Building an efficient home: the importance of insulation

At Slow Studio, we always strive through our blog to share knowledge on how to build an efficient and healthy home as clearly as possible; in this regard, we aim to provide information on construction systems or techniques that may sometimes seem complex, but are actually based on very simple principles.

This is the case with home insulation; although there are a multitude of systems and products on the market—some healthier and more sustainable than others—insulation is actually based on a few key principles that must be respected if we are to build an efficient and healthy home.

In the field of architecture, as in many other technical disciplines where multiple climatic and construction factors must be considered, one never knows enough, and it is necessary to apply knowledge to each new location; every new project is situated in a unique location, with a microclimate that establishes new humidity and temperature conditions.

Learning to build an efficient home as our grandparents did

Sometimes it is more useful to look at ancestral solutions than at complex technological mechanisms. Understanding the constructions of our grandparents and comprehending traditional knowledge is essential to adapting lifelong construction techniques to modern building materials.

In the past, the possibilities for generating energy for heating or cooling were very limited, and for this reason, houses had to make the most of natural resources, using the heat and light of the sun or ventilation to function.

With advances in energy technology, construction knowledge was supplemented by using energy sources such as gas or electricity, which also brought advances in home comfort that today seem as indispensable as lighting or household appliances.

However, this development has proven to be unsustainable; the price of oil and fossil fuels increases every day, and we know that these are limited resources that are being exhausted and also lead to environmental degradation that is causing climate change.

How to build an efficient home?

Based on these premises, connecting the dots seems simple. Recovering traditional knowledge and applying technological advances in renewable energy to it is what is known as energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency in a home is therefore based, first, on applying knowledge of construction systems that take advantage of natural resources and, second, on supplying the remaining energy through renewable systems.

This is applicable to both new homes and renovations. Let’s see how to carry it out.

building an efficient home in 3 steps

If we summarize the above, we see that the solution for building an efficient home involves the application of three strategies.

1. Recovering the wisdom of traditional construction

Through the design of passive energy harvesting systems, designing houses with good orientation that utilize and regulate solar heat and light as well as natural ventilation.

2. Applying current technology

Technological progress, when well applied, allows us today to build an efficient home that has practically no heat loss. By increasing insulation and solving construction details using current technology, we achieve airtight and super-insulated homes that have no energy loss; therefore, all the heat generated remains inside.

3. Using renewable energy sources

Finally, the remaining energy contribution—whether because we want to raise the temperature of the house slightly more or to heat water and use appliances—is achieved through renewable energy collection systems such as geothermal or solar energy.

From these three points, we can go further and talk about homes that also collect and filter rainwater for multiple uses, or about waste reduction and elimination to achieve an efficient home. However, considering that more than 90% of the homes in our country do not meet these three basic requirements, we have a lot of work ahead in terms of sustainability to successfully build efficient homes.

insulation: the key to building an efficient home

Based on the points mentioned, where do we start? Obviously, if we want to build an efficient new-build home, we must apply every strategy one by one; but if we are talking about a renovation, we can neither move the location nor increase solar incidence, so we must act on what already exists.

To reduce energy consumption, the solution will be to need less energy, something achieved by maintaining the interior temperature and, therefore, through insulation.

This is what is known as the thermos house. If I have a container that maintains the temperature inside, I will need very little energy to keep it hot or cold. For this reason, we must achieve a thermos house.

REMEMBER!

Heating a poorly insulated house, even with renewable energy, is not effective if heat is lost through walls, roofs, and windows.

A well-insulated house needs much less energy to heat or cool.

how to insulate a house?

At this point, it is time to take action! How do we insulate a dwelling to build an efficient home?

Obviously, if we are talking about a new home, it will be very easy to work with greater insulation thicknesses and construction details that guarantee airtightness and continuity to avoid any point where heat could be lost.

If it is a renovation, we must evaluate each particular case, taking into account the construction system used and the required investment.

However, the intent of this article is to set out general guidelines for action to detect the places where most energy is being lost.

Roof

This is the place where we have the most solar incidence; normally, roofs are where the greatest heat or cold gains occur, and for this reason, it is essential to increase their insulation. Furthermore, it is often the most accessible and simple place to increase insulation, especially in a renovation.

Walls

In walls, especially facades, we must consider, in addition to thermal insulation, another closely related concept: thermal inertia. This is a characteristic that depends on the thickness and density of the material and is its capacity to store heat.

The concept of thermal inertia

To understand the concept of thermal inertia, it is necessary to consider the air stored inside a construction material. For example, stone is very dense and has no air; however, cellulose insulation has a lot of air inside. For this reason, stone has high thermal inertia but little insulating power, unlike cellulose, which has no capacity to store heat but does have high insulating power.

A few centimeters of an insulating material such as wood fiber board or wool insulate much more than a one-meter stone wall.

A wall with high thermal inertia ensures that the building does not heat up or cool down quickly thanks to its capacity to store heat.

Thermal bridges

Thermal bridges are delicate points in the home where heat loss occurs. They can be due to multiple reasons but generally occur where walls meet elements such as windows or doors, shutter boxes, chimneys, etc.

These are specific points where the insulation is inferior and has a smaller thickness than in the rest of the home; for this reason, heat loss occurs, which can also cause a temperature differential and generate condensation leading to dampness or the appearance of mold.

It is important to detect these points and constructively resolve the detail of the junction.

Windows

Up to 30% of a building’s heat can be lost through windows; for this reason, it is important that they consist of double glazing with an intermediate air chamber. In colder climates, low-emissivity glass can be installed to intensify the greenhouse effect inside the home.

It is also important to use natural materials such as wood, which has lower thermal conductivity.

INSULATION AND HEALTH

Finally, we must not forget the effect of insulation on the home as a whole. Selecting a natural material that breathes is not only a guarantee that the home will eliminate possible dampness naturally, but it will also have a favorable impact on the home’s indoor environment and the health of its occupants.

Synthetic insulation based on petroleum derivatives has become popular in recent years due to its low cost and high insulating capacity; however, in many cases, these are insulations that do not breathe and generate condensation and dampness.

We hope we have helped you better understand the concept of thermal insulation and health for building an efficient home.

In any case, if you have any questions or would like us to advise you on building an efficient home or renovating a house, we will be happy to help.

Our team has specialized in efficient and healthy homes that take advantage of the local climatic conditions to make the most of materials and construction systems.