Q - I have seen some very attractive and unusual circular houses with many solar windows. Are they very energy efficient and are they available as kits for the cost-conscious do-it-yourself builder? H. D.
A - Most of the circular houses are not actually circles.They are a series of 4- to 8-foot long, well-insulated 2 x 4 or 2 x 6 wall panels that are attached together creating the circular appearance. The panels structure are manufactured in quality-controlled factories.
These houses are ideal for the do-it-yourself builder. Several workmen can erect the walls and attach a special self-supporting roof in just three days. The panels, with the windows installed, are delivered directly to your building site. Many manufacturers will send a technician along to supervise the basic erection. Kits range from 500 to more than 4,000 square feet.
Most circular house designs have many large windows, although you can specify as few or as many as you want. With their circular shape and windows facing many directions - not just four directions as with rectangular houses - they take full advantage of free passive solar heating. A large roof overhang shades the windows in the summer and protects the walls.
Since the exterior wall of each room is comprised of several panels at different angles, the interior room layouts are unusual. The many windows at various angles also offer each room a panoramic outdoor view that also provides for natural cross-ventilation in most rooms.
With decks around much of the house, often on both the first and second stories, these houses provide a greater integration of indoor and outdoor living and entertaining.
Circular houses are very energy-efficient for many reasons. A circular design of a given square footage floor plan has less exterior wall surface area than a similar sized rectangular house. For example, a 1181-square-foot circular house has 15 percent less exterior wall area, which means there also is 15 percent less heat loss through the walls.
The quality-controlled factory construction of the panels produces an airtight wall. Also, winds tend to flow smoothly around the circular house exterior.
This reduces the pressure differences from side to side, as on a typical rectangular house, and therefore the air leakage year-round is reduced.
A self-supporting roof in many designs means that no interior supporting walls are needed. This allows for a very open floor plan for solar or wood-burning heating. Central heating and air-conditioning systems are also very effective with the freer circulation of air. With no fixed supporting walls, you can later move walls to change the floor plan.
You can write to me for UTILITY BILLS UPDATE No. 326 listing addresses and telephone numbers of manufacturers of circular houses and kits, and six floor plan layouts and exterior diagrams (1,200 to 4,000 square feet). Write to James Dulley, The Deseret News, 6906 Royal Green Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45244. Please include $1.50 and a self-addressed BUSINESS-SIZE envelope.
Q - I use compact fluorescent lamps in my house to save electricity and produce less pollution. I have heard that there are heavy metals, like mercury, in fluorescent bulbs. Does that pose a pollution threat? L. S.
A - A super-efficient compact fluorescent bulb contains a very small amount of mercury. The amount of mercury produced by burning coal to generate the extra electricity to power less efficient light bulbs is much greater.
Large-scale users of fluorescent bulbs, such as commercial and industrial offices, should check with their local landfill regulators or EPA office.