Have you ever dreamed of getting away to a remote place and building your own home? I sure have. And so did this man – and he is doing it! He purchased land in a remote valley in the Appalachian mountains where people don’t ask questions. It is miles up a one lane gravel road to get to his place – and friends have helped him build. He is living off the grid. His water comes from three small ponds fed by natural springs and run-off and filtered by his own-built filtration systems. Solar panels produce 16kW of power. He’s been living here for several years and is finally building his “big home” – and what a home it will be!
At Eco-Panels we help everyone from professional builders and developers to DIY enthusiasts – from New Hampshire to New Zealand – build the strongest and most efficiently insulated homes on the planet, often faster with lower skilled labor. Our interlocking modular building system can be adapted for the needs of the client AND the local environment. One year we helped an owner builder build what was then the most energy efficient Passive House in the Southern Hemisphere.
This client is using our 6.5″ thick R40 floor and wall panels and 8.25″ thick R53+ roof panels that can offer a 36″ roof overhang. The framing for the 2nd floor and roof hangs inside of the insulated wall system to greatly reduce thermal bridging, The exterior sheathing of the first level walls laps down over the floor system for much greater strength and shear capacity. A propane powered radiant floor system on the main level provides an instant hot water heating system. The front main level will have a porch with its own overhanging roof. He will hire other professional trades for plumbing, etc.
As we do with many of our clients, we connected him with building science and indoor ventilation professionals known to us for proper HVAC sizing for a high performance home. We also introduced him to a very good European brand of windows that worked with him to create this custom 14′ wide amazing sliding door. It has a unique locking system and is so perfectly balanced that it easily floats along its tracks with just a finger’s push.
Why build with stud frame construction? It’s cheap for the builder but the weakest and least energy efficient way to build a home. If you dream of getting away from it all – into the wilds of the lands that you love – or you just want your builder to build you a better home – reach out to us at Eco-Panels or our sister factory Eco-Panels of Tennessee. We’d love to hear from you.
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