I am midst of finalizing my new construction materials list and might need to
trim an additional 10K to 12K. I’ve made some cuts throughout and I’m finding
it harder to find areas to make product changes that would reduce the overall budget.
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Originally my Windows and Insulation choices were “hands off†from concessions, but like most things in life it’s time to re-consider those options.
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My current choice for windows are Loewen, and my choice for insulation is ICYNENE.
I could switch to Andersen Windows and keep the ICYNENE or switch to FG insulation and keep the Loewen’s.
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I have my own thoughts, my wife has hers as well, and I was just wondering what anyone’s
thoughts were on the trade off. I am in CT
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Thanks
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Replies
Change the windows, keep the foam. Part of my house is FG and the added part is foam and you can tell when the temps are low. Its odd because the temp reads the same but it feels colder near the FG areas.
If this is a house you will be living in and paying to run then this is the way to go, because changing to FG will also increase the size of heater and A/C required. You might need an air-exchanger due to the house being very tight.
Thanks
This will be our home for the next 20 yrs or so. I want to keep the foam. Not to many people use it around here, my potential builder would like to see it used, since most of his previous clients (even those in excess of 700K) go with FG, because of the cost.
I'd keep the foam. You can always replace the windows later if you want to, but you'll never be able to replace FG with foam later (at least not practically speaking). And anyhoo, Andersons ain't exactly garbage!
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
I would suggest talking to your GC or subs. They know your plan, and we have no clue what it looks like.
They can likely come up with some thoughts about what could easily be changed to make it less expensive. We do this all the time for people.
A friend of mine was wearing one and got hit by a bus.
Changre the windows, keep the foam
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Change the windows, keep the foam. No question. I'd rather live with two sheets of plastic and Icynene than have to deal with FG insulation.
Open cell foams (eg icynene) and dense-packed cellulose have similar R per inch. You could consider using the cellulose (provided it is dense-packed), as long as you have good air sealing, which you want in any case. A properly applied foam is more forgiving of omissions in sealing, but open-cell foams also need a vapor retarder on the inside, just as the cellulose would. Cellulose will be quieter than foam, if that is an issue. Cellulose also will be less costly. In any case, as advised, don't think more about FG. By now anyone who has looked into it knows its shortcomings in cold weather. What is surprising is how many people spend really big bucks on a new home and have no clue about FG, but perhaps that is because so many builders are clueless. Fortunately, that is changing slowly, thanks to forums such as this one.
Edited 2/28/2007 2:11 pm ET by DickRussell
I would keep the windows and ditch the foam.
Thanks
I'm opting to keep the foam, I've gone through the detail of the window quote, I can ditch the pre-priming ($2,200) and do them myself, or ditch the pre-priming on the doulble hungs only ($1,700). Also, those Simulated Divided Lites add up, I removed the ones from the lower sash on all DH's on the side and rear, that saved over 3K, the rest (bottom sash and full on the front elevation) of the "SDL's are still over 8K.
Have you considered stud-stacking your joists and rafters and going to 19.2" or 24" OC studs with a single top plate. That plus 2-stud corners, could save up to 10% of framing materials.SamT
Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. [Einstein] Tks, BossHogg.
Not enough info from you, but regarding the insulation side, consider this.
Meet with your insulation sub, and if he is like mine, he can offer a hybrid of sprayfoam and denspac cellulose in the walls, and a hybrid of sprayfoam and looseblown cellulose in the attics. It is more expensive than a job done with FG, but a lot less that an all-foam job.
In the walls, a formulation of foam is used that when sprayed in at the correct rate, blows out at a "veneer" thickness in all the cavities of only about 3/8". This provides only about an R1.5 or R2 value, but the sealing factor is worth the bucks. The rest of the cavity is filled with denspac cellulose, either using the wet-blow method, or the dryblow method under a netting.
In the attic, "regular" sprayfoam is used to fill and seal all the roof edge areas at eave perimeters and gable bands. Loosefill is then done after drywalling as per conventional methods. We like at least an R50 roof where we build, and so make sure we get 14 inches of fill everywhere we can. Where we cannot, we supplement ahead of time with the sprayfoam.
The sprayfoam is used at all floorframe rims, of course.