Buying some land
- Thread starter snakeblitz33
- Start date
reefraff
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/40#post_3520354
I don't know. I caught a program on t.v. a while back that took you through the process of how they are built and what options you can get. Some of them looked pretty sturdy to me. Doesn't mean that I'd stick around to ride out a hurricane one though lol.
It's possible the one's up north are just built way better. Mine had steel girders in the floor and the exterior walls were framed with 2x6 lumber. The roof was snow rated etc.
Mine was sat on a concrete stem wall foundation with 4 steel i beams set into it and the home was welded to the i beams. If I had to ride out a hurricane in a house that would have been high on my list. A friend in Phoenix has a house that is made with filled cinder bricks, no wood framing in the walls at all. That would probably be my first choice.
Originally Posted by 2Quills http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/40#post_3520354
I don't know. I caught a program on t.v. a while back that took you through the process of how they are built and what options you can get. Some of them looked pretty sturdy to me. Doesn't mean that I'd stick around to ride out a hurricane one though lol.
It's possible the one's up north are just built way better. Mine had steel girders in the floor and the exterior walls were framed with 2x6 lumber. The roof was snow rated etc.
Mine was sat on a concrete stem wall foundation with 4 steel i beams set into it and the home was welded to the i beams. If I had to ride out a hurricane in a house that would have been high on my list. A friend in Phoenix has a house that is made with filled cinder bricks, no wood framing in the walls at all. That would probably be my first choice.
2quills
Well-Known Member
Yeah that wouldn't be too bad. I'd rather ride it out in something like that than a pier and beam house. And there are a lot of those down here. Actually, all of the older neighborhoods are pier and beam.
One thing that I did like about the manufactured homes that ive seen is how clean all of the work looks.
One thing that I did like about the manufactured homes that ive seen is how clean all of the work looks.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Well, we have hurricanes in Louisiana. LOL. But in North Louisiana, it's not really that bad. There is the occasional tornado warning though, which we all adhere to. Paying attention to the weather can save your life...
In my home, I wouldn't mind a "safe room" like an extremely well built, well sealed room in the house that our family can go into in case there is some kind of weather event... like the pantry or something.
Basements are not part of the usual building code here in the south - mainly because that deep of a foundation is not needed. Another reason is the water table is very high in Louisiana - so you may dig a basement and the groundwater will seep up through it. Just depends on where you live. I guess that might also be something to look into - is digging a well or something of that nature.
If you all were building a house in the country - what would you do differently from a city house? What kind of materials would you use?
I know one thing that I would like is a stand up shower in the utility room coming in from the back door. After working outside all day and getting dirty - it might be nice to come in and put your dirty cloths in the washer and take a shower before going in the main house.
Something else that I was reading that might save a little electricity is only have two door openings into the house... like a foyer/mudroom and a utility room.... so that you can have a buffer zone between the outside and the inside temperature.
In my home, I wouldn't mind a "safe room" like an extremely well built, well sealed room in the house that our family can go into in case there is some kind of weather event... like the pantry or something.
Basements are not part of the usual building code here in the south - mainly because that deep of a foundation is not needed. Another reason is the water table is very high in Louisiana - so you may dig a basement and the groundwater will seep up through it. Just depends on where you live. I guess that might also be something to look into - is digging a well or something of that nature.
If you all were building a house in the country - what would you do differently from a city house? What kind of materials would you use?
I know one thing that I would like is a stand up shower in the utility room coming in from the back door. After working outside all day and getting dirty - it might be nice to come in and put your dirty cloths in the washer and take a shower before going in the main house.
Something else that I was reading that might save a little electricity is only have two door openings into the house... like a foyer/mudroom and a utility room.... so that you can have a buffer zone between the outside and the inside temperature.
reefraff
Active Member
Lot of people up here do straw bale houses. Great insulation value but I am not sure how they do in areas of high humidity. Given the right budget I would do concrete. They have forms that you leave on that are insulation. Then add faux brick siding on the outside. A friend in Montana did his office that way. I forget what the insulation value is but you don't have to worry about termites nor tornado unless you take a direct hit. If there are any hills in that area you can also do a partial dugout for the back of the house.You do it sorta like a walkout basement with a house built on the front of it. You could the back of the house as a root cellar and safe/storage room.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Not sure if I would want to live in a shipping container. LOL
I think just a modest sized house shouldn't be that bad to build myself. I've built plenty of structures in the past, and with a little help with permits, I'm pretty dang sure I can do it.
