MUY buena calidad, el texto imagenes. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO Un manuel muy completo y trabajado. Resulta muy práctico. Para principiantes y profesionales. Lo recomiendo
I've been a builder for many years and have seen quite a fair bit of sheds. The plans in ryan's package th-cam.com/users/postUgkxB7IXYxLzb_Ichhe45zM3Im5xfEiSp9vB have some of the nicest looking sheds i've seen in a while.
for the most part the stuff he is talking about in his show is not used by majority of builders , but it is still interesting to watch because it adds new knowledge and ideas
Same here. I don't even own an apartment. I just enjoy learning about things. He seems super interested in construction techniques which is very admirable. And he seems to read the comments too because he learned the wire thickness and voltage thing. Nobody of us knows everything so the important thing is to be curious, willing to learn, and willing to do your best with that knowledge. Some haters will always hate and mock him about silly things like his home country - like it would matter - but I doubt a guy who is confident enough to make TH-cam videos much cares about haters. And it is also super interesting to see how unique Swiss buildings also are among other European buildings. This is gold on so many levels.
My wife is Swiss and always insisting she'd like to build a house to Swiss standards here in Texas. Perhaps if these guys will ship internationally I can finally make her wish come true!
Guys did you know that it is still build code in Switzerland to incorporate a nuclear fall-out shelter in every new dwelling? This is according to articles 45 and 46 of the Swiss Federal Law on Civil Protection. This is why most buildings constructed since the 1960s (the first regulations on the subject were passed on 4 October 1963) incorporate a fallout shelter. So Matt, this new pre-fab isnt just going over a concrete 'basement' its a shelter too!
I wondered about that. I would have guessed that plywood walls would cost about three times what dry wall costs. I don't see enough advantages to justify that price difference.
A few answers to questions I saw in the comment section: Price for a wood house of ~1200 sqft: I would say CHF 800k-1.5m is reasonable. I haven't found any concrete prices because these are all special projects, which is to say, most Swiss do not live in top-quality houses like the one in the video. The price also depends on the location as not all residential areas in Switzerland are equally easily accessible (think remote mountain resorts). Price of a similar home, standard build (concrete, bricks, some wood): Around CHF 600k-1m. You can also order wood houses made in other European countries and you'll probably save a bit on the final price, but transport can be expensive. I remember seeing ads from Scandinavian, Austrian and German builders at building fairs a few years ago. The Swiss building code is very strict on energy efficiency. People can get subsidies for renovations that make their home more energy efficient. The government can force you to replace old, inefficient heating systems. Part of the reason is that Switzerland doesn't have any domestic energy resources apart from renewable power production like wind, biogas, solar, geothermal heat and hydroelectric power (which requires flooding mountain valleys, in which people prefer to hike and ski). We also incinerate all our domestic waste and produce electricity and heat with it. Our electricity production is about 60% hydro, 35% nuclear, 5% others. All fossil fuel has to be imported, same for nuclear fuel. Another reason for reducing energy wastage are the Kyoto Protocol agreements. IIRC heating is responsible for about a third of the Swiss fossil energy consumption and in turn for a third of the Swiss carbon dioxide emissions. Most heating systems in Switzerland use oil or natural gas. Electric heating maybe outlawed, unless it's solar or heat pump. I am not sure about this one though. Switzerland has a comparably old construction structure. We haven't had any armed conflicts fought on our territory in almost 200 years. There was a minor hiccup in 1847, but it only lasted 6 weeks and no urban areas were destroyed. Unlike in the rest of Europe virtually no construction was destroyed in WW2. All new buildings appeared when people decided to expand or tear down and rebuild. The govt can't force people to tear down and build energy efficient, but when you decide to build, you have to build energy efficient. Bonus: If you build in Switzerland you are forced by law to build air shelters as well. Small objects like family homes are exempt, but the respective town/village has to provide a big enough collective air shelter. Larger objects like appartement buildings from 25 rooms and up require their own air shelter providing enough room for each person. The air shelter has to withstand a dynamic over pressure of at least 1 bar.
But that is some nice quality work though, there are only a handful of builders outside of CH that can build something similar but nothing of this quality !
@@racer98 This may in part have to do with a long standing tradition of vocational training and apprenticeship programs for almost every profession. Swiss builders don't go to college initially. They usually start their career at age 16 in an apprenticeship, where they learn their craft from the ground up.
@@uschurch Thank you for your insite! In the US the people rarely stay in one area so the lowest cost and complaining is their method of operation thus keeping good craftsmanship to a select few willing to pay the price. A US Builder of custom concrete homes.
Urs Schuerch couple of comments maybe. The cost of the structure itself as shown in the video would probably be 30%-50% of what you mention. It‘s about 100sqm-ish, and you estimate 10k CHF per sqm, which for a prefab would be outrageously high, even for Switzerland. I’ve seen similar, good-quality prefab builds in Germany that run at about 2k CHF per sqm (that’s probably around 200 USD per square foot). Also, that cost would be stable, no matter where you build, whether it’s in an expensive neighborhood or not. Then of course, as you correctly state, the prefab itself isn‘t enough. The cost of buildable land can indeed be outrageous; Swiss building code; peculiarities of the terrain (hillsides...); the dimensions of your underground structures; all this adds up. In countries where land is more readily available, you just pour a concrete slab on a flat piece of land, and that‘s it. Very little digging, no basements, significantly reduced cost, especially if you don‘t intend to pass on a viable structure to your grandchildren.
Hi,,I`m from Norway and we use the same air ventilation box and it is a heat exchanger.So cold air coming in are heated up to nearly the same temperature as the air going out. All new houses in Norway have this heat exchanger box from about 1995.
SO GREAT TO HEAR AN AMERICAN PRAISE ANOTHER COUNTRY -- GOOD FOR YOU.GREAT CHANNEL." This Old House NUT" --yours is a modern day version. WELL DONE. CHEERS FROM THE UK.
the cement panels as you call it ,is "Fermacell" and its fireresistent and required by law in some places of the house and is also used in the wet areas,kitchen,bath etc for the paver to have a stabil underground .
