Swiss Building Sections - Explained

[@keviemac]

My compliments on a U.S. builder looking outside his own world and showing such respect.

[@jedjade4002]

I feel like if you saw a Swiss man looking at US building techniques, you wouldn't make a similar comment, lol.

[@lulolee5325]

America is very open minded, they always take the best from the best. You can't to be the best in everything at a time.

[@SuWoopSparrow]

@@jedjade4002 Why would he? US building quality is currently generally complete shit. Respect is earned.

[@garryallan824]

It’s nice to see contractors finally learning about different (superior) methods of building from around the world. Switzerland has been my go to country for well over a decade. Swiss engineering is phenomenal as is their building science. Judging by his videos, Matt has lots to learn. Nice to see him open his eyes and expand his mind. The more we do inside an environmentally controlled factory the better the end result. I remember the first time I went up Grouse mountain in Vancouver, seeing the Swiss made gondola made me smile, knowing how many of them I’ve been on, never falling a single time! Lol

[@gurrz1126]

The insulation layer on the inside of the vapour barrier is there to make room for mainly electrical installations without having to perforate the barrier. something we learned the hard way many houses from the seventies had the barrier right behind the drywall so the electrician needed to make holes in the vapour barrier for every outlet, these were very rarely sealed properly with moisture damage happening because of it

[@wabisabi8283]

As a swiss I would not consider this as typial swiss building style. As displayed on the stickers this would be a Minergie-P certified construction. I am not an expert in this area but generally speaking Minergie is a guideline and certification for quality and sustainable building reaching from Mimergie, -P, - A, - ECO. I've read that costs for a Minergie-P certified building are 8-15% (per an other source 250-500 CHF per qm) above ''standart built homes'' which I would consider as mostly built out concrete with some sort of insulation. Love the content - keep it up!

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

@Jeremy Too true. a 1950's house with an insulated attic and new windows is likely to be more energy efficient than most new builds. The lumber our corporate leadership sells us in Canada is such low quality that even if everything is done properly (and there are a some small low-cost builders where that usually happens, everything will warp and leak within a few years, even if everything on the house is built properly. Kiln-dried spruce door and window frames? One or two winters max before they've twisted out of place. MDF window and exterior door frames? MDF WTF???

[@RetiredRhetoricalWarhorse]

I'd say typical Swiss residential buildings are brick and mortar on concrete foundations with concrete ceilings and wooden pitched roofs with clay (?) tiles on them. All concrete buildings are usually done for office and industrial buildings. Oh yeah, don't forget the 30cm of styrofoam slapped to the outside walls.... Frankly, I love these building methods. It's jsut how do you afford them? Even if you don't have a lot of land and squeeze a house onto 400 square meters of land, that land alone will set you back anywhere between 200'000 and 400'000 Swiss Francs... And that's "reasonable" land prices. Then you have the building itself which will probably set you back another 400k, usually quite a bit more. For 800k you usually get a row house with few amenities beyond what's absolutely needed. If you build yourself, you can calculate another 100k for the architect... And then I see mansions (to my eyes) in the US (granted very rural places but still) going for 200 to 300k with your own forest and lake... It's just so different in northern America...

[@waynebiles-s4d]

Wrong type of wood and lumber needs to be dehumidified once windows are in and lid is on otherwise house will twist once drywall is in not all builders are the same

[@JonatanJacobsson]

Thank you for promoting wood construction! As an architectural engineer that started in wood manufacturing, these last videos have been really fun to watch!

[@DannySauer]

A friend from India was just asking me a few days ago why we use so much wood in our houses in America, and then today I learned that we don't use enough wood. 🤷‍♂️

[@colinbateman8233]

I don’t mean to be rude but I must admit as a Carpenter with 40+ years of experience and now working in the United States I am amazed at how far behind the rest of the world do US is as far as building practices go and energy efficiency is and how to make buildings breeze better it’s good to see that somebody is actually looking to come into the future

[@billmccaffrey1977]

Love wood! Love working with wood, seeing wood, smelling wood, ... I thought I had designed and built my last house, but all of this Swiss tech has me wanting to do one more.

[@LivingBigInATinyHouse]

Keep it up

[@billrappley2639]

I like your videos, lot of new technologies, I’m 62 years young and have been doing this for 45 years , always learning new things

[@ByersLeafguard]

Lots of amazing techniques to take away from this trip! Thanks for sharing.

[@jason.martin]

Love seeing all the new tech, this show is so good !

[@MrBrianDuga]

So cool Matt thanks for sharing these discoveries!

[@HeadsFullOfEyeballs]

I'm German, and I remember playing The Sims as a kid and being frustrated because the walls were so thin! I thought it looked really off, unrealistic. Only much later did I learn that US houses are actually built that way!

