I used SIPs for the roof system and even the basement… It did not appear to me that your plans included a SIP roof, however if it does you can save $ by staying with a conventional roof system. Then, after the drywall is up, shoot a 1″ layer of foam to seal, topped with celulose a dozen + inches. Same or better than SIP roof sys and much lower cost. I heat my house with forced air Lifebreath system charged with my Rennai hot water heater. Best of luck…

Jeff

Thanks for the encouragement. I did actually find one person who built with SIPs just down the road from us and he was kind enough to let me pick his brain. We will try to get the electrician on site while the SIPs manufacturer is still here teaching us how to install them to help with the learning curve. We do also plan to use PEX for all plumbing and radiant.

Thanks,
Chad

Glad your conversation with Bruce was helpful. Petersburg Commons is a good project. I do think, however, that you could get away with exposed concrete floors especially since you are trying to look modern, you are in the city and the floors will be warm. You may need to polish them or stain them but it could definitly be done.

As for vinyl windows – yeh they are generally considered to be not green. The manufacturing and the potential off gasing of dioxins, the potential health risks – all add up to not a green product.

I love the idea off a green fence/wall. What a perfect idea for a sustainable house. Petersburg Commons was supposed to have greenery growing on the trelis at the front entrance. It appears as though that might have gotten cut out.

Oh and PEX is not PVC, it is polyethylene. Much greener in my opinion.

Thanks for the thoughts on vinyl. I haven’t done the kind of extensive research you have, but have always just “intuited” that vinyl wasn’t the *best* choice.

The Marvin line recently saw a small price increase. Probably as a result of their increased popularity. And, they have a new website, which is much nicer. Anyway, the vendors I’ve spoken with all say about the same thing: The Integrity line is a great value and rock solid. Consumer Reports recently reviewed them and rated them very favorably. And, like Chad says, they are great in terms of efficiency.

In case anyone is curious, the window package for our project runs a bit over $9,000. There are quite a number of windows. Good quality vinyl would save us about 20-30%. Inexpensive vinyls saves us almost 50%. Still, it’s not apples to apples: vinyl windows are a definite aesthetic and (to a lesser degree) performance compromise.

I have seen some folks strike a compromise in the window department – putting nicer windows on the front of the house, and less expensive windows on the sides and/or back. This strategy might work with some homes, and not others.

Last, but not least, fiberglass – unlike vinyl – can be painted. So, if you are looking for something other than the “white” trim window, fiberglass is a good bet.

Vinyl or PVC is one of those materials, like concrete, that is controversial in green building. Some think it is evil and others think its great. It’s durable and lasts forever without needing to be repainted. It also has a bad history of causing harm to people who manufacture it. From a development standpoint it can also appear cheap to prospective buyers.

The USGBC has awarded LEED points for avoiding the use of PVC in buildings in the past and has since undergone extensive investigation to judge the “greeness” of the product. The “Blue Vinyl” movie is also a point of controversy that sheds a bad light on PVC and all those manufacturing it or adorning their homes with it. It’s worth watching if you haven’t seen it.

I’m not going to judge whether vinyl is evil or not now. I will say that I try to refrain from using it as much as possible though and the only PVC we will have in the 100K House will be in the PEX tubing for the radiant system and possibly other plumbing depending on the plumber’s preference.

Scott did offer a line item for reducing cost by going with Vinyl and I think it was only $1K. Not worth it in my opinion. I was very pleased with the window and door portion of the estimate and see no reason to look for cost reductions with a different line or model of windows and doors at this point.