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Are "A" frame home a good design or not?

J

John

Jan 1, 1970
0
As you all might know from some other posts...... Im
looking for a simple, CHEAP, and fast way to build a
home for one person with no kids.

The ultimate goal is to build low cost enough to not
have any mortgage at all..... or a very small one.

Ive rented all my life and want to get out of the rent
"game"

Having said that..... what abt using structurally
insulated panels (SIPs)...... to build a small A frame
of say 800 sq feet?

Are A frame designs a good "shape" or not? I realize
you lose some interior space since the walls are
angled..... but wont the "shape" of an A frame make for
a VERY simple way to build a structure fast and cheap
especially if using SIPs?

I mean...... all you will need are 4 SIPs....... two
for the A....... and two for the "ends" of the A.

See link on simple 767 sq ft A frame... and what Im
talking abt

http://tinyurl.com/ozvl
 
R

Richard W.

Jan 1, 1970
0
You can probably get a repoed manufactured house for under $30K that are
about 1800 SF. The newer ones are R35 in the ceilings and 2 X 6 walls
insulated to R30. The floors are also R30. Usually you have to clean them up
and repair some dry wall. I bought a new one which I wouldn't do again
because of the savings to be had on the repo's. Any way The house I left was
about 800 SF and poorly insulated. The heat bill on the new manufactured
house was less than the old house I had. So I did come out very well since
the new house is set on 14 acres instead of a 75 by 125' lot.

Richard W.
 
G

George Ghio

Jan 1, 1970
0
John said:
As you all might know from some other posts...... Im
looking for a simple, CHEAP, and fast way to build a
home for one person with no kids.

The ultimate goal is to build low cost enough to not
have any mortgage at all..... or a very small one.

Ive rented all my life and want to get out of the rent
"game"

Having said that..... what abt using structurally
insulated panels (SIPs)...... to build a small A frame
of say 800 sq feet?

Are A frame designs a good "shape" or not? I realize
you lose some interior space since the walls are
angled..... but wont the "shape" of an A frame make for
a VERY simple way to build a structure fast and cheap
especially if using SIPs?

I mean...... all you will need are 4 SIPs....... two
for the A....... and two for the "ends" of the A.

See link on simple 767 sq ft A frame... and what Im
talking abt

http://tinyurl.com/ozvl

Once I looked at the A frame as a home. Didn't do it. I still like the
idea. But the climate here would mean that in the summer you could not
live in the upper part. Heat rises. Any sort of loft type house is much
the same.

If you have the right conditions and you can live with the limitations
you have described it could work.

George
 
George the feeble-minded boneheaded weasel said:
Once I looked at the A frame as a home. Didn't do it... in the summer you
could not live in the upper part. Heat rises.

No, but warm air rises, and that could be a heating advantage in wintertime
and a cooling advantage in summertime, especially in a dry climate, with
night ventilation and lots of thermal mass in the lower and upper parts
and good insulation, eg SIPs.

Nick
 
J

John

Jan 1, 1970
0
An A frame is considered normal?

More so than an earth bermed one?

I mean.... you are more likely to get the banks
"blessings" on an A frame than you are earth bermed?
 
J

John

Jan 1, 1970
0
Once I looked at the A frame as a home. Didn't do it. I still like the
idea. But the climate here would mean that in the summer you could not
live in the upper part. Heat rises. Any sort of loft type house is much
the same.

If you have the right conditions and you can live with the limitations
you have described it could work.

I live in north Missouri.... at the moment anyway. And
we have definite four seasons. It can be cold as all
get out here in winter

Having said that I see your point.

My attraction to the "A" design is the simplicity of
the structure.... and that even a dummy like me MIGHT
be able to erect one with some friends help....
especially if using SIP panels.

Right now Im just brain storming tho. Researching.
Im open to the idea that an A frame MAY not be the best
route.

My "other" idea is to use ICF forms and poured concrete
for a small concrete home. What abt that idea?
 
C

Cosmopolite

Jan 1, 1970
0
John said:
I live in north Missouri.... at the moment anyway. And
we have definite four seasons. It can be cold as all
get out here in winter

Having said that I see your point.

My attraction to the "A" design is the simplicity of
the structure.... and that even a dummy like me MIGHT
be able to erect one with some friends help....
especially if using SIP panels.

Right now Im just brain storming tho. Researching.
Im open to the idea that an A frame MAY not be the best
route.

My "other" idea is to use ICF forms and poured concrete
for a small concrete home. What abt that idea?

Look at geodesic domes.
 
G

George Ghio

Jan 1, 1970
0
No, but warm air rises, and that could be a heating advantage in wintertime
and a cooling advantage in summertime, especially in a dry climate, with
night ventilation and lots of thermal mass in the lower and upper parts
and good insulation, eg SIPs.

Nick

Wow Nick. What an informed post, right up there withe your best. You
have no idea what the climate is like here where I live. You have also
never built a house. On your own stick by stick.

When it comes right down to it you can't even get water to run down hill
without a laser level.

No, an A frame house here is not a good idea. But they do make a great
home for some places. That was the answer.

My house will not change temp by more than 5 or 6 degrees over the
course of a day. Needless to say it is not an A frame. It is though a
lot of thermal mass and a minimum of insulation. Built for a climate
where it can be over 40c all night. why should I want to drag that
amount of heat through my house when 25c is much more comfortable.

