Going to build a new house

I'm going to have to be a bit of a wet blanket.
Check with your local Code people (Community Development, Building Dept, what ever they call it)
Few are going to be happy with putting something that generates "exhaust" (furnace, water-heater, refer, sewer vent, etc) in an enclosed space.
They would probably go for an RV port, or even an RV port with a couple sides, but putting a rig inside a fully enclosed building, and then living in it, probably not.

I don't know your local building codes, but having propane on board probably presents more of a fire risk than garaging cars. If you're not doing an open structure like a carport, a separate building makes more sense.

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Bumpy wrote:
I never could figure out why houses weren't built with the closets on outside walls as much as possible which would be much better than merely studding up two walls 4 inches apart.

I don't think you really understand the concept of having the two 4" walls as in the Swedish design.

With a separate space that is sealed from both the exterior wall and the interior wall, it's possible to take in outside air preheat it, filter it, and take some back into the interior space or to a heating appliance. This allows for a greater insulation value, fresh air into the house, and a positive air pressure within the dwelling. It is really a lot more technical than just having dead air space like a closet.

For those of us that live in Northern climes it is the best system on the planet. It hasn't caught on over here because of the regimen of building materials, that being most of our window and door trim.

westend wrote:

Bumpy wrote:
I never could figure out why houses weren't built with the closets on outside walls as much as possible which would be much better than merely studding up two walls 4 inches apart.

I don't think you really understand the concept of having the two 4" walls as in the Swedish design.

With a separate space that is sealed from both the exterior wall and the interior wall, it's possible to take in outside air preheat it, filter it, and take some back into the interior space or to a heating appliance. This allows for a greater insulation value, fresh air into the house, and a positive air pressure within the dwelling. It is really a lot more technical than just having dead air space like a closet.

For those of us that live in Northern climes it is the best system on the planet. It hasn't caught on over here because of the regimen of building materials, that being most of our window and door trim.

no I don't grasp the concept of bringing in external cold air into a building that you want to heat. seems sort of counterproductive to me. sort of like using a wood burning fireplace which draws in more cold air than it heats.
but why wouldn't exterior walled closets also fit into the Swedish design?
bumpy

Bumpyroad wrote:

westend wrote:

Bumpy wrote:
I never could figure out why houses weren't built with the closets on outside walls as much as possible which would be much better than merely studding up two walls 4 inches apart.

I don't think you really understand the concept of having the two 4" walls as in the Swedish design.

With a separate space that is sealed from both the exterior wall and the interior wall, it's possible to take in outside air preheat it, filter it, and take some back into the interior space or to a heating appliance. This allows for a greater insulation value, fresh air into the house, and a positive air pressure within the dwelling. It is really a lot more technical than just having dead air space like a closet.

For those of us that live in Northern climes it is the best system on the planet. It hasn't caught on over here because of the regimen of building materials, that being most of our window and door trim.

no I don't grasp the concept of bringing in external cold air into a building that you want to heat. seems sort of counterproductive to me. sort of like using a wood burning fireplace which draws in more cold air than it heats.
but why wouldn't exterior walled closets also fit into the Swedish design?
bumpy

In Virginia it probably isn't necessary but it is current code in Minnesota and other States that an air exchanger be installed in the structure. This is a device that does what the Swedish wall system does but on a smaller scale. It is connected to the forced air heating return ducting. It's purpose is to bring in fresh air, that fresh air preheated so that it's not like opening a window. We bottle up our homes and seal them real good up here.

There's nothing wrong about having closets on an exterior wall in regards to the heating of the living space. Your closet will be colder because they are usually not ducted with a heat run. Most conventional housing design puts them against a partition wall, most times the wall is shared by another room with an abutting closet. This keeps the lengths of the rooms undiminished by closet space and allows for windows. There is nothing chipped in stone that you can't put a closet anywhere you wish.

DougE wrote:
I don't know your local building codes, but having propane on board probably presents more of a fire risk than garaging cars. If you're not doing an open structure like a carport, a separate building makes more sense.

I doubt the "propane" is much of an issue, I know people that heat, cook, heat-water, etc with propane in their homes.
Many areas do have some restrictions, like no propane appliances in basements (fire danger). But just propane in a home, probably not an issue, any more then the pipe coming in from the outside tank

it seems the risk of a full closed closet of any size on an outside wall used as a dead air space would not have sufficient air circulation and condensation problems in cold weather, but I don’t know this for sure…

We built a 2450 sq. ft. single level house with a 1400 sq ft garage in 1999 .
I have been in the lumber business since 1969 , an owner since 1977 .
We have built 4 custom houses in our lifetime and I am a student of building materials .
The list of unique things we did is long . Some highlights :
3 or 4 foot over roof over hang helps keep down the solar heat gain.
Casement windows ( crank out ) seal the best . We used Eagle Clad ( Andersen high line ) which have engineered wood inside and anodized aluminum outside .
If you install an upgrade air-condition / natural gas heating system , not every window has to be operable .
A non-movable sash is the most energy efficient and cheaper to buy .
Do not use sliding or double hung windows as they leak air .
A house that is more of a square has less exterior wall length than one that is a rectangle . Less heat issues .
South facing walls can have more windows as long as there is minimum 3'-4' overhang .
The west facing wall should have a minimum or no windows . Heat gain from wes facing windows is brutal .
Hardiplank cement/composite siding holds paint twice as long, does not warp , and does not shrink/swell with temp changes .
Raise your house an extra foot or so by building a taller stem wall . Insulate the stem walls and Use at least R-30 under the floor .
It is not greatly more expensive to use 2x8 for the exterior walls . 2x8x10 is a low demand size that costs less per board foot . This gives R 26 minimum with fiberglass insulation .
Consider using 9 foot interior ceilings in most rooms and not taller than 12-13' for the feature rooms . Higher vaults are expensive to heat .
Consider R 40 to R-50 as minimum in the ceiling .
Do not use sliding patio doors . Only use swinging patio doors with a 3 point or 5 point lock .
Garage doors should be steel insulated in a 1.5" or 2" thickness . No windows . I used 9'W x 8'H for the cars .
Tile floors at the entrances and down hallways are maintenance free and will eliminate "tracking " from outside .
I installed 3 drains in my garage that slope to the middle .
I wash my cars inside in winter .
I installed an operating casement window at each end of my garage .
In the summer I open them and the breeze goes through the garage .
Bend has 85 degree days and 50 degree nights in summer .
I wasted money on fluorescent lights in the garage .
Cheapie porcelain holders with a compact fluorescent and double the fixtures and switches is a better way to go . I need light in one part of the garage mostly and not all of the garage at the same time .

n7bsn wrote:

DougE wrote:
I don't know your local building codes, but having propane on board probably presents more of a fire risk than garaging cars. If you're not doing an open structure like a carport, a separate building makes more sense.

I doubt the "propane" is much of an issue, I know people that heat, cook, heat-water, etc with propane in their homes.
Many areas do have some restrictions, like no propane appliances in basements (fire danger). But just propane in a home, probably not an issue, any more then the pipe coming in from the outside tank

propane stored inside the home would IMO not be allowed in most places… the risk of the piping is low but a tank or cylinder has safety venting and venting into the home would be very dangerous… the very reason your RV propane is outside and piped to the inside…