Hi all, Just wanted to chime in on this thread. I am starting my 3rd self-built home project. (Yes, I need to have my head examined) I run a remodeling company so it's not completely insane. Previous comments about kitchens and baths being core expenses are right on the money--- so to speak. They are expensive. Building one in an apartment and then a new one in your finished house is really shooting yourself in the foot. Try this instead. Build with the foot print of a 3 car garage, say 38 x 25, but only utilize the space a two car garage would generally take up as garage space--- 25x25. Use the 25x10 part to put your permanent stair, a foyer and your permanent kitchen in. Now you can think of the space over the garage as a second story of your finished home. You can get 2-3 bed rooms and a bonus out of the space with a hall bath. Unless you really need an apartment this approach can save a bunch of cash. Someone was asking about standing seam metal roofing. If you use the commercial folks you see on TV expect to be asked to pay $65 a square foot. I had one come out and give me a quote just to check it out. It was a real manipulative "hard sell" with all these "bonuses" and "programs" available "if you sign today." Be very careful. No matter how you slice it it's a rip. Either HD or Lowes will special order metal roofing for you. Its's not hard to install. (Be careful, wear sneakers and don't bend down on your knees, it is really slick.) If this is your forever house, install 40 year architectural asphalt. It looks nice and will likely outlive me. Good Luck and Be careful out there! Bruce

Hi kulagal, Joan is the real pioneer here. I discovered the Nichiha product on GW when I was looking for an alternative to cedar siding to minimize maintenance. At that time, she posted her gorgeous home and about a two years later, we used the same product, but with a slightly different finish color. We attempted to build our house with an arts and crafts feel, although now that it is nearly done, most of the neighbors refer to it as the Cape Cod house. Go figure. I definitely think that real cedar siding or the Nichiha Premium Sierra Siding (which is the overlapping siding you see above) would be appropriate on an arts and crafts inspired home. We have been extremely happy with the product. Good luck with your decisions and please ask any questions you may have. I love to give back to the forum which shaped and changed our home in so many ways. There are more pictures on our blog which you are more than welcome to peruse for ideas if you want. We are about 2 weeks out (fingers crossed) from completion.

Matt, There have been some great posts here about insulation from several folks. Glad you were lead to the BCS, and GBA site - great, great info and resources there. I would also add that you should look at CCHRC.org (Cold Climate Housing Research Corporation) on the web - they have a whole builder's resource guide that outlines how to build with exterior sheathing (Using a technique known as REMOTE, based on the PERSIST technique). Dew Point calculators, and other building resources are vast at the CCHRC site. You can insulate only on the outside (this is the most durable wall construction, healthy (as long as you manage interior RH) and energy efficient too). See the PERSIST and REMOTE walls for further info. For a builder of any value these are not hard to do - just different than throwing up conventional homes. Insulating on the exterior gives your wall a solid layer of insulation (say 4" of Poly Iso) and a True high "R" value. Let me add a few more thoughts: Current RBC/IBC states you should have minimum R-5 on the exterior. As mentioned in several posts previously - this will reduce conductive heat losses through studs. You CAN install Fiber cement over exterior foam with rainscreen, and it won't deflect - (BSC) did a study on this. Hardie Plank has construction details for this. You can get XPS, EPS, and poly-iso rigid foam insulation that is aged (reclaimed), and far cheaper than retail - by sourcing it from a reclaimed insulation dealer - they are all over the US. Key is to find a dealer near you to reduce shipping costs - I am buying 14000 sq ft of insulation through this same market for my house renovation here in NH - Yes I did say 14,000 sq ft (yes three 000's) I will have 6" on my exterior walls, and 9" on my roof. Insulation Depot.com is one vendor I know of that sources insulation all over the US. Search on craigslist, or google.......I am getting mine ISO for $.24/board ft and XPS for $.30/board ft so you can save a ton going reclaimed, and feel good about it also :). It is true that Poly-Iso can have a reflective aluminized layer on it, and if placed against an airspace will increase the "R" value. (This foil was actually placed on Poly-Iso originally to reduce it's aged "R" value loss. There is also a insulative board made by Roxul. It is a fire retardant rock-wool board (ComfortBoard IS). It allows walls to breath much more than XPS, EPS or Poly-Iso. This can be a benefit (depending on design). It is bug and pest resistant, and maintains it R value over time. It's has a lower "R" value than poly-iso, but doesn't "age". It also can't be sourced from reclaimed dealers -so you have to pay retail :(. Know that you can actually do more harm though (to the durability of your walls, and you health), if you use too little foam on the exterior, while still insulating within the stud cavity - Check out the CCHRC.org decade long study on wall cavities and exterior sheathing. It is amazing how much mold grows in typical construction on the inside of exterior sheathing...... :(. Good Luck and Happy New Year Happy New Year This post was edited by allhandsworking on Sun, Dec 30, 12 at 0:16

