Wooden houses are an ecological and more economical alternative, unlike houses built with traditional brick and concrete. Wood is not only a part of nature, but its use is beneficial to the environment. Building with wood requires less energy, has less impact on the environment and less carbon footprint than conventional construction methods: wood absorbs CO2.
Among the most common types of wooden houses are:
House made of logs: Built or assembled directly on the plot, using trunks that give it a characteristic final appearance. An advantage of this system is that the thickness of the wood acts as a wonderful interior humidity and temperature regulator. Square logs, which fit better against each other, can be used.
Light wooden framework: This is the most common alternative and the one used in Canadian houses. A large amount of small components are used, that facilitate building modules, interchangeability and pre-manufacturing.
Mobile: These houses are mounted in the factory and transported in very large parts to their final destination. Houses can be made as a single part or in several sections, depending on the final size. The walls can be made of finished wood or other kinds of finishing.
However, lately, passive wooden houses are gaining more and more space under the sun. Their features are:
– Very good thermal insulation
– Renewable energy heating (heat pump)
– Orientation of the residence towards the sun (heat marks and PHPP calculation)
– Blower door test and ventilation with recuperator
– Limited use of primary energy using energy efficient household appliances and light bulbs
– Natural materials and building design (compact design improves efficiency and low construction cost)
How do we save in a passive house?
The passive house is heated in winter by the sun passing through the windows, so the heating is automatically turned off or down. Condition: larger, very insulating windows with excellent light transmission efficiency and orientation to the south.
Advantages of wooden houses
Wood does not act as a thermal bridge, but as insulation, so it keeps the house cool in summer and warm in winter, which makes it much more sustainable. Savings are between 50% and 60% per year on heating and air conditioning.