ToaKraka
Dislikes you
User ID: 108
ToaKraka
Dislikes you
6hr ago
You seem to be implying that there are only two options:
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Steep roofs made from non-leaky materials, such as asphalt shingles or metal panels
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Flat roofs made from leaky materials, such as mineral rolls or built-up asphalt
This is a false dichotomy. According to the IRC:
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Asphalt shingles can be used on roofs as flat as 2/12 (with double underlayment).
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Metal panels can be used on roofs as flat as 0.25/12 (depending on the specific type of panel).
My personal experience with the (IIRC) 4/12 asphalt-shingle roof of my (mother's) current house is that the attic, filled with blown insulation and big ducts that make maintenance difficult, is nothing but an annoyance. I look forward to experiencing my custom house's 1/12 (flat enough to walk on casually) metal-panel roof, with batt insulation, ductless heating/cooling, and a drop ceiling making maintenance easy.
ToaKraka
Dislikes you
15hr ago
the fixed costs of doing anything at all aren't increased that much by expanding the square footage, so making things smaller didn't save much money
Some numbers from the 2019 RSMeans cost-estimation book:
| Class | Type | Exterior walls | Cost (curve fitted to table in book) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | 1-story | Wood frame, wood siding | 28.55 $/ft2 × house area + 3052 $/ft × √(house area) − 1482 $ |
| Economy | 1.5-story | Wood frame, wood siding | 59.61 $/ft2 × house area + 808.6 $/ft × √(house area) + 49220 $ |
| Economy | 2-story | Wood frame, wood siding | 32.98 $/ft2 × house area + 2919 $/ft × √(house area) + 7941 $ |
| Economy | Bi-level | Wood frame, wood siding | 34.93 $/ft2 × house area + 2397 $/ft × √(house area) + 12520 $ |
| Economy | Tri-level | Wood frame, wood siding | 34.51 $/ft2 × house area + 2454 $/ft × √(house area) + 12400 $ |
I find it interesting that the extrapolated numbers fail at low values of house area, literally giving a negative number for the minimum cost of a 1-story house. (The lowest numbers on the table are 600 ft2 for 1-story and 1.5-story houses, 1000 ft2 for 2-story and bi-level houses, and 1200 ft2 for tri-level houses.)
Accidental double-post
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