Hello everyone!
The whole process of planning and building is really difficult and slow. At every new step, I feel like no one can tell you the right way to proceed, and a lot of it is learning by doing...
Well, we managed to complete a design draft with our architect that we like. I will share it in another thread soon. Now I am focusing on how the house could be built. Ideally, I would like to build turnkey with a local general contractor (GC), alternatively by contracting individual trades – but looking at the price expectations from the architect and the structural engineer, that might be too expensive for me...
I would like to build a “healthy” home for my family. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not obsessive about it. But when I read brochures from companies like Baufritz and others, it makes you think. Wall construction is one thing – I prefer solid construction and no polystyrene, that already makes me feel quite comfortable. But what about all the sources of volatile substances, adhesives, PU foam, and so on...
What can I do, and what have you done, to ensure the healthiest possible living environment? Do windows have to be installed without foam? Should parquet flooring not be glued? What should the homeowner keep in mind?
Thanks,
Gerddieter
The whole process of planning and building is really difficult and slow. At every new step, I feel like no one can tell you the right way to proceed, and a lot of it is learning by doing...
Well, we managed to complete a design draft with our architect that we like. I will share it in another thread soon. Now I am focusing on how the house could be built. Ideally, I would like to build turnkey with a local general contractor (GC), alternatively by contracting individual trades – but looking at the price expectations from the architect and the structural engineer, that might be too expensive for me...
I would like to build a “healthy” home for my family. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not obsessive about it. But when I read brochures from companies like Baufritz and others, it makes you think. Wall construction is one thing – I prefer solid construction and no polystyrene, that already makes me feel quite comfortable. But what about all the sources of volatile substances, adhesives, PU foam, and so on...
What can I do, and what have you done, to ensure the healthiest possible living environment? Do windows have to be installed without foam? Should parquet flooring not be glued? What should the homeowner keep in mind?
Thanks,
Gerddieter
Bertram100 schrieb:
To be honest, those so-called breathable sports jackets don’t seem to breathe all that well. I definitely always end up sweaty wearing them. Comparing it to a sports jacket would actually make me suspicious. 😀 I know what you mean. It has happened to me too, but there are really good ones where you don’t end up soaked in your own sweat.
R
RotorMotor10 Sep 2021 15:21hampshire schrieb:
It can be stated that a vapor-permeable construction method helps with the exchange of gas concentrations when this concentration balance has a significant impact on the composition of the indoor air. This has been proven measurable in relation to CO2 and humidity. Ah, measurable—then please provide the actual measured figures.
I have been waiting for that from you for a long time.
Because I am quite skeptical that CO2 can pass through walls (whether wood, stone, or plastic), but not N2, O2, and others, even though those molecules are smaller?!
And the idea that they would have a preferred direction of movement makes it even more questionable!
I can understand that some building materials can temporarily absorb and release some moisture, but I would also be interested in how these materials really differ in quantitative terms.
So, how much better is clay plaster? 1%, 10%, 100%?
N
nordanney10 Sep 2021 15:41A wall that actually allowed unrestricted air exchange between the inside and outside would be a building physics disaster. Along with the air, heat and water vapor would freely move back and forth, resulting in energy waste and moisture problems up to and including mold growth.
Perhaps a brief excursus on where the idea of "breathable" walls comes from (text from Wikipedia, easier than writing it myself):
"In 1858, hygienist Max von Pettenkofer observed during air exchange measurements in his office that after supposedly sealing all gaps, the air exchange rate decreased less than expected. He explained this by a significant air exchange through the brick walls. According to current knowledge, however, he overlooked that rooms have other components besides walls, and that the stove in his test room was not sealed."
Even in masonry well known for being "breathable," water vapor diffusion — not air exchange — accounts for only about 2 to 3% of the moisture removed through regular ventilation. The term "breathable walls" is often mistakenly used to suggest that air actually passes from inside to outside through the walls. But this does not happen!
Perhaps a brief excursus on where the idea of "breathable" walls comes from (text from Wikipedia, easier than writing it myself):
"In 1858, hygienist Max von Pettenkofer observed during air exchange measurements in his office that after supposedly sealing all gaps, the air exchange rate decreased less than expected. He explained this by a significant air exchange through the brick walls. According to current knowledge, however, he overlooked that rooms have other components besides walls, and that the stove in his test room was not sealed."
Even in masonry well known for being "breathable," water vapor diffusion — not air exchange — accounts for only about 2 to 3% of the moisture removed through regular ventilation. The term "breathable walls" is often mistakenly used to suggest that air actually passes from inside to outside through the walls. But this does not happen!
Exactly the opposite. Vapor-permeable means a slightly higher moisture transfer compared to “hardly” or “not at all” vapor-permeable. Its relevance for indoor air quality is negligible. Just marketing and nothing more.
If you want good indoor air quality, materials can help (moisture-regulating, directly preventing moisture entry). However, the best solution is air exchange. Since all new buildings are legally required to be airtight, this is addressed through a ventilation strategy. There are various solutions, ranging from manual ventilation to mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
If you want good indoor air quality, materials can help (moisture-regulating, directly preventing moisture entry). However, the best solution is air exchange. Since all new buildings are legally required to be airtight, this is addressed through a ventilation strategy. There are various solutions, ranging from manual ventilation to mechanical ventilation with heat recovery.
B
Bertram10010 Sep 2021 16:22guckuck2 schrieb:
The relevance for "indoor climate" is ridiculously low.My experience has been different. I have been inside a solid wood house (the walls were entire, peeled tree trunks) and also in a house where the timber frame was filled with a clay-straw mixture. Even as a visitor, I could feel that the indoor environment was very comfortable.R
RotorMotor10 Sep 2021 16:29Bertram100 schrieb:
I have had a different experience. I have been inside a solid timber house (the walls were made of entire peeled tree trunks) and also in a house where the timber frame was filled with a clay-straw mixture. Even as a visitor, I could feel that the indoor environment was very comfortable. And what exactly felt comfortable there? Or more comfortable than in other houses? Or even more comfortable than outside?
Or was it perhaps just the appearance of the wood? Or the resin that evaporated from the wood?
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