ᐅ Wooden Ceiling and Partial Insulation for Basement with Garage
Created on: 20 Jan 2021 17:54
S
Schwabe23
Hello everyone,
we are planning a passive house with a timber frame structure together with an architect. The house will have a basement, with part of the basement used as a garage. We want to minimize the footprint as much as possible because the garden is very important to us. The other two rooms in the basement are intended to be used as storage space and a small workshop, possibly also for technical equipment. The basement is only expected to be heated temporarily, if at all. The kitchen will be located above the underground garage. We have discussed various options, and the garage keeps posing challenges because, of course, opening the garage door will let a rush of cold air into the house.
The architect’s proposal is to exclude the basement from the thermal envelope and build an insulated wooden ceiling above the basement to prevent thermal bridges. The ceiling is mostly above ground level and would only need to be separated from the earth with a shaft over a distance of about 5 meters (16 feet). The garage would not be insulated at all, and the rear utility rooms would only be insulated on their exterior walls. The interior wall facing the garage would of course be insulated as well. Naturally, the concrete walls would need to be properly reinforced to withstand the earth pressure.
An alternative would be to build a conventional concrete ceiling and extend the thermal envelope around the basement, but in that case the garage would need to be insulated from the inside so that we don’t get cold floors in the kitchen.
Do you have experience with wooden ceilings in lightly insulated basements? What do you think of this approach? I am concerned that different climate zones might lead to mold development.
Many thanks in advance for your help
we are planning a passive house with a timber frame structure together with an architect. The house will have a basement, with part of the basement used as a garage. We want to minimize the footprint as much as possible because the garden is very important to us. The other two rooms in the basement are intended to be used as storage space and a small workshop, possibly also for technical equipment. The basement is only expected to be heated temporarily, if at all. The kitchen will be located above the underground garage. We have discussed various options, and the garage keeps posing challenges because, of course, opening the garage door will let a rush of cold air into the house.
The architect’s proposal is to exclude the basement from the thermal envelope and build an insulated wooden ceiling above the basement to prevent thermal bridges. The ceiling is mostly above ground level and would only need to be separated from the earth with a shaft over a distance of about 5 meters (16 feet). The garage would not be insulated at all, and the rear utility rooms would only be insulated on their exterior walls. The interior wall facing the garage would of course be insulated as well. Naturally, the concrete walls would need to be properly reinforced to withstand the earth pressure.
An alternative would be to build a conventional concrete ceiling and extend the thermal envelope around the basement, but in that case the garage would need to be insulated from the inside so that we don’t get cold floors in the kitchen.
Do you have experience with wooden ceilings in lightly insulated basements? What do you think of this approach? I am concerned that different climate zones might lead to mold development.
Many thanks in advance for your help
The bare passage from the bathroom to the bedroom or kids’ room would also motivate me to use mirrored glass panels. (Neighbors?) The sauna is usually 2 x 2 m (6.5 x 6.5 ft) inside, so that two people can lie diagonally at the top. There are also modern glass sauna/shower solutions available.
S
Schwabe2323 Jan 2021 11:57The garage will, of course, be separated from the basement by a wall with a door. We also plan to insulate this. Fire protection is certainly an important consideration. Is this compatible with the wooden ceiling?
The large windows upstairs are mainly intended to bring light into the house, which we lose due to the large balcony on the ground floor (which also has advantages in midsummer). In winter, they also provide solar gains. The entire upper floor will be shaded with S-Onro roller shutters to prevent indoor temperatures from reaching around 40°C (104°F) in summer. Still, the roller shutters can be adjusted to allow enough light in and, unlike blinds, remain effective even in wind. Privacy from the street will primarily be provided later by a hedge and a large tree. Until then, the roller shutters will likely stay down more often. The size of the tree will depend on the remaining budget.
I think mirrored glass quickly looks like an office building and is of no use in the dark.
The large windows upstairs are mainly intended to bring light into the house, which we lose due to the large balcony on the ground floor (which also has advantages in midsummer). In winter, they also provide solar gains. The entire upper floor will be shaded with S-Onro roller shutters to prevent indoor temperatures from reaching around 40°C (104°F) in summer. Still, the roller shutters can be adjusted to allow enough light in and, unlike blinds, remain effective even in wind. Privacy from the street will primarily be provided later by a hedge and a large tree. Until then, the roller shutters will likely stay down more often. The size of the tree will depend on the remaining budget.
I think mirrored glass quickly looks like an office building and is of no use in the dark.
Schimi179123 Jan 2021 12:14Schwabe23 schrieb:
The garage will, of course, be separated from the basement by a wall with a door. We also plan to insulate this. Fire protection is certainly an interesting aspect. Is that compatible with a wooden ceiling? As far as I know, the garage must be separated from the basement rooms by a fire-rated door (at least T30). These doors are also reasonably well insulated, although that likely plays a minor role for a basement. Storing wood in our garages has never been an issue for anyone. However, it is stored inside the garage. A wooden ceiling would be in contact with the living space above. In my opinion, that would make a fire-rated door pointless. However, wood can also be treated to be fire-resistant. There are definitely regulations and standards regarding this 🙂
Schimi1791 schrieb:
A bathroom of only 4.4 sqm (47 sq ft) in the granny flat might be quite small for a person requiring care. [...] I personally think a children’s room smaller than 12 sqm (130 sq ft) is unreasonable. You seem to have mixed up the terms. A children’s room of “only” eleven or ten square meters is quite small, and a care bathroom under eight square meters (86 sq ft) is already unreasonable.
Schwabe23 schrieb:
Plan B would be to close off the gallery, which would really pain us since it is literally a “highlight” of the house. This house won’t suddenly become run-of-the-mill just because the gallery is omitted. It doesn’t always have to be luxury—gags and gimmicks also lose their appeal in everyday life.
Nida35a schrieb:
Mirrored windows (neighbor’s raised hide) Discretion depends on the viewer’s upbringing. Learning this, the neighbor can be expected to take some responsibility.
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