Browse Forums Heating, Cooling & Insulation 1 Feb 17, 2009 6:50 pm I'm just about to build a double storey house and I'm having difficulties determining what is important in keeping my house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I also want noise to be reduced between rooms and the floors as well.
Just to give you an idea of what the house plans are, my living areas are facing north and west and the bedrooms on the top floor are predominantly the same. The house will be built in Western Sydney where it can get pretty cold during the winter ( down to 0 degrees) and very hot in the summer (40 degrees+). The builder will be installing sarking, and roof/wall insulation as part of basix, but I want to make sure they install what I really need. Any suggestions are much appreciated. Troy Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 2Feb 17, 2009 7:28 pm Bedrooms in the west are a worry. Make sure you've got good cross flow ventilation for those hot summer nights. Also, consider ceiling fans for bedrooms and living areas.
I assume that a full brick house is outside your budget, but these are great for thermal performance. Double glazing is a good idea, but you need to find someone who will supply double glazing without costing the earth. Make sure your north faces have shading over the windows. The idea is to get shading that extends about 45% out as far as the measurement from the shading device to the bottom of the window. Keep windows to the west small. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 3Feb 17, 2009 7:37 pm Casa2 Bedrooms in the west are a worry. Make sure you've got good cross flow ventilation for those hot summer nights. Also, consider ceiling fans for bedrooms and living areas. I assume that a full brick house is outside your budget, but these are great for thermal performance. Double glazing is a good idea, but you need to find someone who will supply double glazing without costing the earth. Make sure your north faces have shading over the windows. The idea is to get shading that extends about 45% out as far as the measurement from the shading device to the bottom of the window. Keep windows to the west small. 1. The main bedroom faces west and is the one that I'm most concerned about. I will be installing ceiling fans in all bedrooms. 2. The house will be full brick 3. I guess I could ask the builder the cost for double glazing. In my situation what would the benefit be of double glazing? 4. We will have 450mm eaves and plantation shutters on every window. 5. There are no windows upstairs facing west and downstairs west facing windows will be covered by a pergola. Troy Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 4Feb 17, 2009 8:11 pm Troy,
Sounds like a good start, particularly the full brick. Double glazing will reduce the amount of heat lost through your windows to about half. Also, most of the heat will escape out your windows so reducing the loss to half will half your heating requirements. Cheers, Casa Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 6Feb 17, 2009 8:26 pm All is best, otherwise aim for the living area zone. By zone, I mean an area that can't be closed off. Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 7Feb 17, 2009 9:45 pm Plan on external shades outside the windows so you can stop the heat from the west getting inot the room in the first place.
Double glazing will help and as casa says, cross flow ventilation - With a double story house try to bring cool air in from downstairs and allow it to flow up through the house and vent the hot air out during the day. Also install awning windows that will allow you to leave them safely open and yet still have air move through to get rid of any excess heat that may build up on really hot days. Noise - use a sound absorbing product to reduce the noise tranmission. re glazing This might help. http://www.agga.org.au/images/downloads/library/StayWarmStayCoolBrochure.pdf Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 8Feb 18, 2009 6:30 am The main bedroom thats facing west doesn't have a window. It has a balcony door that faces south and an ensuite window that faces north. I want to be able to shield the west facing wall with something to stop the immense heat penetrating into the room.
