Hello everyone,
We are planning a basement for our new house, which will be used as a utility basement. The technical room (including the heat pump and mechanical ventilation system, etc.) will be located in the basement. The other rooms are intended for storage, a workshop, and storage areas. Actual living use is not planned; however, I can imagine that our children might later use the space for hobbies (music, party room, foosball, etc.) if the climate there is reasonably comfortable. Also, it should not be freezing cold when working in the workshop during winter.
What about ventilation? I have planned a few basement rooms without light wells and was considering possibly connecting them to the mechanical ventilation system if the humidity gets too high.
Now I wonder, how are utility basements commonly insulated nowadays and what effects does each approach have?
- No exterior insulation at all and only insulating the basement ceiling/stairwell? Is it then acceptable for the heat pump and mechanical ventilation system to be installed in the basement? Can the basement be connected to the mechanical ventilation system, or would that completely negate the heat recovery?
- Exterior insulation but no separate heating in the basement?
- Exterior insulation and underfloor heating in the basement?
What temperatures and humidity levels can be expected with the different options? I would be very interested in your practical experience.
We are planning a basement for our new house, which will be used as a utility basement. The technical room (including the heat pump and mechanical ventilation system, etc.) will be located in the basement. The other rooms are intended for storage, a workshop, and storage areas. Actual living use is not planned; however, I can imagine that our children might later use the space for hobbies (music, party room, foosball, etc.) if the climate there is reasonably comfortable. Also, it should not be freezing cold when working in the workshop during winter.
What about ventilation? I have planned a few basement rooms without light wells and was considering possibly connecting them to the mechanical ventilation system if the humidity gets too high.
Now I wonder, how are utility basements commonly insulated nowadays and what effects does each approach have?
- No exterior insulation at all and only insulating the basement ceiling/stairwell? Is it then acceptable for the heat pump and mechanical ventilation system to be installed in the basement? Can the basement be connected to the mechanical ventilation system, or would that completely negate the heat recovery?
- Exterior insulation but no separate heating in the basement?
- Exterior insulation and underfloor heating in the basement?
What temperatures and humidity levels can be expected with the different options? I would be very interested in your practical experience.
M
Marvinius7 Feb 2023 22:21HalloClarissa schrieb:
We are building a small age-appropriate house; the basement was not originally planned and is only included because of the sloped site. It will basically be a utility basement—we don’t want to spend unnecessary money on it.A house on a sloped site and age-appropriate? Isn’t that a contradiction? Outdoor areas without stairs seem rather difficult...
HalloClarissa7 Feb 2023 22:37Marvinius schrieb:
House on a slope and age-appropriate? Isn’t that a contradiction? Outdoor areas without steps seem rather difficult…The street, driveway, entrance, and living areas are all step-free on one level. If one of us eventually can’t walk at all, then they simply won’t be able to use the garden anymore. We’re not yet 60, and most elderly people can still manage a few steps. But just in case, we wouldn’t have to move out of the house due to being wheelchair-bound.
HalloClarissa schrieb:
The basement was not planned at all and is only due to the sloping site.That sounds like a slope that was discovered unexpectedly (basically only found by the surveyor, or is that how it should be understood)?https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
HalloClarissa8 Feb 2023 09:3511ant schrieb:
That sounds like a slope that was surprisingly discovered (basically only found by the surveyor, or how should one understand this)? You’re funny 🙂
As someone from northern Germany, we never really had to deal with the topic of “living in the mountains.” We were looking for a new plot of land around Hannover and happened to find one in the nearby Weser Uplands. Within walking distance to the train station and the town center of the small town—totally perfect for us… except for the “hills.” We decided to go ahead with the plot anyway. At first, we thought we could “just” add fill, but then we learned (among other things, thanks to you) that having a basement is more practical.
HalloClarissa schrieb:
At first, we thought we could just build up the ground, but then we learned (among other things from you) that a basement makes more sense. So now you only need to learn my basement rule as well: "never separate the upper floor structural level." 🙂
This sounds like a typical case of "finding the plot only after already falling in love with a specific dream house model" (which is warned against here by more people than just me).
https://www.instagram.com/11antgmxde/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bauen-jetzt/
HalloClarissa8 Feb 2023 12:4511ant schrieb:
Then you just need to learn my basement rule, "never separate the upper edge of the floor slab from the masonry" 🙂
This sounds like a typical case of "finding the plot only after you’ve already fallen in love with a specific dream house model" (which is warned against here by more than just me).Never separate the upper edge of the floor slab from the masonry?Yes, that’s exactly my situation. I’ve owned a house like that before, where my son passed away, and I ended up selling it. However, it was always clear that I wanted (and need) to have another Swedish/Danish timber house with high ceilings.