Insulation for a wooden house

How to insulate a wooden house to minimise heat loss

Although wood in itself is recognized as a material that provides excellent heat and sound insulation, it is no secret that good insulation of a wooden house requires extra attention. This is because a wooden houses, unlike brick ones is not made of a solid material, which in itself ensures tightness but rather is rather built of individual parts. It is also important to mention that the thermal insulation of a wooden house depends not only on the insulated walls - as much as 25% of heat loss is due to unattended windows and doors, and 30% can be lost through the roof.

Is insulation needed for wooden houses?

Considering the fact that a wooden summer house is often used only in the warm season, the airtight wood construction, due to its specific, wood-specific properties, in itself ensures relatively good thermal insulation, thus reducing the need for insulation of the house itself. However, if you spend time in the cottage all year round or the area of ​​the wooden cottage itself is quite large, it is worth considering its insulation. In this case, the wooden house will not only become much more airtight, but also less cold during the winter.

It is important to keep in mind that before starting any insulation work, it should be assessed that newly built house will settle for at least a few years. Improper calculation of this process can damage the materials used for insulation and may require redoing all the work.

Types of insulation for a wooden house

Houses made of timber are in demand due to the advantages that they conceal in themselves. The natural atmosphere prevailing in a wooden house gives comfort and warm positive energy. But this does not mean that such a house does not need insulation.

Most commonly used insulation material is mineral wool. By using mineral wool to insulate wooden houses, consumers reduce energy consumption in buildings. At Timber Cabins we use stone wool for insulations as we find it to be the most suitable option for wooden structures.

Another popular material for insulation is polyurethane foam. It is known for high elasticity which is important to thermal insulation.

Insulating walls of a wooden house

According to practice, the walls of a wooden house usually sit on about 2-3 % of the wall height, so this distance should be taken into account when doing insulation work. For example, if the wall of a house is 4.5 m high, its height will decrease by about 10 cm after settling. For this reason, when building a new house, it is recommended to wait for it to settle, but if this is not possible, it is necessary to consult with an insulation expert.

Another important point is an integrated approach to isolation. Insulate not only the walls, but also pay close attention to windows and doors as they account for as much as 25% and sometimes as much as 30% of heat loss.

When looking through our projects, you can see that walls are available in different thickness. Not only the price of the house depends on the thickness of the walls, but also the possible time that it can be lived in throughout the year.

For example houses with 34 mm walls thickness are intended for use during the summer months although they can also be comfortable during spring and autumn seasons if insulated appropriatelly. 

Wooden house with thicker than 34 mm walls do not require insulation. However, it is worth considering the insulation for economic and ecological reasons.

Further reading: How to insulate the walls of a wooden house

Insulating the floor

Cold floor is one of the main problems of wooden houses, which is rarely solved by carpets laying the carpets.

Insulating the floor helps to maintain the ideal indoor climate and serves as a guarantee against unwanted problems such as dampness, appearance and growth of mold and high consumption of heat energy.

Insulating by stone wool or polyurethane foam will not only maintain the optimum temperature, but will also insulate from outside noise. A well-insulated wooden house will give its owners a wonderful atmosphere by making the house comfortable and cosy. 

Further reading: How to insulate floor of a wooden house

Roof insulation

Roof plays an important part of overall house warmness during cold weather. It is a part of the building that protects the premises from external influences such as rain, heat, cold and ensures a cozy microclimate inside the building.

An unattended or leaky roof often causes the greatest heat loss and as a result as much as 30% or more of the heat energy is wasted through a poorly maintained roof. That’s why it is hugely important to find a reliable way to stop the leakage of warm air through the roof by insulating this part of a house properly - without cutting on its budget.

Further reading: Wooden house roof insulation

Now that know how to properly insulate a wooden house, winter frost won’t scare you - in a house made of timber cold season will be cosy and very warm.