Any suggestions? Troy Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 10Feb 18, 2009 9:34 pm digga123 I'm just about to build a double storey house and I'm having difficulties determining what is important in keeping my house cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Good on you for considering these issues. We are just about to complete our energy efficient house based on passive solar principles. Its appearance is quite conventional but even the builder has commented how comfortable it is to work in during this Adelaide heatwave. We found that the following website is full of useful ideas: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs46.html http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs45.html Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 11Feb 19, 2009 12:06 pm Yak_Chat Mak sure the wall has sisalation and insulation in it. Works a treat at my place with western facing walls. You confirmed what I had in mind. Thanks Troy Passive Solar Design 13Feb 19, 2009 8:48 pm Climate
Latitude 34 deg Altitude 570m Rainfall 95mm/month (75mm/month Oct-May, 125mm/month Apr-Sept) Daily temperature range [July: 4.9 (min) 8.6 (max), February:13 (min) 22.2 (max)) Heating season May-Sept Cooling season Nov-Mar Insolation (June: 6.0MJ/day, Jan: 27 MJ/day) Summer wind: Easterly (am), Westerley (pm) Winter wind: West to Northwesterly[/list] Site
Fully cleared site Medium bush fire risk No obstruction to solar access Tree line 40m SWW of building No main gas, water or sewer (bore access only) Medium bushfire risk Passive solar features
Glazing area 19% by floor area to North, 6% to south, < 1.5% West/East Living areas/Study/Lounge north side, Bedrooms/Laundry/Bathroom south side Slab-on-grade thermal mass Shading 450mm eaves to North side (fully admits winter sun, fully excludes midday sun after Dec 7) Window and door seals fitted throughout Bulk Insulation: Fbireglass batts R 3.5 (ceiling), R 2.0 (walls) Timbercrete 120mm Veneer: R 0.5 Reflective foil: Roof (Sisalation). Walls (Tyvek Enercor) Heat reflective paint: Roof (Astec Energy Star - Woodland Grey) Water tanks along west wall to buffer low summer sun Double garage along east wall to buffer low summer sun Double glazing / Aluminium frame: Main living quarters and MBR Casement windows to capture summer breeze Exhaust fans fitted with backdraft dampers Window/Door openings aligned to maximise cross-ventilation Energy saving features
Solar HWS - Solarhart Thermosiphon (Close-coupled) system with electric boost Hot water pipe insulation R 1.0 Wet areas kept close together (short pipe runs for heater); kitchen closest to HWS Cellular blinds R 0.2 to 0.4 Ceiling fans for cooling Efficient inverter technology zoned RCAC for both heating / cooling - fan mode only for air redistribution Ducted in-line heat transfer kits from north side rooms to south side Expella high efficiency toilet exhaust system Extensive use of fluorescent / compact fluorescent lights Avoidance of draughty.difficult to insulate, inefficient downlights Fridge recess ventilated through wall Construction
Brick veneer with Timbercrete blocks Zincalume roof Finishes Bamboo flooring to living areas Natural wool carpet to bedrooms Low VOC paint (Dulux EnvirO2) Water saving features
Biolytix Aerobic Wastewater System (Trickling biofilter) with subsurface irrigation of 300m2 orchard and garden WELS 4 to 6 star plumbing fittings Avoidance of water inefficient mixer taps Compromises in passive solar design
Double glazing only to selected rooms Southern side higher than recommended glazing ratios (opens to entertainment area) No additional wall mass Bamboo floor instead of tile or exposed concrete floor Carpet to bedroom areas Staggered building envelope (increased surface area to volume / increased heat loss) Sliding glass doors (more difficult to weatherseal) Rangehood (no backdraft damper) RCAC instead of wood heater (more convenient and also incorporates a cooling system) LPG cooktop PS there would have been other cheaper solutions and finishes that would provide equal energy/water performance but we made some concessions to design aesthetics, comfort or convenience Alternative cheaper options to above
tile on concrete slab, single glazed windows sliding windows with additional window seals DIY movable exterior shades to windows or removable shadesails climbing plants to shield west wall home-made 'thermal curtains' rooms vented through celing and out of ridge vent (but not in medium bushfire risk zone) paint roof white composting toilets + greywater recyling system Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 14Feb 20, 2009 11:43 am Sounds like you have western windows sorted. Just try to reduce the size if possible. Double glazing will only work to keep in heat and keep out heat from hot conditions ie hot air, it will not keep out heat from direct sun on the window.
