House Wall Thickness

There is a simple rule of thumb. Many people know that the thicker the wall, the better the heat is retained in the building. But there is another relationship: the thicker the walls, the more expensive housing becomes as a result. Therefore, it is important to find the optimal ratio volume cube of house and wall thickness.

But heat loss is also taken into account. For a house in which you will live permanently, walls of 300 millimeters are enough. They will not freeze, and the room will be warm enough even in winter, of course, if there is heating. But there is also heat loss. So, for walls 300 mm thick, this indicator, which is relevant now, will be excessively high. This will lead to higher heating costs.

In such a building, heat loss will be about 30% higher than in buildings where the walls are 400 mm thick. Modern standards, by the way, were established precisely taking into account the need to reduce heat loss.

In view of this, a simple comparison can be made. Another popular material today is wooden beams. Let's compare the heat loss of these materials. According to the research results, walls made of 300 mm thick blocks are identical in thermal conductivity to a similar structure made of logs. But there is an important clarification. Most wooden buildings today are erected from logs or glued beams, which have a diameter / thickness of 220-240 and 180-200 mm, respectively. It can be concluded that in such buildings the levels of heat loss are significantly less than today's standards declare. However, many people live in such houses without discomfort. For a wooden house to comply with the standards, the wall must have a thickness of 400 mm. But today such buildings are hardly ever built.

If you are guided by practical considerations, then it is better to take into account the current norms, since heat loss is an urgent issue today. However, remember that the price of heat carriers is constantly increasing, and the greater the loss of heat, the more expensive the heating of the building will be. And this is important, because the house must be warm enough. Therefore, the opportunity to save money should be foreseen in advance. This primarily concerns the thickness of the walls. So, for home construction, it is better to take blocks with a thickness of at least 375 mm.

Why exactly such an indicator, because according to modern standards, it should start from 400 mm. Firstly, it is a standard size, which is related to the technology of making blocks. Due to the absence of losses, blocks with a standard thickness will be quite cheap. When buying such material, you can significantly save on the construction process in general.

Another point: missing to the established norm of 25 mm - very insignificant heat loss. This is only a few percent. When doing this, remember that heat also escapes through doors, windows, floors, roofs, ventilation, and so on. Thus, you can neglect a few percent, which will not have much impact on the situation as a whole. Walls with a thickness of 375 mm almost meet current standards, and the insignificant increase in heat loss can be ignored. Accordingly, this is a good option for a home where you plan to live permanently.

Experts still recommend giving up saving on walls. They insist that investments in construction will certainly pay off in the future. Based on this point of view, it is better to cost houses from a block with a thickness of at least 500 mm. This is also explained by forecasts according to which the cost of energy carriers will increase. Hence the simple conclusion: the less heat is lost, the more you can save on heating. But the final decision, of course, is up to everyone.

The basic rule to be guided by is that the walls of the block should be no thinner than 375 mm. This is the minimum value that is valid. It is also worth considering the peculiarities of the climate in a particular region and the area where the building will be erected. You can contact a specialist who will take care of all the necessary calculations. This, of course, will require additional costs, but you will get the best option with an optimal ratio of construction costs and heat loss in the building.