[@P8qzxnxfP85xZ2H3wDRV]

I totally agree. Even if you live in a warm climate, it's much better to have the house stay cool through insulation than just brute forcing it with the a/c. And what about families? The walls are so thin, nobody gets any privacy. You can always hear what the other person is doing. I couldn't live like that.

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

@@P8qzxnxfP85xZ2H3wDRV The residential building industry has largely convinced North American consumers that lack of privacy within a home is a good thing. They call it 'open concept', which, as far as I can tell, means charging more for fewer walls. (This may explain why we're all so grouchy these days.) If you put fire-rated drywall on one or both sides of a wall, it stops a lot of the noise but adds USD$3-4 per square meter of wall. With some exceptions, builders never do this, and even if you pay them extra to do it, you need to be there watching them put every sheet of drywall up or they'll just slap up regular drywall and pocket the difference. I've helped a few friends retrofit in features the the builder was paid for but didn't deliver.

[@HeadsFullOfEyeballs]

@@jeffreyquinn3820 A lot of recently-built German flats also do the "open concept" thing (though I think we're starting to see some backlash) and it's the absolute worst. Not only is there no privacy in the living spaces, half the time there isn't even a separate kitchen. So the whole place ends up reeking of whatever you cooked last night, and any clothes left out in the open start to smell musty. And of course it reduces energy efficiency because you can't just heat the rooms you're using, it's all or nothing.

[@jedjade4002]

What in the hell US house are you seeing that has thin walls like that? Absolutely no house I've ever been in has walls like that. The Japanese apartments I've been in are the only ones that felt like they could be anywhere close to that thin, and they still aren't Sims Thin. Stop making stuff up. Literally just watch his other videos to see how thick walls are.

[@animarkzero]

Houses dont stay cool only by insulating them but because of thermal mass. Like a battery massive walls made out of stone, brick or other materials (that have a high thermal capacity) will passively cool the house over day and then at night radiate the heat away.

[@DrivingWithJake]

This is amazing! I love the use of the wood they use out there.

[@legionxiii5853]

Dude. I'm from switzerland and haven't seen more than half the things you show. I find this great! Also great explained and always interesting things to see. top!

[@Sailor376also]

Matt, Some of the principle reasons for the heavy framing. Houses are expected to last for generations. Families often live in the same town or Canton that their great great great great grandparents lived in. Houses are expected to survive avalanches. Half or more of the country lives where an avalanche is a possibility,,, the house must survive. There are few trees to waste on heating, insulation must be extreme. Trees always have multiple uses, and have been farmed for at least 2,000 years. There are essentially no wild trees. Trees are grown where towns must be protected from avalanche. The forest holds the slope, holds the snow, defends against upslope slides, and trees are cultivated to produce excellent lumber.

[@mrebholz]

Sailor376also Excellent explanation, appreciate.

[@Fekillix]

I'm from Norway and I'd say we align pretty good with advanced framing. I think the reason why all the lumber looks so big to you is because our 2x4s are actually 2x4 inches. (Yes, for the most part we call out lumber dimensions in inches). I was really surprised to learn that your 2x4s are significantly smaller. For exterior walls we use 2x6 or 2x8 to fit insulation. In a normal wall you'll see 8-10 inches of fiberglass insulation. Stud spacing is 600mm for all normal framing which is ~24". 16" isn't used for residential framing.

[@pcno2832]

I've heard this from various sources, although it's probably an oversimplification, but the shift from true 2" by 4" studs to the current 1.5" x 3.5" took place during roughly the same period in which stud spacing went from 24" to 16", so one sort of compensated for the other. New houses in the USA are built around well defined standards, so theoretically no components will be over-framed or under-framed. But old ones, from my experience, are usually over-framed in some places and under-framed in others, and being only as good as their worst mistakes, a little more vulnerable in natural disasters.

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

I'm curious how much education and training is required for the trades in northern European countries. Here in Canada we require 4-10 weeks of formal education per year for four years, with the rest of the time spent on the job. This system worked well when most builders were smaller and more ethical, but the residential construction industry these days is dominated by single-builder subdivision construction. I've known a lot of tradespeople who finish their apprenticeship without receiving the appropriate amount of on-the-job training and mentorship. Unfortunately, I have the expectation that 70% of the work I might pay a tradesperson to do will be done wrong, sometimes on purpose, but often because that is how they were trained. (The quality of materials available in Canada would be another rant.)

[@matthewhall5571]

What you're describing is what we built when we had the original unplaned lumber sizes, for our states with cold climates up north. In California we wouldn't build it quite so thick because the weather is better. The wall thickness is a bit higher for Norway but not too much. Norway is about 60 degrees latitude and our coldest large city is only 45 degrees. So it seems logical based on the geographical conditions.

