T Trä46 said:
Hello. Old thread, but maybe you will see this anyway. I am also looking for builders who can build CL wood but for smaller houses. I have some information after conversations and investigations. It is indeed possible to build cheaper without CL wood. But I see an enormous advantage with the feeling of the house if you choose CL. What I've found out is that what you save on the actual construction time you have to pay for the cost of materials and the manufacturing of wood elements. So if you build about 90m2, it should apparently be possible to get about the same price as a build with beams, etc. (Apart from all the cheapest variants)T Trä46 said:
If you have found a CL builder or if you moved forward with the project, it would be nice to hear.
A few small houses here or there in CLT might not make a big difference overall, but I find it hard to justify on a larger scale. CLT usually replaces concrete elements in larger constructions, where you have a sustainability gain and significantly lower CO2 footprint.
But in small houses, you often replace a small amount of wood, in the form of studs, with a huge amount of solid wood. Additionally, with less space-efficient walls because all the insulation has to be on the outside instead of a large part being between the studs.
Neither sustainable nor environmentally friendly!
But in small houses, you often replace a small amount of wood, in the form of studs, with a huge amount of solid wood. Additionally, with less space-efficient walls because all the insulation has to be on the outside instead of a large part being between the studs.
Neither sustainable nor environmentally friendly!
It can be argued that a CLT house stores large amounts of CO2 due to its massive wooden structure, but on the other hand, the resource consumption is quite significant. So not entirely obvious from an environmental friendliness perspective. Otherwise, I largely agree with you; it's mostly potential architectural qualities that speak for CLT in small houses. And then it depends on what you make of it. 
Oh, how certain you were. It's not a good start either for a discussion or for learning more. That's a topic that is quite heavily researched without unambiguous results. Yes, a primeval forest stores more carbon than a production forest. But if the carbon is bound in a building for 100 years, it makes a big difference, especially compared to mass production, for example.
It's true that the biggest advantage from an energy perspective is if you replace larger concrete buildings with CLT (cross-laminated timber). That's not why I'm interested in building smaller houses in CLT. There's a very nice acoustic feeling inside a CLT structure. And knowing that only wood is used in the walls and insulation is an extra plus. Simply a good feeling for body and mind. And beautiful. That's why CLT is interesting even for smaller houses in my case.
A Awenja said:
Hi, I've been busy building my summer house in CLT and am soon approaching the final inspection. I know! that it is cheaper and in my opinion better than building with traditional timber. Faster assembly, fewer stages, no plastics, etc.A Awenja said:
Several carpenters I spoke with declined the project because it was "new and they didn't know how" and because there were too few hours. It was nothing stranger than that. All respect for that.
Amazing feeling with wood throughout. No plans at all! I've chosen a concrete slab with heating. A lovely combination. My house is 110 sqm and we (i.e., I assisted 2 carpenters and a crane operator) erected the whole house (CLT frame), including the roof, in 2 days. All CLT was millimeter-precise, pre-fretted for electricity, very fine finish on the inside. Once the CLT was up, the electrician ran all the wiring from the outside. Perfect!A Awenja said:True, the biggest advantage from an energy perspective is if you replace larger concrete houses with CLT. That's not why I'm interested in building smaller houses in CLT. There’s a really nice acoustic feeling inside a CLT construction. And the knowledge that you're only using wood in walls and insulation is an extra plus. Simply a good feeling for body and mind. And beautiful. That's why CLT is interesting even for smaller houses in my case.
@Claymount
Please get back after winter to let us know how satisfied you are with the finish. I have been in 6-7 small houses in KL and the cracks became very noticeable when it dried properly. Those who moved in talked about it sounding like gunshots when the wood cracked.
Some walls cracked quite nicely while others were unlucky. I remember one house that got a crack over 1cm wide from floor to ceiling right where the stove was placed in the kitchen.
Please get back after winter to let us know how satisfied you are with the finish. I have been in 6-7 small houses in KL and the cracks became very noticeable when it dried properly. Those who moved in talked about it sounding like gunshots when the wood cracked.
Some walls cracked quite nicely while others were unlucky. I remember one house that got a crack over 1cm wide from floor to ceiling right where the stove was placed in the kitchen.
Absolutely, no offense meant, just curious about how people who live in it experience it. Unfortunately, I don't have the opportunity to properly talk to those who moved into the houses I worked on. I think it's a bit sad to cover it completely, but I would probably want some paint or stain if it were mine.C Claymount said:
If you have any KL left over, take care of it as it is quite a fun material, sending a link from another thread where I show my grill bench I made from some leftover wall pieces. https://www.byggahus.se/forum/threads/bygga-grill-av-takpannor.414403/#post-4186326