ᐅ Exterior wall insulation: yes or no?

Herti, what would your alternative be? Building like in the 1970s and waiting until the oil runs out?

Hello,

With regard to ecological building, I would like to highlight the material wood. With a massive modern log house, it is possible to combine the benefits of thermal insulation and heat storage without an insulated exterior facade. Solid wood houses reduce CO² concentration through permanently bound carbon, thus continuing to contribute to environmental protection. Indoor moisture is reduced due to wood’s high capacity to absorb and release humidity, making energy-consuming exhaust systems unnecessary.

I find the combination of well-insulated roof, windows, and foundation slab with solid wood walls to be ideal and ecological through direct sustainability.

Best regards

DerimBlockhauslebt

Log houses are nice and all, but log exterior walls without additional thermal insulation do not meet the strict energy efficiency requirements in Germany.
In addition, there are shrinkage cracks and joints caused by the construction method, which affect airtightness. Do you not have this often mentioned problem in your house?

No, we don’t have these problems because the walls were assembled from triple-glued laminated beams that were kiln-dried and then glued into complete wall panels, which were sealed airtight at the corners. This makes the walls nearly settlement-free, so we don’t have to account for the annoying 10-12cm (4-5 inches) of air gap above the interior walls.

It is also possible, through a well-insulated concrete slab, sufficiently insulated roof, solar gains, and a modern heating system, such as wood pellets, to meet the requirements of the applicable energy-saving regulations (building permit / planning permission).

Best regards

DerimBlockhauslebt

The thermal insulation of the exterior walls would then actually be insufficient (however one defines that). Is this noticeable inside the log house, for example through a cool inner surface of the exterior walls or something similar?

The thermal insulation is sufficient because the comfort level is not determined solely by the U-value, as often suggested. It is easy to calculate a wall with cardboard on both sides and a lot of trapped air in plastic bubbles in the middle to look good on paper. However, this overlooks the fact that, in addition to thermal insulation, heat storage is also necessary. Unfortunately, this fact is often concealed by many manufacturers of timber frame houses.

Also, the walls feel absolutely warm and dry even at geometric thermal bridges, such as corners.

I suggest trying out living temporarily in a solid log house so you can form your own opinion.

Best regards

DerimBlockhauslebt