ᐅ Construction method: 36.5 cm aerated concrete or 17.5 cm masonry with 14 cm external insulation (ETICS/EWI)

@Nordlys why are you actually building a new house?

Above all: Having a ventilation system doesn’t mean you have to change your lifestyle. Tilted windows... first of all, they allow significantly less air exchange than a ventilation system (especially noticeable in the morning after sleeping; a ventilation system provides much more fresh air, ideally even regulated by CO2 levels).

During storms, in cold weather, none of that matters — fresh, pre-warmed air is supplied to the house. No cold drafts, no slamming windows, no need to constantly manage it. You can still open windows wherever you want; it’s not mutually exclusive.

But OK, some people simply refuse any kind of progress — that seems to be the real clash of civilizations. “Things were better in the past,” after all.

Of course... the windows need to stay closed. Instead, a machine will be installed that does what every window can do: bring in fresh air. That’s what I call artificial ventilation.

If the air is stagnant, shoveling won’t help. But hey, it’s cheap, so totally your choice...

Alex85 schrieb:
@Nordlys why are you building new?

Good question. After selling our detached house and with our building savings contract maturing, we honestly looked for an older house to buy, but it had to be single-story. Otherwise, we could have kept the detached house. That didn’t work out here. The existing properties available were either extremely expensive, very old and run-down, or located in the middle of nowhere. So we changed our approach and decided to buy the land and talk to builders to find out what it would cost to build new. And surprise, it’s not a penny more expensive. Only the heating system won’t be 10 to 20 years old, we get to choose the tiles, the kitchen will be brand new, etc. The price for used homes around here is totally distorted by investors from Hamburg who want something by the sea. We’re not building new because of government subsidies like KfW programs or the latest technology trend. We see it quite pragmatically: if our old house cost 1000 € (about $1100) per year for gas and 800 € (about $880) for electricity, we won’t be able to reduce electricity consumption much, and the gas consumption might only drop by around 200 € (about $220) in the new house. All investments in expensive home technology never really pay off. You pay the contractor a few thousand euros and may only achieve the last 10% savings, which is about 160 € (about $175) a year.

Nordlys schrieb:
The bathroom window is always on tilt.

And do you already have black spots on the facade above the window? Mold growth on the exterior wall – for those without any other hobbies...