One of the things that has always interested me - I don't know why - is insulation. I'm obsessed with insulating a house. LOL. I don't know why I have taken such an interest in insulation ... of all things. lol. I guess it's the idea that you can keep warm air out... cold air in and vice versa. Just really neat to me.
I tell yah, if I didn't want to be a teacher so bad, I would go into the insulation business.
I think just a modest sized house shouldn't be that bad to build myself. I've built plenty of structures in the past, and with a little help with permits, I'm pretty dang sure I can do it.
One of the things that has always interested me - I don't know why - is insulation. I'm obsessed with insulating a house. LOL. I don't know why I have taken such an interest in insulation ... of all things. lol. I guess it's the idea that you can keep warm air out... cold air in and vice versa. Just really neat to me.
I tell yah, if I didn't want to be a teacher so bad, I would go into the insulation business.
reefraff
Active Member
Look into heat pumps. I would think they would be very effective in Northern Louisiana. Insulation factor is why the straw bale houses are so popular. They treat the bales with something to keep critters from burrowing into them. People are starting to use the stuff as insulation in standard construction houses as well. If you do build your own I would at least consider 2x6 framing for your exterior walls. Much stronger and more room for insulation. My house here in Colorado is no slouch when it comes to insulation and such. It's brick and wood sided with steel siding over it. We also have 2 foot eaves which goes a long way toward keeping the sun off the exterior walls during the hottest part of the day, that combined with some trees on the west side of the house makes it pretty easy to keep it cool.
On shipping containers. My brother found a line on some very cheap and spent a year and a half hauling them from Chicago to Wyoming to sell. One of the main uses was oil companies using them for mud labs to analyze drilling cuttings. If nothing else a partially buried one would make a heck of a storm shelter/storage shed.
On shipping containers. My brother found a line on some very cheap and spent a year and a half hauling them from Chicago to Wyoming to sell. One of the main uses was oil companies using them for mud labs to analyze drilling cuttings. If nothing else a partially buried one would make a heck of a storm shelter/storage shed.
2quills
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/60#post_3520485
Not sure if I would want to live in a shipping container. LOL
I think just a modest sized house shouldn't be that bad to build myself. I've built plenty of structures in the past, and with a little help with permits, I'm pretty dang sure I can do it.
One of the things that has always interested me - I don't know why - is insulation. I'm obsessed with insulating a house. LOL. I don't know why I have taken such an interest in insulation ... of all things. lol. I guess it's the idea that you can keep warm air out... cold air in and vice versa. Just really neat to me.
I tell yah, if I didn't want to be a teacher so bad, I would go into the insulation business.
Containers are becoming popular with the green movement. Some people are building mansions out of them lol. I just thought it was different. Some of them look pretty cool.. I gotta imagine they must pretty sturdy once welded or bolted together.
Closed cell spray insulation really can't be beat for R value and vapor barrier.
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/60#post_3520485
Not sure if I would want to live in a shipping container. LOL
I think just a modest sized house shouldn't be that bad to build myself. I've built plenty of structures in the past, and with a little help with permits, I'm pretty dang sure I can do it.
One of the things that has always interested me - I don't know why - is insulation. I'm obsessed with insulating a house. LOL. I don't know why I have taken such an interest in insulation ... of all things. lol. I guess it's the idea that you can keep warm air out... cold air in and vice versa. Just really neat to me.
I tell yah, if I didn't want to be a teacher so bad, I would go into the insulation business.
Containers are becoming popular with the green movement. Some people are building mansions out of them lol. I just thought it was different. Some of them look pretty cool.. I gotta imagine they must pretty sturdy once welded or bolted together.
Closed cell spray insulation really can't be beat for R value and vapor barrier.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
What is a heat pump? Like pumping hot water through the floor boards to help warm up the house? I've thought of doing that - hooking up a "heat pump" to a copper pipe system that is heated by a furnace. I've seen one done in another home...
I don't think straw bale would hold up very well in Louisiana weather. Typically we have very humid weather. Today is 89% humidity and a high of 62. Later on in the week it will be up in the 80s with about the same humidity. I don't think straw can hold up very well.
2Quills, I think your right. That spray insulation stuff - I have seen on TV. It's like that "gap filler" you can find in a can. I really like that stuff - and I know it's better then styrofoam!
Still though, my ultimate goals are to make the house as air tight as possible, bug proof as possible, and as eco friendly as possible. I don't want to have to run any AC/Heat in my home if I can keep from it. A programmable thermostat is definitely in the mix.
