Efficient Construction
Certainly, you have heard about the environmental problems that man has to face and immediately reverse. Did you know the type of construction of your house may influence the way we treat the environment?
Do you know of any construction methods that are environmentally friendly and affordable? In this article, we will show you two increasingly fashionable types of construction. Portugal already has some construction companies with environmental concerns.
The general idea in the past was to find a home for life and perhaps for future family generations. In many cases, the children moved on to other places, leaving family homes in oblivion. What we can observe is that these same houses today are ruins and not even their materials can be reused.
Currently, the concept of having a home for life no longer exists. More and more families are moving for many reasons, either to have better conditions or to increase their household size. But what if we told you that now it is possible to move your house from one place to another, or increase the number of rooms your household has?
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Modular house
This type of house is familiar to you, but do you know the advantages of acquiring it?
- The main characteristic of modular houses is undoubtedly the shorter construction time. It varies from builder to builder, but in a controlled environment it is estimated between 60 and 120 days of construction. In other words, without being dependent on the climate situation, and the usual unforeseen events in traditional construction. The whole construction process is previously studied and done inside a factory. The values of these homes can also be impressive, as a house can cost only 37,000 euros per 62m². For those who already have a plot of land ready for construction, there are companies of modular construction that, when selling these houses, already have the permits to live in the house.
- Another relevant advantage is the choice of building typology and the aesthetics in general. The choice of typology does not have to be planned right at the start of construction, it can include an additional bedroom or any other room when necessary. You can also count on the help of the designers present in these construction companies as they will know how to guide you to get the house you want. If you don't have any ideas, you can always be inspired by existing homes, or even buy one, and you're ready to live in your new home.
- In modular house construction, no foundations are needed. This way, the house can be transported from one place to another with some ease. Regarding the purchase of a new home in the future housing destination, it will eventually compensate for the transportation of your modular home to another place.
- The materials chosen for this kind of construction are of high quality. Because they’re previously made in a factory there is a higher supervision of them. Another advantage you can derive from the materials is undoubtedly the thermal insulation they provide, which lets you save money on energy, both in winter and summer. Another contribution to the preservation of the environment is the almost zero waste of material compared to traditional construction.
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Passive house
Maybe you have never heard about this kind of construction, but it is one of the most effective for an efficient house. The name of this construction can be passive house or passivhaus, in German. In the scale of the energy certificates, these houses are on the top, this is a standard that refers to energy efficiency in order to reduce the ecological footprint. This results in ultra-low usage, which requires little energy consumption in both heating and cooling the rooms of the house.
- This method can be done in stages and has the particularity of being able to be applied to existing houses with traditional constructions. The main reason for the Portugal Passivhaus association, in charge of implementing this method in our country, is that new constructions are made according to this principle. Another objective of this association is to have an energy-independent house.
- This method contributes to the health of the inhabitants of the house. There is more air quality, less thermal fluctuations and therefore thermal comfort, which is around 20 ° to 25 ° all year round.
- With a passive house, you can expect to save up to 75% on your energy bill. The right thermal insulation for your home will keep cold or heat out. There are several types of products that can be applied, such as expanded cork agglomerate or mineral wool. Windows and doors are the points of escape or thermal entry from outside. To be more efficient, you need the right materials and for that it is estimated that you will spend 5% more than in traditional construction. This investment is quickly reversed over the years through energy savings.
- When planning the house, it is important to take into account the orientation of the house. This is one of the essential bases for having a house with a reduced ecological footprint. (see more about energy efficiency, here)