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Ecological buildings take different forms. They are not only popular frame houses but also …clay houses. Actually, it is coming back to roots but in a more durable form. Why is clay coming back as a building material in the 21st century? What are the advantages and disadvantages of clay houses? Let’s see…
Clay was used to build the earliest settlements, yet, contemporary clay houses do resemble the ancient ones. Nowadays, professional builders and an architect are involved, and they shape the building. Clay houses may now be classical huts or fantasy-shaped buildings. Decorating such a visually unusual house may be a fascinating experience. But it is not aesthetics which makes clay houses so popular.
Clay is an ideal building material which accumulates heat and at the same time absorbs and releases moisture quickly. Therefore, inside there is optimal microclimate, both for healthy people and allergy or asthma sufferers. Clay also prevents dust.
How? It inhibits electrostatic charge. Inside those houses you can freely use wooden elements and furniture as the properties of clay …preserve them. Clay walls prevent mould or fungi which are responsible for many diseases of the respiratory system.
How to build with clay?
oday, modern technologies allow make clay constructions far more complex than in the past.
In the first one, we make a kind of a ‘hut’ and the structural skeleton may be reinforced concrete, steel or wood, then it is filled with clay mixed with some so-called fillers. In the second – recommended if we want to build a more durable house – you use the so-called construction clay. It’s a mixture of clay and some other materials distinctive for their mechanical strength. You can also use ready-made clay blocks and use them to build walls, then insulate them. Clay walls breathe but at the same time they guarantee good thermal and acoustic insulation.
More advantages
Environmental friendliness of clay houses is not only about materials that we use. Such constructions are fully biodegradable. And the materials are cheap. And the usage of a clay house allows to save some money – constructions are energy efficient to a very high degree, but you need to use specific technologies and RES installations inside. Clay houses make a perfect alternative for those who need some relaxation and comfort. There’s neither hot or cold inside.
and a ‘minor’ defect of clay houses
Unfortunately, buildings made of ecological materials, despite the appropriate microclimate and durable character, have one drawback. It’s difficult to find a contractor who would be able to build such a house. Unfortunately, buildings made of ecological materials, despite the appropriate microclimate and durable character, have one drawback. It’s difficult to find a contractor who would be able to build such a house.
An additional advantage is the location of our ecological houses mong forests and meadows of beautiful Żywiec region.
Feel invited!