Anyone ever heard of a "breeze way?" It was popular a hundred years ago and more. Most houses were built in two sections... Your livingroom/kitchen area and then your bedrooms... it was separated by a "breezeway" which kept all of the rooms cool, even in Summer. I'm not sure how much I would like it these days if I had to cross a small open deck to get to my kitchen though, but the concept is pretty neat.
When I think of house insulation - I kinda think of an ice chest. lol. pretty good metaphor, huh?
I found some relatively flat land - it's on a small slope - 5 acres for $25,000. It's about a 30 minute drive. Utilities are available - and it has been cleared for a homesite. But the problem is that it would take 10k or more to actually put utilities on the land...
I do have access to a backhoe and could dig my own sespond. But I have no clue how much an electric company would charge to run a line out to the property. I know an electrician that would install the breaker box for $400 and have some electricity available to work on the house with - and supply electricity to a trailer.
I have found some used single wides starting at 15k and less. I just don't know what kind of condition they are in, and if it is worth paying the $1500 to move them to the property.
All in all, that small rural loan for that land would be around 50k +15% ... I would end up paying about $350 a month on a 20 year rural development loan. Does anyone think that this is a fair price? My current rent is about double that loan payment. If I go ahead and buy something - I'll actually save a little money (minus gas) and I'll be paying for something that will be mine someday. Right? Right?
I don't think straw bale would hold up very well in Louisiana weather. Typically we have very humid weather. Today is 89% humidity and a high of 62. Later on in the week it will be up in the 80s with about the same humidity. I don't think straw can hold up very well.
2Quills, I think your right. That spray insulation stuff - I have seen on TV. It's like that "gap filler" you can find in a can. I really like that stuff - and I know it's better then styrofoam!
Still though, my ultimate goals are to make the house as air tight as possible, bug proof as possible, and as eco friendly as possible. I don't want to have to run any AC/Heat in my home if I can keep from it. A programmable thermostat is definitely in the mix.
Anyone ever heard of a "breeze way?" It was popular a hundred years ago and more. Most houses were built in two sections... Your livingroom/kitchen area and then your bedrooms... it was separated by a "breezeway" which kept all of the rooms cool, even in Summer. I'm not sure how much I would like it these days if I had to cross a small open deck to get to my kitchen though, but the concept is pretty neat.
When I think of house insulation - I kinda think of an ice chest. lol. pretty good metaphor, huh?
I found some relatively flat land - it's on a small slope - 5 acres for $25,000. It's about a 30 minute drive. Utilities are available - and it has been cleared for a homesite. But the problem is that it would take 10k or more to actually put utilities on the land...
I do have access to a backhoe and could dig my own sespond. But I have no clue how much an electric company would charge to run a line out to the property. I know an electrician that would install the breaker box for $400 and have some electricity available to work on the house with - and supply electricity to a trailer.
I have found some used single wides starting at 15k and less. I just don't know what kind of condition they are in, and if it is worth paying the $1500 to move them to the property.
All in all, that small rural loan for that land would be around 50k +15% ... I would end up paying about $350 a month on a 20 year rural development loan. Does anyone think that this is a fair price? My current rent is about double that loan payment. If I go ahead and buy something - I'll actually save a little money (minus gas) and I'll be paying for something that will be mine someday. Right? Right?
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
A container might be something to look into. I just don't want it to look bad sitting on my property. I'm not the one to accumulate a lot of junk that I don't need. I just don't see myself needing a storage container like that. I'd rather go ahead and build a nice insulated taxidermy shop and have storage in the back.
My house will have plenty of built in storage and closet space. A finished attic (in-so-far as blown-in insulation covered with 1/2" plywood) to store excess "junk" in is pretty much all I would need.
As far as safety goes - having a well built house and a well built room inside that house is probably about as good as I will ever need.
Now, if I did get a shipping container and have to put it on my property - I would bury it into the side of a hill and use it for cold storage and shelter in a weather event. Burying it below ground is a disaster waiting to happen in Louisiana, because the water table is so high. The whole thing would flood all the time.
My house will have plenty of built in storage and closet space. A finished attic (in-so-far as blown-in insulation covered with 1/2" plywood) to store excess "junk" in is pretty much all I would need.
As far as safety goes - having a well built house and a well built room inside that house is probably about as good as I will ever need.
Now, if I did get a shipping container and have to put it on my property - I would bury it into the side of a hill and use it for cold storage and shelter in a weather event. Burying it below ground is a disaster waiting to happen in Louisiana, because the water table is so high. The whole thing would flood all the time.