Sarah...maybe this applies somewhat to you, but I found this on John Leeke's website, which I am studying to memory in gearing up to do my window restoration. It's about vinyl. John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks(tm) Vinyl Siding Q: "I purchased an 1840's house in northwestern N.J. in 1991 which has been a great deal of fun to restore. However, I have been ignoring its largest problem: the house is covered in a disgusting, light-green vinyl siding. There was evidence of termites in the basement when I bought the house. I exterminated the termites and have seen no evidence of them since '91. Should I consider painting the vinyl siding? What is the advisability of ripping vinyl siding off, considering I don't know what's underneath. Is there any way to tell whether or not the clapboard underneath is damaged, or is continuing to be damaged." A: You face the two common problems with vinyl siding: it is not "maintenance free" and it hides conditions beneath. I am now seeing many vinyl siding projects that have 12 to 18 year's age on them being painted due to poor appearance. To improve deteriorating appearance vinyl siding is sometimes washed with high pressure water. This must be done carefully with a downward blast to prevent loading the wall with moisture through the ventilation slots. When cleaning does not help the vinyl siding contractors' response to deteriorating appearance is to replace the siding. So the time proven actual maintenance method for vinyl is little or no maintenance until it fails and then the very high maintenance treatment of replacement. If you have a term of interest in the building that is less than the life of the vinyl product, this approach may make economic sense to you. Even if you plan to sell before the vinyl needs to be replaced vinyl's short-term economic advantage may be limited. Vinyl siding is now becoming recognized as a liability by some astute real estate buyers, because its long-term life is not as cost effective some other siding materials and because it can hide serious problems. Vinyl siding hides changing conditions of the wood and paint underneath. You need to investigate conditions underneath the vinyl siding. Begin by looking at the exterior surfaces of the siding for visible signs of buckling, trails of light tan insect wood dust sifting out of the vent slots of the siding, etc.. Suspect underlying damage in the walls at inside corners where two roofs drain into one location, and north and east walls in particular which are susceptible to moisture decay problems. Look for major cracks in the foundation which might have telegraphed up the walls underneath the siding. As an historic building investigator, I use moisture meters to sense high moisture content in the wood underneath the vinyl. This is quickly done and does not damage the vinyl. You can also spot moisture problems by looking for black streaks of dirt left by water from cornice leaks at the top of the wall. Locations of high moisture usually indicate trouble spots. Selectively remove sections of siding where you find these signs of trouble and where you saw the termites. There are special tools for removing vinyl siding so you might want to hire a vinyl siding contractor. It can usually be done carefully enough to put the vinyl siding back up without damage. Look for dampness, peeling paint and decayed wood. Paint peeling to bare wood indicates there has been high moisture, which could also have lead to decay. Look for dampness that indicates the moisture problem is current and not historic. You might need to remove the old siding in areas of concern. This should be done by a finish carpenter or cabinetmaker. Again, it can sometimes be done carefully enough to reapply it without much damage. Look for deep decay in sheathing boards and the structural members beneath such as sills, studs and plates. Here is a link that might be useful: Historic Homeworks