[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

To prove the lack of insulation in TV built homes -it takes almost no time fora home here to heat/ cool down once the a/c or heat is off-its great that electricity is relatively inexpensive

We were just saying the opposite. We have a block and stucco and feel the barrier against heat is VERY good and it takes a long time for a home to heat up. However, because the homes here are built to be comfortable in nearly year around heat outdoors and the registers being in the ceiling, when it's cold, that is not as efficient as heat rises.

Here are some articles on Wood vs. metal studs in home building.

Wood vs metal studs in home building - Bing

[karostay]

Originally Posted by Chatbrat

To prove the lack of insulation in TV built homes -it takes almost no time fora home here to heat/ cool down once the a/c or heat is off-its great that electricity is relatively inexpensive

As watched my being built day by day I asked if it would be possible to insulate the block walls .i would gladly pay the additional charge.Payback would be lifelong for small additional fee.
Considering the overall cost of construction
Answer was no. Also I believe duct work is inadequately insulated and transfers heat and cold from attic to the interior.
In an era of going green hard to believe building codes in the Villages are substandard

[TimeForChange]

A lot of the changes in FL construction came following Hurricane Andrew. There were new hurricane codes developed.

[TimeForChange]

Originally Posted by karostay

As watched my being built day by day I asked if it would be possible to insulate the block walls .i would gladly pay the additional charge.Payback would be lifelong for small additional fee.
Considering the overall cost of construction
Answer was no. Also I believe duct work is inadequately insulated and transfers heat and cold from attic to the interior.
In an era of going green hard to believe building codes in the Villages are substandard

Having worked for a company who manufactured insulation (fiberglass) and sold the product for many years I can tell you that simply adding additional blown insulation to your attic up to R48 or more will do more good than anything else you can do. Call Suncoast Insulation in Ocala for a great application and price.

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by karostay

As watched my being built day by day I asked if it would be possible to insulate the block walls .i would gladly pay the additional charge.Payback would be lifelong for small additional fee.
Considering the overall cost of construction
Answer was no. Also I believe duct work is inadequately insulated and transfers heat and cold from attic to the interior.
In an era of going green hard to believe building codes in the Villages are substandard

There is a company that advertises in the daily sun regarding additional insulation on block walls. No idea of the cost or effectiveness, I have not used them. As for the A/C ducts, I will go into the attic the next time I think of it and place my hand on the duct to see if they are cool to the touch.
Regarding the building codes, these are typically state wide, and based on national standards, as far as I know, the villages does not have their own set of building codes. Perhaps one of the inspection companies can comment on this.

[John_W]

In 1979 I built this home in Pensacola, 2480 Semoran Drive, it's off Scenic Hwy one block off the bay. I used 6" studs 24" on center, I was able to use R19 Batts instead of R13 Batts, which were standard at the time. All double pane insulated windows, I used about 10 cans of foam and sealed all the bottom and top plates, corners and T's.

I drew the plans myself and took them to a residential designer, you didn't need an architect unless it was commercial property. I was the general contractor, you don't need a license in Florida if you don't resell within the first year. This was my fourth home, the first two were new by a builder and I watched them as they were being built. The third I built myself and after I lived in it a year, I had the itch to build a bigger home and this was the fourth. As far as labor, I did all the inside painting, doors and trim and the outside landscaping and sod. I finished the home in 11 weeks from the time we broke ground to the time we moved in. I also had an 18 X 36 pool in the backyard. Total cost with lot, home and pool $78,000.

[graciegirl]

What a lovely home and having seen other pictures of the interior of your home here, I am not surprised.

Your fan,
Grace Gantner

[Chatbrat]

We keep our home @ 73 during the day & 67 @ night-it takes close to two hours to get the temp down to 67 & close to two hours for it to rise to 73 in the morning, block walls are like an oven they retain heat or cold

[karostay]

Originally Posted by TimeForChange

Having worked for a company who manufactured insulation (fiberglass) and sold the product for many years I can tell you that simply adding additional blown insulation to your attic up to R48 or more will do more good than anything else you can do. Call Suncoast Insulation in Ocala for a great application and price.

Block walls alone are 2.5 R value 1" foam board R 5 Injected foam increases R value average 8.5 It's like 100% increase

[retiredguy123]

I would not pay to have block walls filled with injected foam. First of all, the most heat transfer occurs through the "thermal bridge" created by the wall areas that have continuous concrete through the block wall. Secondly, the block cavities cannot be adequately filled with foam because many cells are either completely filled with concrete for structural reasons, or the cells are blocked by the excess mortar that protruded into the cells when the mason laid the blocks. There also may be rebar and other items in the cells that prevents the foam from filling the cells. About two thirds of energy leakage in a house occurs through the roof and windows, not through the walls. So attic insulation or new windows will provide the best return on investment. I would ask the foam salesperson to install the foam for free and pay for it based on a percentage of the reduction in electricity cost that you actually experience. See how that goes over.

[John_W]

Our masonry CYV here is not block walls, it's poured concrete using forms. They may have changed since 2011, but at that time, they had one set of forms for every model and poured all the CYV's from those forms. So it doesn't matter if your CYV is in Atrium Dells, Mission Hills or Amberjack, the veneer may be different but the dimensions and construction is all the same. I know our home stays very cool, I have the temperature set on 84 degrees most of the time, once in a great while I'll turn it to 83, anything lower will freeze you out. Our all electric CYV SECO bill is generally between $78 and $88 for a month. Besides having the fenced yard, that was the other major reason we went with the CYV instead of a Patio Villa, which is frame construction.

[retiredguy123]

Yes, they built a lot of houses with poured-in-place concrete walls, but never stopped building some with concrete blocks. I think that has now changed. They are building the new houses with concrete block.

[NatureBoy]

Originally Posted by Number 10 GI

In some cities building codes for commercial buildings require metal studs for fire proofing reasons. Steel doesn't burn.

I’m surprised to see wooden studs being used in The Lofts.

[Midnight Cowgirl]

Originally Posted by NatureBoy

I’m surprised to see wooden studs being used in The Lofts.

Wood studs being used throughout the entire house or just in certain areas?

Just curious because usually, they use wood only in certain areas such as in places where they put batting insulation.

[JackRussell]

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