What insulation for a wooden house?

The timber frame house (MOB) is a bright, economical, durable and ecological construction. It can be built with any architectural style and offers excellent energy performance. However, its structure makes it very permeable to heat. It is therefore essential to choose an efficient thermal insulation system for this type of construction. Maisons Dunoyer offers you the best insulators for a post-beam house with a view to saving energy and respecting the environment.

The new thermal regulations (RT 2020) also called environmental regulations (RE 2020) recommend the construction of positive energy buildings (BEPOS) from January 2022. It sets the threshold for energy expenditure at 0 kWh/m²/year for any new house or renovated. Knowing that thermal comfort (air conditioning and heating) is the first pole of energy consumption in a property, insulation then becomes the most important point of reflection in the construction of a wooden or other frame house.

Houses must have a heating energy consumption of less than 12 kWhep/m². According to RE 2020, thermal insulation must have a minimum thickness of 300 mm. Dunoyer post-beam houses have a great advantage in this respect. Their wall can indeed be insulated from the inside and the outside. This guarantees good thermal and acoustic performance, as well as impeccable sealing.

There are many insulation choices available for a post and beam home construction project. Based on our experience and expertise, insulation materials that provide high quality thermal comfort and energy performance include:

• fiberboard
• wood wool
• cellulose wadding
• hemp wool
• glass wool

What are the features and benefits of these thermal insulators?

The wood fiber board
Fiberboard is produced with shavings or cellulosic fibers from plants and straw. These are dense insulating plates obtained only under the influence of heat and pressure. No binder is used for their manufacture. Fiberboard is an eco-friendly and natural material that provides a remarkable finish. It benefits from the insulating properties of wood and helps to minimize heat loss in winter. This insulation can also be used to insulate the roof of the wooden frame house.

Wood wool
Wood wool is a material that performs well in both summer and winter. It is made with wood waste, binders and biodegradable additives such as starch. Wood wool is less dense and more flexible than fiberboard, but its carbon footprint is better. It offers excellent thermal and sound insulation. It can be used to insulate walls and the roof.

Cellulose wadding
Cellulose wadding is the insulation par excellence of the wooden frame house. It is produced from recycled paper and has the most affordable price on the market among the thermal insulation materials available. It is an insulator with a strong ability to retain the heat it stores. It thus guarantees a stable temperature inside the accommodation day and night and optimal summer comfort.

Hemp wool
Hemp wool is made with natural plant fibers (mainly hemp, cotton, jute and linen). This insulation is available in rolls, panels or in bulk. It can be used for the insulation of walls, floors and roofs. Hemp wool offers very good performance in terms of thermal insulation and sound insulation.

Glass wool
Glass wool is made from sand and recycled glass. It comes in the form of a soft mattress that traps air thanks to its tangled fibers. It is an effective material that guarantees thermal comfort inside the timber frame house in both summer and winter. It also offers good fire protection.

For all your post and beam house construction projects in the Rhône-Alpes region, contact Maisons Dunoyer to benefit from our know-how and experience. We'll help you choose the right insulation and build a unique contemporary wooden house.