Framing -- Should I use 2x4 or 2x6 or 2x8?

So you are contemplating building a house and want it to be as energy efficient as possible.  Did you ever consider that the width of the lumber you choose has a lot to do with the entire energy efficiency package?  It does.

Think about those old pioneer houses that were built with 2 foot thick walls of stone.  A great one I toured recently was the John Rowe Moyle house in Alpine, Utah. 

 It was built like fortress, and sure, they had Indian problems, but one of the reasons for making the walls so thick was to insulate the inside from the heat of the summer and the bitter cold of winter.  And it really works.  It was a hot summer day when I toured the home, and it was nice and cool inside without any aid of an air conditioner.

Framing your home with at least 2x6 walls will allow for a greater insulation barrier as well as provide better sound proofing.  It will create an overall stronger wall as opposed to 2x4 walls that can shudder when doors are slammed.  2x8 lumber is even better, but it will cost more, both on the lumber side, as well as calculating the cost of extra insulation.  You will make up for that cost and more later in your energy bills, however, and your home will be much more comfortable -- that is if you insulate and seal your home against air infiltration correctly.  But that's where Greenify Energy Savers' expertise can help you.

We recommend using a minimum of 2x6 framing, and be sure to check back for later posts about the best way to insulate.  You can like us on Facebook to automatically receive new posts as they happen.

B-Deck and Basement Slab Complete

 The basement slab has been poured.  But there was a lot of prep work involved in getting to this point:

Plumbing is being done by Mountain Side Plumbing, 801-281-3076, who requested that the backfill was done prior to sub-plumbing.  Mike Little, excavator and co-owner of O.L.E., did a great job on the backfill.  It was compacted so nicely, the plumbers had a hard time digging their lines and Mike came back to help them out.

In preparation to have a tankless water heater installed in this home, Mountain Side Plumbing will run soft-water lines to all faucets except the fridge, drinkable taps, and exterior hose bibs.

 The next day, crews installed the steel posts and I-beams which would support the B-decking on the suspended garage floor.

 If you are considering a suspended garage floor, Span Deck (concrete forms made off site and lifted by crane into place on the foundation) is one way of supporting your floor.  We initially explored Span Deck, but because of it's 18" thickness, it would require digging that portion of the basement an additional 2 feet, thus requiring 12' foundation walls.  B-deck eliminated that expense, and went in quickly.  We also would not have had enough slope for the sewer lines if we had dug down an additional 2 feet.

In considering damp proofing the garage floor, we talked to a company that recommended we pour half the thickness of the garage slab over the B-deck, spray it with a waterproof substance called Temproof 250, and then complete the rest of the pour 3 days later.  However, talking with our engineer, he said absolutely NO to that idea.  Doing that would negate the strength of the floor and the bond between the layers.  In talking with a builder friend who has done these B-deck floors for 15 years with no problems, he said you have to pour the entire slab with the slope from 7" down to 4" and essentially create your own Span Deck on site.  The framed walls and drywall will sit directly on the slab, and then a big radius of caulk will be run along the inside edge where drywall meets the slab, followed by an industrial strength epoxy treatment on the slab which runs 4" up the walls.  That is the strongest and best way to damp proof a suspended garage.  Keep the moisture from penetrating in the first place.

 The B-Deck makes for a nice industrial ceiling if this room remains unfinished, too.

Sub-Plumb in, backfill completed, and everything is ready for the basement slabs to be poured, which Darren Storstad of Storstad Conrete completed without the use of a concrete pump truck.  Very impressive, and the floor is beautifully level and scored to prevent cracking.