ᐅ Which House Concept? Fundamental Questions for Building a Home
Created on: 20 Sep 2019 11:53
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Luftpumpe
Hello everyone,
We are fortunate to own a building plot and are now facing the difficult choice of how to proceed. For several months, we have been researching, visiting model homes, and actively reading forums. When it comes to layouts and features, opinions vary greatly, and depending on budget and taste, the possibilities seem endless.
But when it comes to the fundamental question of how to build today in an affordable, efficient, and above all healthy way, there should at least be a rough consensus! From everything we have read so far, we would probably prefer to build a Thoma house (36cm (14 inches) Holz100 walls), but financially that probably won’t be possible.
When we look for alternatives, we are often told that KFW40 (KFW40 / Passive House standards) is not achievable, that breathable construction is impossible, and that a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system is absolutely necessary. Then, you keep searching and come across more “alternative” options like LowTec Bio Solar houses, which seems a bit too extreme for us.
We want to build a house free of harmful substances, and avoiding various materials is the best way to be sure that in a few years, nothing new will be found to be problematic. In this sense, a pure timber house does make some sense.
Then, the advice is that solar thermal systems are not worth it, so photovoltaic systems on the roof should be used instead. To make good use of that, a heat pump is necessary, and then air-to-air heat pumps are offered because geothermal with underfloor heating is so much more expensive. So, it’s either robbing a bank or making compromises.
And that’s exactly the kind of compromises we are looking for now. Who has chosen a particular building concept and for what reasons? Is a vapor barrier really necessary in the building envelope? Which heating and insulation technologies are still cost-effective today? And how do I create the healthiest possible indoor climate?
Thank you & best regards,
Luftpumpe
We are fortunate to own a building plot and are now facing the difficult choice of how to proceed. For several months, we have been researching, visiting model homes, and actively reading forums. When it comes to layouts and features, opinions vary greatly, and depending on budget and taste, the possibilities seem endless.
But when it comes to the fundamental question of how to build today in an affordable, efficient, and above all healthy way, there should at least be a rough consensus! From everything we have read so far, we would probably prefer to build a Thoma house (36cm (14 inches) Holz100 walls), but financially that probably won’t be possible.
When we look for alternatives, we are often told that KFW40 (KFW40 / Passive House standards) is not achievable, that breathable construction is impossible, and that a mechanical ventilation with heat recovery system is absolutely necessary. Then, you keep searching and come across more “alternative” options like LowTec Bio Solar houses, which seems a bit too extreme for us.
We want to build a house free of harmful substances, and avoiding various materials is the best way to be sure that in a few years, nothing new will be found to be problematic. In this sense, a pure timber house does make some sense.
Then, the advice is that solar thermal systems are not worth it, so photovoltaic systems on the roof should be used instead. To make good use of that, a heat pump is necessary, and then air-to-air heat pumps are offered because geothermal with underfloor heating is so much more expensive. So, it’s either robbing a bank or making compromises.
And that’s exactly the kind of compromises we are looking for now. Who has chosen a particular building concept and for what reasons? Is a vapor barrier really necessary in the building envelope? Which heating and insulation technologies are still cost-effective today? And how do I create the healthiest possible indoor climate?
Thank you & best regards,
Luftpumpe
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boxandroof22 Sep 2019 13:15hampshire schrieb:
That is factually incorrect – we live in a counterexample.Perhaps you could explain this in more detail with regard to your house and concept. Thank you.H
hampshire22 Sep 2019 17:35No subsidy applied for, no KWF classification, simple heat calculation, no blower door test required, acceptance, checkmark, no hassle, we were basically free to do whatever we wanted.
However, you have worse results for compliance with the energy-saving regulations than with the test.
By the way, a blower door test is not just a form of harassment. An acquaintance of mine failed badly. During the inspection, a long list of defects was discovered—not just a single window improperly sealed.
By the way, a blower door test is not just a form of harassment. An acquaintance of mine failed badly. During the inspection, a long list of defects was discovered—not just a single window improperly sealed.
B
boxandroof22 Sep 2019 19:08hampshire schrieb:
No funding applied for, no KfW rating, simple heat calculation, no blower door test required, inspection done, checked off, no hassle, we could pretty much do whatever we wanted. Thank you for the reply. Ah yes, that's right, the blower door test is voluntary.
With KfW, you have less flexibility; with your heating concept I can especially understand that—it probably doesn't fit the funding criteria. We also opted out of KfW because of the effort involved; even the Energy Saving Ordinance already requires quite a bit that can be disadvantageous. Although, looking back, I admit I would have taken advantage of KfW 40 simply because we were not far from that standard.
We still did two blower door tests, though, because of defects found in the first test.
@boxandroof
Almost knows what was missing for the last 5%
@hampshire Should have no issues with the KfW. The heating system uses renewable energy.
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is not mandatory.
Most houses are airtight anyway. Somehow the energy saving regulations have to be complied with.
Energy consultant
Applications—that’s just annoying
Almost knows what was missing for the last 5%
@hampshire Should have no issues with the KfW. The heating system uses renewable energy.
Mechanical ventilation with heat recovery is not mandatory.
Most houses are airtight anyway. Somehow the energy saving regulations have to be complied with.
Energy consultant
Applications—that’s just annoying
B
boxandroof22 Sep 2019 22:08haydee schrieb:
@hampshire Shouldn’t be a problem with the KfW. The heating system uses renewable energy.There was also an electric direct heating involved, but I don’t know if and how that is evaluated. In any case, I can understand well why the subsidy was not claimed.haydee schrieb:
Almost, who knows what was missing for the last 5%Actually, probably not much. A few centimeters of insulation in the right place and especially someone with a sharper calculator. During construction, we only focused on KfW 55, which for me was ruled out in terms of effort versus benefit.Similar topics