Wood is a material widely used in the construction of sustainable homes, although modern ecological or even bioclimatic houses have little to do with the typical house made by hand with wooden planks.
With them, sustainability is sought both through the certification of the wood itself and other materials, as well as when building an isolated space, which maximizes energy efficiency, significantly reducing costs compared to other conventional constructions .
There are many companies that are dedicated to building designer wooden houses, and their prices can be prohibitive or moderately accessible, depending on the type of house in question. Normally, the prefabricated and modular are usually inexpensive, especially if we compare them with the exorbitant prices of brick and cement houses , whose environmental impact is also much greater.
- Ecological and sustainable
- Passive wooden houses
- Prefabricated and modular houses
- Conclusions
Index
Ecological and sustainable
If we make ourselves, either using traditional techniques or taking advantage of new materials and techniques of construction , it will be easier asking for guidance and assistance to associations and groups that encourage the construction of houses with natural materials like wood, mud, straw or bamboo.
In general, the main advantages of building a wooden house are low cost, it requires little energy and simple tools for its realization, as long as we do not have great pretensions. In addition, we will achieve a resistant structure and, with the proper treatments of the wood, a great durability.
Challenges, meanwhile, will achieve household ecologically sustainable and economically, with high thermal insulation, seepage control and indoor air quality. In this sense, ventilated chambers will be applied in partitions and walls to further isolate the house.
Achieving satisfactory results will be possible through different systems used for wood construction, such as the one based on a light framework or on counter-laminated panels, two of the most common.
The foundation, for its part, requires a prior geotechnical study so that the house is isolated from the ground and there are no weight problems or, in general, safety in relation to the type of soil. In this regard, it is convenient to have rigorous information.
Depending on your results, the type of wood will also be chosen since, for example, laminated wood will weigh less and will be convenient if the soil is rocky. Likewise, when choosing the wood, ideally it will be sought that it has the Technical Building Code (CTE), certified origin – at least, the PEFC (International Forest Certification Association) seal – and sustainable, and is treated and protected.
Passive wooden houses
Some wooden timber houses are built following the energy efficiency standards of the Passivhaus institute in Germany for the creation of “passive” houses, a name that refers to a series of characteristics that minimize energy consumption and seek indoor air quality. , so aeration is also taken care of.
Although wood is a great natural insulator, these types of houses are added a number of elements that ensure thermal insulation and Control of infiltrations , as well as harnessing solar energy, in order to avoid the use of air conditioners during all year.
Among other materials, natural cellulose is added, which can come from recycled paper, while a strategic design of the enclosures is carried out with glazing reinforced with several sheets of glass, in order to achieve greater insulation.
On the other hand, the procedures used in these houses certified by the Passivhaus institute can serve as a guide or inspiration when carrying out our own project.
Prefabricated and modular houses
Building a house using modules is much easier for the buyer, although it will be laborious to compare budgets and choose the most sustainable manufacturing systems.
Not surprisingly, for it to be a truly ecological option we have to inform ourselves in detail about all the materials that are going to be used, their origin and eco-friendly practices that will be applied during the manufacturing process.
Currently, the market offers prefabricated and modular wooden houses in which eco-certified and even recycled materials are used, designed in favor of energy efficiency and the use of natural resources.
Still, all that glitters is not gold. Do not confuse the use of non-toxic or innocuous materials with other sustainable ones due to their origin or recycling. Or, for example, let’s take transport costs into account, as these often carry a significant carbon footprint. In any case, the means of transport chosen for the reception of construction material also influences.
Conclusions
When choosing its location, we need land, permission to build, which will mean an extra expense, which in no case will be higher than that of the construction of another type of house.
Curling the loop, if wooden houses were generalized , it would produce a significant use of land and natural resources, although it would most likely be a trend that would demonstrate greater ecological awareness on the part of citizens. Therefore, in return, the planet would receive greater care in every way.
Anyway, the construction of houses of wood that follow ecological criteria aimed at sustainability and welfare, certainly a commitment to a life and a more natural and environmentally friendly world.
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