Introduction[edit | edit source]
Anyone building new construction, please consider making all exterior walls a minimum of two by twelve (2" x 12"). With a 2 x 12 wall you can achieve at least R40, this will reduce most heating and cooling energy needs for the house. You can even add inches to your walls for a retrofit to achieve this if you ever need to replace siding. Let's declare the end of the 2 x 4 for external walls. A rough estimate is that it will cost between 5% and 7% extra. I've recently finished a building and some things that change are: window sills and door openings become deeper. So instead of expensive and time consuming molding, I just turned the sheetrock into the opening and the window sits toward the outside of the building. This also allows one to just do simple tidy-up molding around the window. The sill is larger and becomes a nice feature for books or plants. See the video for more detail.
