Owner/Builder Forum?

Grinnin

Does anyone have a favorite owner/builder forum? I haven't found any that seems active.

Many of the decisions I'm making now while working on the foundation will affect the efficiency and energy use of the completed house. While there are a few threads here about building features, I'm looking for an active forum for more info.

I'd be willing to look at "green" construction (whatever that means to someone) but it looks to me like any construction uses resources and getting a solid building may be the most important goal in the long run (or life-cycle analysis). I am certainly focused on energy efficiency.

So: any favorite builder forums?

Thanks.

BB.

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

Not specifically builder forums, but some good information on building an efficient home:

Home Power Magazine: (if you subscribe, they have a large online archive)
BuildItSolar: (lots of DIY conservation/energy systems)

A warning on extreme conservation measures--Over the centuries, our homes and buildings have always had a certain amount of air leakage which was a big help in providing a safe and liveable environment. Many of the new conservation techniques these days include thermal masses and sealing up the structure. This can cause condensation/mold/poor air quality in the structure (people breathing/cooking/etc.).

So--Adding a heat recovery ventilator/system is probably going to be high up on your list of needed devices (which also consumes power).

And for my in-law's home, they have problems with moisture under their home, so a sump pump and addressing drainage around the foundation is important too at times (again, poor air circulation, humidity brought in from crawl space/basement areas.

-Bill

Grinnin

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

BB. wrote: »

Over the centuries, our homes and buildings have always had a certain amount of air leakage . . .

Thanks for pointing to Home Power and Buildit Solar. I subscribed for years when HP was more DIY-oriented and wrote one article for them. After enough years the articles seemed to repeat (although with a changing array of products for their comparisons) and they were leaning away from DIY and writing more about huge professional installations. They say that's where the watts are, but it's not my interest.

You nailed one my current questions. The basement drain is in. It was originally going to double as a 100-ft earth-tempered cold-air intake. As I learned more about radon in my area I added a trap under the basement slab to prevent air from flowing up through the drain system. I now need to replace what would have been a passive, convective air exchange. The commercial heat exchangers seem to have high-watt fans.

I'm still working on the basement, but I'm certain it will be dry and warm. Not a lot of daylight, but small windows on all sides plus LEDs over the work areas.

mike95490

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

Grinnin wrote: »

.... As I learned more about radon in my area I added a trap under the basement slab to prevent air from flowing......

perhaps vent it for a week, and then use a test kit, your area may have radon issues, but your SITE may not. Saves many watts with no fan.

vtmaps

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

BB. wrote: »

A warning on extreme conservation measures--Over the centuries, our homes and buildings have always had a certain amount of air leakage which was a big help in providing a safe and liveable environment. Many of the new conservation techniques these days include thermal masses and sealing up the structure. This can cause condensation/mold/poor air quality in the structure (people breathing/cooking/etc.).

Definitely! If you're off-grid, I presume that you're planning to cook with propane. Give some thought to what's in the exhaust and where it's going. Stove top burners tend to use 7,000-10,000 BTU per hour, and the ovens run from 25,000 - 40,000 BTU per hour. That's a lot of exhaust.

--vtMap

Grinnin

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

mike95490 wrote: »

perhaps vent it for a week, and then use a test kit, your area may have radon issues, but your SITE may not. Saves many watts with no fan.

Thanks. I put in a passive radon vent. If the basement has a radon problem I'll add the fan. This is the recommendation of both the state health alarmists and the state university scientists.

But the radon vent is not the issue. House venting is the issue.

Grinnin

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

vtmaps wrote: »

If you're off-grid, I presume that you're planning to cook with propane.

I cook and heat with wood and solar. I haven't had propane here and I don't plan on adding it. Wood probably needs more replacement air than propane. I also plan to generously vent the bathroom.

But it's not BTUs that I want to vent, it's moisture and "stale air" with higher CO2 levels.

I've added ventilation to past houses I've bought that didn't have enough originally. I' sure it's easier as the walls and roof go on instead of adding them later.

karrak

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

Grinnin wrote: »

I cook and heat with wood and solar. I haven't had propane here and I don't plan on adding it. Wood probably needs more replacement air than propane. I also plan to generously vent the bathroom.

But it's not BTUs that I want to vent, it's moisture and "stale air" with higher CO2 levels.

I've added ventilation to past houses I've bought that didn't have enough originally. I' sure it's easier as the walls and roof go on instead of adding them later.

We don't use propane either.

Semipermeable walls make a big difference to condensation. Our 'light earth' (mix of straw and mud) work very well, have good thermal mass and insulation properties as well.

Simon

Mountain Don

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

Country Plans Forum

Grinnin

Re: Owner/Builder Forum?

Mountain Don wrote: »

Country Plans Forum

Ah! Thanks!

I probably wouldn't have found that since my project is nearly 1,000 sf.