Examples of Passive House structures
Well insulated and air tight building envelope plays a major role in Passive Houses. Following principle details act as examples showing how to minimize thermal bridging effect and ensure that the envelope is air tight even at interfaces between different building components. Please note that all air and vapour barrier joints have to be carefully sealed with suitable tape. Air tightness of building envelope should be 0,6 minimum and heat recover of air ventilation efficiency minimum 75 percent in a year.
Wooden stud frame with cladding
This innovative double wooden stud frame construction practically eliminates cold bridges and reduces the overall wall thickness, too. Central un-framed insulation layer is flexible in thickness making this detail suitable for various u-value requirements. Fully covering insulation slab with integrated wind and waterproof - yet vapour permeable - facing on top of the load bearing studs finishes our number one recommendation for a wooden Passive House structure.
Additional internal frame inside the vapour barrier is essential. Service pipings are installed inside the barrier witout breaking it.
Construction:
- internal facing
- wooden stud + PAROC UNS 37z (d1) for service piping installation
- vapour barrier (all joints to be taped)
- PAROC UNS 37z (d2)
- load bearing wooden stud + PAROC UNS 37z (d3)
- PAROC WAS 25t (d4)
- nail batten + ventilated gap min 30mm
- wooden panel (or other cladding)
| Small houses | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.09 |
| d1 (50...70mm) | mm | 70 |
| d2 | mm | 175 |
| d3 | mm | 125 |
| d4 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 420 |
Wooden I-Joist frame with brick facade
This wooden I-Joist frame reduces cold bridges compared to normal wooden stud frame wall. Fully covering insulation slab with integrated wind and waterproof - yet vapour permeable - facing on top of the load bearing I-Joists significantly reduces cold bridges and the amount of moisture on I-Joists.
Additional internal frame inside the vapour barrier is essential. Service pipings are installed inside the barrier witout breaking it.
Construction:
- internal facing
- wooden stud + PAROC UNS 37 (d1) for service piping installation
- vapour barrier (all joints to be taped)
- wooden I-Joist + PAROC UNS 37z (d2)
- PAROC WAS 25t (d3)
- nail batten + ventilated gap 30mm
- brickworks
| Small houses | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.09 |
| d1 (50...70mm) | mm | 70 |
| d2 | mm | 300 |
| d3 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 420 |
Wooden stud frame with render
The thin rendered application is the most common thermal rendering system in Europe, both in new buildings and renovations. The most advanced insulation solution for these systems is lamella insulation.
The advantages of Paroc stone wool lamella insulation in passive houses are clear:
- It normally requires no mechanical fasteners (Please, check the system owners instructions!) The lamellas are glued to the supporting wall by adhesive mortar.
Construction:
- internal facing
- wooden stud+ PAROC UNS 37 (d1) for service piping installation
- vapour barrier (all joints to be taped)
- wooden stud + PAROC UNS 37 (d2)
- gypsum board
- PAROC FAL 1 (d3)
- rendering layers
| Small houses | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.09 |
| d1 (50...70mm) | mm | 70 |
| d2 | mm | 150 |
| d3 | mm | 250 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 470 |
Wooden stud frame with render II
This innovative double wooden stud frame constrcuction practically eliminates cold bridges and reduces the overall wall thickness, too. Central un-framed insulation layer is flexible in thickness making this detail suitable for variuous u-valuer requirements. Fully covering insulation lamella with render on top finishes this thermally very efficient structure.
Additional internal frame inside the vapour barrier is essential. Service pipings are installed inside the barrier witout breaking it.
The thil rendering system is the most common thermal rendering system in Europe, both in new buildings and renovations. The most advanced insulation solution fror these systems is lamella insulation.
The advantages of Paroc stone wool lamella insulation are clear:
- It normally requires no mechanical fasteners (Please check the system owners instructions!) The lamellas are glued to the supporting wall by adhesive mortar.
Construction:
- internal facing
- wooden stud + PAROC UNS 37 (d1)
- vapour barrier (all joints to be taped)
- PAROC UNS 37 (d2)
- wooden stud + PAROC UNS 37 (d3)
- gypsum board
- PAROC FAL 1 (d4)
- rendering layers
| Small houses | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.09 |
| d1 (50...70mm) | mm | 70 |
| d2 | mm | 200 |
| d3 | mm | 125 |
| d4 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 445 |
Blockwork with render
The thin rendered application is the most common thermal rendering system in Europe, both in new buildings and renovations. The most advanced insulation solution for these systems is lamella insulation.