[@030tango]

@@jeffreyquinn3820 it's different in every country jeffrey. in germany an apprenticeship is generally three years, where you go to a school once week. it can be shortened by half a year normally, if you have a better school education before (basically the high school degree that qualifies for university). then there is a higher level, called a "master" that you can obtain later (takes 4-6 years normally), which qualifies to have apprentices yourself and in some areas is needed to actually operate a business (electricians for example). what you have to count in is, that people normally just work in one are. you are a carpenter or an electrician or do the brick walls and so on.

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

@@030tango Thanks. I'm not saying our system is all bad, just that it's being abused a lot at the moment. There are some attempts being made to improve it, slowly. Anyway, I'm off to rebuild a wall because a plumber put in a crooked main stack. Cheers.

[@theoldtimeywoodworker2488]

Reading these comments I realize why my buddy in the US is always so amazed when I send him pics of Dutch building sites. Although we don't use much wood our building codes apparently call for much more air tightness and r value. Makes sense now why my energy bill is only a fraction of his.

[@NorrisWhitmore]

Love the education. Thanks Matt!!!

[@RiverPlaid]

🌸Thank you again Matt. Great stuff!🌸

[@TRYtoHELPyou]

Brilliant work! Thanks for sharing.

[@bigm383]

I'm hoping you get to explore the ' passivhaus' concept in Germany, which is very similar to the Swiss style you've been showcasing. Here in Australia it's very difficult to find a builder who will follow these concepts because ' it's not cold enough', yet it's been over 39C, about 100F every day for about six weeks here! Love your work.

[@kululv]

i'm always surprised that in the US and obviously also in Australia, that builders insulate for cold even in the south, when it applies as well for keeping the heat out!

[@noeraldinkabam]

I love how you love the beauty you see.

[@benrex7775]

It's fun seeing people being impressed with our daily routine. I don't work in the building industry but I do live in Switzerland. I'm curious on how our northern neighbors do things.

[@mrhortimer1]

Do you mean German or French carpenters (Zimmermänner)? I can tell you, being a carpenter in northern Germany myself, that we dont really do things that much differently than the Swiss do. Sure, minor differences are there, but that's just because of regional differences.

[@benrex7775]

@@mrhortimer1Well, I'm an electrical engineer student, so not much in common with carpenters and architects. And I thought so about the differences. But he might have a different company that sponsors his trip to Germany. And there he sees less wood and more other materials.

[@Kekeripo]

Sadly those nice wood buildings are rare and expensive here in the CH. What i see being built 99% of the time are appartments out of brick.

[@benrex7775]

@@Kekeripo When I was in England (around York) all the buildings were at least partially brick. It looked so nice. And here in Switzerland we have all those modern, generic houses. And after I came back I started to think and came to the conclusion, that I was just too used to seeing our buildings. And because of that they look generic no matter how good or bad they actually are.

[@gurrz1126]

As a student in construction engineering in Sweden I must say that Swiss houses are built very similar to how we build. We actually don't make the walls much thicker than what the Swiss do because the effectiveness of more insulation drops of the more that's added and problems with moisture gets worse with thicker walls. So making other parts of the house more efficient is more cost effective like heat recovery ventilation and and using heat pumps. I would guess that buildings at higher elevations in Switzerland employ much the same strategies

[@HistoricHomePlans]

Hi Matt! A few years ago I took a trip to Switzerland and stayed in a wood house that dated back about 400 years. I'm sure, assuming it gets the same good treatment, it will last another 400 years.

[@PBMS123]

We have a few people getting these windows in Australia, and they are a godsend. The hot temperatures of summer, and for some cities, the cold of winter, triple pane windows are incredible. And with electricity prices the way they are....

[@derekcruickshank6751]

Wood fiber board insulation is actually a great insulator (although expensive). I've seen as high as 3.7 R-value/in. You should do a tour of the Gutex factory in Germany (only about an hour's drive north of Zurich). The floor assembly with the acoustic profile is actually dowel laminated timber (DLT). You can see the round dowels in the sides of the panels in the background at 7:37 . Not sure about the US but there is a company in Canada called StructureCraft that manufactures these types of DLT panels.

[@robertwarrenkohl137]

@ Derek, Wow @ StructureCraft, perused their website, nice stuff. Definitely have done beautiful projects across north America with some beautiful wood.

[@mostlyelka350]

I'm interested that in this model there's an air gap between the wood fibre and render board, I thought because it's breathable wood fibre negates the need for a batten-ed gap?

