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GrilledSpamSteaks t1_j6lei0v wrote

15” thick walls. Flying squirrels and other rodents really want you to build a house like that too!

We lived in Germany, close to the Alps. The houses they had were sturdy and extremely well insulated. To ground floor was always a cool 60F in the summer and the top floor was always a warm 70F in the winter. It was heated with a heat pump and had no active cooling. If I ever have to build a home, I’m definitely talking to folks who are familiar with those construction techniques.

On a side note, we replaced all the insulation in our attic the first year we were here. There were so many runs the generations of rodents had created between 1980 and 2017 that there may as well have not been any insulation at all. It dropped our power bill the next winter by 75%. Our wood burning rate went from 4 cords to about 1 too. Good times… Just something to think about if your current place has insulation that hasn’t been touched since the disco craze ended.

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TheMobyDicks t1_j6nc9lu wrote

Wait. The disco craze ended? Dad's not gonna want to hear that.

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Kiernanstrat t1_j6n9ryr wrote

Spray foam insulation would solve the rodent issue probably right?

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Calm_Captain_3541 t1_j6nxa5d wrote

Spray foam releases more CO2 than it saves over its lifetime, is a pain to work with for subcontractors, and is also toxic and will most likely be looked at like we do asbestos now in a couple decades.

And I haven’t even mentioned how it traps moisture against your framing causing rot after only a few years.

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GrilledSpamSteaks t1_j6noyeo wrote

No. They dig through that stuff too. Sealing the holes, bait stations around the area, cats, etc.. Those things keep em out.

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SRTie4k t1_j6nwrt7 wrote

Supposedly rodents don't like Rockwool.

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recyclopath_ t1_j6p5dfg wrote

Spray foam is environmentally horrific. The expansion agent used in it is really freaking bad. White foam uses a different expansion agent that is exponentially less damaging.

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