3' is about 1meter. Also birch is a very common and fast growing wood which is used for a lot of construction in Europe. 240V is standard and if you guys didn't see our GROUND wire is actually the green/yellow wire and is insulated. So the HOT Leads are BLUE and BLACK or BROWN. So each lead is a HOT we don't use any NEUTRAL wire's. That's a major thing and also reduces a lot on the electric cost billing side because you use a lot less KW the KW charge is double to what the USA is charging. But Electric is no longer a monopol system like it is in the USA so in Germany you can have an Electric Provider from Spain for example which keeps competition and price hikes at bay and on top it forces them to build redundant Power Grids not like in the USA where a lot is only Single line build.
Great video, but at 4:10 I am not 100% sure, but I would say that the mineral wool spacer is more for shock sound isolation of finished floor than for heat transfer.
I to do not build houses but love this channel. And you bet I will be applying as much of the building science I’ve learn from you onto my old home. I’m a bit obsessed with insulation at the moment.🌸
great video and info :) I'm planing to build my retirement house back in the old country Poland and was so educated while planning, there are so many companies there that are doing these kind of prefabricated frame houses.
Well...you can google the builder "HOLZBAU BUCHER AG"--there are no images of completed homes on their company website (as of March 2021), but there are images of homes and office buildings (and some videos of interiors) available on the Internet.
My house here in Denmark was built10 years ago there was strict rules to how air tight it must be and it is tested. But there were no rules to air replacement. So it is air tight as a drum you can’t fart without creating over pressure and I have to open a window to use the fan in the kitchen. Thinking about having fitted a air replacement system. Cheers.
I'd recommend you do. I'm sitting in a room from the 60s, and I alone manage to get the CO2 up into the "bad for you" levels just by breathing within about 2-3 hours. That must be even worse in a well insulated house...
@@HenryLoenwind That's why every superinsulated, airtight house needs a fresh-air, filtered, heat recovery ventilation system. And don't clean with store-bought cleaning products, and make sure anything you bring into the house doesn't offgas VOCs like formaldehyde.
@@barbarasmith6005 Indeed, I open the windows several times a day to replace the air. IIRC new building codes now requires that they are built with a ventilation system with a heat recovery system.
@@HenryLoenwind I know, I can't close the bedroom door when sleeping without having the window open. It is quite counterproductive to the tightly insulated house. They even made pressure tests that the house had to pass to see that were no leaks. :D It's on my list of improvement. I am considering getting a system with a heat pump that can recover heat in the winter and cool in the summer. Need to save up a bit of money first, until then, I open the windows several times a day.
11:20 thats much larger than 1100 sqf (102sqm). Based on the roof i would est 2.5mt wide per section and each section looks 12m long (40ft shipping container) so 12.5x12m + 150sqm so 1600-1700sqf min.
Funny, in old day, my boss business is moving house, he bought old hoses ready for salvage and move to country side as collage home to sell, but now, is reverse. Think it this way is easier and doable than hiring local expert problem, anyway, like to see how there move whole house in the truck drive along on the highway
First time new sub. Amazing! I got out of construction in the mid- 90s. I love watching all these improvements. Love your presentation thank you so much.
Hi Matt. Been watching a lot of your videos and they are great. It is great to see the fabulous new products and techniques. However, as a homeowner I have, as I'm sure many have, encountered a lot of the problems you fix for your clients. I would like to request you create short how to videos using some of these products and techniques of how it should be done by either the homeowner or the contractor of an existing home. For example, I just had my roof repaired by a licensed contractor. I think they did it right but it would be great to see things from a real contractor of how they should be fixed so us homeowners can ensure the it's done right. Personally I think you are a fool if you just let them in the door, they do the work and the next time you see them is when they're done. I did pay attention to what they were doing but didn't really know what I was looking for. I guess I just hear and see to many horror stories of how contractors screw people. Thanks for the great content.
I think one of the largest differences to the US of A would be the large windows in the factory building and the vast amounts of sunlight flooding the factory floor.
This show is great. I'm really glad I found your channel. If you find some people in those factories that speak English, could you also put some interviews into the episodes?
In the exterior tour section how do they account for the expansion and shrinkage of the wood when connecting to the Metal Beam at the marriage walls of the modules?
Great series, I’m interested in seeing the Germany episode, but please tell the cameraman to focus on where you’re pointing and talking and not on you all the time, because we want to see the details you’re mentioning, thanks.
4:15 it isnt there to insulate the wall from a heated floor but to make space for a floor slab to expand without pushing the wall out and making cracks...
@HelloverLord. .. Agreed. .. Same wall/floor detail when installing Hydronic in-floor heat system in our Vail, CO remodel in 1999. .. Hydronic heating the only way to go .....
Great presentation , very interesting content . I was a builder in Canada for 35 years , retiring 10 years ago , wish I was still at it , now I do furniture , New Heritage Fine Furniture Peter Walsh
Matt- Excellent content- Thanks for showing us these high quality builds. I find it interesting that your trip was sponsored but a company representative isn't helping you present these houses. Why is that? I would be interested in hearing more detailed information on the construction techniques and materials because they are very different from homes in the USA. Hope my suggestion is not taken as criticism... This series is great and I hope your overseas tours continue.
His trip is sponsored by Siga tapes which he says at least once in every video. They seem to show him houses and construction sites where their products are used and he's including the words Siga tape at least once in all of his explanations. Furthermore, these houses are built by local companies that might not even operate all over their own country, so they couldn't care less about presenting their shit to a mostly american public ...
You can't assume that company has a representative fluent in English. In Switzerland they speak French, Italian and Swiss German. Most (American) movies have audio in their language.
as the price question pops up here too, I repeat my comment from another vid: we build a multi storey house (3x 120m²) in solid timber with a concrete stairwell for fire protection at € 1950.-/m² with all the features he showed. Energy consumption will be 55 kWh/m2 or 0,1 gallon oil/sqf /year. The plot is in Munich city center, which is a quite expensive town to build in. So this is approx. $ 800K or $ 33,5/sq foot. How much is such a house in a northern region (snow and storm) of the US? ~
I strongly considered building a house in exactly the same style. It was invented in Austria (the country in Europe without Cangaroos!) and is called Holz100 or Wood100 in english. A german company slightly improved the process where you don't see the wooden dowels on the inside. They use wood screws unlike the dowels in the Holz100 system. The Main benefit is the extremely high thermal capacity, so your house doesn't overheat in summer and temperatures don't droo fast in winter. Plus it's prefab, so building the closed hull just takes two days until it is fully rainprove. It turned out that the best building technique (in my eyes) is also the most expensive. Therefore I finally decided to build a standard framed wall or else I would habe to leave the basement and garage away.