[@derekcruickshank6751]

@@mostlyelka350 If the render board (siding) were installed directly against the wood fibreboard then any moisture in the board would be trapped as the siding would be covered in some type of a sealant which would not transfer moisture outward. It would be somewhat similar to covering the fibreboard with a plastic vapour barrier. The rainscreen (air gap) is required to remove any moisture that is wicked to the outboard side of the the wood fibreboard.

[@geoffnepo]

Like the mock-up wall sections with all the individual components marring up like that, good water and air flashing/infiltration details, typical residential construction method in the states still has a way to go to catch-up to commercial assembly practice

[@juligrlee556]

Perhaps this company would put up a subsidiary factory in South Dakota, central US, and through your company create contractors trained to put these things together at the job sites. I could see 6 to 8 of these structures on my two acre central city R1 zoned property.

[@bertlamontagne2513]

La meilleur chaîne KZbin sur la construction !! YOU sould go aroind the Wold to show how they built in other country !!!

[@DLBBAM]

You should be sure and check out some traditional building styles. There are people around that still build the timber frame and log building styles. But be aware, these vary extremely widely by region, personally I like the Bernese styles but I am biased. If you go to the upper Emmental, for example, you can see timber framing with solid wood infill, or to the Oberland and see their methods of solid log construction If you like to see some old buildings, you should see if you can get a tour of Ballenberg. It is probably closed right now, but you might be able to do something?

[@icolak]

An American discovers the civilized world:)

[@丘文刀]

Not the first wont be the last lol

[@danarnek]

Welcome to europe, we had civilised society thousand years before america existed.

[@2jzTireBurner]

Would be cool to see this type of advanced building out here in Hawai'i where I live. We build using what I know to be very traditional techniques; frame, tyvek, T 1-11 siding (or OSB), and batons 16" o/c. We do this same process on every job whether it's a $40k project or a $2m project. I know most of this is because that's just what the company does, but if I were to build my own house out here i'd want it to last generations like the homes you show us. Great content, i'm learning a lot just from your videos.

[@raunop7391]

Wood fiber board insulation acts also as wind barrier, that's why it is used in this construction.

[@pablomax3045]

Looking forward to the Germany videos. Our houses here use much less wood than the Swiss, but are also much, much, much less money.

[@jmpersic]

Awesome visit and fascinating to see how they build in Switzerland! Can you do Italy next??

[@piranfehlbaum5883]

I heard they are really good at building Bridges

[@noenthusiasts]

I don't think you can go wrong designing and insulating to cut consumption costs. Seldom does the cost of energy get to be less. Eliminating drywall costs is a plus. LED lighting and passive solar features put the icing on the cake.

[@AdventureWidely]

You've shown some really awesome building techniques from the Swiss - how many of these can you employ in your construction in the US and still meet code? I love your attention to detail, and your shows have shown just how important it is to select a quality builder.

[@Rhaspun]

I wonder if we're looking at what is used in a "tract" built house or is this a custom home? Even in the US there can be quite a bit of difference between a tract house vs a custom.

[@TheAgentOfTruth]

@@Rhaspun I don't think you'll find many 'tract' residential areas in Switzerland but I'd say those mockups are fairly standard code construction, with with varying degrees in thickness, quality and choice of materials

[@goPJgoPJ]

Meet the code? Meet it 10 times over.

[@matthewhall5571]

Most of the time you can build just about anything in America if you get some analysis from engineers to show that it's at least as good as the code version, and it isn't something with safety risks like the dimensions on a staircase or similar. It costs some more money for the analysis but it's worth doing if you want to make something really nice and you've got the money available for it.

[@kululv]

@@Rhaspun there are no "tract" homes in Switzerland everyone is custom built

[@josiahjohnson9922]

First, I love Matt's videos. Second, it's very interesting to me to see how it's done in other countries. I do wish Matt visited a wider sampling of builders and vendors as this series seems to have been all the same builder/vendor. I struggle to wrap my mind around the sheer volume of wood being used in these builds and wonder how/if that could possibly be standard construction. Thirdly, I am a little struck by the uppity nature of the European perspective being provided in the comments. I think we in the USA can and do build some very fine homes. Our homes are safe, durable,and efficient when done by professional builders. Also it would seem the European style is dictated by the government where I believe the market forces dictate the style and efficiency in the US. Anyway, great to see something new and to my fellow tradesmen world wide, be safe and love what you do. Remember we are all brothers and build our legacy everyday!

[@traumahtv]

Very cool videos you have to see the galician traditional houses are make from stone is amazing.

[@VenturiLife]

First time I've ever heard of a drip-edge. Very interesting.

