At Marles, we are aware that a well-insulated house with an appropriate and precisely implemented thermal envelope means not only great energy savings in the winter when a house has to be heated but also during the summer, when we can contribute to optimum living conditions and a comfortable atmosphere in the building.
To this end, we intensely strive for an energetically optimal implementation of the house thermal envelope, with no eventual thermal bridges, thus enabling economical and rational energy consumption and contributing to the decrease of greenhouse gasses. The house thermal envelope comprises of all those elements that protect the interior from external influences. The quality of the house thermal envelope can be described in terms of thermal transivity, stating how much heat transits in a unit of time through a surface of 1 m2 of the construction given the difference of air temperature on the both sides of the construction.
A clever method of construction and precisely implemented details in the manufacture and assembly of the house ensure that the insulation layer is continuous throughout the structure. Penetrations are reduced to a minimum, whereby insulation comprises of materials with low thermal conductivity (cellulose, rock wool of DP5 quality and neopor), thus ensuring the highest possible quality. A detailed description of the stated materials is laid out in the “Used materials” chapter.
When there are high heat losses in a certain part of the building's external envelope, this is considered a thermal bridge. It usually occurs at contacts between building elements. Thermal bridges should be avoided due to energy losses as well as the formation of moisture condensation from the air and mould.
At Marles, we ensure construction without thermal bridges already during the phase of preparation of construction plans that serve as a basis for the industrial manufacture of individual building elements manufactured in our production. Their design and manufacture ensure that there are no thermal bridges, and they are, in addition, during the building assembly phase, assembled so as to ensure a close fit and additionally tightened with special bands if necessary.
An example of additionally tightened contacts for ensuring the air-tightness of the building.
One of the key elements of a good thermal envelope is also ensuring the air-tightness of the building. Air-tightness prevents uncontrolled passage of external air into the building. With the purpose of ensuring the optimum air-tightness of Marles buildings, we perform the so-called “blower-door test” on buildings with the required air-tightness, thus measuring the air-tightness of the building and the amount of uncontrolled passage of air from the building to its surroundings.
A schematic overview of the
blower-door test.
Practical implementation of the blower-door test.
Eventual thermal bridges may be discovered with the use of a thermovision camera. This special camera recognises the surface temperatures of construction elements. Well thermally protected construction elements are warm in the winter in interior spaces and cold outside. If thermal imaging shows construction elements with elevated surface temperatures, this is a sign of poor insulation. When a certain part of the building particularly deviates from the neighbouring parts, this is considered a thermal bridge.
Marles buildings are characterised by the conditions of thermal bridge-free construction that are already set in the design phase. A clever method of construction and precisely implemented details in the manufacture and assembly of the house ensure that the insulation layer is continuous throughout the structure. Penetrations are reduced to a minimum, whereby insulation comprises of materials with low thermal conductivity. The main structural material is wood, which is recognised as a material with low thermal conductivity. This is how we achieve minimum heat loss. Naturally, we make sure that the effects of thermal bridges are avoided during the construction phase. It is for this reason that we offer our clients an inspection with the thermographic camera.
Below are the thermographic shots of one of the largest and most complex Marles buildings, showing an exceptional thermal envelope of the building, as also demonstrated by the inspection with a thermographic camera.
