Solid wood house / partial self-labor, wall structure / differences

We had already decided on Rombach Holz because we liked the carpenter and his partners as down-to-earth and reliable craftsmen. Our budget, after deducting connection work (sewer/electricity/telecom), solar panels, fees for authorities, fastening, and a small terrace, is about 245,000 EUR. And for that, if we want to build everything ecologically, we can afford a maximum of 110 sqm. Therefore, everything has come to a standstill. Firstly, our dream house is not possible because it would be too complex; secondly, the space is somehow too tight. We do not have a basement, and our two boys should also be able to stay longer there.

Therefore, I have recently started looking again to see if another provider with log construction or clay granulate might be more realistic. But we are both laypeople, and in the past three years, I haven’t managed to understand which construction method is really better. In the end, I thought the wooden panel construction without glue and metal is great. I still think so; however, our budget does not quite add up. But I also fail to find out the pure wood price for our dream house. Therefore, from my point of view, a price comparison is not possible at all. Everyone has different prices. One one hand, a crane and scaffolding are not included; for another, the foundation slab or interior finishing is missing. Our carpenter said that for 245,000, he could deliver the house ready to move in. For that, we would have to give him leeway in the choice of heating and interior walls. There would be no fixed price.

I spoke with a Honka salesman today. Apparently, a solid wood house from the top edge of the slab with 130 sqm, including high-quality windows, doors, and roof, costs about 220,000 EUR. But what about heating, sheet metal worker, sanitation, electricity, and floors? For parquet floors, which we like, I calculate including laying 80 EUR/sqm = 10,400 EUR. I don’t know if that is unrealistic. The foundation slab for the bungalow is 20,000 EUR, sanitation 15,000 EUR, electricity 6,000 EUR, simple wall-mounted chimney 2,900 EUR. All that together is already over our budget again. But the gutter is still missing.

But at the very beginning, I already had a fixed offer from the Allgäu builder for Holz 100. At that time, the bungalow should have cost 279,000 EUR turnkey on stilts. That would still be okay if the planning distance were not so far. Here in the Nuremberg area, it seems harder to calculate prices without planning costs and build a healthy house affordably. I am slowly beginning to believe that healthy, beautiful houses are only for people with a lot of money or those skilled in crafts who can do all sorts of things themselves, but not for ordinary people. We have actually awarded the planning contract; it just isn’t progressing.

Actually, I don’t care about building as cheaply as possible but about building a dream house with good workmanship, completely PUR glue-free, and without or with natural insulation. I don’t want mineral wool or even Styrofoam. That seems to be difficult.

I would be interested to know if anyone knows the pure wood price from Rombach or knows what is better or cheaper. Log construction (Honka/Polarlife) or Rombach NurHolz, if you have a limited budget and still want to build a nice house.

I have also lived in an old building for ages, where there are drafts everywhere. But the building fabric is still better than all the OSB houses, and a new building heats more than an old one. I think one must also think about the future and environmental protection. Therefore, I would prefer an ecological house, if I can afford it.

Hello. We live in a solid wood house, and I can report from experience that the quality of life and the added value of living are significantly greater than in apartments and houses made of panel materials. I will not mention the advantages of solid wood construction here, as they can be found on the internet, but rather my personal experiences.

I did a lot myself, which is quite manageable due to the construction method. The house was erected with a master rigger assembly, interior walls in stud construction, a dry construction site from the beginning, no drying of the house, a bit of the screed, but the moisture was absorbed by the wood and slowly released again.

We would build again with our provider because they are very customer-oriented, always available for constructive inquiries, etc. I can name the company via pm. For us, the solid wood house was the right choice. And it also reduces CO2

Best regards

Derimholzhauswohnt

Hello, what kind of advice are you actually looking for? What good is it to know the pure wood price of JUST wood? The more you deal with these specialist advisors (in reality, they are nothing more than salespeople trying to sell their product), the more uncertain you will become. You write that you don’t want insulation made of Styrofoam or mineral wool; there are dozens of other ecologically sensible insulation materials. What is so bad about glued constructions? Ecological building doesn’t mean going back to the cave; ecological building always means weighing compromises. Taking all parameters into account, glued products don’t perform that badly. Where exactly is the problem in describing precisely, supported by your design, which services you want? It is always fascinating how prospective homeowners try to avoid the very first step, which is sitting down with a suitable neutral expert (building biologist, architect, structural engineer) to sketch and precisely describe the project. Once you have that, you get offers from suitable companies and then see if you can afford it. Regards, Friedrich.

Maybe that was my real problem. I thoroughly informed myself at the traveling exhibition on biological building and talked to two convinced building biologists. They definitely advised me against PUR adhesives and Styrofoam even in the floor slab. I also obtained the technical data sheet for PUR adhesives and see that they are carcinogenic.

I find it incredibly difficult to still be able to make a decision with so many controversial pieces of information. I have nothing against white glue and I am not picky about natural insulation materials. It can be hemp just as well as lava, wood, or anything else. But I don't know whether log cabin, panel construction, or expanded clay. Above all, I want to know which house we can afford with our budget, which is reasonably environmentally friendly, built by craftsmen who are properly paid, and that we like.

When I read the article about sand that a colleague sent me, I realize I actually shouldn't build a concrete house because it causes resource depletion. Probably I shouldn’t build at all, then I can’t do anything wrong.

Good morning,

I probably am not allowed to build at all, so I’m not doing anything wrong.

hm, the approach is consistent. What do you think about an existing house from this point of view?
My old brick house was built over 120 years ago from hand-formed bricks, lime, sand, and wood from the surrounding area.
To be honest, I don’t really worry much about the energy balance of the old brickworks ring kilns at that time.

I have been renovating for years now again using lime, gravel, untreated wood, clay infill as floor insulation, iron slag in the floors, ring kiln bricks, and lots of old original material without OSB, V100, styrofoam, mineral wool & co. In my opinion, renovation already has a better ecological balance because ideally you can use the entire shell and don’t need to build everything new in a complex way. With the many individual measures, you can then deliberately avoid the petroleum mafia by switching to alternatives that in most cases fit better with the existing substance anyway. Because my house is a listed building, I even have the “blessing” of the authorities, because despite the annually new energy saving regulations I am NEVER ALLOWED to ruin my façade with insulation, since I must preserve the stucco and the original appearance. When renovating the stucco, I will even tear down the cornice and window sill sheet metal and replace them with stucco plaster, because the metal sheets are “too modern” as well. I clean my bricks by hand with water and a root brush, re-point with self-mixed lime mortar and deliberately avoid any impregnation. Also inside I am not allowed to stick anything up, which fully aligns with my own views. Instead, I was able to plaster everything by hand with lime and lime-cement.

During renovation, you can calmly think step by step, weigh up and avoid botch jobs. At least these are my experiences. However, I must say that as a one-man chain of people, I also need a long time and cannot do quick actions comparable to the speed of a new building. So house and apartment run in parallel for years, which only became financially unpleasant since the installation of the heating system. But in return, I was able to leave damp walls after knocking off the moldy plaster standing comfortably for a few winters, no need for construction dryers, etc. The same then with the new plaster and partially screed on the ground floor, where the floorboards could no longer be saved: everything stayed unheated for a winter according to old custom.

What is so bad about glued constructions?

I am thinking about the FDH. Or has the glue industry, especially in the production of chipboard & co., meanwhile come to a better sense?

Regards