Looks like a very superior quality build. I would be very interested in the cost of such a home. I worked as the architectural manager in a large modular home plant in western Canada for several years and just looking at the materials going into that home, I suspect it is a very expensive build. Of course that may be right in line with stick built over there. Appreciate the opportunity to get a glimpse into a boutique factory like that. Is that typical of the modular manufacturers over there? Cheers from Canada.
Wayward Woodworker I'm Italian. We build houses like that one here. We use wood or many other materials. Usually an house like that you can see in the video costs 1300 eur/sq meter.
@Jeremy This is probably the best house you can build. Hemp-lime wood house. Passive house, no heater. Sorry, only in italian. th-cam.com/video/CTnGZe7NdZY/w-d-xo.html
@@gpolix Thanks for the reply. 1300 eur is close to $2000 cdn so that works out to approx $180 cdn per square foot. That wouldn't buy much of a house here. Quite amazed at the level of quality and the affordability of those homes. I suppose one would have to factor in the rest of the cost of living, typical wages, taxes and all the rest to get a real vision of the "cost" to live in a place like Italy or Switzerland.
@@robthewaywardwoodworker9956 in Italy we don't pay taxes for the house where we are living. Very expensive house o poor house the same: no taxes. I live in the richest part of Italy, (north east: Padua, near Venice), Life is not very expensive ( maybe 400 eur/month for food + 100 eur/month bill). more we have welfare so hospitals, schools etc are free...
A few observations. Around 7:30 you assume a steel beam behind the plates, when they just look like connecting plates between floor and wall. The tightly glued sandwich construction of floor & wall makes those big sheets strong and stiff enough to not bend. They are basically beams & floor in one. The connection points between floor/wall and different sections are the most vulnerable points in the construction. They might also need reinforcement, in order to be precise enough to neatly "click" together. The "wooden insulation" is just softboard. These are cheap, non constructional wall panels. The real wooden rulers are framing them and the profile ensures an easy and swiftly installation. Thinner sheets of softboard break easily, so i guess the panels need a certain thickness in order to give them some strength, so you don't break them while leaning onto them.
There have been many attempts at doing modular construction in the USA as far back as the early 60s. Some are still at it, but many have failed. There was one outfit in Cleveland in the 60s that was way in the future, with wall panel systems of aluminum durable skin, structural foam core and high grade plywood interior surfaces.. The model homes were stunning modern designs. In the 80s Georgia Pacific operated a modular home unit in Eugene OR, ran for 10 years or so. ... there are others still in business, much like this Swiss operation, in the eastern USA.. even one that specializes in foundation and basement structural panel systems.
I think it makes a lot more sense to use panelized systems at scale for tract housing rather than try to transport boxes that are custom-built for a single buyer. At least half of the advantage that site stick-building crews have would disappear the moment that we regulated building trades to the extent of requiring realistic long-term health coverage akin to what office workers get, for injuries incurred on the job but only really felt ten years later. I like what these guys are doing: www.ecocor.us/
I am looking for a company like this in Europe for my little brother to work and learn with, can someone please help? We are french and no trouble for visa etc.
In Melbourne, Australia yesterday it was 45C, our houses have no effective insulation, poor design and building standards, when it gets hot the state government turns of the power to while suburbs and we start to fry. You can bake cookies outside on a metal tray. I cannot understand why our government doesn't make it mandatory to make our houses have effective insulation. We have building codes but they are not effective.
What's to stop you from building to your requirements? Why build down to the crap codes? And yes, you get what you pay for. Good design and materials cost money, lots of it.
It's better to have a separate water based central heating system and be able to set the ventilation to a reasonable air flow. My system recovers around 80% of the heat so if the outgoing air is 20 degrees celsius and outside temperature is 0 degrees, then incoming is 16 degrees... pretty good.
@@erik.... not bad .In states we have electric water heaters with heat pump built in and after all discounts, rebates I can get one for $650 then I would buy HRV for $350 or so and design system which I talked about above . European HRV with heat pump priced for 5000 euro
@@andreycham4797 Yes my heat pump is around $10000 and complete ventilation unit with pipes to every room $3000 so it's a bit different.. but I live in a very cold place (Sweden). Heating was still $400 last month.
The house is not the expensive part. The basement is. All basements are essentially a bunker. Has to meet extreme code. A fighting position with filtered air. Why doesn't anybody attack them? Every able body takes his rifle and ammo home with him. You are going to defend you and yours to a higher degree. Next what about the tunnels and etc, etc, etc.
could be that almost reverse liking thing. If most of the houses there are old wood houses then suddenly it's like how everyone covered up hardwood flooring with carpet when it was introduced. Because EVERYONE has this "amazing" wall style. exposed wood walls become the standard and an expensive "custom" home uses non exposed wood. The only problem with this whole idea is WHY DID YOU ORDER A CUSTOM ALL WOOD house then lol. Like I could empathize with not wanting the cookie cutter look even if cookies are tasty. But then why not go with a different style of non wood housing if you don't like the look of wood walls. :P
well he covers a small company specialised on building with wood. Absolutly not the standart in switzerland. Not even the inside walls use any wood. Interesting through.
@Justin Robinson The assumption is based on the very poor education system in the US which is kinda reasonable since your knowledge about the outside is close to non-existent.
@@ursodermatt8809 Thanks, where I live (the Netherlands) in new developments they try to seperate rainwater that does not need wastewater treatment from water that needs treatment. During sewer renovations they even most time make this separation.
Funny you mention this.. i actually know someone who had this happen - big fancy house and the modular parts started separating a few years down the line. I wonder if this is due more to the preparation of the foundation or the actual house, or maybe both? There's risks in everything.
