Here are some Frequently Asked Questions.
Q. Does this kit house come complete?
A. No.
Well. That was easy to answer, wasn't it! ; )
So what DO you get?
Each house kit is fabricated by the plant closest to you geographically.
The Wall and Roof Packages are SIPs (Structural Insulated Panels) which provides great insulation. In fact, the R value for the 8 3/8” roof panels has an R-value of 29.3 when tested at 75 degrees F and a 31.6 when tested at 40 degrees F. The 6 5/8” wall panels have an R-value of 22.6 when tested at 75 degrees F and a 24.3 when tested at 40 degrees F. So how 'bout that?
Note: If you need higher R-values, we can adjust our panels accordingly:
4 5/8” -- R-Value 15
6 5/8” – R-Value 24
8 3/8” – R-Value 31
10 7/16” – R-Value 39
12 7/16” – R-Value 47
Both kits are bare bones: you get beautiful design and structure (SIPs exterior walls & roof, and design documents) and you will need to finish the house with a local contractor. We have created a list of windows, cladding & doors to order directly through the vendor to make it easy on purchasers and their contractor.
Q. How much does the kit cost?
A. I have no idea.
You see I'm being very helpful here. : ) Never hire a girl with pink hair to write the FAQs!
Because of wide variances in local cost of materials and labor, we can not estimate a “finished price.” You get gorgeous “bones” which then you can tailor to your own personal style preferences and budget with your local contractor (who would also address permits/local hurricane/snow load issues, etc. which will also be addressed by our fabricator's local engineer- as each person purchases a kit, we give the city information to them.)
Regarding variable costs, I am building my own casa ti with a smooth, poured concrete foundation in which radiant coils have been embedded; others might choose a different foundation. I will be hanging plywood on my interior casa ti walls; others might use dry wall or other choices. You can see a list of my own running costs in my blog, http://www.greenmodernkits.com/casa-ti1.htm.
A very important consideration when looking for a home lot is our structure’s passive solar design. In order to be their most efficient, these homes must have their designated wall facing true south, and with enough room to have their passive solar design work best.
We are building a casa ti in central Virginia- near Appomattox, and also constructing an R1 Residential outside of San Francisco (you will be able to see construction photos on our web site soon, under the “projects” menu item).
If you would like to purchase a kit house, please contact us and I will be happy to give you the price closest to you geographically.
Q. What are SIPs and why are they Green?
A. SIP stands for Structural Insulated Panels.
When I first started looking into creating affordable kit homes, I explored metal buildings. Their cost was comprable to what I am offering with SIP except that my customers would then have to add insulation, adding on thousands of dollars to what they had already purchased as a kit. SIPs resolves the insulation issue, affordably.
And SIPs are green in many ways! The raw materials in our SIPs have low energy requirements to make them. The structural skins of our SIPs are made from renewable controlled growth wood resources. For years and years these structures will save fuel used for heating and cooling. The resulting pollutants from burning fuels like natural gas, oil and coal are dramatically reduced. The environment is then spared the contributing "green house" effect of burning additional fuels that conventionally built structures require.
Q. Do you sell to Canada?
A. Yes! : ) We will have a few Canada kit pictures to show
you this summer!
Q. I like the idea, but I'm not into the "Industrial" look.
A. Our structures can be finished with Hardy Board, etc. and many
Other finish colors and textures.
P.s. And If ya don't like Modern, We launched a sister site, Green Cottage Kits!
Though we are modern enthusiasts, Copeland grew up in Virginia in a home built in 1801. She understands not everyone wants mod. People kept asking... I listened.
So... I kidnapped a very talented, nice architect and here's Green Cottage Kits!. : )
Q. Do you have any restrictions?
A. Kinda Sorta maybe.
A lot of times it's not purposeful, it's just that people don't know yet. And once people know, then they know.
Like, why would you not design a passive solar house and site it correctly if you could?
Why would you not choose colors that worked better for your environment? Lightly colored roofs and exteriors have shown to help lower a city's heat index by ten degrees. So sorry, no black, no irresponsible colors. (Of course, if you live way up in northern Canada where you would want dark colors to absorb heat, then obviously this is not true!)
And if you're building a new house and preserving acreage, why not consider net zero / off-the-grid!