"The principle of form follows function, is that you identify all the applicable functions and allow them to define the form." ... that's what's happening. Round on the outside IS a determination of function ... it satisfies my criteria for combating the forces of nature, above and below grade. On the inside, form is following function, too. It might not be there yet, but that's why it takes work and effort instead of the waving of a wand (especially, when its outside of my normal area of expertise.) . An additional reason which I have hesitated to mention is that there is the possibility a round structure is, at least in part, machine buildable, an issue I am exploring. (I am always looking toward the future.) While there are many round houses I find visually unappealing (the lunar landing style,) to the contrary, there are many I find captivatingly charming. I am not alone in this. Where charming round houses exist, they are almost universally loved and adored by all who come into contact with them. If the functional/organizational problems can be worked out ... and I think they can -- at the end of it all I would have something remarkable (at least in my own eyes.) This post was edited by Yardvaark on Sun, Nov 24, 13 at 13:55

Hi all, While I initially posted this on the Home Repair forum, it did not get any responses, so I thought I'd try here. I'm a bit stumpered on how best to proceed, and am looking for feedback on what we're thinking, alerts to any pitfalls, and to find out what I don't know that I don't know. :-) Background: 1880's Queen Anne house. In the dining room is a radiator, surrounded by a mantelpiece unit, and behind that interior wall of the room is a chimney running basement to roof. I've been stripping off the wallpaper on the rest of that wall, and noticed that what was behind the radiator was a sheet of some type of wood covered in wallpaper and nailed in place behind the radiator. While I couldn't move the panel out without moving the radiator, due to a leak elsewhere in the hot water system, the system was drained and I had the plumbers disconnect and move the radiator over so I could get the panel out and paint it to match the rest of the wall. Discovery: I had thought it was going to be a flat wall behind the radiator. Instead, there is this niche that's pretty much the width of the chimney I measure in the basement: Niche space is: About 19" wide 37.5" tall 3.5" deep Our current thoughts: - Radiator is 38.25" tall and 32" wide. It pretty much fills the space under that mantel unit except for about 3" on each end. - My husband would like to put a sheet of aluminum to reflect the radiator heat back into the room. The sheet is 36"x36", and would cover up the niche and fill most of that area within the mantel unit. He figures he can nail it into place with small nails into the vertical beading pieces, and then the radiator will hide that when it goes back into place. - If it were only up to me, I might do something different. However, his idea seems the least effort and he's motivated to do it, and I can't think of reasons *not* to do it that way. (And I suppose we could always change it in the future if it's just the sheet of metal there.) My questions: - Do we need to fill up that niche with some material before putting the aluminum sheet across it? Or can it simply exist as an air space behind the aluminum sheet? - Any safety pitfalls about having this aluminum sheet up against the plaster walls on either side, and against the vertical wooden beads? (I'm assuming it would only heat up to the heat of the radiator, which I can rest my hand against.) The oak floor boards run up to the plaster wall that you see in the pic (both on either side of the niche and inside the niche), and they end at the wall. Any other pitfalls/hazards that we should be concerned about? Thanks in advance for your insights and feedback! We're aiming to get this done this week, so if there's some safety thing that we should take into account, I'd appreciate hearing about it. --Lee

