House heating and cooling

[block]

We are considering having a house built from ICF's(insulated concrete forms). This would be a one level built on a concrete slab. Three of the four sides would be mostly covered in dirt(basement house ?). The other end would be exposed(kitchen,livingroom). What would be the best way to heat/cool a house such as this one that has such a high thermal mass ? We've thought about radiant floor heat. But would it stay cool enough in the summer to get by with just ceiling fans ? Or would a small tonage heat pump be the way to go ? Better air circulation ?

[Rich]

The biggest thing with a complete ICF home is air changes. The building is so tight that no air infiltrates or exits the home - and you end up with a sick home. Humidity monitoring and control as well as air movement is paramount.

[bkrahmer]

I believe Rich is right on air movement. There is one company that builds underground homes that I know of that also stress air movement. Another thing they mention is to not build closets in corners of the house where they wouldn't get fresh air.

I would consider using a central fan to exhaust air out of the house. Then, I would duct in air far from the house, and run it through the ground (through PVC pipe or something) to stabilize the temperature, then introduce it through a network of small ducts in each room that come up through the slab. Before it gets distributed, you could also run it through a dehumidifier. I love radiant, if you use it, don't forget to insulate under the slab well.

A major design factor to reduce (probably eliminate) cooling in the summer, is to watch your solar heat gain. You'll want to design overhangs so that no sun comes through your windows in the summer.

Overall, I think it's a great idea. I'd love to build something similar myself (and may, some day.) What are you going to do for the roof? One option I'm looking at for the second-floor slab for a two-story garage is Quad-lock decking panels. They're basically ICF panels that you use in conjunction with steel I-beams. Minimal engineering involved, fairly low cost, and the ability to do most of the work oneself.

[block]

Thank you both for the advice. It sounds like from what your saying that we should consider a small ton heat pump. That way we have good air circulation. With the inside ceiling well insulated(R-38) and the roof well ventelated, then maybe we would be alright. We was thinking of going with a red iron roof system with a metal roof. The open side of the house will be facing mostly northeast. We were going to insulate under the slab if we dont go with radiant heat anyway. I will google search some info on this quad lock decking system. Thanks for the help. We know that we have to make up our minds on some kind of system sometime within the next 1 to 2 years. These different options, considerations, pros/cons, are just about to drive me crazy :? Thanks