Comments on: Sweat Equity vs. Wish List for 100K Construction

By: eric

eric — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:17:41 +0000

Hey Chad, certainly trying it in one unit seems like a reasonable idea. I definitely understand the green benefits and I realize various pro’s use the induction units I just don’t really see me using one, and would probably take the unit out were I to ever purchase a house with one. Of course I live in the Bay Area where the idea of 100k houses is just crazy talk.

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:19:04 +0000

Chad – I believe that Hardi requires painting of there exterior siding products. Neglecting to do so would void their warranty, I believe. Or are these prefinished panels that I am not aware of. Also the 50 year warranty is for material defect, not finish integrety or appearance.
At any rate my concern was that to properly paint siding, all six sides should be covered with several coats of primer and then the exposed surface should be coated with one or two top coats. This would certianly be easier on the ground, as you have stated. Have joint details been worked out?

By: chad

chad — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:09:08 +0000

Rob – We would actually only be painting the Hardi panels prior to them being installed so the skill required would not be too significant. Having said that, the hardi comes with a 50 year warranty, so we really don’t want to paint unless absolutely necessary. Either way only half the panels would be painted to get a good match to the stock panels of the alternate color as shown in the renderings.

By: Grant

Grant — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:37:13 +0000

I think you’ve made the right decision with the induction cooktop. You are trying to limit heat gain in your house so as to limit the need for active cooling. The ERV will help you maintain a steady state, as long as you aren’t adding too much heat inside the house envelope.

For this reason, you might also rethink the size, quality, and energy efficiency of the microwave. Cooking in a microwave produces MUCH less heat than any oven… Many modern families use the microwave much more frequently than the oven. Few families would forgo the oven completely (and 24″ is probably sufficient), but the microwave is more than a luxury!

By: Rob

Rob — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:10:15 +0000

While I agree with the “gas is better” crowd, I can see why electric would be more attaractive for the average homeowner.
That being said, I am more concerned about the exterior painiting. If the intent is to truely have the best possible exterior envelope/shell then I believe that it is critical for the exterior painting to be performed by a professional. Done right it could last a good while (10-15 years or more). Depending on the specific product there are also prefinished options that can come with a 25 year warranty. If the painting is done wrong it could be a disaster that needs attention every couple of years.
Also I agree with your inclinations about the labor for items 8-12. Those items may require a bit more skill than the average homeowener has.

By: chad

chad — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:43:08 +0000

I forgot about the induction vs gas cooktop debate. Here is the original post that this topic came up in. http://100khouse.com/2008/06/19/appliances-for-the-100k-house/

Also, check out this forum post for some educated opinions on both options – http://www.cheftalk.com/forums/cooking-equipment-reviews/29609-induction-cookers-vs-gas.html. Dig down into a bit to get the good stuff.

I think it’s something that needs to be tried which is why I want it in our house. If my wife and Nic, who love to cook give it the thumbs up, it will go in every property we ever build because of the other advantages.

The induction has two green benefits I like a lot also that were mentioned in the first post. One, it is very efficient and will not heat up the kitchen during the summer like gas would. Two, studies have shown that gas fumes from gas cooktops are harmful to the cook’s health. This is important to me since my wife is over the cooktop multiple times per day and I want her to stay around as long as possible.

Feel free to disagree with me in the comments, but lets add some educated research to the conversation. If most pro chefs in Europe are using induction, it can’t be too bad…

By: eric

eric — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:26:43 +0000

> 3. Electric Induction Cooktop (I really want to test out this $750 upgrade)

I realize that stove tops are sort of a holy war amongst cooking enthusiasts, but I really couldn’t imagine wanting to cook on anything but gas. The induction sets seem like they might be neat, but a hassle with various drawbacks that don’t seem to outweigh the benefits to me.
You are probably already ware of all this, but see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Induction_cooker

By: tracy

tracy — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 19:26:19 +0000

are you sure about electric cook top??
I’d say gas is the way to go.

By: Brandon

Brandon — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 16:36:28 +0000

The Ikea kitchen is a no-brainer. They are a doddle to construct and set up. The biggest pain is the time it takes to put together all of the cabinet boxes. You’d pay a lot of unnecessary labor for someone to do that.

What about finish plumbing (faucets and whatnot)? Those are easy things to do, and plumbers tend to be expensive by the hour.

I’d rather do either of those than floor finishing!