environment, so they make up BS excuses and go with the herd. Efficient housing technologies are currently more expensive because they are new and only used in low quantities, but will come down when the next less-corrupt administration transitions fossil fuel subsidies to green tech.
@Steve Slade That is some classic grade A rambling. Jumping from topic to topic, throwing out a ton of information, and acting like it all somehow proves your point. Then act like it's everyone else's job to prove you wrong.
@Steve Slade Blah blah stopped reading 3 sentences in. Crazies always have lots to say....
@Steve Slade Meh, just keep shouting your rhetoric bud. The louder the better! Right?
Steve Slade, I bought a nearly $50k Chevy Bolt with ZERO government subsidies. I didn’t have any write-offs to take advantage-of. I bought the vehicle because it offered something MORE and DIFFERENT than the rest. Steve, you are WRONG. people WILL pay for VALUE.
No eves...bark siding. I'd like to see that in a few years. It does rain there, what kind of absorption into the bark is anticipated?
I'm from Ft. Collins. I'm concerned about hail and mold damaging this house.
What was the company doing the passive house training in video
That's us, hi! Our May 2020 class is filling up quickly, and next one will be November: emu.systems/buildpassive
Going to have a million subs by this time next year. Love the channel
Reply to Brad not Landa
Walls without overhangs fail dozens of times more often. There are charts showing how much protection increases with increased overhang.
Metal door pan is hell of a thermal bridge, but how do we avoid that?
I must know about this Bark Exterior!
Did you forget the link, or am I blind?
when you said bark siding, i am imagining, unpressed OSB sheathing
Nope, its actual bark off usually a poplar tree. It's beautiful and tuff stuff
@@1982MCI
$6 sqft. 75 year life expectancy. Probably longer in Colorado if it's protected by roof overhangs.
Don Pfeiffer who is the manufacturer?
oltedders chestnut is also used, but large diameter chestnuts don’t exist right now.
oltedders if it’s installed on a rain screen it will last longer than the house. There are some houses up in Boone, NC that have the same chestnut bark siding when they were built in the early 1900’s. It’s expensive but the waste factor is almost nonexistent.
Info on the window manufacturer? I am really not digging this house. I see what he is going for but I would go at it in a different way. But non of this is surprising as Engineers and Architects do not always see eye to eye.
Bassntruck how would you do this differently?
@@aayotechnology In a nut shell, I think has just made it far more complicated than was necessary to achieve his goals. I am sure he has his reasons and I can only speculate on them. But in the end, it's his house and he can do as he wishes.
We are the window manufacturer. Advantage Architectural Woodwork, we are the North American smartwin partner. These are made in USA, not imported from Europe, PHI certified windows and doors. Send us an email for more info www.advantagewoodwork.com or check out the European site also. www.smartwin.eu
I wished you would have asked how much more time and money is involved in constructing a house like this versus typical construction, and it would have been nice to see a finished picture of it, trying to figure out that bark siding.
Matt, please give us a follow up video on this build when finished.
Hi Matt
Walls and windows keep getting better all the time.
Why haven't doors progressed like the walls they are installed in? The walls have gotten thicker and better insulated but the doors have stayed essentially the same for decades. It would be nice to see doors 4 in thick or better. Engineers seem to be capable of designing almost anything. What is it that seems to be holding us back.
I always feel like no overhangs make the house look cheap
Agree completely.
i always feel like houses *without them* make (their) architects look stupid.
agreed, they only work on contemporary/modern builds where clean lines and structures are prevalent. Mixing the two looks arbitrary and amateur.
No overhangs is stupid. They help keep water off the windows which is a plus even if the windows are flashed correctly
that booger just wont quit
When are you coming to Vancouver Matt?
How many times can that guy start off with, "yeah so..." Lol.
No gold leaf trim details?
Didja get to stop at a local brewery while you were in town?