you are correct....open cell is the cheaper, less R and higher perm (allows more water through) then closed cell. Closed cell will be a added cost, but would probably be worth it in the basement at least. Closed cell, in general, will seal up your entire house better then open cell, as well as add structural rigidity to your 2x4 framing making your house stronger. Open cell does not. Closed cell is not water proof, as it seems your questions are hinting toward. Cellulose is just fine for the attic, and going with more closed cell is a waste of money IMO. An animal can rip apart open cell just as easy as getting into cellulose. Besides, if something gets in there you have bigger issues anyway! Also, your roof is suppose to be water proof....not your insulation. If your roof is failing, you do NOT want a water proof insulation anyway. This traps water and allows wood to rot, thus a possible structural failure in your roof without you really even knowing. You may also be money and r value ahead to practice air sealing your walls with caulk and then using a blown fiberglass or dense packed cellulose in your walls. A side note...spray foams are THE most expensive possible way to insulate a home, and most cases you will never see a ROI compared to dense packed cellulose and blown fiberglass with air sealing especially in your climate. (note, I never mentioned batts).

The 2003 IRC requirements regarding rafter ties and ridge beams is not easy to understand. It is wise to test the wording against accepted engineering practice in order to avoid narrow contradictory interpretations like applying a Rafter Span Adjustment Factor to a "simple span" rafter between structural supports. If anyone doesn't understand what I am talking about, here is the clearest explanation I can think of at the moment: For a simple wood-framed steep-sloped roof structure with opposed rafters meeting at a non-load-bearing ridge board and the other ends supported by and connected to the top plates of the exterior walls, the top plates must be restrained from moving outward by one of three methods: 1) The top plates can be connected together DIRECTLY by structurally continuous joists or ties located at the level of the top plates and connected directly to the plates & rafters 2) The top plates can be connected together INDIRECTLY by an "assembly" (R802.3.1, line 3) consisting of structurally continuous joists or ties attached to rafters above the level of the top plates. Because the lateral restraint force takes an INDIRECT rather than a DIRECT path between the top plates, additional bending moment is induced into the rafters and they must therefore be increased in size using the Rafter Span Adjustment Factors shown below the standard rafter tables. (note: The 2003 IRC says these rafter ties must be located at least every 48" horizontally but because that would make it necessary to either increase the size of rafters only at every 48" or increase all of them even though most would not be tied, the IRC has since changed the tie spacing to be at every rafter) 3) Where no DIRECT or INDIRECT connection is provided "at the top plate" (line 16) by methods 1 or 2, the ridge must be supported by a "girder designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice" (line 18). Since the rafters would then be supported as "simple beams" they should be attached to the ridge girder with joist hangers. Since there is no additional moment induced in the rafters by any intermediate connectors or ties, the rafters do not need to be increased in size by an adjustment factor and can be sized from the standard rafter tables or by the person allowed by the state to provide "acceptable engineering practice" for the design of the ridge girder, itÂs connections and supports. If anyone finds fault with this explanation, rather than argue without resolution, post it at the ICC Bulletin Board and see what the members there think of it. Here is a link that might be useful: ICC Bulletin Board

Happy to see this subject brought up although I'm sure most building new, didn't make it this far. I think the OP got "shorted" but no worse than most building new in this current building climate. With such a hot market one has to be careful they don't spook the best or only opportunities. I think it's important to get a 2 stage system as a minimum. Getting a properly sized system is much like getting a building envelope to perform at current levels of international energy code. For most people, the best chance is to hire a design and building team who already understand the details from past projects. At this stage of the game it's often too late. Ductwork in a vented attic or low levels of roof deck insulation can effect cooling loads as much as western windows depending on the details. Martin Holladay has the best articles on this topic. Calculating cooling loads and When do I need to perform a load calculation? are free while Who can perform my load calculation? is behind the paywall but relevant here. When builders get experienced with a particular plan, the need for load calcs diminish. For custom designs costing hundreds of thousands, using a third party to help with design, sizing and commissioning can be a wise investment. Some architects and builders include this with their services. Energy Star is the most common way to achieve a better level of verified performance. This goes beyond energy use to include comfort, indoor air quality and durability. The program ensures bath vent fans, outdoor air ventilation systems and kitchen vent hoods are installed properly. With a reported energy savings of $300 a year, simple paybacks are reasonable. Not all HERS raters do load calcs but most can point you in the right direction. If you only care about HVAC system design, hiring the right 3rd party can help. If building in the south, try Allison Bailes with Energy Vangaurd. He has influenced the need for better rules of thumb, like 1 ton per 1000 sqft for homes that meet international levels of energy code. This can be useful when comparing results to what the HVAC contractor wants which is typically closer to 1 ton per 500 sqft. I find HVAC contractors more willing to install smaller systems when they have stamped letters from a mechanical engineer, which in our case is the HERS rater.

I bought a house with a 25' x 25' addition that has a vaulted ceiling. It fits the design of the room, but all the other rooms in the house have standard height ceilings. Which is fine, doesn't bother me, it all flows. But man is it cold in there compared to the rest of the house. I could probably pay to have some sort of system set up that pushes the air downward (I obviously don't know HVAC terminology...) but we don't spend enough time in that room to be bothered with that. re: Jacuzzi. There is no ick factor if the jet plumbing is cleaned regularly and properly (Ok Yuk! works great, BTW). Even though I rarely use the jets, I love my gigantic jetted tub, but I am a bath person -- soaking in a huge, deep tub is bliss. Other people couldn't care less. Anyway, a freestanding soaking tub is a hip fracture or cracked skull waiting to happen IMO -- it's hard enough getting in and out of a deep built-in tub now that I'm {cough} middle-aged {cough}, I can't imagine how hard it would be to climb in and out of a freestanding one. Plus, seems like it would be hard to clean behind it if positioned close to the wall.