Thanks for the information and plans, Baha. Nicely done.
I just want to make two points...or so.
The tar paper you referred to after stripping out the studs is not a vapour barrier. Rather, it works as a rainshield and allows water vapour to freely pass through your walls in both directions, while still stopping water incursion from the outside; rain, wind pushing rain, etc. The application of a non-incursion membrane such as 6 ml polly on the inside, plus building papers such as Tyvek etc is still controversial. Totally sealed houses require humidistats and forced air ventilation. While a total seal is required for most modern building codes, and certain designations, it is not always the best way to go. It is all very climate dependent how you approach this problem.
I am a carpenter. I have seen houses wrapped in building paper as per code trap moisture within walls, thus promoting dry rot. I have also found that totally vapour sealed homes from the inside, (which would pass the designations) also trap moisture within the walls. The more rigid membranes provide a surface for the water vapour to condense upon with temprature drops. As you know, warm air holds more moisture. There is always that need for equalization, thus the migration of water vapour into balance.
If you go the totally sealed route please check your window caulkings and corner treatments on your outside siding, yearly.
Our renovated house faces a river for view, etc. Wonderful. However, the picture windows face west. One thing I did is kick out the south wall and build a new living room....about 350 sq feet. It steps down and has a vaulted ceiling above 10' walls. The main point are the windows. I installed 8, 3'X6' windows to catch the sun in the winter. In the summer the sun is well overhead so heat isn't an issue. It not only added to all views, it gave us a great source of passive solar.
Oh yeah, where I live on the BC wet coast our rural District has no building codes. I was able to use two layers of 60' tar paper instead of tyvek on the outside plywood sheathing. The siding is red cedar shingles. This approach treats the house a living thing allowing the moisture to move both ways, etc. I have renovated 100 year old homes without one stich of rot that were built this way, and have seen new construction as per code develop condo disease and are well rotted within 10 years. If you go the sealed route you have to really be vigilent. We get 7' of rain here yearly, so the oldtimers were on to something.
Building standards are great, but local considerations need to be allowed for. It's a big continent.
Anyway, your place sounds fantastic. Excellent work and thanks for sharing the info. Plus, 56 ain't too old!! I am 61 and have couple of roofs and renos to do this summer for realtives. (It's going to hurt, isn't it? Damn.). My 89 year old neighbour still climbs up on his roof to clean his chimney. He won't accept any help.
regards