[@luigifranceschi2350]

I built my home in Canada and I imported privately windows, stone cladding, anchoring system for vented facade, and obviously most of the finishing including lithe cabinets, all plumbing fixtures including toilets, bath tubs, sinks etc… Well, what can I say. In North America the house remains waterproof as long as the silicone and caulking can last without being replaced. In Europe simply they don’t use them to keep the water out. They don’t.kt last long enough so the water is kept out by gravity and joints that match perfectly, followed by other joints, at different level, so if the water passes one point, will find another barrier at an higher level.

[@brynyard]

Good insulation isn't just a benefit in cold climates. We need heating about half the year, while typical inland hot climates (like Texas) needs heating during winter and cooling during summer.

[@PBMS123]

Insulation can also help very hot arid inland climates, like in inland Australia, where temperatures might get up to 40C+ during the day time, but can drop incredibly dramatically at night time. Thermal mass can also be a good way to help deal with large swings in temperature. Once you get enough thermal mass, heat during the day gets released throughout the night, and then has to be heated again during the day, lading to a 12 hour delay in heating and cooling cycles, and almost eliminating the need for heating or cooling at all. Some houses, or just "accomodation" that is built into the land, into hills, or into earth, or cliffs benefit from this as well, but can also benefit from a longer delay, with thermal stability. Having so much thermal mass that it heats up over months, and releases the heat over the same time. With thermal stability throughout the day and night. Allowing heat from summer to be stored, and then released during the winter time. Doing so can remove almost all the need for any Climate Control at all.

[@buckched62]

The wood fiber insulation is probably "gutex" it comes in several r values, up to r8 which is, if remember correctly, 2 3/8" thick.

[@siriosstar4789]

buckshed62, yes Gutex or Steico . Other companies are starting to use wood fiber insulation in Germany.

[@buckched62]

@@siriosstar4789 I've used it a bunch in New Jersey.

[@Monkeyheadtpc]

It's always nice to watc videos of people nerd-gasming. Thanks for the insight!

[@tgunderwood8399]

Super episode.

[@LasseHuhtala]

What would you say was the most interesting different thing you saw over there, and do you think you will bring it back home and incorporate it into your own craft?

[@ThePvcralph]

The tree huggers in the US will go B.S. when the see all the wood used in those houses. good video.. Thanks

[@MichaelM.9]

Dont see a reason for that. We got a simple rule: For each tree cut down you have to plant a new one.

[@russellringland1399]

I've been a builder for thirty years and am also a tree hugger. We need to protect Old Growth forests, but I'm happy if a lot of the new forests we grow end up as sequestered carbon in housing construction. It's a great way to stuff away carbon for 100 or 200 years.

[@BrianKrahmer]

Your characterization of people who care about sustainability is quite short-sighted

[@freethoughtpolice6266]

Brilliant stuff 👍👍👍👍

[@ethanrmrz]

Great content as always, would love to see more building practices from other countries as well. Have fun in Germany

[@jazzthrowout265]

Note the 'Minergie P' label at that model. Thats an advanced industry standard for minimal energy consumtion or even passive houses. You can look it up on Wikipedia...

[@redsquirrelftw]

Quite impressive construction. Nice to see them take heat efficiency so seriously. Here I find it's taken less seriously. Here it's all about reducing cost, and still charging a lot.

[@spencerwilton5831]

Red Squirrel Charging a lot? American houses are by and large dirt cheap. On a price per square foot basis European homes are several times higher. But we are used to living in homes 1, 2 and even 3 centuries old. When we build, we expect our new house to last at least as long.

[@rickyseedo4067]

Very cool, lets see your architecture drawings of your dream space

[@paulbetka1803]

So Matt you bring all that super Information home. Something Your company is going to start applying 🔨

[@mucsalto8377]

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. How much is such a house in a northern region of the US?

[@RyanLeeWaldron]

To build a similar sized house here,built with our traditional methods, I would start by budgeting about $775 000. To build using Swiss techniques, it would go up significantly from there.

[@johnalexander2349]

It'd be nice to live in one of those fancy climate controlled houses. Then I remember that South African building costs are closer to €300/m². But the temperature inside is the temperature outside.

[@RHGM71]

that's ~280 CAD/sf ? For Canada it's definitely luxury range, though depends on area how much of a luxury that will give you: in Toronto, and especially in Vancouver, that would be expected range if you build custom luxury home

[@RyanLeeWaldron]

@@RHGM71 I expect that y'all have significantly less expensive foundation costs in most of Canada than we have down here in New Orleans.

[@mucsalto8377]

@@RHGM71 ok, it is located in the center of Munich, one of the more expensive towns of Germany. In a small town or in the middle or eastern part of Germany you may count 20% less. But the construction is not luxury, just the normal energy efficient standards (may be high end standards in the US).