@@MichaelM.9 where do you pay 600k-1 mil? in Switzerland? Here in Italy we build same houses/same technology ( Massive Holz Mauer or xlam or frame , like wolf house for example) it costs not much more than a "traditional" full bricks house: here in Veneto (Padua) can buy the same house for 1300 eur/sq meter. Not more. I know Switzerland is more expensive than Italy, a pizza costs five times there... :(
I missed the opportunity to buy a modular home. In hindsight I would have. I had some issues with it. I found some land in South Oregon that I would consider buying and putting a home on it. The homes I like are the ones that have say two bedrooms down two bedrooms up. Either than or perhaps put a few units on the land, that way it could pay for itself. My current house has a raised foundation which is easier to plumb on. I would almost rather have a partial raised foundation, like having all the pipes in an area that is reachable and the rest of the house on concrete. My sisters house has a small basement, but I don't know if all the pipes are within easy reach.
My bet on the mineral wool on the outside edge has something to do with a concrete type flooring they are gonna pour. I bet the pour 2 or 3 inches or a concrete type material to use as a heat sink for radiant
When you double the voltage the amperage is cut in half. So a 15 amp 230 volt circuit would be 30 amps at 120 volts requiring larger wire and outlet therefore more cost.
It's solid wood and translates to three layer plate. In Switzerland it's used as plywood and you can get it from 12 to 60mm thick (1/2 inch to 1 3/8inch). The most common one is 27mm thick (just over 1 inch).
@@lastnickever4440 Sounds like those whole glued wall panels from a previous video are CLT as well. I could only find those three layer plates (Dreischichtplatten) up to 60mm in the catalog from a Swiss wood supplier. I've only used up to the 32mm thick panels.
@@rickv1013 in general only the thinner CLT panels use 3 layers, so if you want more than 60mm you probably need to go up to 5+ layers (depending on thickness. my appartment building uses 20-30cm CLT panels with 7+ layers)
Hi Matt, You have featured that wood base insulation now in a few videos from Switzerland, who's the maker and what is the R value for what thickness. I am currently in the early planning stages of my timber frame house and was thinking of SIPS but now leaning towards this natural wood product. I know you're extremely busy but could you possibly share a US importer or maybe a US maker of this product. Also love the work you did show casing those windows, my wife is Russian and we own an apartment there with the exact style windows and it's amazing how they keep the cold outside were it belongs. Only wish American windows were just as good with out being overly price
Never seizes to amaze how Americans feel about air conditioning... You don't really see it in Europe, it's so noisy and doesn't really work for heating at all. Floor heating is so much better.
+1. .. Impressive are the "Build" strategies from around the globe. .. Consider the effect of modern moisture intrusion mitigation strategies. .. The century-young barn at my In-laws Wiesbaden, DE farm would last another couple of generations. .. (That is unless we turn it into Condo's) .. Cheers, Vail, Colorado
MUY buena calidad, el texto imagenes. th-cam.com/users/postUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO Un manuel muy completo y trabajado. Resulta muy práctico. Para principiantes y profesionales. Lo recomiendo
I've been a builder for many years and have seen quite a fair bit of sheds. The plans in ryan's package th-cam.com/users/postUgkxB7IXYxLzb_Ichhe45zM3Im5xfEiSp9vB have some of the nicest looking sheds i've seen in a while.
Do I build houses? Nope. Do I watch and love this channel anyway? You bet. Epic stuff guys. Much appreciated.
You're not alone, frumpd63. I'm not in construction in any way (programmer).
Same here
for the most part the stuff he is talking about in his show is not used by majority of builders , but it is still interesting to watch because it adds new knowledge and ideas
Same here. I just enjoy watching this channel.
Same here. I don't even own an apartment. I just enjoy learning about things. He seems super interested in construction techniques which is very admirable. And he seems to read the comments too because he learned the wire thickness and voltage thing. Nobody of us knows everything so the important thing is to be curious, willing to learn, and willing to do your best with that knowledge. Some haters will always hate and mock him about silly things like his home country - like it would matter - but I doubt a guy who is confident enough to make TH-cam videos much cares about haters. And it is also super interesting to see how unique Swiss buildings also are among other European buildings. This is gold on so many levels.
My wife is Swiss and always insisting she'd like to build a house to Swiss standards here in Texas. Perhaps if these guys will ship internationally I can finally make her wish come true!
Guys did you know that it is still build code in Switzerland to incorporate a nuclear fall-out shelter in every new dwelling? This is according to articles 45 and 46 of the Swiss Federal Law on Civil Protection.
This is why most buildings constructed since the 1960s (the first regulations on the subject were passed on 4 October 1963) incorporate a fallout shelter. So Matt, this new pre-fab isnt just going over a concrete 'basement' its a shelter too!
@Eir Scapes .. Interesting. .. Always thinking the Europeans ... (Swiss)
Not nuclear fallout shelters, air-raid shelters.
I love that they don’t use drywall which is energy intensive and creative use of wood. Thanks for showing this from a builder’s viewpoint.
I wondered about that. I would have guessed that plywood walls would cost about three times what dry wall costs. I don't see enough advantages to justify that price difference.
@@davefoc they look pretty though compared to textured drywall.
drywall also acts as a fire barrier. Replacing it with plywood without a sprinkler system might not be a good idea
A few answers to questions I saw in the comment section: Price for a wood house of ~1200 sqft: I would say CHF 800k-1.5m is reasonable. I haven't found any concrete prices because these are all special projects, which is to say, most Swiss do not live in top-quality houses like the one in the video. The price also depends on the location as not all residential areas in Switzerland are equally easily accessible (think remote mountain resorts). Price of a similar home, standard build (concrete, bricks, some wood): Around CHF 600k-1m. You can also order wood houses made in other European countries and you'll probably save a bit on the final price, but transport can be expensive. I remember seeing ads from Scandinavian, Austrian and German builders at building fairs a few years ago.
