Concrete walls and radiant heating
Kansas City Star reports a new type of construction designed to reduce heating costs and improve environmental performance.
Craft, owner of Kaw Valley Home Care, is promoting the use of concrete in new homes. He’s built one home in east Lawrence with concrete walls and floors, and he said the home stayed below 80 degrees during a recent week of 100-degree temperatures — without running the air conditioning.
The home’s walls are 8 inches of cement sandwiching 4 inches of Styrofoam, with the floors also made of concrete. That allowed Craft to heat the home entirely with radiant heat.
Craft predicts utility bills for the 1,500-square-foot home will be about 75 percent less than in a traditional house, though he won’t know for a while because construction was just completed.
“I think most of the time, the utility bill will just be the minimum charge that the utility companies make you pay,” Craft said.
Craft built the home without a buyer, betting that someone will be attracted to the energy efficiency enough to pay a little less than $200,000 for it. And he’s planning on building more.
Article reprinted courtesy of The Kansas City Star - full article