2quills
Well-Known Member
Really depends on the location and distance a power company will have to run cable to the meter on your property. Very well could be in the $10,000 - 20,000 range. But you'll just have to call and ask to really know for sure.
You can install your own service panel yourself, just need to make sure that it's done to code and have a licensed electrician sign off on it. I just replaced a panel at one of our houses a couple of weeks ago and it ran us about an extra $250 + tax to have a sparky come out and sign off on it. Then about a $100 down here for the city inspector to come out and pass it. That's if it's all correct. But I saved over half the cost of calling in the electrician to do the work.
Heat pumps are used in place of a traditional condensing unit (outside a/c unit). The way they heat and cool the home is just a little different. They draw heat from the air outside to warm up the home vs a gas burner or electrical elements. Then it's vise versa for the cooling, they draw heat by pulling moisture from the home out of the home using refrigerant to condense water vapor. If you don't typically experience a lot of temps below freezing than they can be a more efficient way of heating the house. But the units themselves look virtually the same as your typical condensing and evaporator (air handler/furnace) units.
You can install your own service panel yourself, just need to make sure that it's done to code and have a licensed electrician sign off on it. I just replaced a panel at one of our houses a couple of weeks ago and it ran us about an extra $250 + tax to have a sparky come out and sign off on it. Then about a $100 down here for the city inspector to come out and pass it. That's if it's all correct. But I saved over half the cost of calling in the electrician to do the work.
Heat pumps are used in place of a traditional condensing unit (outside a/c unit). The way they heat and cool the home is just a little different. They draw heat from the air outside to warm up the home vs a gas burner or electrical elements. Then it's vise versa for the cooling, they draw heat by pulling moisture from the home out of the home using refrigerant to condense water vapor. If you don't typically experience a lot of temps below freezing than they can be a more efficient way of heating the house. But the units themselves look virtually the same as your typical condensing and evaporator (air handler/furnace) units.
reefraff
Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/60#post_3520509
What is a heat pump? Like pumping hot water through the floor boards to help warm up the house? I've thought of doing that - hooking up a "heat pump" to a copper pipe system that is heated by a furnace. I've seen one done in another home...
I don't think straw bale would hold up very well in Louisiana weather. Typically we have very humid weather. Today is 89% humidity and a high of 62. Later on in the week it will be up in the 80s with about the same humidity. I don't think straw can hold up very well.
2Quills, I think your right. That spray insulation stuff - I have seen on TV. It's like that "gap filler" you can find in a can. I really like that stuff - and I know it's better then styrofoam!
Still though, my ultimate goals are to make the house as air tight as possible, bug proof as possible, and as eco friendly as possible. I don't want to have to run any AC/Heat in my home if I can keep from it. A programmable thermostat is definitely in the mix.
Anyone ever heard of a "breeze way?" It was popular a hundred years ago and more. Most houses were built in two sections... Your livingroom/kitchen area and then your bedrooms... it was separated by a "breezeway" which kept all of the rooms cool, even in Summer. I'm not sure how much I would like it these days if I had to cross a small open deck to get to my kitchen though, but the concept is pretty neat.
When I think of house insulation - I kinda think of an ice chest. lol. pretty good metaphor, huh?
I found some relatively flat land - it's on a small slope - 5 acres for $25,000. It's about a 30 minute drive. Utilities are available - and it has been cleared for a homesite. But the problem is that it would take 10k or more to actually put utilities on the land...
I do have access to a backhoe and could dig my own sespond. But I have no clue how much an electric company would charge to run a line out to the property. I know an electrician that would install the breaker box for $400 and have some electricity available to work on the house with - and supply electricity to a trailer.
I have found some used single wides starting at 15k and less. I just don't know what kind of condition they are in, and if it is worth paying the $1500 to move them to the property.
All in all, that small rural loan for that land would be around 50k +15% ... I would end up paying about $350 a month on a 20 year rural development loan. Does anyone think that this is a fair price? My current rent is about double that loan payment. If I go ahead and buy something - I'll actually save a little money (minus gas) and I'll be paying for something that will be mine someday. Right? Right?
