Most inexpensive style of home to build, 1400sf with garage.

[blondi61189]

Were looking to build a straw bale home as well!!! Have you have any luck finding out zoning for your area? Most people in the township think I'm kidding lol going to try and build a straw bale geese house and see how that goes....good practice since it'll give us the basics on a much smaller scale

 

[Blooie]

We've been very well received by our local officials - the only thing they tease us about is how long it's taking us to get off the stick and get with the building. There are a couple of things you might find helpful when trying to permit - the Building codes in New Mexico and a couple of other states (I believe Arizona is another) actually address SB building very well....for most officials finding that they are already approved by some places helps. Also you might try presenting your plans as "Post and Beam" or "Stick" construction with cellulous insulation. There are so many good books about building with straw bales out there, as well as a forum for Straw Bale building. Good luck!

 

[blondi61189]

Awesome thanks those are great ideas!! I'd love to see pics of your home both during construction and finished

 

[Sen]

Hello! I hope everything's going well with the builder.

I actually work at a contractors' office (we handle the repair/renovations side of things rather than new builds, so it's a bit different) and we get all kinds of calls about siding repairs.

To me, the hardboard sounds like it's probably hardi/hardy-board, but I'd ask your builder to be sure.

For vinyl-vs-hardy, I'm firmly on the side of hardy. It's so much sturdier than vinyl. We get calls all the time because someone took their weed whacker too close to their vinyl and popped a hole in it, and if you put your grill too close to it, it'll melt off of the house. (I've seen almost an entire wall ruined because someone did this with a couple of grills for a barbecue party.) Hardy doesn't have those problems.

Also, vinyl gets made in a ton of different colors and sizes and styles, and that changes constantly, meaning replacing parts of it years later is difficult because you can't match it. So, if you buy vinyl, I'd recommend getting some extra pieces and keeping it in the garage, just in case.

You don't really have that problem with hardy. I actually have it on my own house, and it's simply awesome. Never had a problem with it.

Good luck with the house!!!

 

[The Yakima Kid]

i have heard of it, but never looked into it. Since we have chickens, we occasionally will have a mouse or two, but I'd be afraid mice would get into the walls and wreck havoc on strawbales. That might be an idea though when i build their new coop!

Now i have one other question. The builder sent me an itemized sheet of the proposed construction. On the sheet it says the exterior is Hardboard Siding. Do y'all think this is the same hardboard that was used in the 70s & 80s that was basically cardboard or is this the newer James Hardiboard? I know Hardiboard can be called other things, but just didn't know if this is the same?

My dad's house had the hardboard stuff when it was built in the 70s and within 10 years it swelled and literally fell off the house.

Hardiboard or hardiplanks seem like a good siding, so if this is what the builder is going to use, is this the way to go rather than using vinyl siding or should we stick to vinyl. I know hardiboard you need to paints every 8 years or so to keep it maintained. thanks!

One of our neighbors in Nevada built a straw bale house. The walls are sealed with stucco type material, so mice tend to be prevented from opening.

Have you considered one of those steel house kits? Those are pretty inexpensive. Here is one example.
http://www.kodiaksteelhomes.com/

Modulars and panelized construction also can save serious money.

We have fiber cement siding on our California house, there are several brands, and I think ours is hardiplank. It will last for fifty years if you keep it painted, and it looks far better than vinyl. Vinyl is down right tacky looking and some of it doesn't deal well with sunlight over more than a very few years.

Whatever siding you install, make sure your contractor uses real flashing instead of simply caulking. In Nevada we built a house using very expensive materials, and our idiot contractor had to reside it at his own expense as he didn't properly flash it and the siding began to pull away from the walls very soon after it was built.

They still do make composite "hard board" siding, and you definitely do not want that.

Another option is plywood T1-11. For maximum life finish both the exterior and interior sides of the boards. In some areas it will also save you money on construction as it can be used as the shearing support under most building codes, eliminating the need for additional bracing.

See: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/make-t111-siding-look-better-43480.html

T1-11 offers far better insulation qualities than vinyl. The difference between vinyl and Hardi-plank is insignificant.

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Our strawbale house, like all of the others I've seen, is on a foundation that keeps the bales from any contact with the ground. Then the bales get three coats of stucco on the outside, right down over that foundation, and plaster on the inside. There's no more risk of mice getting in than there would be in a similarly built stick frame house. That said, I know it's quite a stretch to even imagine living in a house made of strawbales, but we can't imagine building anything else. LOL

I have no idea what kind of siding your builder is proposing, but from a maintenance standpoint I think vinyl would be my choice.

No, vinyl is a maintenance nightmare. If the weedwhacker gets too close it makes holes in it. Ditto tricycles and things.

The problem comes in replacing it.

If you didn't have extra pieces, you may find that both the profile and the color are no longer manufactured.

If you do have extra pieces, you may find that the UV did a real number on the pigments and they don't exactly match well.

If someone makes a hole in a hardilplank, you can patch it with a cement product. It is also no big deal to replace a plank in such a case as it is installed like any lap or panel siding.

If you use the panels, you can use trim panels and emulate a Tudor or Fachwerk lookl.

 

[Meyer Goat]

hello, this is exactly the type off home we want to build. Where would I find the house plans for this?

 

[The Yakima Kid]

Some things to consider, if you want to build it better... Consider the upcharge to 2x6 construction over 2x4, yep it's a costly upgrade initially but in time you will recoup your money in heating and cooling cost... Same with investing in good windows and not skimping out on attic insulation, costly up front but they will save you money in the long run...

Generally basements are a no brainier if you want cheap square footage, as are 2nd stories, but at 1400sqft a 2nd story is really kind of a waste...

I would go with a 1400sqft ranch with a full unfinished basement if I was looking to save cost, if you plan the width right you can use standard roof and floor truss sizes that are literally in stock at most lumber yards and significantly cheaper than custom sized ones or stick building... I did this when I put a second story on my old house, I lucked out and the width was dead on for in stock trusses at the local Menards, saved a ton of hassle as I was able to just call and have them delivered the next day...

Sounds right to me. I grew up in an area where construction was 2x6 by law because it was embarrassing when the house came down and killed people in a bad storm.

Our Nevada place has R-32 in the roof, and R-19 in the walls, and a prow that wound up facing southwest instead of south (the house itself is only about 1,000 square feet.) The good news, is that we don't need to turn on the furnace on winter days, if there is any sunlight at all; the bad news, is we have to open the sky window on sunny winter days because the place will reach 80 degrees. Summers are inspirational - We open every window and run the colonial helicopters 24-7. If you are building anywhere in northern Nevada, PM me, and I will give you our contractor's name so you can avoid him. The man seemed unable to read a blueprint.