Hi Rhino,
Some of your points I agree with, but some of your conclusions I
disagree with.
Please make sure you're comparing apples to apples.
Most papercrete structures have walls at least a foot thick. This
will produce about an R36 wall. For stick framing to accomplish
this, most likely double walled framing will be required to create a
wall gap sufficient to contain the fiberglass batts to reach R36.
Right there you've at least doubled the cost of materials and likely
tripled the labor costs for a comparable stick framed structure.
Yes, one could build a standard R11 wall and barely meet code. How
much extra will it cost to heat and cool the space over the
structure's lifetime?
Still think stick framing will be cheaper?
That only addresses insulation properties. When properly used,
papercrete is stronger and more fire resistant than stick framing.
I suggest that a PROPERLY BUILT papercrete building produces a
SUPERIOR structure to properly built stick framing. (not even close)
This is another reason for the Code Project. The claims I just made
are currently MY OPINION based upon my OWN EXPERIMENTS. A Code
Project will serve to help the process along to get official
experiments conducted to PROVE AND DOCUMENT the veracity of these
claims.
While there is a group in southern New Mexico and a company in Texas
producing papercrete bricks as a commercial enterprise, most
papercreters are making their own. You refer to the big corporate
lumber producers. Yes, those operations are very efficient at
cranking out lumber. They also produce the paper that papercrete
recycles. If papercrete were adopted as part of the IBC, imagine how
large scale production of papercrete would also increase in
efficiency. For those not interested in making their own papercrete,
would extremely inexpensive blocks become available?
"Save time, design right" as you say applies to ALL forms of
construction. If a papercrete structure is designed right it won't
wrought, rot, shrink, or have anything nasty happen to it. There are
structures in New Mexico and Colorado that are older than the 5 year
demise that you imply. In fact, of the dozens of structures I'm
aware of, I only know of one papercrete related failure. It was NOT
a properly built structure. The papercrete roof (wood product) was
left exposed to the rain and collapsed. Leaving moisture vulnerable
products exposed to the rain is poor construction practice no matter
what building material is used. Every other papercrete structure I'm
aware of is holding up extremely well to the best of my knowledge.
In time, I'm confident papercrete structures (properly built) will
fare better over time than stick built structures. Again, that's my
opinion. The Code Project will help stimulate the testing required
to prove it.
I've mentioned "properly built" frequently. That's the point of
creating a Papercrete Building Code. It's not just about getting
papercrete approved so it can be used more easily. That's only one
reason. It's important that papercrete be used SAFELY. The code
project is intended to address most of the exact issues you're
railing about. Blindly ignoring these issues would be
irresponsible. Working together, the hope is that all of us can help
each other have the best home possible. Writing a code is one
important way to do this.
You've hit upon the time=money factor. This almost always holds
true. It does assume that the time an individual spends on
construction is time that would have otherwise been invested in
earning money. Often this is true, but not always.
Personally, I enjoy construction. I'd rather build something than
become the incredible expanding man sitting on the couch, stuffing my
face, and watching mind numbing TV. If I'm not able to build
something, reading about it, talking about it, or typing about it on
the internet is the next best thing. (who would have guessed that
about me?) I'd rather invest my time in improving myself and helping
others than invest my time earning a few extra dollars helping
someone else get rich. Others will obviously have different
viewpoints. To each their own.
Don't neglect the value of sweat equity. The time spent on building
a structure is gained back in increased value of the structure.
I'm glad you posted. This helps illustrate the importance of what
we're trying to do. I don't think any of us is under the illusion
that it will be an easy "quick fix" process.
In fact, we need some skeptics to help us write a papercrete code.
If nobody is pointing out potential flaws, the code we write won't be
as safe or as likely to be adopted as it would be otherwise.
--- In papercreters@yahoogroups.com, "yeah right" <blueyedblazd@...>
wrote:
>
> There is a reason that there is a use and need for stud framing.
> trying to save money and the world will cost you alot of time,
which
> is money lost. I know for a fact that there are tree farms and the
> industry is not run by a bunch of idiots that want to rape the
> earth. They replace and regrow most of what land they own, it is a
> business and the theory is not to do what it is we all not want to
> happen to the our trees. This is why they do what they do,
research
> it. Save time, design right, build properly and all bricks will
fall
> where they belong. My guess is that you are all on to something
> spectacular but unless you have twenty people on hand to mass
produce
> a code passed brick, you are stuck in the mud spinning your wheel.
> Your procedure's and mixes must be approved by all codes. Code's
> change state by state, county by county, city by city, hoa by hoa
> (good luck and ten years). Until then you can cheat and build to
> your weather and hope that in 1 to 5 years that your mix does not
> wrought, shrink or whatever else may happen in your building
designs
> and in the end have to redo them again. This is not a diss, but a
> fore warning to all. I love the bricks but there is a reason for
> codes and building in a safe and proper fashion. The last thing
> anybody wants to hear of is an injury or other failure in bricks.
> This is coming from a man whom has been in all phases of
contruction
> all his life.
>
> good luck and god bless
> rhino
>
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