A heat pump works by burying a hose in the ground. It's sorta like digging a well. The hose is filled with fluid that is efficient at fluid transfer. In the summer time it pulls heat out of your home and transfers it to the ground which tends to be much cooler. In the winter it pick up heat from the ground and vents it out into your house. Because you have no burner or compressor to run they are energy efficient and reliable BUT are expensive up front. Like Quills said someplace where it doesn't get really hot or cold they work really sweet. I know people down south who rolled their own for their reef tanks. They dug a deep hole under their deck and put a coil of hose on their sump return line in it and buried it. I don't remember the exact numbers but it dropped their tank temp a couple degrees in the summer which was enough not to have to run a chiller.
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/60#post_3520509
What is a heat pump? Like pumping hot water through the floor boards to help warm up the house? I've thought of doing that - hooking up a "heat pump" to a copper pipe system that is heated by a furnace. I've seen one done in another home...
I don't think straw bale would hold up very well in Louisiana weather. Typically we have very humid weather. Today is 89% humidity and a high of 62. Later on in the week it will be up in the 80s with about the same humidity. I don't think straw can hold up very well.
2Quills, I think your right. That spray insulation stuff - I have seen on TV. It's like that "gap filler" you can find in a can. I really like that stuff - and I know it's better then styrofoam!
Still though, my ultimate goals are to make the house as air tight as possible, bug proof as possible, and as eco friendly as possible. I don't want to have to run any AC/Heat in my home if I can keep from it. A programmable thermostat is definitely in the mix.
Anyone ever heard of a "breeze way?" It was popular a hundred years ago and more. Most houses were built in two sections... Your livingroom/kitchen area and then your bedrooms... it was separated by a "breezeway" which kept all of the rooms cool, even in Summer. I'm not sure how much I would like it these days if I had to cross a small open deck to get to my kitchen though, but the concept is pretty neat.
When I think of house insulation - I kinda think of an ice chest. lol. pretty good metaphor, huh?
I found some relatively flat land - it's on a small slope - 5 acres for $25,000. It's about a 30 minute drive. Utilities are available - and it has been cleared for a homesite. But the problem is that it would take 10k or more to actually put utilities on the land...
I do have access to a backhoe and could dig my own sespond. But I have no clue how much an electric company would charge to run a line out to the property. I know an electrician that would install the breaker box for $400 and have some electricity available to work on the house with - and supply electricity to a trailer.
I have found some used single wides starting at 15k and less. I just don't know what kind of condition they are in, and if it is worth paying the $1500 to move them to the property.
All in all, that small rural loan for that land would be around 50k +15% ... I would end up paying about $350 a month on a 20 year rural development loan. Does anyone think that this is a fair price? My current rent is about double that loan payment. If I go ahead and buy something - I'll actually save a little money (minus gas) and I'll be paying for something that will be mine someday. Right? Right?
A heat pump works by burying a hose in the ground. It's sorta like digging a well. The hose is filled with fluid that is efficient at fluid transfer. In the summer time it pulls heat out of your home and transfers it to the ground which tends to be much cooler. In the winter it pick up heat from the ground and vents it out into your house. Because you have no burner or compressor to run they are energy efficient and reliable BUT are expensive up front. Like Quills said someplace where it doesn't get really hot or cold they work really sweet. I know people down south who rolled their own for their reef tanks. They dug a deep hole under their deck and put a coil of hose on their sump return line in it and buried it. I don't remember the exact numbers but it dropped their tank temp a couple degrees in the summer which was enough not to have to run a chiller.
reefraff
Active Member
Breezeways work but you have to make sure the direction of your prevailing winds. Instead of building a separate structure you can do your kitchen and bathroom together (which saves on plumbing costs) then have a big living room that runs the depth of your house with big windows front and back and then your bedrooms on the other side of the living room. Just open up the living room windows and you have an instant breezeway. Had a cousin in Arkansas that built his house like that back in the early 60's and it worked pretty good as long as there was some breeze and having a big living room is never a bad thing. .
Another thing to look at is a whole house fan. It's basically a big sombee that mounts in your ceiling and sucks the hot air out of your house and blows it out of the peak vents in your attic. Not only does it pull the hot air out of your living space, it also blows the super hot air out of the attic.
Another thing to look at is a whole house fan. It's basically a big sombee that mounts in your ceiling and sucks the hot air out of your house and blows it out of the peak vents in your attic. Not only does it pull the hot air out of your living space, it also blows the super hot air out of the attic.
