We bought a property that has an old meat-packing house on it.
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| Posted in Green Building Techniques on
The walls of the packing house have cinder-block with 8″ of styrofoam insulation. The main floor is concrete over an open basement with structural support. The ceiling has 8″ styrofoam as we are putting a steel roof on as well. And what kind of ‘green’ lighting would you recommend?
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Replies
Sherri,
The answer to your question depends in part on what you will use the building for.
Do you intend to slaughter animals there? Or do you intend to convert the building to another purpose?
we plan to turn 5000 sq ft of it into living space. we would like to build this as green as possible depending on cost. any suggestions you have for this project would be much appreciated.
Sherri,
For most residential fixtures, it's hard to beat CFLs, which provide between 48 and 60 lumens per watt.
In kitchens and basements, I prefer to see T5 or T8 linear fluorescent fixtures, which provide 98 to 105 lumens per watt.
Most LED fixtures still provide fewer lumens per watt than CFLs, at a far higher cost.
we were wondering about how to install radiant floor heat over this open basement. do we install insulation and what kind of insulation first then the tubing or do you have other ideas/suggestions? thanks!
Sherri,
You probably want to talk to a contractor or an architect. There are many factors affecting the design of a radiant floor, and it's hard to make recommendations without a site visit.
Do you have a high ceiling? That would allow you to install rigid foam insulation on top of your concrete floor before adding additional layers.
Where are you located? What's your climate? Will your basement be conditioned or unconditioned?
If this is going to be a single-family residence, then there is no way to "green" such excess and extravagance. Half that much space is far too much for most families. A 1200 SF home used to be considered more than adequate for a family of four and is still significantly more per person space than most Europeans use.