new puna house design

[ElysianWort]

Buying the resistant woods like cedar and redwood will give you time but the bugs will reach it too eventually. I have a friend who's parents house is 35 years old here in Puna, a beautiful home made entirely of redwood and cedar and they are now beginning to find signs of termite damage.

[ElysianWort]

I guess after awhile the woods begin to lose their oils and the bugs move in.

[Rob Tucker]

My property originally had a single wall plantation home built completely from old growth redwood. It was completely termite riddled and I had to demolish it. It was an old house. Wood, any wood, is a poor investment here.

[MarkP]

Rob:

Do the termites or other creatures ever go into the foam core of SIPs? I'm thinking of the ProTec panels. They are a cement/foam/cement sandwich, right?

Also, what do you use for the roof when building with the ProTec panels?

[Rob Tucker]

We've never had any termite infestations. Termites are living critters and are in search of calories and water. Foam = zero calories and zero water.

We have SIP roof panels that are galvanized, painted and Kynar coated. Prefinished white underside, can be your finished ceiling. R-values of R-20 or more. No rafters, purlins or blocking required.

[ElysianWort]

Any thoughts on building with those 2x4s that are made of that plastic-like composite material? Does it last, will it hold up to the beating damage of the sunlight? I've also heard that all types of plastic slowly emit noxious gasses as they age. That's one reason I've been skeptical about using them so far. Anybody have a structure built with them?

[Rob Tucker]

Composite 2x4's are not structural. Anyone who can develop a structural building stud out of recycled material will have found the Holy Grail.

[ElysianWort]

I've seen the composite lumber in use for patios and lanais or areas around the house that see high moisture and or humidity. A nice result and seemed strong when I walked on it just like a normal series of 2x4s lined up. What does that mean Rob when you say it isn't structural? Does that mean you cannot frame with it? Why not, does it not withstand the load a wooden 2x4 can?

[Rob Tucker]

You will most always see composite lumber in a compression position, never in a tensile position. It has very good compressive strength but will barely span 24" and is pretty much useless as a vertical.

[Wegian]

quote:

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Originally posted by MarkP

Rob:

Do the termites or other creatures ever go into the foam core of SIPs? I'm thinking of the ProTec panels. They are a cement/foam/cement sandwich, right?

Also, what do you use for the roof when building with the ProTec panels?

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MarkP,

Just a heads up - we built with ProTec panels and we also used the SIP roof panels. Unfortunately the big black carpenter bees found the insulation in the roof panels perfect for whatever they like to do when they bore into something. This is just a warning to make sure you enclose the roofing edges (when attaching gutters) in a manner that will prevent these guys from getting into the roof insulation.