Green building & new bldg code

[Rob Tucker]

I used no sheet rock in my home. Instead I used 1/4" cement board with a skim coat of Imperial plaster. I never cared for sheet rock much. It's just a cheap imitation of plaster (it was once called plaster board).

[hotinhawaii]

Maud: I looked at the site you mentioned regarding fiberglass insulation. I take exception to the quote leading into the site. That whole "reasonable proposition" thing gets a lot of smart people into trouble when trying to think about any topic. For example, it is a reasonable proposition that the earth is flat. I can give you lots of reasons why it is so. But that reasonable proposition does not equate with the truth of the matter. The truth about insulation is that glass fibers, even if inhaled, are not handled by the body in the same way as asbestos. Reasonable or not. The amount of formaldehyde emitted is so miniscule that the EPA does not list fiberglass as a major contributor to the formaldehyde found in the average home's air. As far as the itchy skin thing, I get itchy when rolling around in grass. Does that mean grass is toxic? You must wear gloves when handling lava rock, that doesn't mean that lava rock is toxic. Be careful equating caution with toxicity levels.

[EightFingers]

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Tucker

I used no sheet rock in my home. Instead I used 1/4" cement board with a skim coat of Imperial plaster. I never cared for sheet rock much. It's just a cheap imitation of plaster (it was once called plaster board).

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What did you underlay this with? Also I would like to know how you handled the joints, did you use regular drywall tape and mud or something else? I assume you just screwed this to the studs?
I'd like to do something similar to prevent mold and your method looks like it will do that well.

[Rob Tucker]

I used 1/4" hardipanel and screwed it to the metal studs. Nothing under laying the panels. Then applied standard mesh joint tape and a skim coat of Imperial plaster. It costs more than drywall but then the better stuff generally costs a bit more. I had no problem getting the plaster to stick to the panels but you do want to hose it or wet it first otherwise the dry panels suck the moisture out of the plaster.

I used steel studs and track. Another cheap trick is to put 1/2" of diatomaceous earth in the floor track. This will discourage roaches from making a home in the dark spaces. Also useful under cabinetry.

[mdd7000]

Slowing down the natural heating/cooling cycles of your home through the use of insulation can reduce the risk of condensation forming on your walls - allowing mold to grow and causing deterioration of the structure.

If I were the paranoid type, I would be much more concerned about living next to a volcano that spews out more contaminates in a week than the top twenty industrial plants in the state combined do, in a year. That has to be much worse for your health than insulation behind a wall.

[DanielP]

Hee Hee, Wait 'til they adopt 2009 codes.

[bjbTay]

Has anyone tried to finish the smooth Hardie Panel on interior walls using the mesh, but only skim coating the seams with mud rather than using plaster over the entire wall to keep the cost down? For drywall I usually use Hard Rock mixed into the first coat of mud for added strength, then proceed with the additional coats for a smooth finish. It seems to me, using this method the cost would be similar to drywall installation. Will this work?

Thank you,
Barbara

Hawaii Dreaming

[jerry]

hotinhawaii,

Thanks for the link. Are we in climate zone one?

Jerry

[john the architect]

Insulation, along with consideration of the sun and the wind, is a part of careful architecture that is now called green building. Bamboo is a wonderful interior finish and furniture material when carefully selected and treated, but not a significant element in a building shell. Safe rooms will be a new code requirement. They are easily made using ICF's. We have one made of Castleblock that is safe, soundproof, and bulletproof. Fiber cement paneling used for interior walls is more costly than drywall but has the advantage of being structural. I use it also to eliminate mold from paper in conventional wall board. The best material is not stocked locally. Cement finishes are not water soluble like drywall mud, but do add more strength to the wall. They can also be integrally colored, eliminating paint. And they can go up fast, especially considering drying time in humid weather. You save a week in construction time. It requires knowing the material, where to get it, and training applicators.

[DanielP]

John,

Pardon, drywall is structural, given the right framing and nailing/screwing schedule.

Dan