There was an articles several years ago in Fine Homebuilding Magazine about a method of separating the attic from the main living space that resulted in a very tight and easy to build house. Basically for a one story house they built a second floor system (2x10 joists) on top of the double top plates and then put down a plywood subfloor. and sealed the seams and then the edges to the top plate. Then they put the trusses on top of the subfloor. This effectively separated the vented attic space from the conditioned living space. All the attic insulation was on top of the attic subfloor (which the insulation installers, truss installers and roof sheathing installers could freely walk around on) and since the attic floor joists were inside the conditioned space plumbers, electricians and HVAC installers could run their products inside the conditioned space - no penetrations through the :air barrier" attic subfloor (other than one plumbing vent). I would think this system would make air sealing the building much easier and be cost effective as well, in that you're basically building a box and then sticking a roof on top.
Wow. you touched on so many small, connected items and explained how a homeowner can help at different levels. Goes a long way in helping think through priorities. Thos are some of the concerns that as a homeowner come to mind but are not answered or explained easily by professionals.
Great video and info! Thank you for sharing you knowledge with the world! When we go to build in a few years I will make sure to contact you to see how we can work together!
You should get some footage of thermal breaks being installed around windows. Digging my piers and foundation by hand went quicker than I thought. And had to go 2 feet deeper to hit hard pack. Building out of pocket. I do foundations, timber frames and exteriors. I will need help raising bents for my timber frame or a tractor. 20 foot tall bent and 24 feet wide sitting 4 feet above grade.
Good stuff.
I would recommend keeping your new house a basic shape. Every corner has a cost!
Great point!
Planning my own build. It will be a rectangle.
There was an articles several years ago in Fine Homebuilding Magazine about a method of separating the attic from the main living space that resulted in a very tight and easy to build house. Basically for a one story house they built a second floor system (2x10 joists) on top of the double top plates and then put down a plywood subfloor. and sealed the seams and then the edges to the top plate. Then they put the trusses on top of the subfloor. This effectively separated the vented attic space from the conditioned living space.
All the attic insulation was on top of the attic subfloor (which the insulation installers, truss installers and roof sheathing installers could freely walk around on) and since the attic floor joists were inside the conditioned space plumbers, electricians and HVAC installers could run their products inside the conditioned space - no penetrations through the :air barrier" attic subfloor (other than one plumbing vent).
I would think this system would make air sealing the building much easier and be cost effective as well, in that you're basically building a box and then sticking a roof on top.
Wow. you touched on so many small, connected items and explained how a homeowner can help at different levels. Goes a long way in helping think through priorities. Thos are some of the concerns that as a homeowner come to mind but are not answered or explained easily by professionals.
Thanks for your kind feedback, we do aim to help clarify so it's nice to hear that it's helpful!
Great video and info! Thank you for sharing you knowledge with the world! When we go to build in a few years I will make sure to contact you to see how we can work together!
So glad it was helpful. We're here when you are ready.
Nice job, Casey 👍
Thank you! Cheers!
You should get some footage of thermal breaks being installed around windows. Digging my piers and foundation by hand went quicker than I thought. And had to go 2 feet deeper to hit hard pack. Building out of pocket. I do foundations, timber frames and exteriors. I will need help raising bents for my timber frame or a tractor. 20 foot tall bent and 24 feet wide sitting 4 feet above grade.
Hello casey, will that be possible to have 30 min consultation?
Hi! Reach out to info@theconsciousbuilder.com to set something up.