ᐅ Ventilation in Prefabricated Houses (Timber Frame with External Thermal Insulation Composite System) — Is It Also Needed in Solid Construction Homes?
Created on: 27 Aug 2014 19:54
G
Grym
Hello,
We have now visited quite a few model homes. We have looked at both prefabricated houses (timber frame with external thermal insulation composite system) and solid construction houses with an open mind. As far as we inquired, solid construction houses were always without a ventilation system, while prefabricated houses always had one.
In terms of indoor climate, we consistently preferred the solid construction houses, while I found the prefabricated houses somewhat “musty” (even though the ventilation system was on when asked). How can that be, or what causes this?
Has anyone built a solid construction house without external thermal insulation composite system (so monolithic) and without a ventilation system, and experienced problems with the indoor climate?
Has anyone had experience with a prefabricated house (timber frame with external thermal insulation composite system) without a ventilation system?
We have now visited quite a few model homes. We have looked at both prefabricated houses (timber frame with external thermal insulation composite system) and solid construction houses with an open mind. As far as we inquired, solid construction houses were always without a ventilation system, while prefabricated houses always had one.
In terms of indoor climate, we consistently preferred the solid construction houses, while I found the prefabricated houses somewhat “musty” (even though the ventilation system was on when asked). How can that be, or what causes this?
Has anyone built a solid construction house without external thermal insulation composite system (so monolithic) and without a ventilation system, and experienced problems with the indoor climate?
Has anyone had experience with a prefabricated house (timber frame with external thermal insulation composite system) without a ventilation system?
We also don’t have a stove. From my winter experience with acquaintances who have a small (wood-burning) stove in the living room, it goes like this: once the room reaches 25°C (77°F), the fun ends – even hotter near the stove. Sometimes I’m actually relieved to go home – out into the pleasant sub-zero temperatures – wearing a wet shirt or T-shirt (of course under a jacket). In my experience, these small stoves are often “misused,” not just for heating the living room – with consequences, at least for the male group (I’m not the only one).
For the few (transitional) days per year when a small stove might be nice, we’ve saved ourselves the fireplace and chimney sweep visits.
Best regards
For the few (transitional) days per year when a small stove might be nice, we’ve saved ourselves the fireplace and chimney sweep visits.
Best regards
D
DerBjoern15 Sep 2014 15:56@Cascada
In new buildings, the reason for similar temperatures in different rooms is not the controlled ventilation system but rather a well-insulated building envelope. A controlled ventilation system affects the temperature by at most 0.5–1°C (1–2°F). The amount of energy that can be transferred through the air is too small to create a noticeable temperature balance between rooms using the ventilation system alone. Unlike in older buildings, where some rooms are warm and others are cool, this is simply no longer possible in new constructions. Even a 2°C (4°F) difference between rooms is already considered a challenge!
In new buildings, the reason for similar temperatures in different rooms is not the controlled ventilation system but rather a well-insulated building envelope. A controlled ventilation system affects the temperature by at most 0.5–1°C (1–2°F). The amount of energy that can be transferred through the air is too small to create a noticeable temperature balance between rooms using the ventilation system alone. Unlike in older buildings, where some rooms are warm and others are cool, this is simply no longer possible in new constructions. Even a 2°C (4°F) difference between rooms is already considered a challenge!
Cascada schrieb:
We don’t have a stove either. From my winter experience with friends who have a small (Nordic) stove in their living room, it looks like this: the fun stops at 25°C (77°F) in the living room – even warmer near the stove. Sometimes I’m actually glad to go home – out into the comfortable subzero temperatures – wearing a wet shirt or T-shirt (of course under a jacket). From experience, these small stoves are often "misused" to heat more than just the living room – with consequences, at least for the male part of the household (I’m not the only one).
For the few (transitional) days a year when a small stove might be nice, we saved ourselves the chimney and chimney sweep visits.
Best regardsI can completely confirm that. There are situations when a wood stove would be nice, but I can count those on one hand per year. I also know from friends that such a small stove can just be annoying. Most of these stoves are way too big, and when buying one, it seems like the higher the kilowatt rating, the better. The result is that you practically can’t use it because otherwise you overheat the living room.
Many people tried to convince me that I needed a stove in my new build. For what purpose? To spend countless Saturdays cutting wood? To build a shed to store it? To fill the chimney sweep’s pockets twice a year?
When you really consider everything—from storage to the chimney sweep’s fees—there is almost nothing less economical than having a wood stove for the living room.
I’m not talking about a tiled stove or a well-designed wood heating system, but those classic soapstone stoves you can get cheaply at any DIY store.
D
Doc.Schnaggls15 Sep 2014 16:07kubus schrieb:
I'm not talking about a tile stove or a well-designed wood heating system, but rather those classic soapstone stoves that you can buy cheaply at any hardware store.Honestly, anyone who brings something like that into their home usually ends up regretting it.
If you choose a wood stove, it must match the heating demand of the house and work well with the rest of the heating and ventilation system.
Just getting a cheap unit from a hardware store simply to have a stove is usually money wasted...
DerBjoern schrieb:
@Cascada
In a new build, the similar temperatures in the rooms are not due to controlled mechanical ventilation but rather the good building envelope. Controlled mechanical ventilation affects the temperature by at most 0.5–1°C (1–2°F). The amount of energy transportable by the air is far too low to create a noticeable temperature balance between rooms through ventilation. Unlike in an older building where some rooms are warm and others cool, this is simply no longer achievable in new construction. Even a 2°C (4°F) difference between rooms is already challenging!Exactly! And you have to get used to it first. At least that was my experience.
When we moved into our KfW 40 house a year ago, it was quite an adjustment. We were simply used to the bedroom being a few degrees cooler than, for example, the kitchen or living room.
Such temperature differences are no longer possible in new builds.
But to briefly return to controlled mechanical ventilation: I find it adds comfort. The air is always fresh, the indoor climate very pleasant (I can't complain about overly dry air), and when you look at the filters and see what doesn’t circulate in the room air, paying for an annual filter replacement becomes quite acceptable...
B
Bauabenteurer15 Sep 2014 17:50kubus schrieb:
But just to briefly return to the topic of controlled residential ventilation. I find it a real comfort improvement. The air is always fresh, the indoor climate very pleasant (I never have issues with air being too dry), and when you look at the filters and see everything that is kept out of the indoor air, you’re quite happy to pay for an annual filter replacement... I feel the same way!
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