Whole Wall Insulation
Insulation is rated in terms of thermal resistance, called R-value. “R” simply means "resistance" to heat flow. Its calculation is quite complex, but for our purposes what we need to know is that the higher an insulation’s R-value, the greater its effectiveness at blocking heat transfer.

R-value rating for an in­sul­a­tion material rates only the material itself. A 4" batt rated at R-12 simple states the resistance of the batt material. It does not rate the entire wall in which the batt is installed. This is commonly referred to as the "Center-of-Cavity" rating.

A more accurate way of measuring thermal loss is to install the material in a wall and then measure the thermal resistance of the wall including its necessary framing members (but not windows, corners or joints at roofs, foundation or floors). This is the "Clear-Wall" R-value and it is almost always lower than the Center-of-Cavity rating.

In a recent study of wall in­sul­a­tion ratings, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has developed a more accurate rating that it calls the "Whole Wall" rating. According to the study, measures of "Clear-Wall" and "Center-of-Cavity" thermal resistance are misleading because they do not take into account all of the possible framing material "thermal shorts" through the in­sul­a­tion. A short is simply a place in the wall where the in­sul­a­tion is interrupted by other materials. A stud in a conventional wall is a short, as is the gap left for an electrical box.

Oak Ridge proposes an R-value rating for the entire opaque wall (not including windows and doors) to measure the thermal performance of not only the in­sul­a­tion and structural elements, but also typical envelope interface details such as intersection with other walls, floor, foundation and windows. The standard also considers such previously ignored factors such as moisture resistance (the in­sul­a­tion value of some materials when wet degrades considerably), thermal mass, and air infiltration resistance (heat moves with air).

Using its new rating system to study the effectiveness of various in­sul­a­tion materials in typical house walls, the Laboratory found large differences between the nominal ratings of in­sul­a­tion and its actual thermal performance in a wall. The best performers were insulated concrete forms and structural insulated panels. A 4" SIP wall was found to be more effective at blocking heat transfer than a 6" conventional stud-framed wall and with 15 times less air infiltration.

To read a summary of the study report, go to the ORNL Building Envelope Research web site. To calculate the R-value of the in­sul­a­tion in your home, use the ORNL Whole Wall Thermal Performance Calculator. The results will probably surprise you. Planning an Addition to Your Home
An addition to your home can provide you with much needed space together with some fine craftsmanship and new functionality that may not have been available at the time your home was built.

The Jungle in the Dining Room

Click here to read this article. Take a look at some of our work. We think you will agree that our attention to detail, craftsmanship and quality are exactly what you want for your home. Click here to read the article. An addition is a building project that adds living space to an existing structure. If the added space is alongside the existing structure it must have its own foundation. If we are adding up, for example, building a room over an existing garage, then the current foundation must be able to bear the added load of the addition.

Building an addition is very much like building a house, just smaller in scope. The same processes are required and work proceeds in very much the same order. In any organized urban area that has a building code, an addition will require a permit and occasionally a zoning change or exception.

But an addition has its own particular requirements. The big one is that the addition must blend well with the existing house. Sometimes that's a bit of a trick since the materials and techniques used to build the original structure are often very different from those used today.

Some Basic Rules for Planning an Addition
Insulating Your Old House

Click here to go to this article. Discover the most effective in­sul­a­tion for your old house. The general process of planning an addition is the same as planning for any major renovation. But there are some major differences. The main difference is the perspective. In a typical renovation we are constrained to fit features and functions into an existing space. If we are remodeling your kitchen, for example, all of the cabinets, counters, appliances and other items required for a kitchen must be fitted into the space you have available in a manner that is both visually appealing and functional. The space constraint is the overriding theme of the design.

The Planning Process
Click here to go to this article Do you understand how the design and planning process works?

Find out all about it.
Planning for an addition typically has virtually no space constraint. We can, for example, design the room to fit the kitchen, rather than forcing the kitchen to fit the room. Which leads to the first rule of designing additions:

Plan from the Inside Out
It is very common for some designers and homeowners to do the opposite: start planning with a certain size room on a piece of paper, then figuring out what will fit in the room, and how. Sometimes things are just squeezed into the room any way they can be made to fit. Doorways, hallways, closets, etc. can end up in strange places. This, obviously is not the way to do it.

First the Function, then the Style
If you are blending an addition into your home, you want it to have the same overall style as the rest of the house, but avoid letting style dictate function. A common tendency, even among experienced designers, is to concentrate on Body Friendly Design: Kitchen Ergonomics
Ergonomic Kitchen
We blend streamlined functionality with careful planning to adopt a kitchen to the needs and physical limits of its owners. the style elements first, and then try to fit the room's functions into the design framework dictated by the style. This is backward. Function first, then style.