The Swiss building code is very strict on energy efficiency. People can get subsidies for renovations that make their home more energy efficient. The government can force you to replace old, inefficient heating systems. Part of the reason is that Switzerland doesn't have any domestic energy resources apart from renewable power production like wind, biogas, solar, geothermal heat and hydroelectric power (which requires flooding mountain valleys, in which people prefer to hike and ski). We also incinerate all our domestic waste and produce electricity and heat with it. Our electricity production is about 60% hydro, 35% nuclear, 5% others. All fossil fuel has to be imported, same for nuclear fuel. Another reason for reducing energy wastage are the Kyoto Protocol agreements. IIRC heating is responsible for about a third of the Swiss fossil energy consumption and in turn for a third of the Swiss carbon dioxide emissions. Most heating systems in Switzerland use oil or natural gas. Electric heating maybe outlawed, unless it's solar or heat pump. I am not sure about this one though.
Switzerland has a comparably old construction structure. We haven't had any armed conflicts fought on our territory in almost 200 years. There was a minor hiccup in 1847, but it only lasted 6 weeks and no urban areas were destroyed. Unlike in the rest of Europe virtually no construction was destroyed in WW2. All new buildings appeared when people decided to expand or tear down and rebuild. The govt can't force people to tear down and build energy efficient, but when you decide to build, you have to build energy efficient.
Bonus: If you build in Switzerland you are forced by law to build air shelters as well. Small objects like family homes are exempt, but the respective town/village has to provide a big enough collective air shelter. Larger objects like appartement buildings from 25 rooms and up require their own air shelter providing enough room for each person. The air shelter has to withstand a dynamic over pressure of at least 1 bar.
But that is some nice quality work though, there are only a handful of builders outside of CH that can build something similar but nothing of this quality !
@@racer98 This may in part have to do with a long standing tradition of vocational training and apprenticeship programs for almost every profession. Swiss builders don't go to college initially. They usually start their career at age 16 in an apprenticeship, where they learn their craft from the ground up.
@@uschurch Thank you for your insite! In the US the people rarely stay in one area so the lowest cost and complaining is their method of operation thus keeping good craftsmanship to a select few willing to pay the price. A US Builder of custom concrete homes.
Merci für die Zämefassig!
Urs Schuerch couple of comments maybe. The cost of the structure itself as shown in the video would probably be 30%-50% of what you mention. It‘s about 100sqm-ish, and you estimate 10k CHF per sqm, which for a prefab would be outrageously high, even for Switzerland. I’ve seen similar, good-quality prefab builds in Germany that run at about 2k CHF per sqm (that’s probably around 200 USD per square foot). Also, that cost would be stable, no matter where you build, whether it’s in an expensive neighborhood or not. Then of course, as you correctly state, the prefab itself isn‘t enough. The cost of buildable land can indeed be outrageous; Swiss building code; peculiarities of the terrain (hillsides...); the dimensions of your underground structures; all this adds up. In countries where land is more readily available, you just pour a concrete slab on a flat piece of land, and that‘s it. Very little digging, no basements, significantly reduced cost, especially if you don‘t intend to pass on a viable structure to your grandchildren.
Hi,,I`m from Norway and we use the same air ventilation box and it is a heat exchanger.So cold air coming in are heated up to nearly the same temperature as the air going out. All new houses in Norway have this heat exchanger box from about 1995.
SO GREAT TO HEAR AN AMERICAN PRAISE ANOTHER COUNTRY -- GOOD FOR YOU.GREAT CHANNEL." This Old House NUT" --yours is a modern day version. WELL DONE. CHEERS FROM THE UK.
Now if we can get the rest of the world to stop blaming America for all the world's problems.
@@adamkendall997 once they stop making them ye
Matt, this swiss euro series is outstanding. Looking forward to the next video.
the cement panels as you call it ,is "Fermacell" and its fireresistent and required by law in some places of the house and is also used in the wet areas,kitchen,bath etc for the paver to have a stabil underground
.
.They are not as porous or hold water as much as concrete board also. It is a better material.
Long lasting.yes.not just building a home but a home place.security for many generations.life is short.leave something behind you can be proud of.
Really enjoying these Swiss made videos .
3' is about 1meter. Also birch is a very common and fast growing wood which is used for a lot of construction in Europe. 240V is standard and if you guys didn't see our GROUND wire is actually the green/yellow wire and is insulated. So the HOT Leads are BLUE and BLACK or BROWN. So each lead is a HOT we don't use any NEUTRAL wire's. That's a major thing and also reduces a lot on the electric cost billing side because you use a lot less KW the KW charge is double to what the USA is charging. But Electric is no longer a monopol system like it is in the USA so in Germany you can have an Electric Provider from Spain for example which keeps competition and price hikes at bay and on top it forces them to build redundant Power Grids not like in the USA where a lot is only Single line build.
Hey Matt! Go do a video in Waco Texas next year with S2A Modular. I think you might want to build for your clients this way too.
Great video, but at 4:10 I am not 100% sure, but I would say that the mineral wool spacer is more for shock sound isolation of finished floor than for heat transfer.
Great
I to do not build houses but love this channel. And you bet I will be applying as much of the building science I’ve learn from you onto my old home. I’m a bit obsessed with insulation at the moment.🌸
denise rivers u should consult an engineer before doing smth. A lot of stuff can go wrong, especially with arrangement of specific layers.
great video and info :) I'm planing to build my retirement house back in the old country Poland and was so educated while planning, there are so many companies there that are doing these kind of prefabricated frame houses.
It would be really nice to see a finished house. Even in a picture
Well...you can google the builder "HOLZBAU BUCHER AG"--there are no images of completed homes on their company website (as of March 2021), but there are images of homes and office buildings (and some videos of interiors) available on the Internet.
The Board is called „Fermacell“
Europe is way ahead of North America in terms of home construction automation. It’s amazing, higher upfront cost but lower long term operating cost.
My house here in Denmark was built10 years ago there was strict rules to how air tight it must be and it is tested. But there were no rules to air replacement. So it is air tight as a drum you can’t fart without creating over pressure and I have to open a window to use the fan in the kitchen. Thinking about having fitted a air replacement system.
Cheers.
I'd recommend you do. I'm sitting in a room from the 60s, and I alone manage to get the CO2 up into the "bad for you" levels just by breathing within about 2-3 hours. That must be even worse in a well insulated house...
