ᐅ Building a House with TuC and Modifications – Your Thoughts?

Created on: 11 Apr 2019 21:52
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derkobi
Hello construction experts and enthusiasts, I have been reading along for a while and now I need some advice.

We want to build with TuC here in Saxony, postal code area 02.
The companies that build for TuC here have a good reputation and there is a lot of building activity at the moment.

Most people simply build an affordable house, called Standard eco Baustein 1. Unfortunately, posting links is not allowed. We want to make a few small changes if they make sense.

We would like to increase the exterior wall thickness from 24cm (9.5 inches) to 36.5cm (14 inches), using aerated concrete from Porit in monolithic construction.
The additional cost is about 7,300€ (the foundation slab will also be larger to maintain the living space). The rest will be adjusted to the stronger walls – roof, windowsills, etc.

If worthwhile, we would replace the gas condensing boiler with an air-to-water heat pump (Vaillant aroTherm Split vwl 75/5) with Unitower vwl 78/5 IS.
Additional cost: 6,000€.

Underfloor heating throughout the house.
The house model is Flair 125, where 125 stands for the square meters.
One and a half stories.

What are your thoughts on this?

Kind regards,
Kobi
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hemali2003
12 Apr 2019 22:19
Of course, noise levels are always subjective. I’m probably sensitive as well... but during the first few months, I found it quite annoying that it was never completely silent. Over time, you get somewhat used to it, but I can’t imagine sleeping with fans running. However, the air quality in the bedrooms at night and in the morning is not noticeably poor.

I think we have the Lunos E2.
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guckuck2
12 Apr 2019 22:52
Nordlys schrieb:
My house doesn’t need to feel like a silent cemetery....
There is a perfect solution, but it is always disproportionately expensive because squeezing out the last 10% requires immense effort. And then there’s the practically sufficient solution—not perfect, but good enough to live with. I’m not German enough for perfection. My mom was from Poland, we have the “good enough” gene.... Karsten

It’s all relative. A bit of background noise might feel unusual at first, but you can get used to it.
There are plenty of people here who claim that without shutters you can’t sleep. It’s possible in other ways, as you probably know.
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hemali2003
12 Apr 2019 23:18
I didn’t want to start a fundamental debate but just wanted to point out that, for example, it bothers us at night. It’s something you should be prepared for...

I had also read about this several times in forums beforehand, but 1. I didn’t really want to believe it, and 2. I didn’t seriously have a choice.

Our budget was limited, not because we couldn’t afford more, but because we didn’t want to spend more on the house. And for this very affordable price (under 1400 euros per square meter (approximately 130 dollars per square foot) in pure construction costs), we got a beautiful and flawless house that we enjoy every day.
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ypg
12 Apr 2019 23:47
11ant schrieb:
@ windows:
Plastic or anthracite – I wouldn’t recommend combining them.

We have about 20 sqm (215 sq ft) of anthracite plastic windows and doors facing east, south, and west. They get a lot of direct sunlight. However, nothing cracks or warps.
We’re now in the 6th year…

People say wooden windows warp and need to be repainted regularly. So which is really the bigger problem?
hemali2003 schrieb:
Ventilation is a great concept in principle, but these units are noisy. At night we turn them off upstairs and have to run them at level 3 during the day (to keep the airflow high),

Hmm… our ventilation would also be noisy at level 3. I couldn’t fall asleep with that constant sound either. But I don’t have to, because it doesn’t need to run all the time. It runs for one hour in the evening, at night while everything is in deep sleep, and in the morning when we leave the house. Since the plumbers set it up this way and we don’t have any stuffy air, I can’t understand why you have so much trouble with your ventilation.
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boxandroof
12 Apr 2019 23:49
derkobi schrieb:
The ventilation is a fresh air automatic system (controlled residential ventilation system LUNOS) according to DIN EN 1946-6

We have listened to various decentralized units in person, and there are significant differences. Lunos wasn’t among them, but according to forums, they are not the quietest. We decided on a central ventilation system. If decentralized ventilation is already included in the house price, the additional cost for a central system might not be as high as usual.
You hear it more in the bedroom and at night, but that is exactly where ventilation adds great comfort and should be quiet.

I would also reconsider the fireplace. If you choose one, it should be a small stove that stores heat for a long time (masonry heater).
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derkobi
13 Apr 2019 17:40
Is it possible to adjust the ventilation system yourself, for example, to have it running when you leave the house? Or does a plumber need to do this?
If it can be done on your own, I would choose that option, as it’s also better for the bathroom (showers).
The ventilation is included in the price, but when we visited houses, many people did not have it installed.