Hello,
we are planning to build a house but have some questions about building services that we have not yet been able to find solid answers for.
1. Many modern houses tend to feel uncomfortably warm all the time. Why is that?
In our case, the comfortable temperature is around 20-22°C (68-72°F), but some friends of my wife who built houses with underfloor heating in recent years, as well as the experience visiting the Viebrockhaus model home park, report temperatures that feel closer to 24-25°C (75-77°F). What causes this? The answers so far have been: it is normal with underfloor heating; underfloor heating is very difficult to adjust; that is a thing of the past when only one heating circuit was installed for the entire house; it is due to the insulation in modern houses… I don’t think the underfloor heating can be entirely blamed, since it also gets hot in summer (when the heating is presumably off), definitely more than in our rental flat (built in 1997, gas heating with radiators). What are your thoughts?
Personally, I suspect it is more due to the lack of a basement and the large glazing areas combined with the absence of roof overhangs.
2. Is it still common to build houses with radiators today? Radiators seem to have disappeared from catalogs and websites. I understand that heating with radiators nowadays will likely struggle to meet energy-saving regulations. And is it unavoidable to have a mechanical ventilation system? We air out often, so we don’t really see the reason for such a system…
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having no basement?
Okay, less storage space, more noise (because heating and other systems are closer to living areas), probably less cooling effect in summer, and of course it is also a cost issue. But are there any other effects one should keep in mind?
Thank you very much for reading and for your answers.
I am happy to answer any follow-up questions.
we are planning to build a house but have some questions about building services that we have not yet been able to find solid answers for.
1. Many modern houses tend to feel uncomfortably warm all the time. Why is that?
In our case, the comfortable temperature is around 20-22°C (68-72°F), but some friends of my wife who built houses with underfloor heating in recent years, as well as the experience visiting the Viebrockhaus model home park, report temperatures that feel closer to 24-25°C (75-77°F). What causes this? The answers so far have been: it is normal with underfloor heating; underfloor heating is very difficult to adjust; that is a thing of the past when only one heating circuit was installed for the entire house; it is due to the insulation in modern houses… I don’t think the underfloor heating can be entirely blamed, since it also gets hot in summer (when the heating is presumably off), definitely more than in our rental flat (built in 1997, gas heating with radiators). What are your thoughts?
Personally, I suspect it is more due to the lack of a basement and the large glazing areas combined with the absence of roof overhangs.
2. Is it still common to build houses with radiators today? Radiators seem to have disappeared from catalogs and websites. I understand that heating with radiators nowadays will likely struggle to meet energy-saving regulations. And is it unavoidable to have a mechanical ventilation system? We air out often, so we don’t really see the reason for such a system…
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having no basement?
Okay, less storage space, more noise (because heating and other systems are closer to living areas), probably less cooling effect in summer, and of course it is also a cost issue. But are there any other effects one should keep in mind?
Thank you very much for reading and for your answers.
I am happy to answer any follow-up questions.
Hot Houses
In summer or winter? In winter, because the resident doesn’t have proper control over the heating.
In summer, because Viebrockhaus uses many lightweight materials and the model home park always has the door open – shading also doesn’t work well if the interior is meant to look appealing.
Radiators
Of course, you can build with radiators… but with heat pumps it’s usually not recommended, as they don’t provide the needed flow temperatures – with gas heating this isn’t a problem; in fact, it’s often more economical.
Ventilation
You can build without it, but personally I would recommend a ventilation system. In my parents’ house (built 1987) it’s no problem without one – but in our apartment (built 1997) it smells musty when you come back after 8 hours away.
Advantage: cost savings, less climbing stairs in old age.
Basement
Disadvantage: less usable space that you could potentially finish later or finish right away. If you have a hobby that requires a lot of room – such as building a large Lego city – it’s naturally ideal for that.
I don’t understand the need for cooling – we consciously decided against it; many bad experiences with damp basements in the neighborhood around our house.
In summer or winter? In winter, because the resident doesn’t have proper control over the heating.
In summer, because Viebrockhaus uses many lightweight materials and the model home park always has the door open – shading also doesn’t work well if the interior is meant to look appealing.
Radiators
Of course, you can build with radiators… but with heat pumps it’s usually not recommended, as they don’t provide the needed flow temperatures – with gas heating this isn’t a problem; in fact, it’s often more economical.
Ventilation
You can build without it, but personally I would recommend a ventilation system. In my parents’ house (built 1987) it’s no problem without one – but in our apartment (built 1997) it smells musty when you come back after 8 hours away.
