Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Mar 23, 2009 12:22 pm I would like no leaking air gaps in my new house! What are some of the requirements for building a house that keeps it's temperature constant without using air-con and cranking up the heating in Winter.(Melb) Double glazing is a must apparently Extra insulation Fans that seal off when not in use. Blueboard? What else should I think of? Re: Considerations when building a super tight house. 2Mar 25, 2009 2:38 pm The design of your house is one of the most important considerations in terms of heating and cooling. northerly aspect, eaves, passive solar, air cross flow etc. There is a lot of information out there about design principals for this sort of living. Re: Considerations when building a super tight house. 3Mar 25, 2009 6:47 pm You need some air to be able to get in and out of your house. In November here in Brisbane we have a very severe storm, a house in the Gap exploded because one window broke, and the air pressure had nowhere to go. If you do want your house fully sealed, make sure you remember this during storm season. Re: Considerations when building a super tight house. 4Mar 25, 2009 6:51 pm McKinnon - What orientation is your block? Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Considerations when building a super tight house. 5Mar 25, 2009 8:06 pm Weatherisation (air sealing) is a separate issue to insulation. It has more to do with how you seal gaps and joins rather than the types of materials you use. Here is a US website on the topic: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/y ... opic=11230 There is a saying - Build tight, ventilate right. With a tight construction the main issue becomes one of air quality (removing stale air) and moisture control (generated by various factors - perspiration, steam etc). ASHRAE have made recommendation about minimum air changes per hour required for healthy dwellings. Ventilation comes at some sacrifice of energy loss but this can be mitigated with heat recovery ventiators. Re: Considerations when building a super tight house. 6Mar 25, 2009 8:19 pm Totally correct dymonite69... Using passive airconditioning.. solarium/greenroom/cellar... Just a few Where you are coming from is where you are going to... Re: Considerations when building a super tight house. 7Mar 27, 2009 5:01 pm Yeah, I have a North facing block, yipee!!! My Open family, kitchen and meals and alfresco will face north. When I mean tight I mean airtight with no leaks. I will have plenty of light and windows and obviously my windows will be placed across facing one another as much as possible. Ideally you would engage a landscaper to give you some insight what they may need in the space to make your vision come to life… 1 13594 Hi All It has been a few weeks since my last update. The build has been progressing well. No major issues to report. The scaffolding was dropped today, gyprock will be… 96 356654 Building a fence now will help limit people dumping rubbish and soil on your property. Many houses in suburbia on small lots have fences up before a build. I moved into a… 1 4374 |