That is very bad building practice to build a tight house without a whole-house ventilation system. You are lucky you didn't get sick.
@@HenryLoenwind That's why every superinsulated, airtight house needs a fresh-air, filtered, heat recovery ventilation system. And don't clean with store-bought cleaning products, and make sure anything you bring into the house doesn't offgas VOCs like formaldehyde.
@@barbarasmith6005 Indeed, I open the windows several times a day to replace the air. IIRC new building codes now requires that they are built with a ventilation system with a heat recovery system.
@@HenryLoenwind I know, I can't close the bedroom door when sleeping without having the window open. It is quite counterproductive to the tightly insulated house. They even made pressure tests that the house had to pass to see that were no leaks. :D It's on my list of improvement. I am considering getting a system with a heat pump that can recover heat in the winter and cool in the summer. Need to save up a bit of money first, until then, I open the windows several times a day.
11:20 thats much larger than 1100 sqf (102sqm). Based on the roof i would est 2.5mt wide per section and each section looks 12m long (40ft shipping container) so 12.5x12m + 150sqm so 1600-1700sqf min.
Funny, in old day, my boss business is moving house, he bought old hoses ready for salvage and move to country side as collage home to sell, but now, is reverse. Think it this way is easier and doable than hiring local expert problem, anyway, like to see how there move whole house in the truck drive along on the highway
looks like good sound proofing
First time new sub. Amazing! I got out of construction in the mid- 90s. I love watching all these improvements. Love your presentation thank you so much.
Hi Matt. Been watching a lot of your videos and they are great. It is great to see the fabulous new products and techniques. However, as a homeowner I have, as I'm sure many have, encountered a lot of the problems you fix for your clients. I would like to request you create short how to videos using some of these products and techniques of how it should be done by either the homeowner or the contractor of an existing home. For example, I just had my roof repaired by a licensed contractor. I think they did it right but it would be great to see things from a real contractor of how they should be fixed so us homeowners can ensure the it's done right. Personally I think you are a fool if you just let them in the door, they do the work and the next time you see them is when they're done. I did pay attention to what they were doing but didn't really know what I was looking for. I guess I just hear and see to many horror stories of how contractors screw people. Thanks for the great content.
I think one of the largest differences to the US of A would be the large windows in the factory building and the vast amounts of sunlight flooding the factory floor.
oh so true! In the US you have to be very very careful to not accidentally buy something that no sun floods into ever.
There are so many advantages to modular homes. Wonder why they aren't more common?
This show is great. I'm really glad I found your channel. If you find some people in those factories that speak English, could you also put some interviews into the episodes?
I would like to see the completed version of the house and the pricelist.
durability important as multiple generations share the house and not every person can afford a home.
Go to Keene, New Hampshire to see the same there.
In the exterior tour section how do they account for the expansion and shrinkage of the wood when connecting to the Metal Beam at the marriage walls of the modules?
Great series, I’m interested in seeing the Germany episode, but please tell the cameraman to focus on where you’re pointing and talking and not on you all the time, because we want to see the details you’re mentioning, thanks.
Personally, I'd give anything to have the camera not point at his face the whole time.
4:15 it isnt there to insulate the wall from a heated floor but to make space for a floor slab to expand without pushing the wall out and making cracks...
Yeah that makes more sense
@HelloverLord. .. Agreed. .. Same wall/floor detail when installing Hydronic in-floor heat system in our Vail, CO remodel in 1999. .. Hydronic heating the only way to go .....
good show!
This would save so much and no rain pouring on your frames house
Great presentation , very interesting content . I was a builder in Canada for 35 years , retiring 10 years ago , wish I was still at it , now I do furniture , New Heritage Fine Furniture
Peter Walsh
Matt- Excellent content- Thanks for showing us these high quality builds. I find it interesting that your trip was sponsored but a company representative isn't helping you present these houses. Why is that? I would be interested in hearing more detailed information on the construction techniques and materials because they are very different from homes in the USA. Hope my suggestion is not taken as criticism... This series is great and I hope your overseas tours continue.
His trip is sponsored by Siga tapes which he says at least once in every video.
They seem to show him houses and construction sites where their products are used and he's including the words Siga tape at least once in all of his explanations.
Furthermore, these houses are built by local companies that might not even operate all over their own country, so they couldn't care less about presenting their shit to a mostly american public ...
You can't assume that company has a representative fluent in English.
In Switzerland they speak French, Italian and
Swiss German.
Most (American) movies have audio in their language.
I would like to see what designs you do with disabled in mind. Double level or three floors garage being ground floor.
as the price question pops up here too, I repeat my comment from another vid:
we build a multi storey house (3x 120m²) in solid timber with a concrete stairwell for fire protection at € 1950.-/m² with all the features he showed. Energy consumption will be 55 kWh/m2 or 0,1 gallon oil/sqf /year. The plot is in Munich city center, which is a quite expensive town to build in. So this is approx. $ 800K or $ 33,5/sq foot. How much is such a house in a northern region (snow and storm) of the US? ~
I strongly considered building a house in exactly the same style. It was invented in Austria (the country in Europe without Cangaroos!) and is called Holz100 or Wood100 in english. A german company slightly improved the process where you don't see the wooden dowels on the inside. They use wood screws unlike the dowels in the Holz100 system. The Main benefit is the extremely high thermal capacity, so your house doesn't overheat in summer and temperatures don't droo fast in winter. Plus it's prefab, so building the closed hull just takes two days until it is fully rainprove. It turned out that the best building technique (in my eyes) is also the most expensive. Therefore I finally decided to build a standard framed wall or else I would habe to leave the basement and garage away.
Go to the uk please👍👍👍
@@MrGioMadrid it's because I'm a builder and was hoping to hear an outside prospective
Looks like a very superior quality build. I would be very interested in the cost of such a home. I worked as the architectural manager in a large modular home plant in western Canada for several years and just looking at the materials going into that home, I suspect it is a very expensive build. Of course that may be right in line with stick built over there. Appreciate the opportunity to get a glimpse into a boutique factory like that. Is that typical of the modular manufacturers over there? Cheers from Canada.