George
 
J

John

Jan 1, 1970
0
No, an A frame house here is not a good idea.

Hey George Im curious..... where DO you live? What
kind of clime?
 
B

Bob Adkins

Jan 1, 1970
0
As you all might know from some other posts...... Im
looking for a simple, CHEAP, and fast way to build a
home for one person with no kids.

I always thought a metal building (like http://www.us-buildings.com/ ) would
make a nice quickie house. My wife I built a 20x30 in 3 weeks of spare time.
It was built as a tractor barn, but was almost too nice to put smelly
equipment into.

Simply build one (cheap, quick, and easy) then build conventional wooden
framed rooms inside the building (well insulated!). Spray-on insulation
inside the metal would make it even more energy-efficient.

There is zero internal frames or bracing, so it's wide open. They are so
tall that there is mega storage space in the top part.

Bob
 
J

John

Jan 1, 1970
0
Simply build one (cheap, quick, and easy) then build conventional wooden
framed rooms inside the building (well insulated!). Spray-on insulation
inside the metal would make it even more energy-efficient.

So basically build a building with a "building", right?
 
B

Bob Adkins

Jan 1, 1970
0
So basically build a building with a "building", right?


Right.

The weather protection and strength are the cheap outer building. The inner
rooms could be built inexpensively, and add-ons would be no sweat. Just
think of the storage up there, and all of it usable.

Bob
 
A

APB

Jan 1, 1970
0
Where can I find repoed manufactured homes? I'll try a google search but
any other ideas you know of would be appreciated. I'm in New Jersey, if
that helps or matters.
 
G

George Ghio

Jan 1, 1970
0
No, an A frame house here is not a good idea.

Hey George Im curious..... where DO you live? What
kind of clime?[/QUOTE]

Hi John

I live in central Victoria, Australia near a town called Bealiba. I like
it here. Most of the time it is much Like Southern California where I
grew up.

The last 5 years have been drought. The 3 years before that were drought.
It gets hot here and no sea breeze. Still and all I own the place and
lead a good lifestyle.

Heating is no problem but cooling is the hard part. So I just built a
house that does not get hot in summer and has bulk thermal mass and a
large contra-flow masonary heater smack in the center of the house.

George
 
J

John

Jan 1, 1970
0
Heating is no problem but cooling is the hard part. So I just built a
house that does not get hot in summer and has bulk thermal mass and a
large contra-flow masonary heater smack in the center of the house.

Interesting George!!

have any links to pictures of it?
 
R

Richard W.

Jan 1, 1970
0
I looked in the news paper under manufactured homes. There is usually 1 or 2
dealers near large cities that specialize in repos. I am between Portland
and Salem Oregon, so I can't really tell you where to find them in your
area.

Richard W.
 
G

George Ghio

Jan 1, 1970
0
Heating is no problem but cooling is the hard part. So I just built a
house that does not get hot in summer and has bulk thermal mass and a
large contra-flow masonary heater smack in the center of the house.

Interesting George!!

have any links to pictures of it?[/QUOTE]

No I'm sorry I do not have pics on line. The heater design came from The
Maine Wood Co. in Maine.

The house is stone, foot thick walls. The central room is 10 metres long
x 5.5 metres wide. This room is flanked on both sides. One side is three
bed rooms the other side is Kit, Dining, laundry, bath and toilet.

The house is alinged North east South west to take advantage of the
prevailing breezes and the lay of the land for Solar. The ideal would of
course been N-S but because of the rising nature of the block and the
number of trees it was found that by going NE-SW I could gain more Peak
Sun hours /day.

The over hang on the NW and SE sides is 2 metres. In the end the
overhang on the NW side will have sliding shutters under laser light
panels to allow more sun onto the floors in the bedrooms during winter
and when shut keep the sun totaly away from the walls during summer.

The walls between the centre room and the rooms on both sides are also
foot thick stone and once warm can only loose heat to other rooms.

George
 
The walls between the centre room and the rooms on both sides are also
foot thick stone and once warm can only loose heat to other rooms.

Wow George....sounds like fortress!!

So your problem in your clime...is LOISNG heat..... not
necessarily gaining heat. Right?

See....I line in the midwest of the USA....and we have
definite four season....and cold winters! lol

I guess the design of the house really does depend on
the clime you live in? No?

So bottom line... there is no ONE design that would
work equally well in a desert..... as it would say in
the midwest or mountains?

John
 
Well I have been living in one since 1985. True "A" all the way to the floor
joist. 35 ft. equlaterial triangle. 54 ft long. 4ft overhangs on each end. 3
floors.

Where is it located Bill? Any pictures to share?
Have a floor plan handy?

Also what kind of roof material? Metal roof maybe?

And what it stick built... or did you use SIPs?
Top floor is "toasty", bottom floor is cooler in summer. I bolted it together
so it is sturdy! Home built over several years. Still working on it! Geothermal
heat pumps.

Do you use forced air heat..... or maybe radiant floor
heat..... with the geothermal pumps?
I like it. What can I say. Unique construction trying to do finsh work inside.
You have to like angles!

Bill


True. But cant you fasten all your wall mountable stuff
like kitchen cabinets and such on one of the two ends
of the structure?

John
 
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