ᐅ New construction with Poroton T7 MW 36.5 blocks without a mechanical ventilation system

Knallkörper schrieb:
If my neighbor had one, I would immediately commission an acoustic consulting firm to carry out a corresponding sound power measurement

You must have money.... I could understand that with a heat pump, but you can’t hear the mechanical ventilation system from three meters (about 10 feet) away from the house. Otherwise, you only hear it at the air outlet. If planned properly, it’s possible to reduce the noise to practically nothing. Inside the house, it can also be designed so that sound is only noticeable near the central unit.

I also deliberately built without a mechanical ventilation system and support Knallkörper’s point of view.

The problem nowadays, of course, is that houses are built too quickly and people move in far too early.

It’s no surprise that mold develops without mechanical ventilation when living in a small, airtight space like a yogurt container. Where else would the moisture go?

kkk272729 schrieb:
The problem nowadays is, of course, that houses are built too quickly and people move in much too early.

That’s true. When a house stands for a longer time, air pockets develop in both the interior and exterior plaster layers (top and base coats), and at the same spots across the 36.5cm (14 inch) exterior wall. The house then “breathes” through these air pockets. Exactly right. Every time you exhale, you create positive pressure inside the house, which pushes air through the newly formed gaps, and when you inhale, fresh air is drawn back inside. This is also why houses smell musty if they haven’t been occupied for a while—because no one has been breathing in and out consistently to keep the house “breathing.”

And you definitely wouldn’t want that firecracker as a neighbor, oh man.

@Grym

Did you process the post purely from a cognitive standpoint? Of course, it makes sense to properly dry the building before moving in, and during winter this is done without mechanical drying. People often argue from an energy-efficient or "green" perspective (which I’m not particularly aligned with), but it is often forgotten that mechanical drying—whether using a construction dryer or controlled ventilation for living spaces—consumes a lot of energy. Another point often overlooked is that a house without controlled ventilation obviously has to be designed very differently from a building physics perspective. Apparently, you have also been well influenced and seem convinced that there is only "one" correct way of building, with a warm roof, vapor barrier, blower door test, just to mention a few keywords.

So I find that kind of sarcasm, at a fourth-grade level, quite inappropriate.

And no, I don’t wish to have anyone responsible for exceeding noise limits as a neighbor. That’s perfectly reasonable.

There are certainly other ways to build... but then the heating costs are higher, right?
We spoke with several owners of timber frame eco-houses, and they mentioned heating costs in the range of 100 € and above.
I’m happy to be proven wrong— which construction method ensures fresh air without disproportionate ventilation?

Knallkörper schrieb:
@GrymWhat is often overlooked is that a house without a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery must be designed completely differently from a building physics perspective. Apparently, you have also been quite well convinced and live with the belief that there is only "one right" way to build, with a warm roof, vapor barrier, blower door test, to name just a few keywords.

There is only one way for VOCs, formaldehyde, 99% of humidity, CO2, etc., to move from inside to outside — through ventilation. You either do it by airing out 5 times a day for 10 minutes each (and you still end up with worse, though acceptable, air quality compared to a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery, cold air in winter, no fresh or only freezing air in the bedroom during winter (and autumn and spring), etc.), or you install a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.

Now, some might say that a mechanical ventilation system is too expensive. If you compare it to spending almost an hour a day ventilating, the saved time should justify the cost, but anyway— a mechanical ventilation system is too expensive.

However, if the quarterly filter change really feels too tedious, then maybe you should reconsider building a house at all. Not to mention, with this mindset, you will never manage to ventilate the house properly by manually airing it out.