Wayward Woodworker I'm Italian. We build houses like that one here. We use wood or many other materials. Usually an house like that you can see in the video costs 1300 eur/sq meter.
@Jeremy This is probably the best house you can build. Hemp-lime wood house. Passive house, no heater. Sorry, only in italian.
th-cam.com/video/CTnGZe7NdZY/w-d-xo.html
@@gpolix Thanks for the reply. 1300 eur is close to $2000 cdn so that works out to approx $180 cdn per square foot. That wouldn't buy much of a house here. Quite amazed at the level of quality and the affordability of those homes. I suppose one would have to factor in the rest of the cost of living, typical wages, taxes and all the rest to get a real vision of the "cost" to live in a place like Italy or Switzerland.
@@robthewaywardwoodworker9956 in Italy we don't pay taxes for the house where we are living. Very expensive house o poor house the same: no taxes. I live in the richest part of Italy, (north east: Padua, near Venice), Life is not very expensive ( maybe 400 eur/month for food + 100 eur/month bill). more we have welfare so hospitals, schools etc are free...
@@gpolix Imma gonna renew my passport and brush up on my Italian! LOL
Beautiful episode Matt.
Well wouldn't u seal all the joints up tight living in Switzerland ? It's a winter wonderland there soooooo tighten it up buttercup !!
great show Matt....look forward to see you at the NAHB IBS show in February. Travel safe!
A few observations. Around 7:30 you assume a steel beam behind the plates, when they just look like connecting plates between floor and wall. The tightly glued sandwich construction of floor & wall makes those big sheets strong and stiff enough to not bend. They are basically beams & floor in one. The connection points between floor/wall and different sections are the most vulnerable points in the construction. They might also need reinforcement, in order to be precise enough to neatly "click" together. The "wooden insulation" is just softboard. These are cheap, non constructional wall panels. The real wooden rulers are framing them and the profile ensures an easy and swiftly installation. Thinner sheets of softboard break easily, so i guess the panels need a certain thickness in order to give them some strength, so you don't break them while leaning onto them.
There have been many attempts at doing modular construction in the USA as far back as the early 60s. Some are still at it, but many have failed. There was one outfit in Cleveland in the 60s that was way in the future, with wall panel systems of aluminum durable skin, structural foam core and high grade plywood interior surfaces.. The model homes were stunning modern designs. In the 80s Georgia Pacific operated a modular home unit in Eugene OR, ran for 10 years or so. ... there are others still in business, much like this Swiss operation, in the eastern USA.. even one that specializes in foundation and basement structural panel systems.
I think it makes a lot more sense to use panelized systems at scale for tract housing rather than try to transport boxes that are custom-built for a single buyer.
At least half of the advantage that site stick-building crews have would disappear the moment that we regulated building trades to the extent of requiring realistic long-term health coverage akin to what office workers get, for injuries incurred on the job but only really felt ten years later.
I like what these guys are doing: www.ecocor.us/
$$$$ log cabin is what i want
Matt show us a breaker box😂
Awesome
Wow- Man!!
They're not stingy on materials in the attention to detail is very good but to duplicate that in America would probably be twice the price?
... жодного вентиляційного отвору!
Чим там дихати? відкривати вікна для продуху?
I absolutely love your channel, but pleeeease invest in a camera with a faster autofocus :-P
make a rommtour or full housetoor !!!
The Doug DeMuro of houses.
7:10, it should be fiber board, because its toilet area.
My only worry is the durability if it's typical of Japanese and American homes which deteriorate within 50 years
go visit poland or lithuania see how they build a wooden house
I am looking for a company like this in Europe for my little brother to work and learn with, can someone please help? We are french and no trouble for visa etc.
In Melbourne, Australia yesterday it was 45C, our houses have no effective insulation, poor design and building standards, when it gets hot the state government turns of the power to while suburbs and we start to fry. You can bake cookies outside on a metal tray. I cannot understand why our government doesn't make it mandatory to make our houses have effective insulation. We have building codes but they are not effective.
What's to stop you from building to your requirements? Why build down to the crap codes? And yes, you get what you pay for. Good design and materials cost money, lots of it.
I moved here recently.. it's rad. i love it.
fresh air come true HRV with heat pump built in and for each kilowatt electricity spend on ventilation they get upto 3 kilowatt of heat
It's better to have a separate water based central heating system and be able to set the ventilation to a reasonable air flow. My system recovers around 80% of the heat so if the outgoing air is 20 degrees celsius and outside temperature is 0 degrees, then incoming is 16 degrees... pretty good.
@@erik.... not bad .In states we have electric water heaters with heat pump built in and after all discounts, rebates I can get one for $650 then I would buy HRV for $350 or so and design system which I talked about above . European HRV with heat pump priced for 5000 euro
@@andreycham4797 Yes my heat pump is around $10000 and complete ventilation unit with pipes to every room $3000 so it's a bit different.. but I live in a very cold place (Sweden). Heating was still $400 last month.
8:20 "tongue and groove" is also known as lesbian boards not "male/female"
I recently ordered a lesbian Ouzo (from Lesbos)
Schaut gut an
Is this a PassivHaus or the same thing made by different people? Thanks.
The house is not the expensive part. The basement is. All basements are essentially a bunker. Has to meet extreme code. A fighting position with filtered air. Why doesn't anybody attack them? Every able body takes his rifle and ammo home with him. You are going to defend you and yours to a higher degree. Next what about the tunnels and etc, etc, etc.
Please visit a modular home factory in Germany there much bigger and also very interesting
enough of wood . In Germany they have more construction technologies which superior than wood
Andrey Cham Yeah wright but the factories are pretty impressive to
Awesome and awesome series. Really enjoyed
i want to see some prices of one of those modular homes but i cant get an offer from them ,can someone guide me a little?
No why would paint the wood white? stain it instead would be my option
shenlun I know right! Too pretty to ruin with paint.
could be that almost reverse liking thing. If most of the houses there are old wood houses then suddenly it's like how everyone covered up hardwood flooring with carpet when it was introduced. Because EVERYONE has this "amazing" wall style. exposed wood walls become the standard and an expensive "custom" home uses non exposed wood.
