I think this is neat, fast and probably quite energy efficient.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhHSz4JRI6Y

That looks like a pretty quick way to build and insulate. I remember seeing This Old House show build a house years ago using these panels.

Quote from: tac on February 14, 2016, 02:14:13 PM
That looks like a pretty quick way to build and insulate. I remember seeing This Old House show build a house years ago using these panels.

If a guy put up a cheap metal shed... wonder if he could make all the panels, foam or fiberglass, over a few years, and then when you're ready to move to a new site, up goes the house in no time.

I'd love to have a place with 9' or 10' ceilings, so ... thinking of doing something with 4x9 or 4x10 panels, some kind of system to bond and screw them together.  something like this.
http://www.deltechomes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/14944381049_0ee844a643_o.jpg

Round would be neat, but a novelty IMO., the same could be done with a rectangular or square footprint.  Drew up a 2 story, with a full basement / garage years ago in Visio, like a Deltech, but without a center column support and a cupola (spiral stair to the top). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgdcBOWPYZc

I really like the roofing system of this SIP unit, but, don't know about the styrofoam insulation.

May I suggest using a "conex container" -- those box-like storage 'n delivery items, first designed 'n used by U.S military logistic planners after WWII, 'n now widely seen being shipped across oceans on container ships 'n carried on backs of semi-trailer rigs 'n piggyback atop railway cars. There's lots of websites on buying 'n turning these cargo carriers into usable homes. Web search 'n check it out; you'll be glad you did..!!

Quote from: TXborn on March 18, 2016, 04:27:37 PM
May I suggest using a "conex container" -- those box-like storage 'n delivery items, first designed 'n used by U.S military logistic planners after WWII, 'n now widely seen being shipped across oceans on container ships 'n carried on backs of semi-trailer rigs 'n piggyback atop railway cars. There's lots of websites on buying 'n turning these cargo carriers into usable homes. Web search 'n check it out; you'll be glad you did..!!

They've gotten so popular, the price has gone up 10X. 

Building your own made sense to me.  Are you brainstorming? You have the property with a well?

Quote from: valley on April 25, 2016, 09:24:33 PM
Building your own made sense to me.  Are you brainstorming? You have the property with a well?

Thinking about why I don't want to live in a spacious house after the kids leave...   My dream house has a $20 a month electric bill, or none at all.

I live on a farmette <30 acres, nice modular house with mediocre insulation, might fix it, maybe start over... just brainstorming.   It isn't going to stay the same.

Quote from: Hoofer on April 26, 2016, 05:03:15 PM
Thinking about why I don't want to live in a spacious house after the kids leave...   My dream house has a $20 a month electric bill, or none at all.

I live on a farmette <30 acres, nice modular house with mediocre insulation, might fix it, maybe start over... just brainstorming.   It isn't going to stay the same.

I hear ya! When I started building, I built a 12x12' room attached to my motorhome, just wanted a big enough area for my two dogs and me to stretch out.
Then I met a woman and her 11 yro son and I added another room 16'x30' including a walk in closet for her.
None of this was ever meant to be permanent, just until I built the "BIG HOUSE"

Well time went by and I booted her crazy ass and now that there was no rush to build, I thought I'd add a bathroom and sell the motorhome.
So I pulled it out, put a kitchen in it's place and settled in for the winter.

That was nearly 30 years ago, with a few changes and a 24'x24' living room added/wrap around deck etc, I'm not building again, however, if and when I move to Idaho, it'll definitely be one great room built out of Conex boxes as mentioned in the other thread, screw all those useless wall separations, it's just the wife and I, not to mention there won't be any cold spots that way.

A couple of months ago, I was asked to get together a couple of bids for an office/warehouse.

Naturally, I called, "The General", and a few others.  They quoted me a 32x60x10 ceiling steel building for less than $25k, delivered.  No slab, no erection, but estimated the slab & assembly was about $20k.

Unfinished, but 8" insulated.

Just occurred to me, that is a great deal.

Guy at work just got a turn-key quote on a 1600sq ft modular, with a full walk out basement... $200,000k, without a root cellar (it's getting added).  Basement is a modular panel construction, faster, insulated, and cheaper than poured, and waterproof (unlike block).  To me... that is unaffordable.

If this doesn't drive the price of a Conex box up....

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/shipping-containers-offer-welcome-homes-in-phoenix/

Quote from: Hoofer on April 29, 2016, 09:55:56 AM
If this doesn't drive the price of a Conex box up....

