when boredom meets passion

[Batfink]

[kozzo]

Interesting read..I am also in building trade with operation on lower back..alot of thought and time must have gone in.

[Batfink]

Yep, as I said... We build over sized outhouses here and call them a home. In the model I am incorporating the double skin decorative but using readily available materials in the right way... No extra build costs for exotic imports or supplier pushed product.
This model came about due to finding out that the Australian Building Construction Board (ABCB) is looking into an epidemic of fast rotting/failing roof trusses. This came about from new builds using a single skinned reflective wrap that seals the house off from external water penetration BUT also seals in water vapour already caught in the house. Their focus seems to be on making houses more breathable and adding a reflective wrap with build in bulk insulation attached to 1'side.
My model is trying to incorporate a sealed framing panel with reflective wrap on both sides to reflect the temperature radiating onto that side (remember everything above zero kelvin [-270C] is heat) then in the framework bulk insulation to slow down the transfer of heat by conduction. These sealed panels include floor, external walls and roof cavity. Then all that is needed is the correct inclusion of mechanical vents to control the direct of airflow. You cannot have no airflow as this causes sick building syndrome and you need to remove the warm wet air so that you do not get moisture build up.

[shorty]

[shorty]

[Batfink]

Rant away shorty... There are many worrying things that are occurring in the building industry.
The biggest shame is the down grading of TAFE apprentice schooling to very basic training criteria and assessments by the "builder" which is now more a paper tradesman than a master craftsman (sorry for the sexists titles lol). Then combine this with a national building code (BCA or NCC) which is there to demonstrate the MINIMUM required but, like all standards, has become the target to aim for!
Then you look at the Board that controls this NCC is run by academics that never lifted a hammer or product specialists that only want to promote more and expensive products. Why are they doing research into things that have been sorted out for decades in Europe and America?
I love design (but hate designers), I love research (but hate academic researchers), I love tradition (but hate blind obedience), I love innovation (but hate trends)... From these things, and with 7+ years of trying to find out everything I can, I came up with the principles of construction used in the model. Very happy to discuss the whys and wherefores lol...

[kozzo]

[shorty]

[Mr Sensible]

Looking good Tony, but typical builder..... It looks half done!!!!!

What, you'll be back next week to finish it off, and you want to get the paper work sorted so could you please sign off that it's complete now?!!?!?!

Top job, and I'll be interested to see if you get any success modeling this to industry!

[Batfink]

You're so funny Mr Sensible LOL
have you ever looked at tradesmen (all of them)? mechanics have vehicles that need "one thing sorted", plumbers always have a sink (or something) that's not finished, builders have 1/2 a room not done, brickies have a bit of a wall left to do, electricians seem to always have a cord hanging out of a wall........ maybe it's being sick of doing it day in and out for others???

The industry isn't really interested in changing, well not in a way that is beyond their sphere of knowledge LOL, and they are totally focused on removing the vapour from cavities rather than stopping the vapour from entering. My model is all about creating sealed panels which reduces the inception of water rather than getting rid of it once it's in. Yes there will be an issue of trapped water but at 90-95% less than current practises AND it does require the management of stale air in the building to stop "sick building syndrome". To me that artificial management is easier than relying on nature to try to do the job.

[Batfink]

Some myths about insulation.......

there are 2 types of insulation used in building
1. bulk - includes the most known typers of Pink batts, glasswool, poly batts, EPS (expended polystyrene), foam, etc
2. reflective - foil backed house wrap, foilboard (foil backed EPS sheets), foil backed foam roll, foil backed bubble wrap, etc

insulation does NOT stop temperature changes but only slows it down, the R value represents the formula, and can be thought of as the larger the R the longer it takes for temperatures to penetrate all the way through.

Reflective insulation has NOT R value in its self but relies on the environment to create R values.

The R value on a pack of insulation might not be the R value of that insulation but the R value of the building system once it is in place.

earthwool IS glass fibre just like pink batts

EPS (polystyrene) is generally R1.0 for each 44mm of thickness

air gaps under 20mm are generally the lowest of in situ R values (bubble wrap) and not a good idea for floor or roof insulation (okay for walls)

foam is generally considered to have a similar R value to EPS. Some overseas foams are insulation specific and can have up to 6x higher R value but not easily sourced in Ozland

there is NO 1 product that will give you full insulated panel (roof/wall/floor) but rather it's a system of bulk, reflective, air gaps and lining, the more layers the better