2quills
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/60#post_3520518
A heat pump works by burying a hose in the ground. It's sorta like digging a well. The hose is filled with fluid that is efficient at fluid transfer. In the summer time it pulls heat out of your home and transfers it to the ground which tends to be much cooler. In the winter it pick up heat from the ground and vents it out into your house. Because you have no burner or compressor to run they are energy efficient and reliable BUT are expensive up front. Like Quills said someplace where it doesn't get really hot or cold they work really sweet. I know people down south who rolled their own for their reef tanks. They dug a deep hole under their deck and put a coil of hose on their sump return line in it and buried it. I don't remember the exact numbers but it dropped their tank temp a couple degrees in the summer which was enough not to have to run a chiller.
I think we're talking about two different things. I believe you're referring to geo thermal technology. I was referring to an actual heat pump unit that operates by pulling heat from the outside air and cools using refrigerant.
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/60#post_3520518
A heat pump works by burying a hose in the ground. It's sorta like digging a well. The hose is filled with fluid that is efficient at fluid transfer. In the summer time it pulls heat out of your home and transfers it to the ground which tends to be much cooler. In the winter it pick up heat from the ground and vents it out into your house. Because you have no burner or compressor to run they are energy efficient and reliable BUT are expensive up front. Like Quills said someplace where it doesn't get really hot or cold they work really sweet. I know people down south who rolled their own for their reef tanks. They dug a deep hole under their deck and put a coil of hose on their sump return line in it and buried it. I don't remember the exact numbers but it dropped their tank temp a couple degrees in the summer which was enough not to have to run a chiller.
I think we're talking about two different things. I believe you're referring to geo thermal technology. I was referring to an actual heat pump unit that operates by pulling heat from the outside air and cools using refrigerant.
snakeblitz33
Well-Known Member
Well, i know attics have to breathe a little. I also know that underneath a house has to be well drained and cant be completely sealed. You still want some air under a house to keep it from getting too damp.
The house will have plenty of double paned windows that will be open regularly. Im talking about insulating a house - the floors, the attic, the outer walls etc. having a vent thing on the roof is also appropriate.
I just dont want to air-condition the world. Lol. (As my father states)
The house will have plenty of double paned windows that will be open regularly. Im talking about insulating a house - the floors, the attic, the outer walls etc. having a vent thing on the roof is also appropriate.
I just dont want to air-condition the world. Lol. (As my father states)
reefraff
Active Member
Even with ridge and peak vents an attic still gets hot. They also make fans that just vent the air out of the peak vent which helps a lot, no matter how much insulation you have. The whole house fan isn't meant to be used with A/C. It gets the air moving in the living area and blows the hot air out of the attic which can break 150 degrees on a hot day. Those turbo vents (spinning things that look like a metal chef's hat on top of buildings) might be the way to go if you are off grid. They use the wind to suck hot air out of the attic. The trick is trying to figure out how to cool the place without A/C which sucks a lot of power. Do any of the houses down there have slab foundations? I don't see why you couldn't as long as you are on high ground.
You can insulate your floor but I am not sure it would get cold enough in winter down there to really make it worth it.
Quills, Are you sure you aren't thinking of an evaporative cooler? I've never heard of a heat pump that wasn't geothermal.
You can insulate your floor but I am not sure it would get cold enough in winter down there to really make it worth it.
Quills, Are you sure you aren't thinking of an evaporative cooler? I've never heard of a heat pump that wasn't geothermal.
2quills
Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/60#post_3520530
Quills, Are you sure you aren't thinking of an evaporative cooler? I've never heard of a heat pump that wasn't geothermal.
Nope, I'm thinking of traditional heat pump systems that have been around for quite a while. The geo thermals are a newer concept for residential hvac.. http://www.trane.com/residential/products/heat-pumps
Extracting Heat from Winter Air
Originally Posted by reefraff http:///t/395395/buying-some-land/60#post_3520530
Quills, Are you sure you aren't thinking of an evaporative cooler? I've never heard of a heat pump that wasn't geothermal.
Nope, I'm thinking of traditional heat pump systems that have been around for quite a while. The geo thermals are a newer concept for residential hvac.. http://www.trane.com/residential/products/heat-pumps
Extracting Heat from Winter Air
On days when the temperature drops below freezing, the thought that heat can be extracted from outside air and used to heat a home seems ludicrous. To understand the process, you must think about temperature in a different way. Scientists describe absolute zero, a theoretical temperature at which molecules possess no thermal energy, as -273.15 degrees Celsius (-459.67 degrees Fahrenheit). For Earth temperatures, even the coldest winter air contains heat. Indoor air will therefore always be warmer than the outside air with a heat pump. However, heat pumps are more efficient at temperatures above freezing, and most heat pumps will require supplemental heating elements to maintain indoor temperatures during the coldest nights.