Qu what do you mean by full brick? If you mean double brick walls like we built in the 70's I would strongly recommend against it. Go with Dynomites ideas for insulation. Johnnojack digga123 Casa2 Bedrooms in the west are a worry. Make sure you've got good cross flow ventilation for those hot summer nights. Also, consider ceiling fans for bedrooms and living areas. I assume that a full brick house is outside your budget, but these are great for thermal performance. Double glazing is a good idea, but you need to find someone who will supply double glazing without costing the earth. Make sure your north faces have shading over the windows. The idea is to get shading that extends about 45% out as far as the measurement from the shading device to the bottom of the window. Keep windows to the west small. 1. The main bedroom faces west and is the one that I'm most concerned about. I will be installing ceiling fans in all bedrooms. 2. The house will be full brick 3. I guess I could ask the builder the cost for double glazing. In my situation what would the benefit be of double glazing? 4. We will have 450mm eaves and plantation shutters on every window. 5. There are no windows upstairs facing west and downstairs west facing windows will be covered by a pergola. Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 16Feb 20, 2009 4:15 pm Johnnojack Sounds like you have western windows sorted. Just try to reduce the size if possible. Double glazing will only work to keep in heat and keep out heat from hot conditions ie hot air, it will not keep out heat from direct sun on the window. Not quite accurate. Double glazing with Low-E glass will keep out (or in) radiant heat. "ECOECO" At 'EcoEco', we design windows, we design the best windows, we do it for you, so that when you’re happy we are happy. Tel. 1800 326 326 Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 17Feb 20, 2009 6:18 pm Casa2 Full brick is great for thermal perfomance. Reverse brick veneer provides equivalent thermal mass without the wasted money spent on the external leaf. RBV adds about 5-10% to the total cost of the construction. Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 18Feb 20, 2009 6:20 pm ed @ EcoClassic Johnnojack Sounds like you have western windows sorted. Just try to reduce the size if possible. Double glazing will only work to keep in heat and keep out heat from hot conditions ie hot air, it will not keep out heat from direct sun on the window. Not quite accurate. Double glazing with Low-E glass will keep out (or in) radiant heat. What are the lowest achievable emissivity levels for infra-radiation? Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 19Feb 20, 2009 6:30 pm dymonite69 Casa2 Full brick is great for thermal perfomance. Reverse brick veneer provides equivalent thermal mass without the wasted money spent on the external leaf. RBV adds about 5-10% to the total cost of the construction. We agree that brick is the best material for internal walls. So we can leave them alone. Now for external walls. What's the best material. We need to consider: 1) Cost 2) Appearance 3) Maintenance 4) Thermal performance (they're all the same) 5) Durability Personally, I find face bricks give the best optimisation of the five requirements. Cheers, Casa Demolition August 2009, Construction Started September 2009, Completed December 2010 Re: Insulation, Sarking, Double Glazing etc... 20Feb 20, 2009 7:05 pm Casa2 dymonite69 Casa2 Full brick is great for thermal perfomance. Now for external walls. What's the best material. We need to consider: 1) Cost 2) Appearance 3) Maintenance 4) Thermal performance (they're all the same) 5) Durability Since the Georgian is look is all the rage why not rendered aerated concrete walls. More insulation than clay brick, less embodied energy and lighter and faster to erect than laying masonry. The insulation value of clay brick is neglible, all its thermal properties are related to thermal mass (and that is best kept inside the house) This is one of the reasons I decided to go overseas for my double glazed windows. As the builder indicated, he's worked on many upmarket builds, these were the most well… 13 19235 Building Standards; Getting It Right! Hi all I’m in VIC and had some storm damage in my garage a month ago. Gutter found not fit for purpose. Insurance company saying the guttering and flashing to be fixed… 0 11712 For your reference Performance Labels: Window assemblies in housing, except timber windows, must be labelled so the label can be seen when it is in situ. For timber… 6 7713 |