The advantages of Paroc stone wool lamella insulation are clear:
- It normally requires no mechanical fasteners (Please, check the system owners instructions!) The lamellas are glued to the supporting wall by adhesive mortar
Construction:
- internal facing
- blockworks
- PAROC FAL 1 (d1)
- rendering layers
| Small houses | Block of flats | Office & Schools | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.09 | ≤0.12 | ≤0.15 |
|
d1 on 200mm Siporex (λd=0.12W/m2K) |
mm | 380 | 270 | 200 |
|
d1 on 200mm Leca (λd=0.25 W/m2K) |
mm | 420 | 300 | 230 |
|
d1 on 200mm Fibo (λd=0.27 W/m2K) |
mm | 420 | 300 | 240 |
Concrete wall with render
The thin rendered application is the most common thermal rendering system in Europe, both in new buildings and renovations. The most advanced insulation solution in passive houses for these systems is lamella insulation.
The advantages of Paroc stone wool lamella insulation are clear:
- It normally requires no mechanical fasteners (Please, check the system owners instructions!) The lamellas are glued to the supporting wall by adhesive mortar.
Construction:
- internal facing
- concrete
- PAROC FAL 1 (d1)
- rendering layers
| Small houses | Block of flats | Office & Schools | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.09 | ≤0.12 | ≤0.15 |
| d1 | mm | 450 | 330 | 260 |
Concrete wall with brick facade
A brick façade provides a beautiful, traditional appearance to a building. When designing brick walls the following criteria must be taken into consideration. Brick walls absorb a lot of water – the water may even penetrate through the whole brick lining. To prevent the water from leaking into the insulation a proper ventilation gap must be designed. The gap must be solid, open and finless. To ensure proper ventilation of the structure, every third vertical seam of the second lowest layer of bricks should be left open. The wall must also be designed so that water can run out of the structure. All Paroc stone wool products presented here belong to the Euroclass A1 and fulfill the highest fire demands.
Construction:
- internal facing
- concrete
- PAROC UNS 37(d1 +d2)
- PAROC WAS 25t (d3)
- Ventilated gap min 30 mm
- Brick lining
| Small houses | Block of flats | Office & Schools | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.09 | ≤0.12 | ≤0.15 |
|
d1 + d2 (100…150 mm concrete) |
mm | 375 | 250 | 200 |
| d3 | mm | 30 | 30 | 30 |
|
Total insulation thickness |
mm | 405 | 280 | 230 |
Roof ceiling with slab insulation
The insulation slabs are laid in three or more layers without gaps or cracks between the adjacent components. Generally no wind protection is required on top of insulation since the movement of air is so small that it does not affect the functioning of the insulation.
It is important to secure the ventilation to the eaves with a gap of at least 50 mm.
Construction:
- roof structure
- wind diverters
- PAROC UNS 37 (d1 + d2)
- Wooden tie beams + PAROC UNS 37 (d3)
- air and vapour barrier, plastic (all joints to be taped)
- secondary studs + PAROC UNS 37 (d4)
- inner facing
| Block of flats | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.07 |
| d1 + d2 | mm | 400 |
| d3 | mm | 100 |
| d4 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 550 |
Double insulated roof ceiling
This application uses both PAROC UNS boards and blowing wool to give double layer of insulation. The sturdy PAROC UNS stone wool boards provide a solid base that the blowing wool adheres to, making it especially suitable for pitched roof applications.
Construction:
- roof structure
- wind diverters
- PAROC BLT 6 or PAROC BLT 3 or BLT 9 (d1)
- Wooden tie beams + PAROC UNS 37 (d2)
- air and vapour barrier, plastic (all joints to be taped)
- wooden stud + PAROC UNS 37 (d3)
- inner facing
| Small houses | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.07 |
|
d1 (BLT 6 / BLT 3 / BLT 9) |
mm | 500 / 410 / 410 |
|
d2 |
mm | 120 |
|
d3 |
mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 670 / 580 |
Roof ceiling with blowing wool
Using blowing wool is an alternative method for insulating the roof ceiling joists. The work is carried out by specially trained contractors. The material is applied using a blowing unit that can be used at heights of up to 40 m. The wind diverter ensures ventilation in the loft area and also makes the connection between the outer wall and the roof ceiling joist more air-tight.
Construction:
- roof structure
- wind diverters
- Wooden tie beams + PAROC BLT 6 or PAROC BLT 3 or PAROC BLT 9 (d1)
- vapour barrier, plastic (all joints to be taped)
- secondary studs + PAROC UNS 37 (d2)
- inner facing
| Small houses | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.07 |
| d1 (BLT 6 / BLT 3 / BLT 9) | mm | 655/ 545 / 545 |
| d2 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 705 / 595 |
Pitched roof with slab insulation
The thickness of the insulation is limited by the dimension of the truss. The thickness of insulation can be increased using a secondary stud apparatus internally as shown here. It can also be utilized for the service piping installations. It is important to design the installations inside the vapour barrier to enable the required air tightness. It is important that there is a good air gap between the insulation and the outer roof.
