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What is the best building method/materials for a new build extension? We are looking to replace a rickety asbestos roofed rubble built lean to garage, with an external footprint c.6mx4m, with a two story extension of the same footprint (or possibly a bit longer if we can get away with it with the planners). It is on the west end of the house, and will have a gable end facing west, straight into the prevailing wind, which is often pretty stiff at 300m asl. The property is in a conservation area in a national park, so structurally will need to look pretty conventional. The rest of the house is already rendered, so hopefully will be OK with a render (looking) finish to the new build. The existing house is not in a good state thermally. And please, I know that I should be spending all possible resources on making the existing house well insulated before extending, but try telling that to my family of 5, including two teenage daughters sharing a room, in a 90 sq m house. But, I want the new build to improve the existing envelope, and, with the luxury of a bit of space, it will be easier to gradually bring the rest of the house up to standard. So, ideally, apart from it having to join on to the existing house, it would be built at or close to (we're on a tight budget, of course..) passivhaus standards for thermal performance and airtightness So, should it just be well insulated cavity wall? Or should we be looking at timber frame with some sort of lightweight infill/overlay? Or...? Any very rough estimates for cost of building it with whatever method, and with appropriately expensive windows (3 or 4) would be great too! Thanks for any advice Matt
How are you going to insulate the rest of the house in the future? If you are thinking EWI on the existing, then I would suggest going for EWI on masonry structure for new extention. That way you can link EWI on existing (in the future) to the EWI on the extention.
Assuming you consider render on EWI sufficiently durable in your location (exposure)
Thanks both Tony, most cost effective I guess - though if looking at getting close to passivhaus guess that the cheapest that gets close to passivhaus. Timber, thanks, good point: yes, will have to be ESWI on the existing house - so insulating between two skins of masonry does sound like a good way of bridging the future insulation So, sounds like masonry, ESWI (EPS?), render for both of you?
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