Advantage: cost savings, less climbing stairs in old age.
Basement
Disadvantage: less usable space that you could potentially finish later or finish right away. If you have a hobby that requires a lot of room – such as building a large Lego city – it’s naturally ideal for that.
I don’t understand the need for cooling – we consciously decided against it; many bad experiences with damp basements in the neighborhood around our house.
The reason modern houses overheat lies in the low temperatures of underfloor heating... it sounds paradoxical, but it is true.
To warm a house or the air inside it to a certain temperature, energy is required. This energy can be supplied quickly via radiators with the necessary high supply temperatures, or at lower temperatures through underfloor heating.
However, to heat the entire house economically with about 30°C (86°F) instead of 60°C (140°F), you need mass that can absorb heat and then release it to the air. This is the screed... the underfloor heating is installed there, and it takes some time to warm up roughly 15 tons of concrete with 30°C (86°F). Consequently, it also takes just as long for the screed to cool down again.
Result: ----> the whole system is very slow to react.
Rapid temperature changes like with radiators are not possible... every incoming sunbeam heats the rooms, and this leads to houses becoming "too warm." The required airtightness and the insulation do their job as well, keeping the heat inside the house.
2. Yes, it is possible... the customer is always king... personally, however, I would not do it... radiators belong to the past... if you want to save money, you install underfloor heating.
If you can maintain proper ventilation intervals, you can of course build without a mechanical ventilation system... but even here, I would advise against building without one nowadays.
3. Advantages of not having a basement: you save a significant amount of money, both during construction and later in maintenance and interest. Furthermore, it depends on the type of plot you have, and waterproofed basements are even more expensive than "standard" ones. Nowadays, it often comes down to money... if everyone had enough, everyone would build with a basement. Many also argue about aging, saying that having everything on one level later on is better (I cannot understand this).
Disadvantage: less space, utility rooms have to be on the living level, etc.
To warm a house or the air inside it to a certain temperature, energy is required. This energy can be supplied quickly via radiators with the necessary high supply temperatures, or at lower temperatures through underfloor heating.
However, to heat the entire house economically with about 30°C (86°F) instead of 60°C (140°F), you need mass that can absorb heat and then release it to the air. This is the screed... the underfloor heating is installed there, and it takes some time to warm up roughly 15 tons of concrete with 30°C (86°F). Consequently, it also takes just as long for the screed to cool down again.
Result: ----> the whole system is very slow to react.
Rapid temperature changes like with radiators are not possible... every incoming sunbeam heats the rooms, and this leads to houses becoming "too warm." The required airtightness and the insulation do their job as well, keeping the heat inside the house.
2. Yes, it is possible... the customer is always king... personally, however, I would not do it... radiators belong to the past... if you want to save money, you install underfloor heating.
If you can maintain proper ventilation intervals, you can of course build without a mechanical ventilation system... but even here, I would advise against building without one nowadays.
3. Advantages of not having a basement: you save a significant amount of money, both during construction and later in maintenance and interest. Furthermore, it depends on the type of plot you have, and waterproofed basements are even more expensive than "standard" ones. Nowadays, it often comes down to money... if everyone had enough, everyone would build with a basement. Many also argue about aging, saying that having everything on one level later on is better (I cannot understand this).
Disadvantage: less space, utility rooms have to be on the living level, etc.
smodon schrieb:
It’s due to an incorrectly adjusted heating system, nothing else.Thank you very much for your quick and clear response.
An incorrect setting of the underfloor heating is only possible for me if the heating is actually turned on. But even in summer, when the heating is off, modern houses are often very warm (warmer than, for example, our 20-year-old rental property). So something else must also be playing a role...
Thanks for your reply.
Both: summer and winter
The basement is usually significantly cooler than the other floors, so it has a certain cooling effect.
Yes, I have also heard about damp basements. It’s not entirely surprising since the basement wall is constantly in contact with the soil, which tends to release moisture.
BeHaElJa schrieb:
Hot houses
In summer or in winter?
Both: summer and winter
BeHaElJa schrieb:
Basement
...
I can’t understand the cooling effect – we have deliberately decided against it; many bad experiences with damp basements in the neighborhood of our house.
The basement is usually significantly cooler than the other floors, so it has a certain cooling effect.
Yes, I have also heard about damp basements. It’s not entirely surprising since the basement wall is constantly in contact with the soil, which tends to release moisture.
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