Wall Accessible for the Autonomous House

The vast supply of energy characterized the industrial age has not stopped the search of materials that would allow cheaper to build warm homes. In the construction market has captured a light wooden frame construction and brick appeared more numerous holes, which came the era of clay tiles.

The market of ceramic bricks began competing concrete. There were foamed concrete, but also  ceramics, seeking a compromise between the insulation and the comprehensive strength of wall materials. Each of emerging materials for the construction of external walls solve a problem and gained a piece of the market.

Developed the technology and construction of insulation materials for the construction of the wall panels. The insulation instead of seeking compromise, optimize the use of better insulation and structural properties of each of these materials.

Wall Accessible for the Autonomous House

The modern designer has a choice of dozens of variants of the outer wall, and each of them is, according to the vendor offering, the best. The rational choice of the type of the outer wall in this situation is very difficult. Even more difficult is to choose a technology for ADD, because of the assumption that the only source of energy for heating the heat accumulator is ground under the building.

The ground temperature can not, due to heat loss, more than 30 o C. As a result, the storage capacity of the soil determines the maximum flow temperature underfloor heating, which depends on the demand for power. If we want it did not exceed 25 degrees Celsius, the demand for power has to be at the level of 16 W/m2., So the heat transfer coefficient of the walls (including all thermal bridges!) Should not be higher than U = 0.1 W / (m 2 K). In addition, the solution must be the cheapest possible that the house was available commercially.

In our discussion so initially rejected the single-layer wall, due to the inability to fully eliminate heat bridges in contact with the wall of joinery. Remaining us to choose layered walls.

It's still a great choice, but so much easier that we assumed due to daylight access to the premises of the maximum wall thickness of 50 cm. The choice is left to us several options in the two technologies. The first is the wall of the small size elements, and the second - a reinforced concrete monolith, which is prefabricated in the factory house or on site.

Dew point. The abandonment of technology masonry walls with small size elements were decisive simulations occurrence dew point, the place close to the outer surface of the wall, which - at a certain moisture - water vapor turns into water. This item appears in all divisions constructed of porous materials. So far, with the permitted by the law of large energy consumption in buildings and construction, a phenomenon that did not matter, as long as the amount of the condensed moisture was so small that it was able to fend off the summer. If, however, we need to build a wall of U = 0.1 W / (m 2 K), the condensation is prevented; moisture building material causes a decrease in the insulation.

Fabrication on site. The solution turned out to be prefabricated monolithic walls, performed directly on the site. They have several unique advantages. From the house we have a 5 cm layer of reinforced concrete, which allows the suspension of shelves and cabinets. At the same time the wall is sufficiently high heat capacity to optimally utilize solar heat gains and life.

Despite the small plate thickness and rigidity connects two concrete pillars 7.5 × 15 cm, which are structural arrangement home. Monolithic wall insulated from the outside 25 cm polystyrene ox = 0.031 W / (mK) allows for U = 0.1 W / (m 2 K), because it does not exist in the dew point. There is also no thermal bridges between the wall and the woodwork, (thanks to the installation of windows in the insulation layer) and at the back of the floor above the ground floor (thanks to 25 cm layer of expanded polystyrene formwork to pour a ring).

Attic knee walls. ADD Attic project has a longitudinal sill wall made of reinforced concrete in the formwork of polystyrene formed and OSB. Through this, the wall is not only transfer the load from the roof, but also has excellent U-value = 0.09 W / (m 2 K).

Gable roof and attic

Rafter-collar beam roof structure is insulated with 30 cm of mineral wool with a coefficient of x = 0.035 W / (mK). Warming is a vapor barrier covered with reflective foil.

South roof surface. It is designed for solar energy. Since we expect an increase in energy costs and also the rapid development of technology, the roof must be capable of easy replacement cells for new and greater productivity. Our solution is OSB sheathing (or similar) with attached universal mounting system, shielded multi-coated with polyurethane. It allows for the installation of an appropriate amount of current economic conditions hybrid cells.

North roof surface. It has a structure that allows the maintenance of the roof slant layers of grass and moss. Their task is retention and treatment of rainwater and gray water (wastewater from sinks, showers, bathtubs and washing machines). These requirements mean that the northern part of the roof and canopies over the garage, hobby room and entrance porch are made with the same technology.

Attic gable walls. They have the same value of heat transfer coefficient as the roof - U = 0.09 W / (m 2 K). They will be made in the technology of light wood frame filled with polystyrene foam, and will - like the whole house - insulated from the outside 25 cm of polystyrene.

Vertical windows and skylights

Selection windows to the House of Autonomous in terms of their multi-functionality, it is very important. The windows have us provide much sunlight as possible, protect against heat loss and ensure the undistorted view of the garden.
Author: Chicago Roofing contractor & Dallas painting contractor services