Hi- I'm the guy amberm145 referred to. I've done all of the work on my house except concrete work and drywall. And it has taken me years, working full time at it. Still, I wouldn't trade the experience for anything! I spent about 5 years on research- design, codes, etc. I'm a very quick study, and have been building things my whole life, so I'm well suited to the task. Thanks to my incredibly patient wife, I have been able to do this while she brings home the bacon. I'm just about done, in about 3 years. I can account for about 9 months of lost time, what with travel, delays, and preparing our old house to sell it and move. I could have sped up the process considerably had I used a helper. For example, it took me all week to drag the sheathing up on the roof, one sheet at a time. A young, strong helper could have gotten all the sheets up there while I nailed them off. We probably could have knocked it out in a day. Building a house takes teamwork; hard to come by working alone. Before you even consider this, you need to find out what the rules and codes are for your area. Many areas don't allow you to do your own electric, for example. A trip to your local building authority should answer those kind of questions. Next, you need to consider time and money. My build cost about what a cheaply built, code minimum house would have cost, but I have a strong, efficient house with custom finishes throughout. It would have easily cost twice as much to have a contractor build it turn-key. We didn't finance any of it. I doubt you could get a bank to fund a DIY build, as there is a high failure rate as people get in over their heads. In our case, we were incredibly fortunate to find a contractor who lives right around the corner, and specializes in ICF, which is the method we chose. Although I offered to pay him for his advice, he didn't charge me for any of the guidance he offered. By having a contractor, that gave me access to his subs. Since he referred them, I got good service. Subs don't really want to work with a one-off DIY or owner-builder. When I did use a sub, I stayed completely out of their way, letting them do their thing. I would never ask a sub to share the job with them. It's their reputation and license on the line of I screw up the job. I tried to hire a plumber as a consultant, and got nowhere. They either wanted to do the whole job or nothing. I was able to work with an HVAC contractor, with me doing most of the work, and them doing the actual connection and commissioning. Since they didn't provide the equipment, they are not liable at all for warranty claims. I pay subs in cash the minute they finish (to my satisfaction). I started out that way with my contractor, so that when he referred a sub, they knew I was good for the money. One more thing- building a house is hard, physical work. I've lost about 40 lbs. during the process. You can be sure that during your build, you will experience the hottest, coldest, snowiest, windiest weather your area has ever seen. No fooling- we hit an all-time record high of 107 degrees while I was building the shell. The following year was one of the rainiest on record here. I'm in my 60's, and pretty strong and capable. If I could change one thing, it would have been to do this when I was 20 years (or more) younger. Building a house is also dangerous. My one story house on a walk-out basement is 27' high at the peak of the gables. People have DIED falling off of roofs and ladders. Workmen's Comp insurance is one of the reasons that building trades cost so much. I didn't write all of this to discourage you; just to let you know what you are in for. If you're able, and willing to put in the research, time, and effort, it is a rewarding journey. Just make sure that you are honest with yourself about the time, money, and work involved.

this is what you have: Polyisocyanurate also known as polyiso is seen in all kinds of commercial building applications and more recently with residential building projects. Polyiso is typically used with a foil facing and it has an R value of 7.0 to 8.0 per inch of thickness. The reflective foil facing makes it an excellent insulation board when radiant heat is involved. The foil facing also makes it very easy to seal with good quality foil faced tapes. Cost = Polyiso is the most expensive of the foam board insulation products however it’s the highest R value. Polyurethane and polyisocyanurate are both closed-cell foams. They contain low-conductivity gases in the cells (usually one of the HCFC or CFC gases.) The higher R-Values (R 7.0 to 8.0) are the result of thermal resistance of the gases in the cells. This can lead to a couple of disadvantages including: off gassing of HCFC or CFC gases, and reduced R Value over time as the gas escapes. http://www.homeconstructionimprovement.com/foam-board-insulation-values/ as to fire resistance...I learned something! Polyiso Maintains its High Level of Inherent Fire Resistance All construction materials, including foam plastics materials such as polyiso insulation, must provide a suitable margin of fire safety. Among all foam plastics, polyiso possesses the highest level of inherent fire resistance due to its unique structure of strong isocyanurate chemical bonds. These bonds result in improved high temperature resistance (up to 390oF, more than twice the temperature resistance of other building insulation foams) which in turn leads to enhanced fire resistance. In addition, because polyiso does not melt or drip when exposed to flame but rather forms a protective surface char, its fire resistance is further enhanced, especially in terms of flame spread and flashover potential. Polyiso passes both the ANSI UL 1256 and FM 4450 fire tests without a thermal barrier. Polyiso, a thermoset material, stays intact during fire exposure in the ASTM E84 or "Tunnel Test.” It forms a protective char layer and remains in place during the test, thereby meeting all building code requirements and contributing to a fire-safe building. http://www.polyiso.org/?page=FirePerformance good links at this site too, for nerds like me who read technical sheets... If your install were tight to the roof, and installed air tightly the condensation issues would cease. contractor should have done his research, or spoken to someone who had experience with a successful install best of luck