Found this page in an edit that never got posted years ago.  Thought I would add it in, but I can't get it into sequence for some reason

Here it is...

After close to 5 years of planning, we just closed on the construction loan on "Villa Costo Mucho"

I'm not really sure how much blogging I want to do, because there is a lot to talk about and I would rather focus on building the house rather than this blog, but I will try to post pictures and explain the project as much as I can...

First, some rules...

1. If you can't be nice, then at least be gentle.

2. No contractor names.

3. No builder names.

4. I'm not here to plug brand names, but I will promote good ideas, so sometimes I'm sure a brand name will come up...

5. Be open minded about this project, it isn't like any other...

OK, for the description of the project...

We live in a very humid climate here in Texas... Especially hot in the summer, and surprisingly cold in the winter. If you were to adjust the indoor temps that define the number of heating degree days and number of cooling degree days, they would almost be equal...

So, this project is all about increasing comfort. To do this, we are trying to reduce the humidity in the inside air as much as possible in the summer.

More on that in later posts... But for now, here are the "specs"...

1. 4700+ sq ft single story home

2. 4 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, 3 1/2 car garage, with lots of trimmin's

3. Sealed attic design (1/2 pound open cell foam sprayed under the roof deck)

4. Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) on exterior walls (minus garage)

5. Excellent use of shading to keep down solar gain through windows

6. Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) with desuperheater

7. Hydronic radiant heating system throughout slab

8. Hard wired lighting control system

9. Home automation (to some extent)

10. Future rainwater collection system

11. Future Solar Hot Water heater

12. Future Solar photovoltaic system