Everybody can do something to make a greener Indiana

I would like to build a green home in the spring.

I plan to use concrete walls, ceilings and floors, with radiant heat, supplied by solar energy cells. The walls will be 12" thick, and very safe and efficient. This technique is a little more expensive to build than using lumber, but the energy savings offset the initial outlay for construction in a few years. Plus, we use far less trees, and obtain a better product that will last for generations.

3 Comments

Comment by Doug on March 27, 2008 at 10:10am: John, keep us posted.

I will retire back to Indiana in a couple of years and will build a house out in Greene County. I am thinking about using similar construction: poured basement, geothermal heat pump, and possibly ICF for the main floor (or your technique), brick exterior (recycled if I can find them), wrap around porch, metal roof. I am also considering timber frame with SIP.

Doug

Comment by chris on November 1, 2008 at 7:05am: have you tried the styrofoam form poured walls? if so how did it work for you?

Comment by John Hillenburg on November 5, 2008 at 12:09pm: I was actually the first person to ever build an ICF foundation in Monroe County in 1992. The ICF design is great for colder climates where you actually need R26. The problem with ICF's is that they are NOT user friendly at all for even professional foundation installers, let alone for homeowners as they advertise. The risk of blown out corners, crooked walls, out of plumb walls, and concrete voids in the walls is high for novices. My crews have installed over 2,400 foundations since 1992, and we do not take those jobs lightly. ICF blocks are very cost prohibitive, and hard to work with in my opinion. Hope this helps.