[@D_pawson]

Who is going to sponsor you to build two houses same size next to each other back in the usa, one built to swiss code and one built to usa code and compare energy costs

[@mucsalto8377]

nope - not comparable at all. Would you compare a Russian car to a BMW? If you are curious you may calculate just from the drawings, that works fine.

[@mglenadel]

The US has oil. Energy is cheap (used to be REALLY cheap, but now it is just cheap). Switzerland has no oil. Energy is ridiculously expensive. They just HAVE to save on energy, hence the highly-insulated construction. Wait a few years. Energy costs will rise in the US too. THEN people will build like the Swiss.

[@jcnash02]

Joachim Van Caekenberghe we use less wood because our environmentalists are afraid to let us cut trees....they say it’s bad for the environment.

[@russellringland1399]

@@jcnash02 you just made that up. we protect old growth, but are happy to see wood(carbon) sequestered in new housing units. Don't make up stuff to fit your narrow mind set.

[@drivesanoldcar]

we should incorporate thos drip edges and flashing double ups

[@believerscc]

Sounds like they have a monopoly. Man that is a lot of wood in those houses.

[@vito7pt]

Brandon Castle it's natural and we replant them.

[@firstgeer]

That plywood you like is called lumber core.

[@jensmllgaardjensen4150]

Prices are different depending were you are in EU. In Denmark we say that you can build a standart home for 11.000 kr pr. M2 That’s about 200 CAD pr. SF. It will be hard to go under that price. A passivhouse standard home is 15.000 kr. Pr. M2 275 CAD pr. SF. If you want a highend home, you can pay what you want but the most expensive SF is kitchen and bathroom and they will probebly be what pulls most of the budget. Most of the highend structure is probobly about the same as a passivhouse

[@SparkHelium]

Beautiful wood products.

[@onecreative1]

Very interesting!

[@_AIex_]

Hi ! That sealing is not plywood. Its a pine board, and its glued together, from 3 layer pine. And the layers made out of glued together pine strips. Its a realy useful product 'cause the midle layer grain pattern is go across the top and bottom layers grain patterns. So its not able anymore to wrap, expand etc.

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

That's what plywood was, once upon a time.

[@_AIex_]

@@jeffreyquinn3820 Basicaly all the two product has their own porpuse. Plywood is good for construction. Its built up from lot of layer, and this is why is realy strong, and able to carry lot of weight. I think its a good choice when we looking for something exceptional strong, but not matter how its looks 'cause we will cover with something else. 3 layer pine is a good choice whem we looking for something what has a nice surface (this pine boards are available with no nuts and other defects) but strong enough itself (one layer pine boards what glued together from pine strips can easily bend in bigger dimension) , and dont wrap , twist after the time.

[@gu3610]

That insulation is called wood-wool with the same r value as the mineral wool. It is fire proof and sustainable.

[@charlesstevensEnki]

Amazing trip

[@marzymarrz5172]

An alternative to sheet rock is a wonderful thing

[@dlwatib]

Why? Sheetrock is great stuff, cheap, easy to install, hypoallergenic, abundant ingredients, biodegradable (just add water), sound absorbing, fire resistant (rated to 1 hour for Type X); and if you want higher quality, use a double thickness with a sound absorbing adhesive between the sheets. Its ingredient gypsum is used as a fertilizer and to remove pollutants such as lead or arsenic from contaminated waters.

[@wheelerdealer2105]

@@dlwatib Amen.

[@2awesome292]

@@dlwatib Gypsum is fine, the paper is a PITA...

[@mglenadel]

About "using wood responsibly", if you build a house well enough to last for more than a hundred, a hundred-fifty years (It's Europe. They have cities that are more than 2000 years old. Some of the oldest buildings have been standing for far longer than America has been known to Europe. Cathedrals have lasted a thousand years so far), all that wood will have been better used than if you save on wood while building but have to tear the house down after 30, 40 years and build a new one.

[@jarls5890]

The thing is that Americans knew ….or know... how to build ilke this too. But I think the "sickness" is that the US houses are built to look impressive - especially when viewed from the street. Huge, cavernous houses, that look like small palaces. However upon close inspection its paper, plastics and foam. So - to make what you see in this video reality in the US - people would have to "accept" living in smaller and less impressive looking homes - but homes that will last for generations and is quality all the way through. And when you DO see a huge palace of a house built in this "swiss" style - you know the owner is * very * rich. =)

[@bob15479]

I agree with Jarl. But Marcelo, I have to disagree with what you're saying. Who is tearing houses down after 30 or 40 years? In my town, NO houses are torn down, and many are over 100 years old. American houses last indefinitely when maintained.