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/shipping-containers-offer-welcome-homes-in-phoenix/

Yeah, it actually all started in the 70s, when refrigerated train/rail cars were being sold off, then Conex was being replaced with a new and bigger model, so they actually gave many away rather than scrap them.
Sweden is making entire apartment complexs out of them.

Here's an option....

http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds/classified.php?id=15883

Quote from: Hoofer on April 27, 2016, 05:56:03 PM
Naturally, I called, "The General", and a few others.  They quoted me a 32x60x10 ceiling steel building for less than $25k, delivered.  No slab, no erection, but estimated the slab & assembly was about $20k.
[...]

Just occurred to me, that is a great deal.

Yes and no - you'll find that you'll have to basically build the house inside of it anyway, in order to have walls to hang things on...

The interior is most of the cost anyway.

Quote
Guy at work just got a turn-key quote on a 1600sq ft modular, with a full walk out basement... $200,000k, without a root cellar (it's getting added).  Basement is a modular panel construction, faster, insulated, and cheaper than poured, and waterproof (unlike block).  To me... that is unaffordable.

I just did my place 4 years ago. When I bought it, it was pretty heavily damaged, so I considered pushing it over and starting fresh... It's a little cabin (1150 ft2 2bd/1bath) - The stick-frame, dried in, seemed cheap at 16k... As it turned out, in order to save the grandfathered septic, I took the decision to remodel/repair the existing... With contractors doing the heavy framing/repair, and including me doing the rest, I wound up at 12k on the gutted building (dried in).

I had well into the 50k range after that, finishing it out (incl. electric/plumbing/insulation all the way out to flooring/fixtures/cabs and trim), by myself(with a couple of friends). and that's pretty standard stuff and home depot cabs... But that's what I was shooting for, not needing up-scale stuff very much, though I opted to make my own trim, all knotty pine, with 6" base, 4"case, plinth blocks and corner blocks, and crown in the bedrooms... Since I made my own all that was about 300 bucks more than std' ranch C&B, and didn't need to miter and cope anything.

And that's without all the super-home stuff you're talking about - Which I agree with others can make a house too tight.

Mine is 7' lids and 2x4/t1-11 siding, with std dual pane windows, insulated steel doors,  and a tin roof, as well insulated as it can be, and I generally go through 2-3 cords if I am not running the GFA furnace (@$55/mo AVG). The stove runs away with the place, so I find super-home stuff to be rather redundant and unnecessary - And my place breathes.

Same with summer - Even in the hottest part, if I keep the shades down on the sunny side of the house, it stays mighty cool (don't need air conditioning), getting just a touch uncomfortable about 6PM... But I'll have the windows open by 7PM and the place cools down in minutes as the windows are well situated to take advantage of the cool air blowing down the canyons in the evening.

I know I have it better than y'all in that here in MT it is never muggy, and shade is a lot cooler, but again, I don't think tighter homes are any better.

All that extra cost for high tech subverts the savings of DIY, and the ROI is probably not that great.

Quote from: Hoofer on April 27, 2016, 05:56:03 PM
A couple of months ago, I was asked to get together a couple of bids for an office/warehouse.

Naturally, I called, "The General", and a few others.  They quoted me a 32x60x10 ceiling steel building for less than $25k, delivered.  No slab, no erection, but estimated the slab & assembly was about $20k.

Unfinished, but 8" insulated.

Just occurred to me, that is a great deal.

Guy at work just got a turn-key quote on a 1600sq ft modular, with a full walk out basement... $200,000k, without a root cellar (it's getting added).  Basement is a modular panel construction, faster, insulated, and cheaper than poured, and waterproof (unlike block).  To me... that is unaffordable.

Sorry I missed this earlier.
My neighbor went this route for a shop, after all was said and done, it looked great, but rains like a sieve on cold days from condensation.
But just a tip I learned from their obstinate arrogance, once you order it, you are responsible for it's delivery.
Unique situation, delivery was only to certain hubs and you were responsible from there, and our area was Sacramento, so he had to hire another carrier that brought it up Hwy49 through the mountains, problem is. there's a length limit on trailers and this one exceeded it considerably.
He tried to save time and money by avoiding Hwy50, which takes an extra 30 minutes. (Cheap bastard)

CHP pulled the rig over in the mountains, made them unload it onto 4 separate rigs to deliver it, which wound up adding another 15 grand to the complete price because of all the rentals involved, CHP time to close the Hwy, oversize fork lift etc.

But wait, there is an upside in all this, they were Bay area libs that bought land near me and thought they were better than everyone else.