Construction:
- outer roof
- roof underlay
- 50mm air gap + spacer batten
- wind barrier PAROC WAS 25t (d1)
- Wooden beams + PAROC UNS 37 (d2 + d3 + d4)
- vapour barrier, plastic (all joints to be taped)
- secondary studs + PAROC UNS 37 (d5)
- inner facing
| Small Houses | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.07 |
| d1 | mm | 50 |
| d2 + d3 + d4 | mm | 450 (e.g. 150 + 150 + 150) |
| d5 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 550 |
Pitched roof with blowing wool
Insulating pitched roof with blowing wool is possible. Installation is carried out by special contractors, please contact Paroc for approved contractors. Wind barrier should be tight and rigid enough to withstand the pressure from blowing wool. Sufficient air gap is required between roof underlay and wind barrier.
Construction:
- outer roof
- roof underlay
- spacer batten + 50 mm air gap
- wind barrier
- Wooden I-Joists + PAROC BLT 6 or PAROC BLT 3 or BLT 9 (d1)
- air and vapour barrier, plastic (all joints to be taped)
- secondary studs + PAROC UNS 37 (d2)
- inner facing
| Small houses | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.07 |
| d1 | mm | 500-600 |
| d2 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 550-650 |
Flat concrete roof
The passive house insulation requires a layer-insulation system where the under layer of insulation is divided into three slabs. This solution is useful for Paroc Ventilated roofs, where the upper under slab has grooves in the surface. These grooves are connected to outside by hoods or openings in the construction. We recommend the ventilated solution as the number one solution, because it brings extra safety to the building.
Construction:
- roofing membrane
- mechanical fasteners
- PAROC ROS 80t (d1)
- PAROC ROS 30g (d2)
- PAROC ROS 30 (d3 + d4)
- vapour barrier
- load bearing concrete
| Block of flats | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.07 |
| d1 | mm | 20 |
| d2 | mm | 170 |
| d3 + d4 | mm | 180+180 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 550 |
Flat roof on corrugated steel
The passive house insulation requires up to five-layer-insulation system where the under layer of insulation is divided into four slabs. The added bottom layer is required below the vapour barrier to secure the wholeness of the barrier. This solution is useful for Paroc Ventilated roofs, where the upper under slab has grooves in the surface. These grooves are connected to outside by hoods or openings in the construction. We recommend the ventilated solution as the number one solution, because it brings extra safety to the building.
Construction:
- roofing membrane
- mechanical fasteners
- PAROC ROS 80t (d1)
- PAROC ROS 30 (d2)
- PAROC ROS 30 (d3 + d4)
- vapour barrier
- ROS 50 (d5)
- load bearing steel
| Block of flats | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.07 |
| d1 | mm | 20 |
| d2 | mm | 110 |
| d3 + d4 | mm | 180+180 |
| d5 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 540 |
Suspended wooden floor
Foundation by from outside ventilated construction is a very energy economic solution. It is possible to vary the thickness of insulation in the floor. From moisture point of view it is necessary to have the construction well ventilated. This is normally regulated in national building codes. The ground shall be covered by a plastic foil or insulation to reduce the moisture coming from underneath. The wall in the foundation should be insulated from both sides and the ground around the house should be insulated to avoid freezing of the construction.
Construction:
- floor covering
- flooring boards
- vapour barrier, plastic (all joints to be taped)
- Wooden I-Joist + PAROC UNS 37 (d1)
- PAROC WAS 25t (d2)
- sub floor space
- PAROC GRS
- XPS/EPS for frost insulation
| Block of flats | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.10 |
| d1 | mm | 360 |
| d2 | mm | 50 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 410 |
Slab on the ground with footing
Slab on the ground is a classical PAROC stone wool construction. The open character of the stone wool makes the concrete to dry about 30% quicker than with other insulation material. As the stone wool is non capillary there is no risk for moisture sucked into the material. The insulation in the ground is important for inside comfort. To raise the comfort even more a thin insulation can be placed also on top of the concrete. It is important to secure the air-tightness of the wall-floor junction. This can be done by directing the vapour barrier of the wall on the floor 500 mm.
Construction:
- floor covering
- PAROC SSB 2t (d1)
- vapour barrier, of wall directed on the floor 500 mm
- concrete slab
- PAROC GRS 30 (d2 = edge area; d3 = mid area)
- gravel
| Block of flats | ||
| Recommended u-value | W/m2K | ≤0.10 |
| d1 | mm | 25 |
| d2 / d3 | mm | 400 / 300 |
| Total insulation thickness | mm | 425 / 325 |
Notes:
According to definition of Passive House, the annual heating, cooling and primary energy demand should not exceed certain values. Although good thermal insulation plays a major role in achieving Passive House standard, alone it can not ensure compliance. The requirements for other building components and devices can be defined and consequently proven by various calculations tools, such as PHPP (Passive House Planning Package), available at Passiv Haus Institut (www.passiv.de).
For high rise buildings (≥3 floors) WPS 3n slab should be installed so that the combustible coating is facing inwards, towards main insulation layer. Please check national building regulations or contact Paroc for further information.