[MEtoTN]

At some point this year I'll be moving from Maine to Tennessee where I can finalize my transition from a 26 year career building custom homes to a light manufacturing business building audio speakers.

Since my building experience is from building in Maine, and TN has quite a different climate, materials used, and techniques, I'm coming up with a lot of questions about how I should build my new shop.

I'm hoping to find a few Tennessee builders who can help me answer some of these questions.

First - do you recommend using foam insulation underneath a slab foundation?

Greg

 

[Live_oak]

Where in TN? TN has 3 distinct sections, with different geology and climate for each. Up in the mountains around Chattanooga is a lot different than down in the flat mud around the Mississippi.

 

[MEtoTN]

Cookeville

 

[Builder Butch]

I'm from Memphis also and Cookeville might was well be a million miles awaybecause its a different world there. Soil and terrain way different so sorry I'm no help.

 

[Roofcheck]

I lived in Tullahoma. Working in Winchester was red dirt and Tullahoma had almost none yet it's 15 minutes apart.

Cookeville is on my radar. Country enough yet enough city to live and an easy drive to either Nashville or Knoxville. You can have quite a nice house for 1/2 if what it costs up here.

Good luck to you!

 

[MEtoTN]

Thank you Builder Butch and Roofcheck, I hear what you're saying about the differences in the various parts of the state. I'm hopeful that someone from the Cookeville area will join in and help answer some questions.

I suppose I can simply call a couple builders in the Cookeville area. I'm going to need to hire one anyway.

Greg

 

[smalpierre]

At some point this year I'll be moving from Maine to Tennessee where I can finalize my transition from a 26 year career building custom homes to a light manufacturing business building audio speakers.

Since my building experience is from building in Maine, and TN has quite a different climate, materials used, and techniques, I'm coming up with a lot of questions about how I should build my new shop.

I'm hoping to find a few Tennessee builders who can help me answer some of these questions.

First - do you recommend using foam insulation underneath a slab foundation?

Greg

I don't have a ton of commercial experience, but I don't recall seeing a single slab with foam insulation. I'm also in Memphis so it may be different there.

 

[smalpierre]

What you do see a ton of here in light manufacturing areas is slabs on dirt, metal frame with either eifs or r-panel walls, and r-panel roofs. Mostly low slope, 3 side parapet walls, gutter on the back. metal stud partition walls for offices, drop ceiling with insulation laid on the panels.

Careful with the builder, I've seen relatively new buildings with unintentional "water features" rivaling Niagra Falls pouring out of electrical fixtures, and interior doorframes too.

 

[MEtoTN]

Maybe the idea of coupling the slab to the ground helps more with cooling and with very little heat loss in the winter, it's better not to have foam. This is the question I have.

I kind of like the idea of a slab foundation, masonry walls, and flat roof, but I'm not sure about the cost of that versus the "horse barn" type of construction. Build out the inside of the masonry walls with a wood frame with insulation, and that gives a place for wiring and a variety of wall coverings.

Is cellulose used in ceilings down there? We use it here in Maine with great results, but I think there's more moisture to contend with in TN at certain times of the year. Here in Maine, moisture, heat, and air all move mostly from inside to out, and in the summer, when it would flow the other way, we normally have our homes open.

Greg

 

[smalpierre]

Those slabs stay cool, in the blazing summers down here it's nice. I'm not too fond of eifs, but those buildings stay cooler than the r-panel ones. I'd still like to see plastic. I like the idea of moisture in the concrete curing instead of migrating to or from the ground, but I'm not a mason.

A lot of older buildings here are slab, CMU walls, bar joists, topped with a hot mop BUR. Would be better with a TPO or PVC roof and they often get it when they are replaced. Dead flat isn't a great idea, but a lot of them are. I'm pretty sure most everything I've seen in the drop ceilings is fiberglass.

 

[MEtoTN]

I would want a complete vapor barrier under the slab. I can probably get used to the idea of having my building interacting with Mother Earth to and from the ground with no insulation, but I don't want moisture coming in uncontrolled.

Greg

 

[smalpierre]

I would want a complete vapor barrier under the slab. I can probably get used to the idea of having my building interacting with Mother Earth to and from the ground with no insulation, but I don't want moisture coming in uncontrolled.

Greg

Especially if you're going to finish the floor. I've seen a LOT of glue down engineered wood buckled from high moisture content in the slab. Same with coatings - somebody thinks they have it prepped right, but doesn't put a moisture meter on it and BAM! Coating failure.

A lot of guys around here seem to think concrete is waterproof if it's not cracked. I even saw a guy pour a bag of crete on a metal roof leak once. I told him that wouldn't work :laughing:

 

[smalpierre]

To be fair - Memphis is a different market. Lots of clueless hacks, and price shoppers. Nashville area I've heard is a lot better in every way.

 

[JackP23]

Greg.....you're gonna be close to the Caney Fork River.......fantastic trout and stripper fishing.....40 to 50 pound stripper runnin in the winter. Great place to disappear.......lucky you!!

__________
Mike

 

[MEtoTN]

Greg.....you're gonna be close to the Caney Fork River.......fantastic trout and stripper fishing.....40 to 50 pound stripper runnin in the winter. Great place to disappear.......lucky you!!

__________
Mike

Fishing? Do they jump in the boat, or do you have to use some kind of device to pluck them out of the water?

Greg

 

[pritch]

To be fair - Memphis is a different market. Lots of clueless hacks, and price shoppers. Nashville area I've heard is a lot better in every way.

Except for the music, right?:laughingDamn right, I got the Blues)

And with that in mind, I want to hear more about the speakers your gonna build!

 

[MEtoTN]

www.voltiaudio.com

The most recent newsletter
http://www.voltiaudio.com/newsletter/NL26.shtml

 

[pritch]

Very cool!

Quick as I hit the lotto, I'll be looking you up!:laughing:

 

[JackP23]

Great speakers......very cool!

 

[smalpierre]

Except for the music, right?:laughingDamn right, I got the Blues)

And with that in mind, I want to hear more about the speakers your gonna build!

The music scene here isn't what it used to be.

Forgot to answer about cellulose in ceilings - it works good here. Mostly all fiberglass or cellulose.