Class Meister builds energy-efficient houses on suspended timber floorboards

Energy efficiency requirements for homes are becoming increasingly stringent and builders are forced to look for innovative solutions to meet the high standards. The nZEB regulations mandatory in Romania as of December 31, 2020 require the construction of energy-efficient, well-insulated houses in order to reduce energy consumption and maintenance costs, but also to protect the environment.

In this context Class Meister, builder of timber-framed houses, proposes a modern solution using suspended wooden floors instead of concrete slab foundations. This technology, combined with high-performance insulation materials, provides both superior energy efficiency and low environmental impact, meeting the challenges of sustainable construction.

What are the advantages of a wooden floor compared to concrete?

The use of an insulated suspended timber floor has a number of advantages over a concrete foundation slab. The most important are ease of installation, energy efficiency of the house and reduced environmental impact. The installation of this type of foundation can be done on Krinner / Tehnopieux screwed micropiles or reinforced concrete dowels. Whichever method is chosen, the technical design must first be carried out, taking into account the geotechnical and topographical studies and the load discharges for each supporting element.

The wooden floor has a superior thermal insulation compared to concrete and is lighter than concrete slab, which reduces the load on foundations. This can be a significant advantage in areas where the ground has limited bearing capacity, providing a high level of comfort at low cost.

Another advantage of this type of foundation with low inertia, but with significantly higher thermal efficiency, is eliminating completely the possibility of Radon gas infiltration into the home. Radon is a naturally occurring compound with devastating health effects. It is present in almost half of Romania and its presence can only be determined by accredited measurements.

Wood decking is the best way to insulate your house from the ground because thermal bridges are eliminated impossible to avoid a masonry slab. It eliminates that cold feeling in the soles of your feet when walking barefoot around the house. The condition is that the suspended floor is well insulated, with good quality materials and a sufficiently thick layer. The minimum recommended thickness is 25 cm.

It's no news that a timber-framed house can be built faster than a concrete or brick one. The time can be reduced even further by using suspended wooden floors. It installs quickly helping to get your home up and running in less time, but also at a lower cost by eliminating the associated costs.

When using wooden floors it is very important to pay attention to the hygrothermal exchange between the floor and the environment on either side of it. Good control of moisture transfer into the floor should be ensured and any risk of moisture retention should be eliminated by ventilation, insulation and the use of vapor barriers, depending on the construction provisions.

Foundation on Krinner screwed micropiles

Krinner micropilots are an economical solution for residential building foundations, much more environmentally friendly than the classic concrete system.

The stability and load-bearing capacity of this foundation solution is the same as that of a conventional concrete foundation. However, Krinner micro-piles have the advantage of being environmentally friendly, cheaper, more efficient in soils with a deep bearing layer and can be installed quickly as part of an efficient process. For example, a concrete foundation can be made in 3-4 weeks, whereas a Krinner micropile foundation in the same house can be made in just 1-2 days.

Below, section through a suspended foundation on Krinner micropiles by Class Meister:

1 - Floor finishing
2 - Backing/adhesive film
3 - OSB nut and feder/Agepan
4 - Smart vapor barrier film & sealing tape
5 - Wooden structure C24, 45x240mm/ 65x240mm
6 - Interior basalt wool insulation
7 - Diffusion film & sealing tape
8 - Fiber cement board
9 - Glulam main beams
10 - Krinner type micropiles

Krinner micropiles can be used for multi-family buildings (apartment blocks), wooden residential buildings, wooden houses, prefabricated wooden houses, carports, terraces, patios, gazebos, pergolas and other constructions that need a well-anchored foundation.

Class Meister can deliver and install Krinner micropilots, being one of the few companies in the country to offer this service and the only one in the region of Moldova.

Thermal insulation of floors

Thermal insulation is a key component in wood floor construction and plays a major role in the energy performance of the building. To achieve good thermal insulation, quality materials with good insulation performance must be used. There are various materials on the market ranging from natural wood fiber or cellulose to glass wool or basaltic wool.

To evaluate the effectiveness of an insulating material there is the thermal transmittance coefficient (U). The lower the coefficient, the more effective the insulating material, and the greater the impact on the energy performance of the house. The use of STEICO or GUTEX wood fiber boards, cellulose or basaltic cellulose or basaltic wool boards helps to maintain a stable indoor temperature, thus reducing the need for heating or cooling, but also has a positive impact on the environment.

Class Meister distinguishes itself by using innovative and sustainable solutions for the construction of energy efficient houses. The prefabricated suspended timber floor, together with the Krinner micropile foundation, offers not only an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional concrete construction, but also significant advantages in terms of thermal efficiency, construction time and durability. The company aims to transform the way houses are built, while having a positive impact on the environment and providing energy-efficient homes. Such houses have already been built by Class Meister in Romania, as well as in France (images below) and other European countries.