Cover of FHB #242- what’s wrong with this picture?
I read the article on Fast and Accurate Wall Framing and was impressed with the content and details. However, it was distracting to me to see the immense and inappropriate amount of framing lumber contained within the wall. The article expressly states that walls are designed along a wide spectrum, from standard stick frame to OVE. I assume this is the former, and I have a problem with the designer of this wall. It is the equivalent of using a 80K heating system in a house that has a heating load of 20KBtu’s. It’s not only inefficient, there is also a cost and energy penalty. The wall shown has so much redundant framing, it leaves almost no room for insulation and creates huge thermal bridging. Especially for a cold-climate like Mass. It also costs more in materials, and is certainly not as fast as using less lumber. With so many good articles on Passive Homes, best building practices, and integrated design in this magazine, it still amazes me that there are so many well-intentioned designers drawing obsolete, old school walls. I’ve even seen this happen in high performance homes with great windows and ‘superinsulated’ walls. Let’s not confuse Advanced (Energy) Framing with the negative connotation of OVE.
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It's a wacky world.
I'm intrigued, the article even sounds interesting but my subscription to FHB went out as the recession came in.
Reminds of an article in Feb. in JLC about insulating cathedral ceilings. It showed a wall o' wood window opening behind a guy blowing cellulose. The focus of the article was on ceilings not walls, but still......