yno, My cost/benefit trade in this area resulted in a cellulose insulation package with geothemal heating & cooling. The second runner up was a foam insulation package with HE heat pumps. Both of the options were about the same total cost. I used Anderson A400 windows and patio doors with 3 point locks & 4 sided seals on the face of the doors. Many of the windows are casment and provide a very tight seal. I also have a lot of patio doors in this new home, and I found in other homes I have lived in that the doors were always a major source or air infiltration. We also had the entire house caulked on the inside - and we did use foam in areas where the cellulose would not stick well (like between ceiling joists at the walls) or between large gaps in the framing (like on the corners of angled walls - between the studs). After all of that effort, I am very pleased with the results for both consistency in the house temperature and the monthly bills. However, I discovered that i need to add a few additional components to the HVAC system which were not part of the original design ( but should have been). The first is a de-humidifier for the basement. We found that the moisture levels in the basement were very high during the summer and since the house is sealed tighly, no way for it to move out. We started noticing spots on the concrete floor when we would have temps in the low 70's but humidity levels in the 60 to 70% range. I bought a whole house dehumidifier and that cleared up that problem immediately plus got rid of a funky smell which we now know was related to the moisture build up. The second device that I will add soon is a whole house Energy Recovery Ventilator. We need one of these because the house is so tight we are not getting movement of stale air out and fresh air in like we should. The ERV provides a heat/cooling/mositure exchange so that it minimizes the energy losses when you bring in unconditioned air from outside. I plan on using IAQ thermostats (Honeywell makes a nice one) that provides integrated control for the HVAC unit plus any humidifier, de-humidifer, or ERV that is tied to it. On one hand I wish that my HVAC contractor and builder had included this in the design - or at least brought it to my attention. On the other hand, I have learned a lot (mostly from the GW forums) and have saved a lot of money by installing the humidifiers and de-humidifier devices myself. A good source for HVAC components and info is www.iaqsource.com. One of the best investments you can make is the purchase of a few good thermometer/hydrometers which cost about $25 each and can tell you what the moisture levels are - I have one on each floor. Any moisture level above 55% is high. In some cases we were tipping the scale at 75 to 77% - and that is very high. Best of luck.

you don't need utility company power to get through the wiring and drywall stage. When they are running wires they need to drill through studs. They can use portable gen sets or battery operted drills for that. I ran all the wire for the second story and basement and never used a plug in electric drill - all done with battery tools. My electrician used a gen set to not only run their drills but also to run their microwave to heat up lunch - how civilized is that! For the drywall - they need to run screw guns to secure the drywall and dremmel tools to make the cuts around boxes and recessed lights. We did have utility power for that stage - but I can't see why they could not run the power gen set to run those - or use battery operated tools. You will need power to run the well pump if you have one. If you need water then you will either need to truck in the water or wait for the power. If the electrical is not in yet, then waiting 4 weeks for the power is probably ok. You still have to run the wires, get the electrical inspection, get the building and close in inspection, install the insulation, hang the drywall, tape and finish the drywall. In our case - this was a lot more than 4 weeks of work.

Since sylvia55 lives in the UK, I'm sure her air is fairly humid and definitely cooler this time of year than it is for the majority of us in the US. I live in the South: advantages are, we get lots of sunny days year-round, it's often warm enough to hang out laundry even in the wintertime, and it is SO HOT this time of year, even towels dry quickly. (We just have to watch out for the afternoon t'storms we get during dog days.) I would think there's a good breeze blowing most days for sylvia55, and I learned years ago that a good breeze keeps clothes softer while they're drying. I read a tip online recently, which said hanging out towels so that they billow while drying makes them softer. In order to do that, one must fold the towel in half, then hang it on the line with a 'pocket' standing out rather than straight on the line. If there's any breeze blowing (there's the kicker), it will cause the towels to be softer. My main softener through the years has been regular fabric softener, especially on jeans (not on towels). Though f/s often gets a bad rap here, I have no qualms about using it. I do prefer to use vinegar in towels, because f/s greatly reduces their absorbency. Vinegar gets every bit of detergent out of them. Even with a regular spin, hanging out clothes has enabled me to do much less (actually, none at all) ironing. I hang them up the way I want them to dry, make sure they are absolutely flat, and then I fold them as I take them off the line and lay them in the basket. They are then ready to put up when I come in the house.

I really really like "breed your own vegetable varieties" by Carol Deepe. It gives a more complete understanding of seed saving/ breeding, and it's actually pretty inspiring. It doesn't have a ton of pictures for every type of plant (it does have wonderful instructions for the main types though). I often end up pairing it with internet research when I'm hand pollinating something not covered specifically.