In designing a kitchen addition, for example, a butler's pantry may be an entirely consistent style element for your 19th century home, but may not be the best functional dry-storage solution.

If you opt for the style rather than the function, you may end up with a lovely, but dysfunction kitchen — or at least a kitchen that is not as functional as it could be.

It's a lot easier to wrap style elements around a good functional design that it is to force function to fit around style elements. First the function, then the style is the approach that produces the best, most user-friendly, designs.

Be Flexible — The Rules are Made to be Broken
The third rule of designing additions is that the first two rules can and should be broken when appropriate.

Sometimes there are space limitations that do have to be dealt with — for example lot setback requirements that limit how wide an addition can be. And there just may be style elements that are on your "must have" list. If, for example, one of the motivating reasons for adding a kitchen wing is to find space to incorporate your grandmother's Hoosier baking station (complete with enameled table and zinc-plated flour bin), then that's what we will incorporate. There are better functional solutions to providing a baking station, but this is an instance in which style should override function.





Need to learn more about designing, planning and building an addition? Try these articles:
  • Building by Design: The Design-Builder Concept
    A design-builder is a modern form of an ancient approach to building structures — that of the master builder. A master builder of old was a combination architect, engineer and builder, responsible for every phase of building a structure from initial concept to completion. Design-building firms such as StarCraft Custom Builders continue this oldest of building traditions.


  • Building Your Addition
    We don't build the old-fashioned way when new technology works better. Learn about the new foundation and framing technologies we use to build your super-insulated addition at the lowest possible cost.


  • The Construction Process
    Once your blueprints are completed, the real work begins. Your project manager works with you to develop a construction process that minimizes disruption to your household while work is in progress.


  • The Design & Planning Process
    If your plans include substantial changes to your kitchen or bath, or another room, or you are contemplating an addition; then a construction plan is required. Learn how your ideas are turned into a concept plan and then a construction blueprint in a three-step process using computer-assisted design.


  • Finding Some More Kitchen Space
    In many cases, existing kitchens are just too small for any real improvement in space management. Learn where to get more space, or at least the illusion of more space for your new kitchen.


  • Getting More Bathroom Space
    Our fondness of open spaces within the home doesn't end at the bathroom door. Unfortunately the acreage needed to create that spacious feeling just is not available in many older bathrooms. Often the key to updating a bath is creating more space — or at least the illusion of more space. This article examines where additional space can be found both outside and inside your existing bathroom.


  • Insulating Your Old House
    Is your old house drafty in winter, swampy in summer? Almost impossible to heat and cool? That's because when your house was built a half-century or more ago, no one thought in­sul­a­tion was necessary — or, better said, experts believed that the 4" of dead air space inside the stud cavities of your walls was adequate in­sul­a­tion. Now we know better, and in an age of declining energy resources, adequate in­sul­a­tion in your old house has become a critical requirement. Learn how in­sul­a­tion works, and when and wear you should insulate your old house.


  • James Hoban: Master Builder (Sidebar)
    An Irishman designed and built the most famous house in American: The White House. Learn about this little known master builder.


  • Jungle in the Dining Room, The Solarium Addition
    These owners wanted to view a tropical forest through the French doors of their dining room. See how we built an indoor garden of tropical plants that doubled as a source of solar heating.


  • Living Through Remodeling: A Homeowner Survival Guide
    Remodeling will disrupt just about every routine you have; including some you are not aware of having. But this noisy, gritty process doesn't necessarily mean you will be tearing out your hair. With a little advance planning, it is possible to live through even major renovations with your sanity and good nature largely intact. Check out our remodeling survivors guide.


  • Whole Wall Insulation (Sidebar)
    The R-12 in­sul­a­tion in your walls may be providing only R-8 thermal protection. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory has come up with a new technique for measuring actual R-value that is a lot more accurate than the current methods. Which materials are winners and which are losers in the R-value rating game? Find out.


  • Your Old Windows
    If the fine craftsmanship and charm of your old windows is quickly being eroded by cold drafts and frost on the panes, it may be time to consider doing something about them. Can your old windows be saved? If they are saved, can they be made as energy efficient as modern windows? The answer is "yes" and "yes". Most heritage windows can be restored and upgraded to rival the performance of a standard replacement window, and usually at a fraction of the cost.