Advantages of a wooden house

A wooden house offers several advantages: it offers excellent thermal insulation, ensuring maximum energy efficiency; its sound insulation is unmatched by other building materials; construction times are rapid; the aesthetics are unique; and durability and resistance are guaranteed (wood is the most commonly used material for earthquake-resistant buildings, not just in homes). As for costs, they start at €1.000-1.500 per square meter for prefabricated houses, and double that for custom-designed homes. Obviously, these figures can fluctuate significantly depending on the materials chosen.

Index of topics

Benefits

First of all, the revival of wooden houses, which some people, out of prejudice, cunning or wicked interests, still confuse with mountain chalets, it is a choice that is at the same time urban, environmental, architectural and aesthetic. All under the banner of an authentic and concrete sustainabilityWith rapid construction times (4-6 months), affordable prices even if they vary greatly based on the choices made (around 1000-1.500 euros per square meter), and enormous environmental and economic benefits, both individual and collective. In short: a wooden house means cleaner air for everyone, better aesthetics of places, for everyone, and a significant reduction in energy costs for those who live or work there. Wood is an excellent natural insulator, and as such, it reduces heating and cooling costs for apartments or schools. To get an idea of the options available when building a wooden house, it's worth visiting the website of the Trentino-based company Rasom Wood Technology, which uses wood not only to build houses and apartments, but also hotels, public buildings, and schools.

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If we rediscover the culture of wood, which is part of our genetic code like peasant culture, we will have no difficulty in making fellings that respect the tree's cycles and therefore improve the quality of our forests. Some of these are completely undervalued, as is the case along the entire Apennine ridge and the Prealps. Needless to say, on this path, We have many places and regions that are already ahead, very ahead, such as Trentino-Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia GiuliaAnd, as usual, Central and Southern Italy is lagging behind: yet here too, there's no shortage of forests, but, what a coincidence, real estate speculation is more invasive. This is why the current shift in the real estate market toward wood-based construction (17 out of 100 homes) is highly concentrated in the Northern regions. And this isn't good for the country's economic system.

Focus on wood, green building, new materials (even bricks can be made of wood) It is the right bet to tackle head-on the complicated issue of rebuilding the places devastated by the earthquakes.The facts speak for themselves here too: the best things, starting with the reconstruction of schools in L'Aquila after the earthquake, were achieved using wooden constructions. And we will soon see the film repeated with an entire square and a school in Amatrice, built with wood from the surrounding woods, rich in oaks, beeches and chestnuts.Yes, because wood is part of a local supply chain, and this is also a great opportunity. in terms of new and sustainable economic growth.

Why buy a wooden house?

When we have the opportunity to buy, or build a new home, there's a question we can ask ourselves: Why buy a wooden house? The most important answers, in short, are these:

wood is a very comfortable, eco-sustainable, elegant material;
Wooden houses have the advantage of being quiet. Wood absorbs noise very well;
The material's seismic performance is very high, thanks to its flexibility. In the event of a strong earthquake, wooden houses sway but do not collapse: this is why wooden buildings are so popular in Japan, a country extremely vulnerable to seismic risk.
the wooden house has faster construction times than any concrete house;
Wood is very fire-resistant and has poor thermal conductivity. In the event of a fire, only the outer layer of the material burns, and carbonization is much slower than in masonry structures;
Wooden houses last a long time and, thanks to modern technologies, have reasonable maintenance costs.

Wood and carbon dioxide

Wood, from an environmental standpoint, has a very important advantage: it is the only truly renewable material, and compared to steel and concrete, it has a positive carbon footprint throughout its life cycle. While concrete, widely used in the construction industry, emits 0,3 tons of carbon dioxide per cubic meter, wood absorbs one ton.

How much does a wooden house cost?

Obviously, there are several factors that influence the cost of a wooden house, as in the case of concrete. Thu You'll find detailed information on both the price of a log home, including its surface area, and the factors that determine its cost. This will help you make informed decisions and avoid waste.

How many wooden houses are built in Italy?

In Italy, according to official statistics (which exclude unregistered apartments), an average of around 4 wooden houses are built each year. This figure is growing, especially in the regions where they are most widespread: Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, and Lombardy.

How long can it last?

A wooden house isn't a temporary luxury. It's simply not true that, given its characteristics, it's destined to last only a few years. Quite the opposite. In theory, a wooden house, with the right amount of regular maintenance, can last half a century or more. Much will also depend on the quality of the material used, and if it's high-quality wood, signs of deterioration won't appear until after 50 years.

Machine maintenance

Maintaining a wooden house isn't much different from maintaining a concrete structure. Consistency and regularity are required, but don't overdo it to avoid waste. Repainting the wood should be done every five years, and to avoid losing the building's original color, we recommend using natural products. Among the areas that should be thoroughly inspected annually are the gutters, where stains are more likely to form. mold.

Controindicazioni

More than contraindications, there are some important things to keep in mind when we decide to build a wooden house. Aspects that may even lead us to give up this material.

The design of a wooden house, especially a prefabricated one, is not adaptable to subsequent modifications. Once approved and built, it becomes definitive.
There are some areas of the wooden house, starting with the walls, that may be more exposed to the risk of humidity, with all that this entails.
Fire and water: woe betide anyone who even designs a wooden house without taking these two elements into consideration.
A mistake in waterproofing the foundation can have catastrophic consequences.
Insulation materials must be of high quality and the roof must be ventilated.

Myths to dispel

The explanation for such caution lies in a whole series of information that often confuses users, leaving them disoriented. Here's what they are, according to Immobilgreen.it The five false myths that confuse the wooden house market and create perplexity when choosing this type of sustainable construction.

“They are only good for the mountains or as a tool shed”: the production of log cabins and traditional wooden garden sheds is just a small niche sector compared to the much larger and more innovative field of frame or X-Lam construction. Wooden houses built using these technologies are aesthetically identical to concrete houses because the wooden parts, both internal and external, are completely clad with common building materials.
“They are precarious housing”: today's prefabricated houses offer far superior living comfort to standard homes because they are made of wood, the ultimate thermal insulating material.
“Dangerous in case of fire”: Compared to houses built of steel and concrete, wooden houses burn only on the surface and do not collapse on themselves.
“Not very stable in the event of an earthquake”Wooden houses are flexible and lightweight and therefore reliable in the event of seismic events.
“You can't apply for a mortgage”It is possible to apply for a special type of mortgage (SAL) that allows you to finance the construction of bio-sustainable buildings, just like traditional ones.

Wooden Houses: Advantages, Costs, and Drawbacks