ᐅ Timber Frame Construction vs. Passive House: Pros and Cons of Each Building Material?
Created on: 5 Aug 2014 13:57
S
schmitzkatze
Hello everyone,
we are planning to build a new single-family house and are unsure whether to choose a timber frame or “brick by brick” construction (considering financial aspects as well as indoor climate and other factors).
Originally, we thought about building the timber frame house ourselves because, given the following conditions, I believe we could save a lot of money compared to a prefab house or invest the money saved into higher quality than what a prefab manufacturer can offer:
- We have a master carpenter in the family (who is also willing to frame and erect the entire house and guide us on how to insulate the walls, etc.)
- Space and tools for carpentry and assembly are available (an empty barn with a crane, forklift, etc.)
- The building plot is less than 100 meters (330 feet) from the barn and our current home (so it’s worthwhile to do some work on the site after work)
- Although we are not professionals, as the builders we don’t shy away from working evenings and weekends and consider ourselves reasonably handy
We have already discussed our ideas with an architect who pointed out that, for a solid masonry house, the indoor climate and thermal mass are significantly better. The carpenter, however, emphasizes the excellent (or possibly better) insulation properties of a timber house. If we decide on the masonry house, we would generally trust ourselves to handle the bricklaying as well (at least with an expert supervising).
Is there perhaps a comparison of pros and cons for timber versus masonry as building materials? Or could someone list the most important points to consider? Are there any formulas or tools available to compare the costs of both construction methods?
Many thanks in advance for any replies!
Best regards
schmitzkatze
we are planning to build a new single-family house and are unsure whether to choose a timber frame or “brick by brick” construction (considering financial aspects as well as indoor climate and other factors).
Originally, we thought about building the timber frame house ourselves because, given the following conditions, I believe we could save a lot of money compared to a prefab house or invest the money saved into higher quality than what a prefab manufacturer can offer:
- We have a master carpenter in the family (who is also willing to frame and erect the entire house and guide us on how to insulate the walls, etc.)
- Space and tools for carpentry and assembly are available (an empty barn with a crane, forklift, etc.)
- The building plot is less than 100 meters (330 feet) from the barn and our current home (so it’s worthwhile to do some work on the site after work)
- Although we are not professionals, as the builders we don’t shy away from working evenings and weekends and consider ourselves reasonably handy
We have already discussed our ideas with an architect who pointed out that, for a solid masonry house, the indoor climate and thermal mass are significantly better. The carpenter, however, emphasizes the excellent (or possibly better) insulation properties of a timber house. If we decide on the masonry house, we would generally trust ourselves to handle the bricklaying as well (at least with an expert supervising).
Is there perhaps a comparison of pros and cons for timber versus masonry as building materials? Or could someone list the most important points to consider? Are there any formulas or tools available to compare the costs of both construction methods?
Many thanks in advance for any replies!
Best regards
schmitzkatze
N
nordanney13 Aug 2014 13:57Doc.Schnaggls schrieb:
Actually, only outside air comes into the building through the ventilation system—well, possibly preheated, but that shouldn’t affect the humidity.In winter, however, this is the case because the moisture capacity of cold and warm air differs (cold air can hold less water vapor, so it comes from outside, while warm and therefore "more humid" air from inside is expelled).D
Doc.Schnaggls13 Aug 2014 14:00@nordanney: Thanks, learned something new again...
No dehumidifier. Even hanging laundry inside the rooms doesn’t help much. You already have the explanation for that. And in summer it doesn’t help either, since the terrace doors are constantly open because of the children, and in the evenings all the windows are opened wide anyway to let the warm air out.
Manu1976 schrieb:
I’m not sure if a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery actually improves comfort. We have one, and honestly, it’s useless for us. We’ve turned it off. Why? Simply because we have the opposite problem of too much humidity — our air is too dry. And that’s just as bad for the respiratory system, especially if you have children. Dry noses all the time, constant throat irritation. My daughters, who have lived in this house since they were babies, had a persistent dry cough from autumn to spring. The situation only improved when we turned off the ventilation system.
Fresh air from outside is still better than air coming through the ducts. Even when the system was running, we often opened various doors and windows because the outdoor air just feels fresher—especially after rain—it also smells completely different.
We live in a single-family home built in 2008. Now we’re building a solid structure without any wall insulation, and the only ventilation we will have will be in the bathrooms and laundry room—decentralized systems.… then I would have tried a system with an enthalpy heat exchanger. With the right air exchange rate, overly dry air is no longer an issue. I don’t know which brand you installed, but the major manufacturers all offer such heat exchangers.
What did customer service say about your problems? I’d be interested to know.
By the way, we also switch off the mechanical ventilation system in summer—except on cool summer nights when we can “pull in” the cooler night air. In the cold season: no manual ventilation needed. In the morning rush (bathroom, breakfast, kids, etc.) before leaving the house, cross-ventilating for less than 10 minutes is enough. Fresh air is constantly supplied to the bedroom. After showering, no manual ventilation is needed either. Kitchen odors (excluding the typical complaints) are no longer an issue. From a purely economic standpoint, however, mechanical ventilation probably won’t pay off financially.
One more question: are you rebuilding because of this?
Best regards
1. The pollen filter is an optional feature. Standard mechanical ventilation systems do not include one.
2. We have a heat exchanger, that is, a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.
3. The manufacturer is Pluggit (may I mention that here?) – so it’s not a cheap part; everything is properly installed and functioning correctly.
4. The kitchen smells (closed kitchen) still spread throughout the entire ground floor in our house.
5. Not only cooking odors, but also outdoor smells enter the house. This is especially noticeable in winter when a neighbor burns something they shouldn’t. It can sometimes bring tears to your eyes.
6. No, that is not the reason we are building again now. We are not completely satisfied with our current floor plan, and a third children's bedroom is missing. But our experiences are the reason why we are now building with solid construction and without insulation.
2. We have a heat exchanger, that is, a mechanical ventilation system with heat recovery.
3. The manufacturer is Pluggit (may I mention that here?) – so it’s not a cheap part; everything is properly installed and functioning correctly.
4. The kitchen smells (closed kitchen) still spread throughout the entire ground floor in our house.
5. Not only cooking odors, but also outdoor smells enter the house. This is especially noticeable in winter when a neighbor burns something they shouldn’t. It can sometimes bring tears to your eyes.
6. No, that is not the reason we are building again now. We are not completely satisfied with our current floor plan, and a third children's bedroom is missing. But our experiences are the reason why we are now building with solid construction and without insulation.
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