/ Home Page / Building Technology /
Normal US lumber construction. Load bearing walls using 2x4 or 2x6 lumber, floors using 2x8, 2x10, or 2x12 lumber. Sheathing with plywood, or bracing and then layering with insulation and building wrap. Steel 2x3 framing studs are a little cheaper than wood 2x4s, but steel 2x4 studs are a little more expensive than the wood.
Many countries don't have the abundant cheap wood, so they use different construction techniques. In the US it is uncommon to see a house built with anything other than stick construction, though it varies in techniques, style, and insulation depending on the climate and culture of the particular area.
I find 2x6 frame walls, either wood or steel, with fiberglass insulation works fine — but then I live in southern California where climate is quite temperate (or warm, which I like).
Lee Jones
Insulation would be key, Solar gain can be iffy -don't know your weather pattern specifically but when I installed a skylight on my first home I quickly realized how much I was affected by proximity to a “great lake”.
Dave Lag