re: cold, durisol, and surface bonding OFF TOPIC

["Ryan Sass" <r7sass@jps.net>]

Shane wrote
>Still on the thread about surface-bonded durisol walls

Shane,
Is there a reason you don't want to use Durisol filled with concrete as they
are designed for?  Are you in a remote location that ready-mix concrete is
unavailable?  I would avoid the surface bonding approach.  Definitely in the
subfreezing temperatures.

Based on what I recall of your posted messages, you are intending a
Owner/Builder approach.  You are in snow and a cold/arid climate.  Should be
ideal SB country but if I remember correctly, your wife isn't sold on SB.
(My wife isn't either but primarily because she doesn't like stucco.)

Here's my 1.8 cents (its on discount tonight because I'm tired) worth of
suggestions/advice:

If it were me, (and I hope it will be before too long) and I was going to
build w/o SB, here is what I would consider:

Foundation/basement walls:  I would choose between good ol' fashioned
reinforced concrete footings and basement walls with proper drainage and
exterior EPS or XPS insulation or Durisol basement walls on a reinforced
concrete footing with exterior insulation and proper drainage. (or perhaps
some other ICF.)  I would prefer the Durisol and it could allow you to do
more of the work yourself.
Next for the wall system:  If SB was ruled out, I would use sing logs with
the hollow space insulated.  They have 2.5" of solid wood (cedar) on the
inside for substantial thermal mass and another 2.5" of solid wood on the
outside with 3" of space for insulation.  (Its thermal performance should
well exceed typical 2x6 stick framing. With air films etc., and insulating
the cavity its about an R19 wall or better plus the thermal mass.)  If you
want to get serious about insulation, it is also possible to get the
singlogs with greater than the standard 3" space between the inner and outer
layers of wood for greater insulation.  (Say 6 or 8".)  It stacks like legos
and is glued and screwed together.  Very solid.  You can add a finish inside
and out and you're done.  Much better behaved than traditional log
construction.
Finally for the roof structure:  I would go with either SIPs or
pre-engineered manufactured wood trusses.  The SIPS should adapt well to
your saltbox style roofline.  Depending on the slope of your roof, the
trusses might be awkward. You may have a harder time finding experienced
help installing SIP roof panels than you would with pre-engineered trusses.
Best wishes and good building to you.

/ Ryan
Ryan L. Sass, P.E.
R.L. Sass Engineering
r7sass@jps.net