The only problem with this whole idea is WHY DID YOU ORDER A CUSTOM ALL WOOD house then lol. Like I could empathize with not wanting the cookie cutter look even if cookies are tasty. But then why not go with a different style of non wood housing if you don't like the look of wood walls. :P
If you want it exposed you should probably go for some nicer wood without knots
Your viewers must think that almost every house in Switzerland is built with wood :-D ...which is not the case.
well he covers a small company specialised on building with wood. Absolutly not the standart in switzerland. Not even the inside walls use any wood. Interesting through.
newman ironic
Yet many Europeans and others NOT from the USA think that we also build out of only wood, which is also not true.
@Justin Robinson The assumption is based on the very poor education system in the US which is kinda reasonable since your knowledge about the outside is close to non-existent.
I love this. Great video!
Siding and roofing?
How does cost compare to building onsite?
Independence City Motoring it’s not much different in fact. At least in Switzerland it isn’t.
Well presented, but feet and inches? merica!
I'm somewhat surprised to hear that the roof drains into the main sewer, or did I misunderstand?
yep, you did not misunderstand, that's what they are doing in switzerland
@@ursodermatt8809 Thanks, where I live (the Netherlands) in new developments they try to seperate rainwater that does not need wastewater treatment from water that needs treatment. During sewer renovations they even most time make this separation.
Ask your camera man to follow what you are pointing out to us when you are pointing out details. You explain it so well but we cannot see it.
Thanks, looks so much more well built than the junkie modular my brother bought that has the two have pulling apart.
Funny you mention this.. i actually know someone who had this happen - big fancy house and the modular parts started separating a few years down the line. I wonder if this is due more to the preparation of the foundation or the actual house, or maybe both? There's risks in everything.
We would love this kind of home to replace our existing small home in Seattle.
call hammer and hand builders in Seattle
Price? Would Americans pay for the quality?
For price don't ask you will get heart attack for real... They are not normal when come to houses price in Swiss.....
For a wooden house you pay around 600k-1mil (without the land).
@@MichaelM.9 where do you pay 600k-1 mil? in Switzerland? Here in Italy we build same houses/same technology ( Massive Holz Mauer or xlam or frame , like wolf house for example) it costs not much more than a "traditional" full bricks house: here in Veneto (Padua) can buy the same house for 1300 eur/sq meter. Not more. I know Switzerland is more expensive than Italy, a pizza costs five times there... :(
Americans prefer quantity over quality.
Alan Fox not all Americans.
I missed the opportunity to buy a modular home. In hindsight I would have. I had some issues with it. I found some land in South Oregon that I would consider buying and putting a home on it. The homes I like are the ones that have say two bedrooms down two bedrooms up. Either than or perhaps put a few units on the land, that way it could pay for itself.
My current house has a raised foundation which is easier to plumb on. I would almost rather have a partial raised foundation, like having all the pipes in an area that is reachable and the rest of the house on concrete. My sisters house has a small basement, but I don't know if all the pipes are within easy reach.
My bet on the mineral wool on the outside edge has something to do with a concrete type flooring they are gonna pour. I bet the pour 2 or 3 inches or a concrete type material to use as a heat sink for radiant
What is the music at the beginning?
Yodeling you serious? Do you play bagpipes in Scotland?
European houses have lower amperage? I'm pretty sure we also have 15 amp. I know most power strips are rated for 3500 W max, which is 15 amps at 230V.
When you double the voltage the amperage is cut in half. So a 15 amp 230 volt circuit would be 30 amps at 120 volts requiring larger wire and outlet therefore more cost.
It seems to me the interior 'plywood' panels are CLT - cross laminated timber.... not plywood as such.
It's solid wood and translates to three layer plate. In Switzerland it's used as plywood and you can get it from 12 to 60mm thick (1/2 inch to 1 3/8inch). The most common one is 27mm thick (just over 1 inch).
It is CLT it can be up to 500 mm thick.
@@rickv1013 Three layer plates are the thinnest version of CLT. There are version with more layers and up to 500 mm thickness.
@@lastnickever4440 Sounds like those whole glued wall panels from a previous video are CLT as well. I could only find those three layer plates (Dreischichtplatten) up to 60mm in the catalog from a Swiss wood supplier. I've only used up to the 32mm thick panels.
@@rickv1013 in general only the thinner CLT panels use 3 layers, so if you want more than 60mm you probably need to go up to 5+ layers (depending on thickness. my appartment building uses 20-30cm CLT panels with 7+ layers)
Hey Matt, you say you love how the Swiss build for the future. Perhaps take that love and use it in your business
Hi Matt,
You have featured that wood base insulation now in a few videos from Switzerland, who's the maker and what is the R value for what thickness. I am currently in the early planning stages of my timber frame house and was thinking of SIPS but now leaning towards this natural wood product.
I know you're extremely busy but could you possibly share a US importer or maybe a US maker of this product.
Also love the work you did show casing those windows, my wife is Russian and we own an apartment there with the exact style windows and it's amazing how they keep the cold outside were it belongs. Only wish American windows were just as good with out being overly price
I'd like to see a your of a finished home by this company. Can't seem to find anything about previous projects from Holzbau Bucher ag Kerns.
A cinco wide
Never seizes to amaze how Americans feel about air conditioning... You don't really see it in Europe, it's so noisy and doesn't really work for heating at all. Floor heating is so much better.
air conditioning is for cooling as what he points out and you mention is for heating, and not every ac system is noisy or "annoying" sounding
Anyone know how much this house costs?
Who is the manufacture of that radiant floor sheet/board?
i think it's fermacell
1100 sq ft 100 mt sq
10.5 ft to
+1. .. Impressive are the "Build" strategies from around the globe. .. Consider the effect of modern moisture intrusion mitigation strategies. .. The century-young barn at my In-laws Wiesbaden, DE farm would last another couple of generations. .. (That is unless we turn it into Condo's) .. Cheers, Vail, Colorado
250 per sq foot ?? well make it 300 per sq foot but there are maximum 5 000 000 houses in that country total so they can cut all the wood they want