febc synthetic oil is less prone to breakdown under high heat conditions. It sounds as though you have a airflow thru the radiator problem. Have you cleaned the radiator fins and checked your cooling fan for proper operation? I would probably concentrate on that area instead of changing to a synthetic oil, the stuff is expensive and really not much better than regular oil, the key to a high mileage engine is proper maintenance, when you have a overheating problem you best repair it immediately, your engine will not last very long if overheats no matter what oil you run in it.

Let us assume that whatever you choose will be installed properly, to be weathertight. However, installation cost can be a factor whether it's for a topnotch mason or a crew that actually knows how to install Hardiboard. Do you want something that combines insulation with the exterior? Do you live in a wildfire-prone area, or want the benefits of good fire resistance? Is cost an over-riding factor? That means, does the wallet insist on the least expensive initial outlay, or can it afford a higher upfront cost in order to save down the road such as lower insurance rates for brick or fibre-cement or stucco; or lower heat/AC expenses due to insulative qualities. IMO, the cost of insulation should be included when comparing various exterior materials costs. This is the only way to fairly compare various types of SIPs to more conventional masonry or wood. While opinions and preferences vary as to which insulation is best, folks who live in highly insulated houses seem nearly unanimous in touting both the comfort and savings for heat and A/C. But I think one of the most important things is which 'look' appeals to you. What style is the house? Some styles call for clapboard (or planks of some material), and some look best in brick or stone or stucco, and others use a combination of materials. What appeals to me may not suit you. But if you question is, what did I choose and why did I choose what I chose, then I can tell you that the new house will have a stucco exterior. It's cottage style, which imo looks best in stucco. The location is quite rural and heavily wooded so fire is a definite concern ~~ the nearest fire dept is 12 miles away and has an average response time of 25 minutes to my locale. To me it seems better to build with highly-resistant material, not to mention savings on the cost of insurance. Notice I don't say fire-proof -- true fire-proof is way beyond my budget. But concrete walls and roof (with shutters for doors and windows) will go a long way to lessening the potential for catastrophic damage.

The same applies to the 'isolation rooms' used to allow practice for musical instrument players. It can approach painfully load in the room with no noise audible on the outside. HA. As a semi-professional saxophonist and former music major in college, I've spent an inordinate amount of time in practice rooms. Even the good ones are far from soundproof. Yes, the sound is reduced, but you still can tell the instrument (or voice) being practiced in the next room. Recording studios spend vast sums preventing sound bleed (consider the drum booth), but few homeowners would go to that extreme. Sound dampening is a more realistic goal. I gather that it is too late to reconfigure your floor plan for separation of these rooms, but in addition to earlier suggestions, I would consider where your theater system components are located and the direction speakers are aimed, ways of preventing vibration (especially for the laundry, and sound absorption through your choice of carpets, curtains and furniture. Not that you would want to do this in your beautiful home, but many music students in college towns set up practice rooms in their rented houses and apartments and avoid neighbor complaints by hanging blankets, rugs, and eggcrate mattress pads on their walls. Ugly as sin, but it is a good example of how effective sound absorption can be.

If you do a search, you'll find that there have been several threads on this topic recently. In terms of what it is called, you want to provide sound attenuation. You would never "sound proof" your house. It would be ridiculously expensive (if you could even manage it), and it would be very uncomfortable. I am an audiologist (although I no longer practice), and I find that being in a "real" sound proof room is a very weird feeling. Almost suffocating... So, what you would be looking for is a product that would help to decrease the transmission of sound between rooms. You need to determine what dB level of noise transmission would be acceptable to you and from there you can begin to plan the products and strategies to make it happen. You can work with an acoustical engineer to come up with the correct formulas, but you will need to take into account multiple factors, including but not limited to flooring materials, ceiling heights, room sizes, etc. Most homeowners never go into that level of detail...it certainly does not sound from your posting that you would very much attenuation. One very easy fix is to use carpet upstairs rather than a hardwood...much quieter.