[@mglenadel]

@@bob15479Will McMansions stand the test of time? Old houses were built when building was done in a more conservative manner, with time-tested methods and materials. Those will last. New stuff, only time will tell.

[@kululv]

@@jarls5890 and a lot of Americans care much more about looks than quality and longevity, while in Europe its more or less the opposite

[@genoobtlp4424]

Eliminated drywall? I‘ve never heard of drywall before I heard of „cardboard walls“ in the US. (Swiss writing) Seriously, nobody in Switzerland uses drywall in residential buildings, although I‘v heard, that some commercial buildings started using drywall, but I can’t confirm that. Generally, the concept of drywall is pretty unheard of in Central Europe, probably due to a mix of tradition and usecase (European houses are often made to last seemingly forever and living in a house that’s some centuries old isn’t that rare, so newer houses don’t lower quality intentionally because it’s likely, that it’s coming to bite your children in terms of repair costs, if you cheap out)

[@abefrohman1759]

Cool stuff 😎

[@vladnickul]

Did you had a look at the Ytong blocks? I'm hoping to get an opinion about them.

[@kylemacht]

What was the air control layer on the cellulose side of the mockup? Did they tape the back side of the plywood ceiling or use the wood fiberboard? Or something not seen? Great mockups, very cool!

[@LivingBigInATinyHouse]

Beautiful house !!!!

[@tomroehl5126]

Is the air cavity behind the wood siding an issue when it comes to fire safety? I know in California where there are a lot of wildfires there is an issue with fire getting behind the siding...

[@jensmllgaardjensen4150]

Tom Roehl You can put in a firesafe board as a windstopper, (cembrit or other). As far as i know, the type of board they use here does not Burn that well. Anyway if you have a wildfire at your home its probebly gone no matter what you do. The cavity is there to ventilate both the Wall and the siding. In Denmark this ventilation is between 2,5 and 4,5 cm depending on the structure. The only time we need to use a firesafe windstopper, is if it is multi story or it is to close to the nabor.

[@Z3rty0n]

Is that wood fiber isulation pavatex? Did a job in Ontario this past year where pavatex and siga tape was used. Was very impressed with the products

[@mrhortimer1]

Wood fiber insulation should be Pavatex since it's a Swiss company. They also make so called 'under-roofs', which kinda replace a roof membrane below the roofing tiles... There are two more companies making wood fiber insulation, namely Steico and Gutex, which are both German as far as I know.

[@Z3rty0n]

@@mrhortimer1 thanks for the reply and the Info. Would love seeing more of these products being used in North America

[@jazzisback]

Dear Matt, can you show us once how to build a fundament?

[@heyimamaker]

It would be interesting to know how building costs differ and I'm guessing that these techniques are on the upper-end homes and not the community cookie cutters.

[@williambutler3695]

In Europe, skilled trades and craft people are generally far more valued as a career option than we see here in the US. They have vastly superior training and apprenticeship paths compared to the US. How do you think that effects the quality of their buildings compared to the US?

[@williambutler3695]

laughing lemur Do we actually have better more advanced buildings? That seems like an opinion vs statistically proven. There’s also something to be said about buildings built centuries ago. They are still standing! Old buildings aren’t a knock, it’s a testament!

[@user-tv5dt3nm9y]

Really neat stuff. I could take the Swiss to a Home Depot and show them some nifty vinyl windows. So it looks like a massive wood ceiling encapsulating fiber insulation with no attic. Is that right?

[@WhatsHisFace2013]

THE CAMERA MAN/WOMAN GETS IT and we'll likely see more of that nod next time ONNnn the BUILD SHOW!

[@ocavant]

Most shooters on KZbin videos are amateurs and they don't listen to what the commentator is actually saying doing. I've been shooting for 30+ years and do these things all the time. This person has obviously shot and edited before. Nothing special, just good work.

[@AnthonyBrusca]

If you notice not only does he not, but he also SLOWLY zooms in

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[@DestroyerX61]

What kinda tape are they using

[@909sickle]

It's funny when he says "I think I'm pronouncing that correctly" and then a Swiss guy off camera yells out the correct pronunciation. No Swiss guy this time though. Must have nailed it. ;) I didn't know US is trying to reduce wood usage. What could be more green / sustainable than fast growing trees? It's also a self-creating material that eats carbon and produces oxygen while it's growing.

[@pcno2832]

I think saving money is the most important reason for conserving wood. But it also leaves more space available for higher R-value insulation, if one chooses to make use of it.

[@russellringland1399]

I don't believe the "U.S." is trying to reduce wood usage.

[@joshsimpson10]

So the cost of these buildings must be crazy in materials cost relative to u.s.a. building materials costs?

[@MrGbSandwich]

the average swiss is loaded compared to the average us.

