Decor : Still don’t know what passivhaus are?
In recent years the term passivhaus or passive houses has acquired great importance in the world of architecture since they seek to be the most respectful with the environment. But, do you know what this type of construction consists of and what are its main characteristics? If you want to know more, keep reading because we explain it to you below.
What are the passivhaus?
When you speak of the term passivhaus you have to go back to the 1980s in Germany, where a construction of houses with the best energy consumption, and if possible, that this consumption was zero. To achieve this low energy consumption, it is necessary to minimize the heat losses that are usually carried out in any home, thus achieving a pleasant thermal sensation throughout the year, regardless of the time in which we are.
Characteristics of a passivhaus construction
For a home to be considered passivhaus, it is necessary that it meet a series of characteristics. Let’s see below which are the main ones.
Reduction of heat losses
Most homes have air leaks in areas such as doors, windows or cracks, a leak that affects the air conditioning no matter how small it is. To avoid these leaks, it is necessary to have the adequate insulation, an insulation that helps us to those constant thermal losses. To achieve this objective, houses that are considered passivhaus must have a continuous insulation system between all the elements that are part of the building’s envelope layer.
Be careful with the walls and floors
In addition to the elements through which the air conditioning is lost that we have commented on in the previous point, the walls and floors can also contribute to this loss. Because of this, it will be important not to forget about these parts of the house when isolating them. To achieve the best possible insulation, it will be necessary to take into account the climate of the area to choosing the right materials to meet the standards required to be considered a passive house.
Elimination of thermal bridges
When we talk about thermal bridges we are referring to those meeting points between materials that are part of the envelope layer. A clear example is found in windows, where glass is worse conductors than aluminum, which translates into a loss of heat through the frame of these.
To avoid these losses, it is necessary to look for the thermal bridge break, avoiding contact between the outer and inner faces. For this, you can make use of a material such as polyamide rods, which are a bad conductor and which helps reduce energy loss.
Special attention to doors and windows
Doors and windows are usually elements where heat loss occurs on a regular basis. To avoid these losses, it is important to install windows and doors that guarantee us better insulation, as may be the case with triple glazed windows. It is also important to choose your location well. Ideally, they should be oriented to the south so that they let in sunlight in winter, while in summer they will offer shade.
Efficient ventilation
Finally, it is necessary that the passivhaus have a efficient and mechanical ventilation. In this way, your tenants can have clean and fresh air continuously. It will also be necessary that this air be balanced, that is, that the amount of air that enters and leaves is the same amount.
Although we might think that a passivhaus is only possible in new constructions, at the moment of truth this can also be achieved in houses already built through an adequate reform. Regardless of the case, the most important thing is that we will be collaborating to take care of the environment, in addition to considerably reducing the energy used in our home.
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