ᐅ Basement as a Watertight Concrete Structure – Heating Options?
Created on: 30 Jun 2020 15:50
T
TommyD
Hello everyone,
I have been a silent reader here for a long time and find the helpful answers really good!
We are slowly starting to explore the topic of house construction and are now just about to start the floor plan design for a semi-detached house.
We are currently stuck on the subject of the basement. Due to groundwater pressure, we are planning on a waterproof concrete shell (“white tank”).
I have read extensively on this topic but now actually have more questions than certainty or knowledge.
What about heating a waterproof concrete shell?
--> We want to hang laundry in one of the basement rooms.
What about perimeter insulation and vapor barrier?
--> Does this also play a role in heating? Should all rooms that are heated be insulated from the outside?
Is it absolutely necessary to heat all rooms if they are insulated from the outside?
Does a full underfloor heating system make sense, possibly including a ventilation system (underfloor heating plus ventilation is installed in the rest of the house)?
Thank you in advance for your help!
I have been a silent reader here for a long time and find the helpful answers really good!
We are slowly starting to explore the topic of house construction and are now just about to start the floor plan design for a semi-detached house.
We are currently stuck on the subject of the basement. Due to groundwater pressure, we are planning on a waterproof concrete shell (“white tank”).
I have read extensively on this topic but now actually have more questions than certainty or knowledge.
What about heating a waterproof concrete shell?
--> We want to hang laundry in one of the basement rooms.
What about perimeter insulation and vapor barrier?
--> Does this also play a role in heating? Should all rooms that are heated be insulated from the outside?
Is it absolutely necessary to heat all rooms if they are insulated from the outside?
Does a full underfloor heating system make sense, possibly including a ventilation system (underfloor heating plus ventilation is installed in the rest of the house)?
Thank you in advance for your help!
Tarnari schrieb:
This is a bit off-topic, but why not simply skip the basement?
Plan the floor layout with storage areas, and then a basement isn’t really necessary.
It also saves a significant amount of money. Our building area is limited if we want a covered terrace (as the zoning plan requires).
Then we can only build 11 meters (36 feet) deep. The width is limited to 7–8 meters (23–26 feet), depending on the garage.
If we don’t want very awkwardly shaped rooms in our semi-detached house, a basement is almost the only option.
After all, we need to accommodate 3 children.
We have had absolutely no problems with our waterproof concrete shell; on the contrary, we are very satisfied. We have underfloor heating in all rooms except the utility room, storage, and laundry, but we do have a controlled mechanical ventilation system. In hindsight, I wish we had installed underfloor heating in the basement as well, as I would find it more comfortable. If the basement is intended to be living space (such as a playroom or similar), then definitely include heating; otherwise, you will regret it. Also, for a room like that, choose a larger basement window. I saw this at a neighbor’s house and didn’t expect it to make such a difference!
Don’t get me wrong, we don’t have any issues with moisture in the basement. But especially in summer, the dehumidifier from @Bockstars must be simple in its reasoning, otherwise you’ll bring in more moisture than you remove.
If you want to equate the basement’s indoor climate with the ground floor, you can forget about that with a waterproof concrete or masonry basement. Just as a comparison: in the ground floor I had 35% humidity in February, and in the basement 55–60%, which are really good values for a basement in its first year.
If you want to equate the basement’s indoor climate with the ground floor, you can forget about that with a waterproof concrete or masonry basement. Just as a comparison: in the ground floor I had 35% humidity in February, and in the basement 55–60%, which are really good values for a basement in its first year.
Is it possible to connect the basement to the mechanical ventilation system without heating it?
That is, a usable basement outside the thermal envelope with central ventilation?
In theory, the heat recovery would then have to be bypassed.
This would save running a dehumidifier while still providing fresh air.
However, with mechanical ventilation bypassing heat recovery, you would probably need two separate circuits, since the living areas and the basement have different requirements concerning the dew point.
An alternative might be decentralized ventilation systems that can be controlled based on the dew point, right? Installing two of these in the basement.
But this would mix central and decentralized systems again.
Or is this all nonsense?
That is, a usable basement outside the thermal envelope with central ventilation?
In theory, the heat recovery would then have to be bypassed.
This would save running a dehumidifier while still providing fresh air.
However, with mechanical ventilation bypassing heat recovery, you would probably need two separate circuits, since the living areas and the basement have different requirements concerning the dew point.
An alternative might be decentralized ventilation systems that can be controlled based on the dew point, right? Installing two of these in the basement.
But this would mix central and decentralized systems again.
Or is this all nonsense?
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