[@godfroid47]

LordMuffin the cost of living in Switzerland is huge! Not an apple to apple comparison

@@MrGbSandwich the average swiss doesn't own a house. Only around 30% of the population owns homes, with less than this in cities.

[@NoRoads2AllRoads]

not much more. Again a user above said they built a 4000 sq ft house for about 200$ sq ft

[@joshsimpson10]

@ I'm about 40 minutes south of Matt's operations in austin. So my perspective is very narrow here. Is there strict zoning laws where pocket neighborhoods or tiny home villages that complement the regions architecture are forbidden? How much rural land is there for being exchanged in a given year? Texas flips land like crazy I'm always in search of 2 acres to homestead for less than 15k

[@crafter89]

I still believe most houses are built with brick and concrete here in Switzerland. Wood is mostly used for roof sections. All-Wood houses are kind of rare.

[@vaultsjan]

Rafters run full length or are eaves created by adding short pieces?

[@aayotechnology]

Any idea which kind of membrane is used for the rain screen?

[@BLacknesmonstaz]

Is there such thing as impact glass at cat 5 triple pane windows?

[@cj6581]

I WISH we had something comparable in buildings here!! It is going to be MINUS - 18 degrees celsius for the next 3 days here... people act like it doesn't get cold in the states. It does.

[@schnob92]

-71 f windchill in fargo

[@jeffreyquinn3820]

@@schnob92 I'm up 400km/250miles north of you. I still feel your pain.

[@axilla364]

All that wood got me thinking... Has anyone ever looked into the building science and performance of log cabins in North America?

[@box1342]

Finally the US get some good ideas from overseas. Take the metric-system with you.. hahaa

[@key2010]

duuuude... they really need to finish the migration to metric ... i had to work with US made machines and having digital calipers did NOT help at all, they use fractions and my calipers shows decimal, sloppy machining didn't help either, a 1/4" screw is 6.3 mm but the metric equivalent in M6 (6 mm outside), 3/16" screw is 4.6mm, then WTH is that 5.6mm i'm getting! ... IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! literally took me double the time to do my job ... sorry for the rant i have ptsd from that shit :)

[@oatlord]

Do all these techniques apply for the swamp butt humid climate of the south?

[@GenZyannd]

what did I miss? doesbt vapor barrier on the inside traps vapor between your drywall/plaster and the vapor barrier?

[@BrianKrahmer]

He was saying that they put the vapor barrier on the inside _instead_ of on out the outside. Interesting concept

[@averycolter6529]

"They respect their wood". Sustainable forestry, imagine that! Sorry, I have to hold part of myself back; I live in the SF Bay Area, where Hurwitz is a swear word!

[@isackhernandez3691]

Do heavy structures sink?

[@menchelke]

I just started the video, let me guess, they make the windows from wood?

[@ledebuhr1]

Matt, Isn't there a point of diminishing returns. They spend a fortune building these homes, but would they really offer lower energy savings Vs. using 2x4 studs with ZipR and closed cell foam?

[@matts3729]

They will certainly outlast that home by a long shot.

[@todburner4678]

that's not the way of the land

[@pcno2832]

@@matts3729 What does that even mean? Most wooden houses last indefinitely as long as you maintain them. Some USA houses do require more maintenance, but that's mainly due to our (at least in the North) shitty taste in exterior claddings. Put a decent metal roof and fiber-cement siding on a typical tract house and as long as the flashing details are done correctly, it will be as low maintenance as a typical European house.

[@bob15479]

@@pcno2832 Thanks for making that point. So often on youtube I hear people talk about how cheap and crappy US houses are. I'm mean yeah, a swiss house is probably stronger against a tornado than a US one. But lets face it, thats a low probability and most of the US doesn't even have tornados.

[@lsellclumanetsolarenergyll5071]

Matt is it Birch wood they use it's fast growing too.

[@beachboardfan9544]

Cant imagine what a swiss house cost to build!

[@wowcolors]

Does it not get humid there in the summer?

[@kululv]

between 65-80%

[@PinataOblongata]

That looks absolutely nuts to an Australian - we have mostly two layers of brick, or even just one crappy "fast brick" with a render and that's it. Timber is too expensive. So our walls are about 1/3 the thickness and you never see windows set that far in. You rarely see double-glazing, let alone triple. Most roofs are just a sheet of Colourbond or clay tiles. Obviously we're dealing with heat and potential fires more than cold, wet and potential avalanches, but I still think we're behind with our insulation and use too much power on AC. It's only people who can afford to build a "green" home who can have an unusually well-insulated home, which by the standards in this vid would just be normal.

[@wportegijs]

Guess what ;) you can start today with quality houses in the US.