After a week's work on site, the team Litarh had completely raised the interior and exterior walls of the Lake House. The foundation had been laid by the owners themselves a few months earlier. It wasn't easy because digging up the ground revealed more surprises than expected. Find here, described at length, the problems encountered.
After the foundation, it was the turn of the Litarh team to take action. The first level of the house, including the floor, was assembled in 4 days. On the first day the sole and exterior walls were assembled, and on the second day all the ground floor partitions were assembled so that the ground floor was complete at the end of the day. The following days the floor, exterior and interior walls of the attic were assembled. We captured the erection of the house in episodes 2 and 3 which you can read about here.
In the episode you can watch at the end of the article, the design engineer Constantin Tudosă tells us more about how to combine and insulate the walls, floors and foundation in order to obtain a solid, sturdy and very energy efficient house (passive house).
About the Foundation again
The way the connection between the house and the foundation is made is very important so that water does not penetrate inside. It is the sole that makes this connection. A bitumen foil is laid before it is positioned to ensure waterproofing. A bituminous solution is also applied to the entire sole for waterproofing.
As a general rule, wooden structural elements are never placed in direct contact with the ground. Between the wooden structure of the house and the ground there is a foundation of concrete, reinforced concrete or stone or brick masonry. The foundation provides a height of at least 20 cm above ground level.
The wooden beams forming the base of the house are at least as wide as the wall structure. Before installation, note the wall axes on the foundation, check the dimensions and check that they conform to the plans in the structural design. Under the joists, strips of waterproofing foil are laid, which must be 10-15 cm wider than the sole.
How to think about house design
One of the questions asked by those who want a timber frame house is whether it will withstand strong winds, earthquakes or massive snowfalls. The answer is yes, it will. A house is designed to withstand an earthquake or wind, whether it is made of wood, brick or concrete. Following calculations determine how thick the walls need to be, what type of studs and other fasteners need to be used to result in a solid house. How strong the house is results from the design calculations that are made based on the material used in the construction.
The belt of the house is a very important element that is part of the resistance structure. Its role is very important because it tightens the walls and strengthens them, making them function as a whole. At the House by the Lake the belt has been fitted at every level, strengthening the structure and making it very wind-resistant. A sound-absorbing foil was also installed at the junction between levels to prevent noise propagation from the ground floor to the attic and vice versa.
Another element established after design is energy compliance, which gives the thickness of wall, floor and roof insulation. At a passive house, the annual energy consumption is max. 15 kWh/m²/year. To achieve this, thermal insulation must be very good, there must be as few thermal bridges as possible, there must be high-performance windows, airtight envelope and heat recovery from the ventilated air. Thermal insulation allows the inside of the house to be independent of the outside temperature, easily maintaining constant thermal comfort.
Watch the video below to see how all of these design requirements were met for the Josephs' Lakeside House.
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